How could someone surnamed Liu be part of a family surnamed Chen?

Different surnames could be joined through marriage. Madam Chen told this obvious lie, and the grain station staff turned a blind eye, completing Li Fengmei’s grain tax verification without any shortage – though they rated it as “second-grade.”

Even with this, Li Fengmei was very happy.

“Sister-in-law, with just your word, we avoided so much trouble!”

Madam Chen was of course relying on her father-in-law Chen Wangda’s reputation. Everyone knew that grain station staff expected some benefits when collecting grain tax. No matter how powerful Chen Wangda was, he couldn’t prevent the grain station from hassling all of Qijing Village’s people. But because of Chen Wangda’s strong influence, Qijing Village people faced the least harassment – 100 jin of rice would at least weigh as 80 jin. For other villages submitting grain tax, forget about the grade rating – if home-weighed 100 jin of rice could weigh 70 jin at the station, that was considered good.

What could Xia Xiaolan say?

Even 30 years later, these rural complexities wouldn’t be eliminated. It wasn’t just rural areas – if water is too clear it has no fish – similar “unwritten rules” existed in every corner of the world.

Xia Xiaolan was also a beneficiary of these “unwritten rules.”

She had moral standards – above 60 points was fine, but expecting herself to meet saintly standards was unrealistic.

Madam Chen didn’t go home after submitting grain – her family’s men would be helping at the train station for several days. Xia Xiaolan and her aunt left first. Halfway home, Li Fengmei couldn’t hold back and directly reminded Xia Xiaolan:

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but Chen Qing is a good boy. However, you have a chance to attend university. Can you put relationship matters aside until after the college entrance exam?”

Xia Xiaolan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry:

“Aunt, I’m not in a relationship with Brother Chen Qing. Why would you think that?”

“The way Chen Qing’s mother treats you, she’s already seeing you as a future daughter-in-law… Uncle Wangda has that influence, but the Chen family doesn’t give out favors carelessly.”

Such “closeness” wasn’t even available to all the Chens in Qijing Village, how could it extend to someone surnamed Liu?

Li Fengmei had her judgment – she had observed Chen Qing’s attitude toward Xiaolan and the Chen family’s attitude.

Well, with her aunt’s analysis, Xia Xiaolan had to believe it.

Mother Xia had called her loose, saying no family would accept Xia Xiaolan as a daughter-in-law, but once she left the Xia family, Xia Xiaolan’s romantic prospects were blooming everywhere. Not to mention Zhou Cheng, Xia Xiaolan realized she had already “met the parents” twice – in this era when women could hold up half the sky, not like the later messed-up society encouraging professional women to return home for a second child, why couldn’t she have her career?

To have a career, she needed to interact with people, treating men and women equally.

Her face was indeed an advantage, sometimes bringing her great convenience, but inevitably also bringing such misunderstandings.

Just talking a bit more meant starting a relationship.

Fortunately, Aunt Chen was different from Zhou Fang’s mother – she seemed to like her… What did she like about her? Elders certainly didn’t like her just for her looks. Xia Xiaolan could guess Aunt Chen’s thoughts – she liked that she could endure hardship, and liked that she had a chance to enter university.

Xia Xiaolan wasn’t uncomfortable with this.

Good looks might not last a lifetime, but “ability” would always be hers.

However, Xia Xiaolan had no feelings for Chen Qing. To avoid misunderstandings between the Chen family and Chen Qing himself, she would need to maintain some distance in the future.

“Aunt, I’m not interested in relationships now. I see Chen Qing as a neighborhood brother. Though Grandfather Chen has helped my mother and me greatly, repaying the Chen family’s kindness is right. I’ll keep my promise to Aunt Chen about English tutoring. I have no other thoughts, and I don’t want the Chen family to misunderstand – what should I do?”

A neighborhood brother?

Li Fengmei understood.

This was like the modern “friend zone” – Chen Qing was good in every way, but Xia Xiaolan had no romantic feelings for him.

“Then don’t let the Chen family make their intentions clear…”

If the Chen family brought up matters between Chen Qing and Xia Xiaolan, and Xia Xiaolan flatly refused, wouldn’t the Chen family have thoughts despite their magnanimity? As Xiaolan said, she and her mother, including Li Fengmei’s family, owed Chen Wangda favors. Chen Qing was a good boy, from a good family, and personally quite excellent. If rejected, the Chen family would surely wonder how Chen Qing wasn’t good enough for Xia Xiaolan.

It would offend, definitely creating ill feelings.

They couldn’t afford ill feelings with any family, especially not the Chen family. Today’s grain submission showed how relationships with the Chen family directly affected daily life!

Li Fengmei thought for a while, then laughed:

“Unless you find someone else before the Chen family speaks up.”

Xia Xiaolan was dumbfounded – where could she find someone?

Zhou Cheng?

Xia Xiaolan suddenly thought of his name.

Besides knowing Zhou Cheng was from Beijing, twenty years old, Xia Xiaolan knew nothing else about him. Zhou Cheng had been gone for over half a month with no movement. Xia Xiaolan thought she couldn’t blame others for liking her looks – wasn’t she also impressed by Zhou Cheng’s handsome appearance?

“Anyway, I don’t plan to date anyone before getting into university.”

Li Fengmei nodded, “Alright, alright, I understand. I’ll think of something.”

She could hint at this during village chats – what else could be done? If Xiaolan got into university, would Li Fengmei worry about her not finding a good match?

She might not like Chen Qing now, but what about after spending time together?

Young girls’ thoughts changed quickly – Li Fengmei had been through it herself.

Beijing.

After a trip to Shanghai that earned them big money, Kang Wei was starting to show off among his young friends.

The Kang family’s situation wasn’t bad.

But his father had died in service years ago, and his grandfather had retired from his former position. Now the most influential person in the Kang family was Kang Wei’s Second Uncle. An uncle’s love for a nephew always had a layer of distance, and the Second Uncle had his children to raise – how could he look after Kang Wei in everything?

He had arranged a job for Kang Wei – neither good nor bad, just something to do for now.

Fortunately, Kang Wei was ambitious himself. As others said, this kid knew how to keep close to power. Among so many people in the compound, Kang Wei had admired Zhou Cheng since childhood, always following behind him. The Zhou family was powerful, and Zhou Cheng had been the children’s leader since young – not only did those younger than him have to call him brother, but even those a few years older had to bow and call him brother.

Now everyone was grown up, and some people had pride – they had to politely call him “Zhou Cheng.”

The Zhou family was at its most prominent now, and Zhou Cheng was different from the pitiful Kang Wei – his future had been planned long ago. Recently Zhou Cheng had received a disciplinary punishment and quietly returned from his unit… Others thought Zhou Cheng had been expelled, not knowing that Zhou Cheng simply hadn’t figured things out.

He hadn’t been wrong in the matter, and he was unwilling to accept the disciplinary punishment, so he simply filed for leave and stayed at home.

Kang Wei had grown up with him since childhood, and Kang Wei’s father had died on the front lines. Kang Wei’s grandmother refused to let Kang Wei follow his father’s path.

As for studying, Kang Wei didn’t have the brains for it.

Too high to reach, too low to settle – his job was ordinary. It didn’t seem bad now, but in a few years, the gaps would show.

Kang Wei himself was quite passive, only when he begged Zhou Cheng did Zhou Cheng take him on the Shanghai trip.

During this trip, the money both of them earned filled Kang Wei’s pockets. Others might laugh at him for bootlicking or cozying up to power, but Kang Wei knew in his heart that Brother Cheng truly looked after him – having received Zhou Cheng’s favor, Kang Wei had to consider things for Zhou Cheng.

Zhou Cheng had said it would be just one trip, but now he was planning a second.

Kang Wei was terrified, fearing the Zhou family would hold him accountable.

Brother Cheng had a great future ahead! This kind of work made good money, but how could it compare to Brother Cheng’s prospects?