Lu Xiaotang looked at the bag that had been sewn. Knowing that she was not going to let him take it out, He decided to take it with him, letting those little rascals benefit from it.

Xu Ning noticed it was getting late and intended to rest early; she needed to get up early the next day. Xu An had already talked to Old Chen at school, asking him to help with a ride in the morning.

Lu Xiaotang initially wanted to chat with Xu Ning, but since he was leaving, Xu An had been particularly chatty today, pulling him to sit on the kang and talk non-stop.

Once Xu An fell asleep, Lu Xiaotang went outside and noticed that the lights in Xu Ning’s room were off. He sighed in disappointment and took a basin to wash up.

The next morning, when Xu Ning got up, Lu Xiaotang was already cooking.

Surprised to see him sitting there by the fire, Xu Ning asked, “Brother Lu, why are you up so early? It’s only five o’clock. What are you cooking? I prepared the meat filling yesterday and planned to make dumplings this morning.”

Lu Xiaotang smiled when he saw her enter, her hair sticking up in a tuft, clearly having rushed out without combing it. “Just have a little something for breakfast; you can go back to sleep a bit longer. I’ll call you when the meal is ready.”

Xu Ning could no longer sleep. She opened the pot lid and saw sweet potato porridge cooking—definitely not enough to fill her up. After quickly washing up, she decided to make some pancakes on the stove.

Lu Xiaotang noticed her busying herself again and said, “Xiao Ning, don’t worry about it. Just have some porridge for breakfast. You prepared so many snacks for me; I can eat those when I’m hungry.”

“You’ll be traveling to Qi City for several hours! Once you’re on the train, who knows when you’ll have time to eat?” Xu Ning replied, rolling out dough and filling pancakes.

Lu Xiaotang listened to her chatter with a smile, feeling as warm as if he had just drunk a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day.

After finishing the pancakes, Xu Ning remembered there was only one clay pot she could use on the stove. She scooped the porridge into the pot to warm it and used the larger pan to fry the pancakes.

Seeing her flurry of activity, Lu Xiaotang sighed, realizing it would have been simpler to make dumplings instead.

After they had eaten, Xu An was still asleep. Xu Ning wanted to check how much time was left until her appointment with Old Chen. She raised her hand, but realizing she had forgotten her watch in the rush, she pulled Lu Xiaotang’s hand to check his watch. There was still half an hour left.

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, Xu Ning felt her wrist firmly grasped by Lu Xiaotang’s large hand. Looking at him, she suddenly felt a wave of emotion and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Lu Xiaotang held her close and said, “Xiao Ning, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I will come back next year. I talked to my dad and Uncle Xu yesterday. There’s nothing happening over at the cattle shed, so you and Xiao An shouldn’t go there. If you need to send something, wait a bit longer, or let Grandpa Qi find an excuse to come and pick it up. If anything happens, just contact that person I told you about last time.”

Xu Ning buried her face in his embrace, sobbing as she nodded. Lu Xiaotang gently stroked her head and continued, “Be careful of those people in the youth commune. I will dig up their backgrounds while I’m back in the Capital, just to be safe. The military academy is fully enclosed, and you can’t get out whenever you want. I’ll give you the addresses of Zhen Ting and Wen Qing in a moment. If anything comes up, send them a telegram.”

He paused before adding, “And don’t go to the black market anymore. I’ll send you food stamps later.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Ning stopped crying and lifted her head, indignantly declaring, “I didn’t go to the black market! I only went to ask about prices a couple of years ago, and I haven’t been back since. Those things I bought were really through connections I made! Hmph, believe it or not!”

Seeing her flustered, Lu Xiaotang thought he might have wronged her and comforted her, “Alright, I’m sorry for accusing you. But the black market is really dangerous, and I just worry about your safety.”

Xu Ning knew he was worried about her, and since the origins of her goods were indeed unclear, she decided not to be overly sentimental, thinking about how he would leave soon and they wouldn’t see each other for another year. She said, “Brother Lu, don’t worry. I won’t go to the black market. I really bought those things through connections. They were a bit expensive because I didn’t have tickets, but their origins are safe.”

“As long as you know that, Xiao Ning, remember your safety is the most important thing. I’ll find a way to help you if you need anything,” he replied.

Xu Ning nodded, indicating she would remember.

When Xu An got up, the two had already left with their things. He quickly dressed and ran outside, seeing Lu Xiaotang already seated in the ox cart. He hurried over and said, “Brother Lu, I’m sorry I overslept today! I said I’d see you off yesterday, but I just woke up!”

Lu Xiaotang got down and patted his head, smiling as he said, “It’s okay. Just listen to your sister at home and study hard. I’ll come back to see you next year. Now, go back inside.” After finishing, he climbed back into the cart and told Old Chen that they could leave.

Sitting in the cart, Lu Xiaotang watched as the figures grew distant and thought to himself that for her and their families, he needed to work harder and become even better.

Xu Ning watched the departing cart with a deep sense of melancholy in her heart; her long-distance relationship had begun now.

After Xu An finished his meal, he left for school. Xu Ning sat on the kang and continued making shoes. After sewing a few stitches, she looked around the small room and felt an unusual emptiness. Sighing, she locked the door with the shoes in hand, planning to find Wei Lanlan and Yang Xiaomei to chat. Ever since Lu Xiaotang’s visit, the two hadn’t felt comfortable coming over.

When Wei Lanlan opened the door and saw her, she exclaimed dramatically, “Oh, who is this? Finally decided to step outside?”

Xu Ning pushed past her and entered the house, smiling as she said, “I was just worried that coming over too often would interrupt your budding revolutionary friendship. I’m not that clueless person who shows up every day to be a nuisance.”

Wei Lanlan pretended to swat at her, and Xu Ning quickly hid behind Yang Xiaomei. The three of them started playing hide and seek in the room.

Yang Xiaomei, not as physically fit as the other two, gasped and said, “Wei Lanlan, can’t you be a bit more generous? What are you afraid of? You and Chen Xiangdong have been together for more than a day or two.”

Despite her usually carefree demeanor, Wei Lanlan blushed when it came to such matters. She couldn’t be bothered to scold Xu Ning anymore and said, “Yang Xiaomei, don’t laugh at me. I haven’t even mentioned your thing with Sun Hao yet! You two are practically a couple!”

Xu Ning felt she had come at just the right moment, eager to witness this juicy gossip. Seeing that the two were almost glaring at each other, she stood between them and asked, “What’s going on? Xiaomei and Sun Hao? When did this happen?”

Yang Xiaomei blushed and replied, “Don’t listen to Wei Lanlan’s nonsense; I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

Seeing her shy expression, Xu Ning thought to herself that even though Xiaomei hadn’t agreed, it was only a matter of time.

Their playful banter grew a bit loud, and someone knocked at the door. Wei Lanlan opened it to find the two young educated women who had just arrived the other day.

Wei Lanlan greeted them warmly, “Chunhua, Jiaohua, it’s you two! Come in and have a seat!”