They journeyed through the harsh cold, eating whatever they could along the way, sometimes staying at farms or with people from different ethnic groups who gave them food, all while trying to avoid being caught by the security officers.

The intention of the security officers was good—they didn’t want these illegal immigrants to freeze to death out in the wilderness in the harsh winter.

But the immigrants, not wanting to be sent back, had no choice but to sneak around, running for their lives.

After nearly five days of walking, they finally arrived in Umayi.

Wang Hongbing’s legs, which were already in poor condition, were made worse by the cold.

He was carried by Chen Lili to the Umayi Health Clinic, where the doctor treated him, and once he was well enough to walk, he was sent to the local security office.

“Lili, I don’t have an introduction letter. It looks like I’ll be deported. You should go to the oil base alone. Take care of yourself from now on,” Wang Hongbing said, his forehead leaning against his ex-wife’s.

He didn’t know what else to say.

Chen Lili made up her mind. “If you’re staying, I’ll stay. If they deport you, I’ll go with you.”

In the bitter cold, they sat on a big chair outside the security office, gazing at the endless, barren frontier.

This was also the refuge for many criminals, and the place where intellectual youths came, hoping to contribute to the Republic.

They had come with great enthusiasm, but if they couldn’t stay, there was nothing they could do.

Suddenly, a car horn sounded outside the security office.

Staff rushed out of the building, opening the large iron gate.

“We didn’t really alert the authorities, did we?” Wang Hongbing was startled, because the car’s license plate read “Jiang 0002.”

Cars like this were rare in the frontier region, and only high-ranking officials would use them.

But when the car door opened, to his surprise, it was Chen Lina who stepped out, with security officers saluting her.

“Sis, I told you the base was still thirty kilometers away. Why did you come all this way?” Chen Lina said as she began to take their luggage.

Wang Hongbing hesitated, but Chen Lina urged him, “Come on, brother-in-law, why aren’t you leaving?”

He looked at the security officers who had questioned him earlier.

They were all smiling, and they no longer asked for his introduction letter or household registration.

He made up his mind, and got into the car.

As the car left the security office, the officers saluted collectively.

Wang Hongbing thought to himself, “I guess they also mistook this car for one carrying a leader.”

When Chen Lili had first tried to match her sister with Nie Bozhao, her intention was simply to clear her own 20 yuan debt.

Now, seeing her sister driving a car in the frontier, she couldn’t help but sigh. “Everyone has their own fate. Back when you were admitted to high school, I struggled for three years in middle school, trying and failing to get into high school. I thought, ‘Why is my sister so lucky?’ Now, looking at you, your fate is truly heaven-sent.”

Chen Lina smiled but didn’t respond.

Actually, Chen Lili felt a bit bitter inside.

If she had been more proactive and come to the frontier with Nie Bozhao, it might have been her instead.

But looking at her ex-husband Wang Hongbing, her discomfort faded away.

How should one say it?

Everyone has their own fate and opportunities.

At least her ex-husband was a college graduate, and although he couldn’t compare to Nie Bozhao in terms of talent, he was a hard worker.

And she respected his decisiveness in divorcing her; she decided to stick with him for life.

That night, Chen Lina roasted two large lamb legs, then made a big pot of chicken with potatoes, carrots, and thick noodles, serving it for the three children to eat.

Northern kitchens are known for their large dishes—big plates of meat, big bowls of chicken, making the meal especially hearty.

Chen Lili and Wang Hongbing were starving.

When they saw that Chen Lina had served them not flatbreads, but the crispy fried oil cakes their hometown loved, Chen Lili began to cry. “Sis, you don’t know… these past few days we’ve been staying with villagers, and at first, we devoured the lamb meat. But after a while, we couldn’t eat anymore. Now, just the smell of home-cooked food makes me want to cry.”

When the door opened, Er Dan rushed outside. “Dad, dad, we have guests!”

Nie Bozhao, dressed in work clothes with a wool scarf and a woolen coat, entered.

Wang Hongbing saw him and thought, “This man, with his black-framed glasses, tall and slim, he looks like a refined intellectual. He’s really handsome.”

“Nie… Nie Gong?” Wang Hongbing suddenly stood up. “Do you still remember me? I’m Wang Hongbing.”

Nie Bozhao squinted at him for a moment and then pointed at him. “Are you the Wang Gong who was sent to Hongyan Province City by the Water and Hydropower Bureau to learn how to install hydroelectric generators?”

“Yes, yes, that’s me. You’re a busy man, so it’s normal if you don’t remember me,” Wang Hongbing replied.

It turned out these two had known each other.

However, Wang Hongbing, a former worker from the Water and Hydropower Bureau, had nothing left due to his political background and had to start over.

They laughed, shook hands, and sat together in the warm living room, ready to enjoy the meal.

At this moment, little Nie Weimin’s rebellious side kicked in again; he absolutely refused to sit at the table to eat.

Chen Lina tried to drag him to the table but was so angry she almost wanted to slap his little bottom.

After all, he was going to be a prominent figure in the city of Hongyan Province, a legendary figure who would dominate the world as the leader of the underworld.

How could he be so stubborn and uncooperative as a child?

“I know your sister is going to Mulan Farm, but can’t you not go? If you don’t go, I’ll go sit at the table and eat,” the little guy said pitifully, making a request that was completely absurd.

Chen Lina was curious and asked, “Why can’t I go to Mulan Farm? Give me a reason.”

“That’s my mom’s place. She said Mulan Farm belongs to her, and no one can touch it. Now that you’re our mom, the farm should go to our previous mom,” he said innocently.

The child was still so naive.

He might not have even understood the full meaning of his words and was simply repeating what his mother had told him.

But to Chen Lina, this statement was quite interesting.

You see, Mulan Farm wasn’t like the farming farms under the Construction Corps.

It was military-run, with military management and military farming.

The intellectuals working there were basically laborers; their job was to grow crops, and all the harvest was taken by the military.

They only received their rations.

Mulan Farm was part of the mining area, under the jurisdiction of the mining area management.

From what Chen Lina knew, the warehouse manager at Mulan Farm should be Sun Zhuan’s second sister, Sun Xiangnan.

Her husband was said to have some position in the Umayi Mining Area, likely in charge of personnel.

As for Sun Zhuan’s other sisters, they all had positions at Mulan Farm and were no longer involved in farming.

So, little Nie Weimin not wanting his stepmother to go to Mulan Farm was really just an attempt to preserve his memories of his biological mother.

But when Sun Zhuan said that Mulan Farm belonged to her, it was because, indeed, the farm was hers.

Now that she had passed away, the farm belonged to the entire Sun family.

No wonder Huang Huacai dared to be so domineering at the base, after all, she was a force to be reckoned with at Mulan Farm.

To calm the child down, and also to avoid directly clashing with the farm for now, Chen Lina said, “Little Nie, I can only promise you half of your request. I can stay away for now, but if there’s an urgent situation in the future, I’ll still go. After all, just like you love Er Dan and San Dan, I love my sister too, and she’s at Mulan Farm, so I can’t just ignore her.”

Handling bullies wasn’t anything new for Chen Lina.

Back in her business days, she had dealt with everything from city management to local thugs, using her wits to navigate all kinds of tricky situations.

Nie Weimin thought for a moment, then said, “Alright, but if you go, you have to get my permission first.”

He agreed easily and soon sat down to eat.

After the meal, Chen Lina gave Nie Bozhao a look, signaling him to wash the dishes.

But who knew Nie Bozhao had his own little moment of rebellion—after all, he was an engineer, and it didn’t feel right to wash dishes with guests around.

“Old Nie, go wash the dishes,” Chen Lina’s stare didn’t work, so she had to say it aloud, even stepping on his foot from under the table.

Nie Bozhao quickly replied, “Little Chen is just joking. How could a man wash dishes at home?”

Er Dan, without a care, immediately said, “Dad does it! Dad washes dishes every day.”

Both guests felt a bit embarrassed, and Chen Lili immediately rolled up her sleeves, “Alright, alright, Lina cooked, I’ll wash the dishes.”

She then went to the kitchen.

In the small bedroom, Chen Lina was busy making the bed when Nie Bozhao came in. “Little Chen, at least give me some face. What’s going on? There are guests in the house, and you want me to wash dishes?”

Chen Lina shot him a glare. “Let me ask you, Comrade Nie, when Chen Gong, Qian Gong, Liu Han, and Fu Yongdong came, did I ever ask you to wash the dishes?”

“No.”

Not only did she never ask him to wash dishes, but whenever guests came for work exchanges or casual talks, she would send the kids to the big bedroom, serve tea, and handle everything.

Once at work, when she went down the oil wells, everyone would praise her, saying Nie Gong had found a hardworking, home-loving, virtuous, and kind-hearted new wife.

Of course, the main reason was her beauty. As Han from Harbin put it, she was like the legendary Awal Guli, and no one in the borderlands could match her looks.

But in front of others, Nie Bozhao had always been the one getting praised. Suddenly being asked to wash dishes made him uneasy.

“My brother-in-law, you see him as all warm and friendly outside, but at home, he’s really quite a chauvinist. He talks about divorce casually, and doesn’t do anything around the house. Washing pots, dishes, and cooking are all my sister’s responsibility.

Though they’re divorced, they clearly won’t be separated in this lifetime. If they’re going to continue living together, mutual respect in the division of labor is crucial. You’re his boss, and he’ll learn from how you act. So, I’ll give you face in front of others, but here, you have to give me face. Otherwise, when your students and subordinates come for work exchanges again, not only will I not serve tea or water, but I’ll make sure you do the work. It’s a matter of mutual respect or tearing each other down—your call.”

Nie Bozhao was convinced and raised both hands. “Alright, after your sister finishes the dishes, I’ll cook breakfast tomorrow. That should be okay, right?”

Chen Lina didn’t answer, thinking to herself that sometimes you need to stand firm; otherwise, you might spoil someone.