Chapter 16

A Trip to the City

The tractor ride lasted forty minutes, directly taking them to the city. Summer Wan’ang was glad she hadn’t eaten too much in the morning, or she would have surely thrown up from the bumpy ride.

Gu Xiuyuan had wanted to ask Summer Wan’ang to accompany him, but remembering how she had refused to go with them to collect food the day before, he figured she would likely reject his offer again. After thinking it over, he chose not to ask.

Xu Jiaojiao and Wang Jing left separately. Wang Yan and Duan Xiaoyu asked Summer Wan’ang if she wanted to go shopping with them, but she declined. They agreed to meet back at three in the afternoon and then parted ways.

Summer Wan’ang first went to the post office, where it was crowded. It took her a while to squeeze inside and collect the package her mother had sent, which contained a mattress and some heavy items.

Afterwards, she handed her letter to the staff, watching as they dropped it into the mailbox. Then she went to the phone booth, where a long line had already formed. Time ticked by, and finally, it was her turn.

She carefully handed over the phone number for her father’s office to the staff, and after a few beeps, a familiar voice answered, “Hello? Who is this?” The call was quickly connected.

“Dad, it’s me, Wan’ang. I’ve arrived and settled in. Tell Mom not to worry, I’ve written to her and the family. Please let her know that the letter for her should be read in secret.” After saying this, her eyes reddened. It had been less than half a month since her rebirth, and she had already left home.

Hearing his daughter’s voice, Summer Qingshan felt a pang in his heart. Thinking of the suffering she had endured in her previous life, he could hardly bear it: “Wan’ang, your mom has already told me about what you’re doing. Whatever you want to do, your mom and I both support you. She has also given me the things she wanted to send, thank you.”

Summer Wan’ang paused, “It’s nothing, Dad.”

They chatted for a bit longer before reluctantly hanging up.

She carried the large package down several streets before finding a place to store it. Then, she took out two bottles of Maotai liquor and placed them in her backpack. Next, Summer Wan’ang went to the Public Security Bureau with the note her father had given her before she left.

“Hello, I’m looking for Director Fan.”

The receptionist looked at Summer Wan’ang for a moment before asking, “Who are you?”

“I’m a young intellectual sent to the countryside. I was asked by my elders to visit Uncle Fan.”

Soon, a young officer led her to Director Fan’s office. After explaining the situation, the officer blushed and left.

“Uncle Fan, I’m Summer Qingshan’s daughter, Summer Wan’ang. My dad sent me here to visit you.” She took the two bottles of Maotai from her bag and handed them over.

Fan Guangrong, in his fifties, had retired from the army due to injury two decades ago and had returned to his hometown to work in a civil position. If it weren’t for Summer Qingshan blocking a blow for him back then, his injury would have been far worse.

“Girl, your dad already called me. I was planning to visit you in the next few days if you didn’t come today. Take the things back with you. Your dad’s child is just like my own. What are you bringing me alcohol for?”

Summer Wan’ang blocked Uncle Fan’s hand, “This wine isn’t from me. It’s from my parents. If you don’t take it, I’ll have to mail it back. I don’t drink!”

She had specifically brought the wine, worried that her father’s friend might not accept it. Sure enough, after hearing this, Fan Guangrong smiled, “Your dad still remembers my preferences. It’s been many years since I last saw him.”

At noon, Fan Guangrong took Summer Wan’ang to a state-run restaurant to eat. “Girl, you’re in the countryside now. If you need anything, just find Uncle Fan. Here’s my office phone. Whether it’s big or small, come to me. You must come to eat whenever you come to the city, and Auntie will make you something good. Your dad and I are like brothers, so you should think of me as your real uncle!”

After the meal, Summer Wan’ang said goodbye to Uncle Fan and went to the scrap station to look for high school textbooks. It was 1974, and the college entrance exams would resume in three years. She planned to take the exams with Zhang Shiye.

At the scrap station, she unexpectedly ran into two familiar people.

“Comrade Xiao Xia, we’re really fate’s playthings, aren’t we? We were just apart for two days and here we are again?”

Looking up, Summer Wan’ang recognized the elderly couple who had shared dumplings with her on the train. “Grandpa, Grandma, what are you doing here?”

“Haha, our grandson has settled in Shanghai, and we old folks couldn’t stay at home. We tried to work but with our age, the scrap station is perfect for us!” Grandma said, holding Summer Wan’ang’s hand.

Grandpa smiled and asked, “What are you looking for, little Summer?”

“I’m just here to find some books. Since I’m in the countryside and don’t have much to do, I thought I’d catch up on my reading!”

Grandpa turned and went inside. “You came at the right time. A batch of books just came in. I’ll grab some for you to pick through!”

Summer Wan’ang quickly followed him, “No need, it’s too heavy. I’ll just look through them myself.”

Inside, she saw a mountain of books, all sorts piled together. Not minding the mess, she eagerly flipped through them and found three complete sets of textbooks for math, physics, and chemistry, along with two beautifully written notebooks—obviously from a diligent student.

Carefully, she organized the books as Grandma handed her some rope and brown paper. “Little Summer, wrap these up quickly. If someone notices, it could cause trouble.”

“Grandma, just call me Wan’ang. That’s what my parents call me!”

“Well, next time you come to the city, come find me. I’ll make you something nice!” The elderly couple genuinely liked her. She seemed soft but had a sharp, kind personality, and they found her straightforwardness refreshing.

After leaving the scrap station, Summer Wan’ang realized it was almost time to meet the others. She stored the books and retrieved her large package, which had everything she needed. There was no need to spend extra money. With such a large package, she could take whatever she wanted and tell others it was just something her family had sent her.

With 20 minutes left, Summer Wan’ang walked over to the tractor. Gu Xiuyuan, Zheng Yu, Duan Xiaoyu, Wang Yan, Huang Chen, Chen Qi, and Li Xiang had all returned. Li Xiang saw her jump down from the tractor and shouted, “Sister Wan’ang, how much stuff did Auntie send you?”

Gu Xiuyuan withdrew his foot, which had almost jumped down, and Zheng Yu couldn’t help but chuckle at the forlorn look in his eyes. This guy had always been a favored son of heaven, but because his maternal grandfather was from a farming background, his mother had privately signed him up for the program to gain favor in front of her father.

To be fair, ever since he went to the countryside, his maternal grandfather had indeed looked at his mother in a new light. Just recently, during a phone call, his grandfather had praised him, saying he was the one who most resembled his own child among the younger generation.

Summer Wan’ang took three large meat buns out of her bag and handed them to Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan hesitated, not sure if he should take them.

“Take them, it’s been hard on you, bringing us to the city and spending the whole day with us. Take these and eat!”

Zhou Yan had heard his brother mention this beautiful young intellectual before, but he hadn’t expected her to be not only beautiful but also so kind-hearted.

“Th-thank you!” he stammered.

Wang Jing and Xu Jiaojiao returned just two minutes before three o’clock. As soon as Xu Jiaojiao got on the tractor, she shot a vicious glare at Summer Wan’ang.

“Xu Jiaojiao, do you really want to lose your eyes?” Summer Wan’ang glared back at her, not backing down in the slightest.

Xu Jiaojiao averted her gaze and lowered her head, thinking deeply. The reason she had been so outspoken before was that her father had always been there to back her up. Although she wasn’t favored at home, her father would never let anything happen that might harm his career or reputation.

But just earlier, when she had called home, her younger sister had told her that their father hadn’t been home for three days, and their mother couldn’t find him either. Her younger siblings had barely eaten in the past few days, relying on neighbors for food. Something must have happened at home.

The week before she went to the countryside, she overheard her father quietly telling her mother that he intended to crush Summer Qingshan. She had only been away for three days, and already, her family was in such a state. What on earth had happened?