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Although Su Niannian had endured years of mistreatment from Tao Chunhua, there were no visible scars on her face, neck, or wrists—anywhere that could be seen.
Su Niannian had always been beautiful. Today, she was wearing clothes without patches. Though the outfit was simple, it did nothing to diminish her charm.
Her frame was slender, but her skin was fair and flawless.
Her features were striking and refined, exuding a natural elegance. Most captivating of all were her eyes—bright, lively, and filled with spirit. Coupled with the warm smile on her face, she was like a little sun, radiating light that could pierce through even the deepest darkness.
Many of the men on the bus couldn’t take their eyes off Su Niannian the moment they saw her.
“Your shameless man! What are you looking at?!” A woman scolded her husband after noticing him staring at Su Niannian, completely entranced.
“I wasn’t looking at anything,” the man muttered in defense.
“Hah! A girl like that is obviously a young educated youth being sent to the countryside. Staring won’t do you any good! Besides, after two years of hardship in the village, she’ll end up looking just like me!”
The man smacked his lips in disbelief.
How could such a beautiful young girl possibly end up looking like his wife?
The man glanced at his wife—her skin darkened like charcoal, her broad shoulders and sturdy waist—and couldn’t help but take a sharp breath inward. Still, he didn’t dare voice his thoughts.
Not far away, a man with tanned skin and a cropped haircut also caught sight of Su Niannian.
A wave of emotion surged in the man’s heart. He didn’t even know what memory had surfaced, but his eyes reddened slightly, with a faint shimmer of tears threatening to spill.
However, he forcibly suppressed those feelings.
Su Niannian turned her head to look out the window. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shifting shadows across her face, painting a picture of serene tranquility.
This unintentionally drew the man’s gaze for a long while.
Sitting across from Su Niannian was a girl with slightly tanned skin, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years old.
Though her clothes were somewhat worn, they were impeccably clean.
Her short, ear-length hair made her look especially fresh and capable.
Beside her sat another young woman, dressed in a floral-patterned blouse and light gray pants, with a pair of small leather shoes on her feet.
At that moment, the young woman in the floral blouse was holding an apple, taking small bites.
Noticing the lingering gazes from several men in their direction, she initially assumed they were looking at her—after all, she was well-dressed and had a pleasant appearance.
But when she realized their attention was actually on the girl sitting diagonally across from her, an uncomfortable feeling rose in her heart.
Before long, noon arrived.
The short-haired girl sitting across from Su Niannian took out a cornmeal vegetable pancake from her bundle and began eating.
The young woman in the floral blouse took out a small packet of peach crisps and began eating.
At that moment, the train jolted slightly. For some reason, the short-haired girl choked on her cornmeal pancake, and in her struggle, accidentally sprayed a few crumbs from her mouth.
This startled the girl in the floral blouse, causing her to let out a sharp cry.
She immediately pulled back her water cup and peach crisp bag from the table with a look of utter disgust, then shot a sideways glare at the short-haired girl.
The short-haired girl hurriedly apologized.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to,” the short-haired girl apologized hastily.
The young woman in the floral blouse merely huffed in annoyance, refusing to respond.
Instead, it was Su Niannian who reached into her bundle, took out a water flask, and gestured for the short-haired girl to take a sip.
“Thank you, but there’s no need. I’ll go get some water myself.” The short-haired girl nodded toward Su Niannian before rummaging through her bundle and pulling out a slightly worn enamel mug, preparing to fetch some water.
The young woman in the floral blouse, sitting on the outer seat, impatiently shifted to the side to let her pass.
These two were, in fact, among the educated youths who would be sent down to the countryside along with Su Niannian.
However, in her past life, Su Niannian hadn’t interacted much with them.
From what she remembered, the` short-haired girl, Song Zhaodi, had a straightforward and carefree personality. She was honest and easygoing, which often led to her being taken advantage of and made to do extra work for others.
As for the girl in the floral blouse, Zhao Sulan, she had a habit of currying favor with the powerful while looking down on those weaker than her. Her family background was relatively decent, but she was extremely selfish and had an unpleasant temperament.
If she recalled correctly, in her previous life, Zhao Sulan often stuck close to Huang Yingying, especially when Huang Yingying was pretending to come from a wealthy family.
Thinking of Huang Yingying, Su Niannian’s gaze darkened slightly.
Before long, Song Zhaodi returned with an empty cup in hand.
“You couldn’t get any water?” Su Niannian asked.
“Mhm, there were too many people. The hot water is still boiling, so I couldn’t get any,” Song Zhaodi replied as she prepared to return to her seat.
Zhao Sulan shot her another glare.
But she still shifted to the side, allowing her to pass.
“Let me pour you some,” Su Niannian said as she saw Song Zhaodi sit down, then opened her own canteen.
It was a flat, military-green canteen, a distinctive item of this era.
“Then… thank you!” Song Zhaodi felt a bit embarrassed, but the food she had eaten earlier had been too dry, and her throat was now parched.
Su Niannian poured her half a cup of water into the old enamel mug.
Song Zhaodi thanked her again and drank eagerly.
Zhao Sulan, sitting beside them, glanced at the two with a look of disdain before continuing to eat her peach crisps.
“Huh? It’s actually sugar water! Oh no, I’m so sorry. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken it…”
Song Zhaodi scratched her head in embarrassment. Especially after just one sip, the discomfort in her throat eased significantly.
In times like these, no family had spare money to waste. Drinking so much of Su Niannian’s sugar water made Song Zhaodi feel genuinely guilty.
“It’s fine, I brought plenty,” Su Niannian said with a smile.
Even though she said so, Song Zhaodi still felt like she was taking advantage of Su Niannian’s generosity.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, she reached into an oil-paper bag and took out a coarse cornbread bun.
“I don’t have anything fancy to offer… Are you hungry? Have a bun.”
Su Niannian knew what kind of person Song Zhaodi was. Even though she wasn’t particularly hungry, she still accepted it, thanked her, and started eating.
“A cup of sugar water for a cornbread bun—you got the better deal!” Zhao Sulan remarked with a knowing smirk.
“I only have this…” Song Zhaodi ignored Zhao Sulan and instead explained to Su Niannian, worried that she might dislike it.
After all, someone who could bring sugar water with them probably wouldn’t enjoy such a coarse, scratchy food…
“It’s fine. You made it really well, and I like it,” Su Niannian replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Song Zhaodi felt a little embarrassed.
“I made it myself,” she admitted.
“Oh, by the way, my name is Song Zhaodi. I’m an educated youth being sent down to a village near Ha City.”
“I’m Su Niannian. I’m also being sent to a village near Ha City.”
“That’s great! I’m going to Kaoshan Village in Long County.”
“The same!”