Chapter 14: Setting Off

The next morning.

As soon as Su Jinyan opened her eyes, she saw Zhao Yuan’s face close to hers.

Zhao Yuan had already woken up, gazing at his beautiful wife, snuggling in the quilt, unwilling to move.

“Awake?”

Su Jinyan pursed her lips and smiled, reaching out to pinch his cheek. “Why haven’t you gotten up yet today?”

“Wanted to look at you a bit longer.”

Zhao Yuan said it so calmly, but Su Jinyan blushed. “I see you every day, what’s so good to look at?”

Wuwu, being suddenly fed sweet words so early in the morning made her want to burrow under the covers in embarrassment.

“Never enough.”

“Here you go again! Here you go again! Zhao Yuan, how come I never noticed you had such a sweet tongue before!”

Yes, in the original owner’s memories, Zhao Yuan had never said such things to her. Or rather, the two rarely communicated. Even their intimate moments over the past four years could be counted on two hands, and the original owner was always reluctant.

Zhao Yuan didn’t speak, his eyes darkening, as if something had crossed his mind. The atmosphere became a bit heavy. After a moment, he raised his hand and gently brushed aside Su Jinyan’s messy hair. “You lie down for a while longer. I’ll heat up the stove, and you can get up then. After eating, we’ll leave and go to town to mail the things first.”

Zhao Yuan felt uncertain about going to Beijing.

It wasn’t worry about being unfamiliar with the environment, nor concern about survival. It was worry that the Su family wouldn’t accept him.

Being poor and having nothing was one thing but also bringing disabled parents… probably no one would want their daughter to marry him.

No wonder Su Jinyan hadn’t been able to accept such a family for years and hadn’t told her family.

Su Jinyan grabbed Zhao Yuan’s hand as he was about to get up. Looking at his puzzled expression, she squeezed his rough hand and grinned. “Yuan Yi, actually, I’ve always thought you were amazing in my heart.”

“Hmm, not only are you handsome, but you’re also capable. I really like that.”

Some things, the original owner clearly knew but never said, and even took for granted. But she wanted to say them.

She remembered her mother in her previous life often saying that men needed recognition and praise to have more confidence and motivation.
Zhao Yuan’s parents had been drinking herbal medicine every day for most of the year. Their eldest son drank milk powder until he was two years old, and their youngest daughter had been drinking it for two months now. Moreover, every few days, Sun Shi would also brew it for her and their son Zhao Qi. This was a significant expense for a rural family.

Furthermore, Zhao Yuan didn’t want to mistreat her. In their four years of marriage, she had almost always eaten fine grains, and he often bought her small snacks like biscuits and pastries.

Even if there were no savings left in the house, she couldn’t deny that in an era where everyone struggled to eat enough, Zhao Yuan was remarkable.

Zhao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then playfully flicked her forehead. “I think it’s not me who has a sweet tongue, but you.”

The heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Indeed, men still needed praise.

Only after Zhao Yuan had heated up the stove did Su Jinyan climb out of bed to get dressed.

While she was getting dressed, Zhao Yuan quickly got on the bed, folded the bedding, and wrapped the jewelry he had brought into the room last night in the quilts, packing it all into the sacks.

For breakfast, Sun Shi rolled out handmade noodles and also made a thick stack of scallion pancakes to take on the road.

The family ate hastily, and then Zhao Junhua, the brigade leader’s son, arrived with the oxcart.

Not only Zhao Junhua came, but the brigade leader also came along.

“Uncle, Auntie.”
Zhao Junhua stopped the oxcart and ran into the house to help carry things.

Zhao Junhua had been secretly running the black market with Zhao Yuan, and they had a good relationship. Now that Zhao Yuan was leaving, he had given him his old customers and the channels for getting goods, so he was naturally happy.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhao Yuan gave the house keys to Zhao Changqing. “Uncle, these are the house keys. My room I’ll keep, but my parents’ room, the main room, and the kitchen, anyone can use.”

With this departure, the chances of returning were slim. Even if they did, it would be after Zhao Yuan and Su Jinyan graduated from university. Therefore, Zhao Yuan gave the house keys to Zhao Changqing so that anyone in the village who wanted to move in could.

Of course, except for the people from the old residence. Zhao Changqing wouldn’t be foolish enough to let those people move in.

A house with people living in it wouldn’t fall into disrepair.

“Alright, don’t worry. When you get to Beijing, call the village and give me an address or phone number so I can contact you if anything happens in the future.”

It was getting late, so everyone didn’t say much more and left on the oxcart.

Zhao Junhua drove the oxcart. As soon as they reached the village entrance, they were stunned by the scene before them.

The village entrance was crowded with people. Seeing them arrive, they suddenly lit the firecrackers hanging on the wall.

The deafening sound of firecrackers, accompanied by the applause of the villagers, made Sun Shi secretly wipe away tears before waving and greeting the villagers.

Leaving a place where she had lived for decades brought a mixture of fear of the unfamiliar environment and reluctance to part with her homeland and old friends.

The oxcart came to a stop. Zhao Yuan and Su Jinyan got off. The village elder walked over, took his hand, and patted it. “Child, when you get to Beijing, study hard, be diligent and strive, and don’t do bad things.”

“Don’t forget that wherever you go, you are a child of our Zhao Family Village. Don’t bring shame to our ancestors!”

Zhao Yuan nodded. “Grandpa, don’t worry, I will never disgrace our ancestors. You wait for the day I bring honor to our family.”

Zhao Yuan always remembered the help their family received from the villagers when his grandmother Li Shi abused him. He would share his hunted game, giving some to this family and some to that. His gifts for births and weddings were also generous. Moreover, if he knew someone was struggling and running out of food, he would secretly send them a few pounds of coarse grain for emergency use.

With this departure, how could the whole village not come to see him off?

The clan leader nodded, took out a thick wad of small bills and change from his pocket, and handed it to Zhao Yuan. “This is one hundred and twenty-three yuan that the villagers put together overnight. Take it.”

“No, clan leader, I can’t take this money.”

Zhao Family Village was a small village with a total of eighty-two households. One hundred and twenty-three yuan was truly a lot.
The villagers’ work points were almost all exchanged for food. Their only source of money was selling a few eggs occasionally and a pig in winter. This little money wasn’t even enough for a large family to eat.

At this time, Su Jinyan also said, “That’s right, Grandpa Clan Leader, we really can’t take this money. We appreciate the villagers’ kindness. Please give this money back to them. Besides, the city and county have both given me bonuses. There’s no problem settling down in Beijing.”

But the clan leader stubbornly pushed the money into Zhao Yuan’s hand with a stern face. “Take it. You are our Zhao Family Village’s only college student. When you become successful in the future, don’t forget your ancestors.”

In the eyes of the locals, educated youth didn’t count as being from their village.

Zhao Yuan was the only person from their village who had been admitted to university this year.

Zhao Yuan touched the money in his pocket and nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Grandpa, I understand!”

With that, he took a step back, bowed deeply to the clan leader, and then bowed to the villagers. “Thank you, uncles, aunts, and everyone. Don’t worry, wherever I, Zhao Yuan, go, I will never forget that I am from Zhao Family Village!”

“Younger brothers and sisters in the village, if you get into university in Beijing in the future, I, Zhao Yuan, will look out for you!”

“Alright, hurry up and go. Don’t delay the cart.”

The clan leader waved his hand, and the crowd parted to make way.

The oxcart slowly drove out of the village, followed by another burst of firecrackers.
The cart had already gone a mile, and firecrackers still went off every now and then.

Su Jinyan couldn’t help but sigh at the villagers’ unity and deep feelings.

They might bicker and quarrel over trivial matters, but at crucial moments, their feelings were very deep.

In her previous life, she had lived in a third-tier city since she was a child. Although she had some good neighbors, compared to this kind of sentiment, it was far inferior.

After a slight delay, by the time they reached the town, it was almost time for ticket inspection.

Zhao Yuan gave all the things to be mailed to Zhao Junhua, asking him to mail them to Su Jinyan’s home. Their family only needed to take the two sacks of bedding containing Zhao Yuan’s gold and jewelry to Beijing.

Zhao Zhenjun’s leg had gotten increasingly worse in the past two years. He could only walk a short distance with the help of crutches. Su Jinyan carried her daughter, and Sun Shi held three-year-old Zhao Qi’s hand.

After the ticket inspection began, Zhao Yuan and Zhao Junhua carried the luggage onto the train. Su Jinyan, carrying her daughter and leading the half-blind Sun Shi and Zhao Zhenjun, squeezed onto the train in a flurry.