Shen Jianguo never expected Shen Xiaoyue to lay everything out so bluntly. If word got out, where would he put his face?  

He turned around and immediately began berating Shen’s mother: “What’s going on here?”  

“Is it true that Xiaoyue wasn’t prepared at all? How could you, as a mother, be so negligent?”  

Shen Xiaoyue watched as Shen’s mother stuffed a few stacks of grain coupons, meat coupons, and fabric coupons into her luggage, but she still wasn’t satisfied.  

*Is this all? Who is this supposed to be enough for? She might as well be giving scraps to a beggar.*  

Pouting, she turned to Xie’s parents, ready to start complaining again.  

Shen Jianguo shot Shen’s mother a glare, and only then did she reluctantly stuff the remaining coupons into the luggage.  

“This is enough to feed the family for months…” Shen’s mother muttered under her breath.  

*Her son was at the age where he needed to grow. Why should Shen Xiaoyue get all the benefits? She was already an adult—did she really need so many coupons?*  

Only then did Shen Xiaoyue brighten up. She casually grabbed some malted milk powder, puffed rice candy, and White Rabbit milk candies to pack as well. Feeling there was still room in her luggage, she added a few cans of meat and fruit.  

These were rare delicacies—she’d bring them for Lu Ping’an to try.  

This time, not just Shen’s mother, but even Shen’s father grew anxious.  

*What was wrong with this child? Usually, if someone gave her a bit of chocolate, she’d bring it home for her little brother. But now? She was taking everything!*  

Shen Jianguo held back his temper again and again. But when he saw Shen Xiaoyue trying to stuff several newly made Dacron outfits into her luggage, he couldn’t take it anymore.  

“Xiaoyue, that’s enough. With so many things, Dad’s worried you won’t be able to carry them all!”  

Shen Xiaoyue grinned. “It’s fine, Dad. The car will take us straight to the village entrance. Besides, isn’t Xie Ning coming with me? I’m just worried he might not adjust well there, so I’m preparing some things for him too.”  

Shen Jianguo choked on his words. If Xie’s parents hadn’t been standing right there, he might have argued. But they were, and upon hearing this, they nodded approvingly.  

*See? She remembers Xie Ning in everything. Sending Shen Xiaoyue to the countryside with him was definitely the right decision.*  

…  

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Amidst the mixed expressions of their families, Shen Xiaoyue, Xie Ning, and Shen Xing set off on the road to Dahe Village.  

Unlike her previous life, where Shen Xiaoyue had traveled light, this time she didn’t hold back. The small carriage was packed to the brim—most of it was her belongings.  

Xie Ning and Shen Xing had families who cared about them. They could just go to the county town every month to collect care packages. But Shen Xiaoyue was prepared never to return.  

The closer they got to Dahe Village, the faster her heart raced.  

A wave of nervousness suddenly hit her—what if Lu Ping’an in this life wasn’t the same…?  

But even if Lu Ping’an didn’t love her this time, it didn’t matter. She would try her best. And if she failed, at least she’d make up for deceiving him in her past life.  

At the entrance of Dahe Village…  

The village was bustling today. Word had spread that several new educated youths were arriving, and though they hadn’t shown up yet, their records had already been sent ahead.  

“I heard one of the female educated youths is especially pretty.”  

“Dream on! Even if she’s pretty, what does it have to do with us? Those city-educated youths have high standards! A country bumpkin like you should know his place.”  

“That’s not necessarily true. Look at so-and-so—didn’t he marry an educated youth?”  

The crowd chattered noisily, clearly curious about the newcomers.  

Lu Ping’an squatted at the edge of the crowd, a blade of dogtail grass between his teeth, completely uninterested in the conversation.  

Normally, the village party secretary would be the one to greet the new educated youths, but his father had urgent business and sent him instead.  

As the discussion continued, some eyes turned toward Lu Ping’an.  

Such a fair-skinned, handsome young man was a rare sight.

Lu Ping’an’s father was the village party secretary. With two older brothers ahead of him, earning work points was never his responsibility.  

As Lu Guodong’s late-born son, Lu Ping’an was nearly eight years younger than his brothers and had been doted on since childhood.  

Honestly, no one in the village had ever seen an eighteen-year-old who’d never done a day of labor.  

Lu Ping’an looked like he’d barely been touched by the sun—his skin was even fairer and smoother than the village girls’, and his hands were pale, slender, and delicate, clearly not suited for hard work.  

Everyone said the Lu family would have to find him a diligent wife in the future—otherwise, how long could a lazybones like him survive on his own?  

But then they took a closer look at his face.  

Though beauty standards varied across generations, some people were just so good-looking that they transcended those differences.  

Several aunties in the crowd silently admitted that if they were a few decades younger, they wouldn’t have minded either.  

Lu Ping’an noticed the chatter around him had quieted. He glanced up and saw the villagers, who had been gossiping in clusters, now hurriedly averting their eyes.  

He stood up, spat out the dogtail grass from his mouth, and crushed it under his foot, growing impatient.  

As he plucked another blade of grass and chewed on it, wondering if he could find an excuse to slip away, the distant roar of a tractor echoed through the air.  

“They’re here! They’re here!”  

…

Shen Xiaoyue felt a bit dizzy. In her past life, Lu Ping’an had spoiled her so much that she hadn’t experienced such exhaustion in a long time. Even though she’d been sitting the whole way, her back ached and her legs felt sore.  

So when she got off the tractor and saw Lu Ping’an’s still fair and handsome face, her first thought was: *I’m so tired… Can’t you just hug me?*  

But remembering the time and place weren’t right, Shen Xiaoyue simply stood still, smiling brightly at him.  

*Long time no see, Lu Ping’an.*  

Lu Ping’an’s ears inexplicably warmed. *Was this educated youth a bit slow? Sure, she was pretty, but what was with her just staring at him and smiling?*  

His mother was right—he was too handsome, and people with ulterior motives would easily set their sights on him.  

Lu Ping’an pursed his lips, took two steps forward, and delivered a perfunctory welcome speech before turning and practically fleeing like his pants were on fire.  

Shen Xiaoyue fell silent.  

The scene she’d imagined—Lu Ping’an falling for her at first sight—hadn’t happened at all.  

But then again, in her past life, she’d only approached him after learning that Village Party Secretary Lu’s son was Lu Ping’an.  

*Heh, guess I’m keeping up with the trends now.* This felt a bit like those “chasing-wife crematorium” romance novels she used to love listening to while bedridden.  

*Would this count as a “chasing-husband crematorium”?*  

*Pah!* That didn’t sound auspicious at all.  

…

Xie Ning helped Shen Xiaoyue move her things to the educated youth dormitory, with Shen Xing trailing behind. Since no one was very familiar with each other yet, and with strict policies in place, no one dared to joke around casually.  

After Xie Ning left, a round-faced educated youth looked at Shen Xiaoyue and Shen Xing and introduced herself warmly.  

“Hi there! I’m Hu Qingqing, from the county town. Are you two from the provincial capital?”  

Shen Xiaoyue glanced at Hu Qingqing. She’d interacted with her in her past life and knew she had a good personality, so she returned the smile.  

The slanting rays of the evening sun streamed into the room, enveloping the girl in a soft glow, making her almost ethereal. Hu Qingqing couldn’t help but stare, momentarily dazed.  

Shen Xing gritted her teeth in frustration.  

*Her cousin was the person she hated most in this life. No matter how hard she tried, people’s first glance was always at Shen Xiaoyue—never at her, Shen Xing.*  

That was why she wanted Xie Ning even more—partly because she liked him, but also to prove she wasn’t any worse than Shen Xiaoyue.