“I think this young man is quite decent. His looks aren’t great, but both his parents are working, and he’s even a temporary worker at the machinery factory himself. The family also has two rooms. He’s honest and reliable—I heard from the neighbors that he has never lost his temper in more than 20 years. He’d definitely be a husband who dotes on his wife.”  

The short, elderly woman kept praising, but the two listening across from her only frowned.  

One of them, a middle-aged woman, shook her head repeatedly. “No, no, Auntie Chen, we’ve known each other for years. You can’t fool us like this.”  

Auntie Chen exclaimed, “Oh my!” and patted her chest. “How am I fooling you? Every word I say is true!”  

“It’s true they’re both working, but the couple are just street sweepers at the factory. Add their son’s temporary wages, and the whole family barely makes forty yuan a month. If they only had one child to support, fine. But…”  

Wu Chuanfang pointed at the crowded courtyard house. “Look at their place—they’ve got five or six underage kids at home. Food and clothes all cost money! Two rooms packed with so many people—if my daughter married into that family, wouldn’t she have to sleep in the same room as his younger siblings?”  

In the past, she might not have been so blunt.  

But after meeting several families, each worse than the last, she was fed up.  

A family of nine living on less than forty yuan a month—they could scrape by on half-full stomachs, but where would they live?  

Would the newlyweds have to squeeze into the same room with his brothers and sisters every day?  

And what about when they had children? It’d only get more crowded.  

Besides, this so-called “honest” man was just spineless.  

When they came to observe discreetly, they saw the young man being scolded harshly by his parents, cowering without a word of resistance. A man like that couldn’t be relied on.  

If her daughter married into that family, with such harsh in-laws and a useless husband, she’d surely be bullied.  

Wu Chuanfang couldn’t stand the thought. “No, no, let’s move on to the next one.”  

Auntie Chen was growing impatient. After walking all morning, her feet ached. “What next one? You know how it is—the Educated Youth Office is pushing hard these days. Those who don’t want to be sent down are either scrambling for jobs or rushing into marriages. Employed men are in high demand now.”  

If not for the fifty-cent commission, she’d have walked away long ago.  

Wu Chuanfang knew that all too well.  

Wasn’t she in the same situation?  

If her youngest daughter didn’t find a suitable husband, her only other option would be being sent to the countryside.  

“Granny Chen, marriage is a big decision. Maybe we should go back and think it over?” The young woman beside her spoke up, her cheeks flushed with shyness.  

Auntie Chen pondered for a moment. “Fine, you two go back and discuss it.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao, who had been pretending to be bashful, let out a quiet sigh of relief.  

Even if she was prepared to marry, she had no intention of settling for just anyone.

On the way back, Wu Chuanfang gritted her teeth and spent three cents to take the bus. She could have walked home herself, but she couldn’t let the matchmaker trudge all that way—after all, she still needed her help.  

Once on the bus, Wu Chuanfang grabbed the matchmaker’s hand, her face crumpled with worry. “Auntie, don’t mind my temper. You know how desperate I am right now…”  

“I know, I know. You’ve really got it tough…”  

The two chattered on, their voices blending with the hum of the bus.  

Meanwhile, Rong Xiaoxiao stared blankly at the scenery outside the window.  

This era was painted in cold, muted tones.  

Everything she saw was completely different from what she was used to.  

Who would have thought she’d inexplicably end up here?  

Transmigrated straight into the early 1970s.  

Before she could even process it, she was forced to make a crucial decision.  

The call for educated youth to go to the countryside had already been in full swing. The first couple of years had been more lenient—people could still find excuses to delay. But now, unless a family had only one child, all others who met the criteria had to go.  

For young women, unless they secured a job or got married, they would be forcibly sent down to the countryside as educated youth.  

Refusing wasn’t an option—the consequences were severe, even affecting the entire family.  

When Rong Xiaoxiao first arrived, the original host’s family had already been deep in discussions about what to do.  

As a newcomer, she didn’t have all of the original host’s memories. Many things were unclear, so she could only pretend to be invisible.  

Luckily, the original host had been a quiet person at home.  

For over half a month, she managed to keep up the act while piecing together bits of the family’s situation.  

The original host was the youngest daughter in the family.  

She had two older brothers and an older sister.  

The reason her mother was so frantic was that all four siblings were of age to be sent down, and not a single one had found a way out yet.  

One worry after another—in just over half a month, Wu Chuanfang had visibly aged.  

Still, within that time, three of the four children’s situations had been resolved.  

Now, only Rong Xiaoxiao remained.  

The eldest brother, Wu Pingzu, had taken over their mother’s job as a temporary worker in the textile machinery factory. Once his employment was settled, a marriage prospect soon followed.  

The second sister, Wu Pinghui, looked frail but was surprisingly bold.  

She had bravely chased love and was now a proud zhiqing (educated youth), heading to the Northeast with her sweetheart to settle in the countryside.  

That decision had turned the house upside down—endless arguments, daily chaos.

As for the third brother, Wu Ping’an, he was quite the character.  

Without a word of warning, he dropped a bombshell—he would marry into the butcher’s family at the end of the street as a live-in son-in-law.  

Being a live-in son-in-law in this era was no easy feat. It meant throwing one’s dignity to the ground, letting others trample over it. People would point and gossip, and he’d never be able to hold his head high again.  

But Wu Ping’an didn’t care.  

His future father-in-law had promised him a temporary job, and as a live-in son-in-law, he wouldn’t have to go to the countryside. To him, it was perfect.  

In his own words, “I’d rather be a turtle’s grandson than go to the countryside!” 

When their father heard that, his face darkened, and he immediately gave Wu Ping’an a beating.  

By calling himself a “turtle’s grandson,” Wu Ping’an wasn’t just insulting himself—he was also dragging their father into it.  

Just look at Rong Xiaoxiao and her three siblings’ names, and you’d see they carried two different surnames.  

Over twenty years ago, Rong Shuigen had been a wandering drifter who arrived in this town. A kind soul had helped him find a place to stay, and the elders of the Wu family in the neighboring compound, seeing that he was clever, capable, and grateful, took him under their wing. After a few years, they brought him into their home as a live-in son-in-law.  

After fathering two sons and a daughter, Wu Chuanfang declared while pregnant with their fourth child that no matter the gender, this one would take Rong Shuigen’s surname. And so, the original host, Rong Xiaoxiao, was born.  

Over the past few weeks, through careful observation, Rong Xiaoxiao had pieced together the family dynamics.  

Twenty years ago, Rong Shuigen had been a pitiful wanderer.  

But with the Wu family’s support, he became a worker at the machinery factory. Now, he was a sixth-grade forger, earning sixty-five yuan a month—the highest wage among the men in their compound.  

With a high salary and excellent craftsmanship, he was more than capable of supporting his family in this era.  

Yet, despite his status, Rong Shuigen remained as mild-mannered as ever. Outside, he was amiable and easygoing, while at home, Wu Chuanfang handled all matters, big and small.  

In local slang, he was a classic “耙耳朵” (pā ěrduo, henpecked husband). 

Still, even the gentlest man would lose his temper if his own son indirectly insulted him. So, Rong Shuigen grabbed a stick and beat Wu Ping’an until he howled for mercy.  

At the time, Rong Xiaoxiao had squatted in a corner, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle.  

When they reached the bus stop, the three got off.  

Wu Chuanfang exchanged a few more words with Auntie Chen before watching her leave.  

She had spent the entire trip buttering her up, and only then did Auntie Chen reluctantly agree to arrange another matchmaking session. But deep down, Wu Chuanfang had little hope—even if there was another meeting, the next candidate might not be any better.  

She sighed inwardly, feeling powerless.  

“Let’s go. There’s still a pile of chores waiting at home,” Wu Chuanfang said, keeping her worries to herself. She was the type to make decisions alone, rarely consulting even her husband, let alone her children.