Chapter 2

The next day, Mo Yutong woke up early. Before her mother knocked on the door and called her, she had already put on her clothes and went into the bathroom to wash up.

Father Mo looked at Mother Mo, who was setting the table with surprise, and said, “Our baby has grown up and doesn’t stay in bed anymore.”

“Yu’er is seventeen years old after all. After the New Year, she will be an eighteen-year-old girl! I don’t know what kind of boy Yu’er likes?” Mother Mo’s tone was full of worry.

The little girl she raised was eventually going to be given to someone else. She didn’t know whose ancestral grave was so lucky that she could win the favor of her baby.

“The baby is still young. We’ll keep him by our side for a few more years. There’s no need to rush the selection process. We have to choose one that satisfies both of us…” Facing his wife’s glare, Dad Mo quickly said, “Well, the most important thing is that my baby is satisfied.”

“Hmph!” Mother Mo withdrew her gaze with satisfaction, and then said, “The young man who visited my eldest brother’s house last time was quite good. He was only in his early twenties and was already the deputy battalion commander.”

“My sister-in-law told you.” Father Mo thought about it and felt that the young man looked really good, with a straight back and full of energy, and most importantly, he was good-looking.

Dad Mo knew that his daughter had always liked good-looking people since she was a child. It was because his eldest brother’s eldest son, Mo Xinrui, was so good-looking that she had happily followed him around since she was a child.

She praised him without reservation, which often made a grown man blush and feel at a loss.

“My sister-in-law told me yesterday that the young man is interested in Yu’er and wants to get to know her through my brother.” Mother Mo raised the corners of her lips proudly.

“You want to get to know me just because I’m a little interested? No need to get to know me. My baby is busy.” Dad Mo made the decision right away. His cabbages still need to be grown for a few more years, and he doesn’t want them to be eaten by pigs for the time being.

“Dad, how did you know I don’t have time to go to the factory today?” Mo Yutong sat at the dining table, took the peeled boiled egg handed to him by his mother, and took a small bite.

Eggs from the 1970s are much more delicious than eggs from 30 years later. The rich egg aroma slowly overflows while chewing, and you feel full of happiness after taking a bite.

“You’re not going to the factory? Then where are you going?” Dad Mo also took the egg handed to him by Mom Mo and slowly peeled the shell.

This is the difference between one’s own children and one’s own men. At first, Dad Mo was jealous a few times, but when he found that it was of no use, he had to get used to it silently, and finally learned this habit.

“Dad, I want to go shopping in the department store.” Although she really wanted to go to the department store to buy food, clothes and daily necessities for her husband Mr. Yan, she had to do something else first today.

“Well, go ahead! I’ll go to the personnel department to ask for leave for you.” Dad Mo compromised after thinking for two seconds. The baby was just a high school graduate and had not yet fully adapted to the work of the factory committee. It was understandable that he wanted to relax.

“Thank you, Dad. You are so nice.” Mo Yutong raised her little face and gave Dad Mo a big sweet smile, which made Mom Mo very envious.

He immediately went into the bedroom, took out a stack of Great Unity and some tickets from the drawer and placed them on the table. “Here are 200 yuan and these tickets. Yu’er, take them and buy whatever you want.”

“Thank you, Mom. You are the best to me.” Mo Yutong’s smile became even brighter.

When Mother Mo saw this, she gave Father Mo a smug look, which made Father Mo laugh and cry.

Breakfast ended in such a pleasant atmosphere. Mo Yutong rinsed her mouth and went out with her new army green shoulder bag slung across her shoulder.

The morning sun is bright, the crowds are lively but not noisy, the bicycles passing by make jingle sounds as they go off into the distance, and there is a vibrant energy everywhere.

After walking for a while, Mo Yutong saw her destination, the Office for Educated Youth Going to the Countryside.

She knocked on the door, and immediately a slightly plump middle-aged woman looked up from behind the table and looked at her.

“Comrade, may I ask who you are…” The middle-aged woman looked at the pretty girl in a sailor shirt in front of her and asked in confusion.

“Comrade, I want to sign up.” Mo Yutong raised her sweet standard smile and looked at the middle-aged woman with sincere eyes.

“Do you want to sign up?” The middle-aged woman had seen all kinds of people and had a sharp eye. She could tell at a glance that the little girl in front of her did not come from an ordinary family, but must be a spoiled child from a cadre family.

“Well, the Chairman said that it is very necessary for educated youth to go to the countryside and receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. I also want to go to the countryside to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants.” Mo Yutong took out a red notebook from her shoulder bag, shook it, and clenched her fists firmly.

“Yes, yes, fill out the application form first.” The middle-aged woman happily placed the application form in front of her.

She remembered clearly that this sentence was followed by another sentence: “We must persuade cadres and other people in the city to send their children who have graduated from high school or college to the countryside to mobilize them.”

“Okay, comrade.” Mo Yutong took the pen, dipped it in the ink bottle, and began to fill out the “Application Form for Beijing’s Intellectual Youth to Go to the Countryside to Join the Team” carefully.

After filling in basic information such as name, age, gender, ethnicity, and place of origin, Mo Yutong wrote down in the column of personal application: Tongzi Commune, Ming County, Yu City, Sichuan Province.

“Comrade, you have relatives here.” It’s no wonder the middle-aged woman was surprised. If she didn’t have relatives to take care of her, she really couldn’t imagine that a young girl who just graduated from high school would run to Ming County.

Ming County is one of the poorest counties in Sichuan Province. The little girl living in Beijing probably doesn’t know how poor it is.

“Well, there is a very familiar person there.” She was extremely familiar with her Mr. Yan, whether he was vigorous and energetic when awake or quiet and gentle when asleep.

“That’s good, that’s good.” The middle-aged woman put the application form away and immediately placed it in the pile of applications on her right. As she sorted them out, she said, “This batch of applications will be sent to the police station and the district and municipal resettlement offices for approval today. If nothing goes wrong, we can leave the day after tomorrow.”

“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.” Mo Yutong thought she would see her Mr. Yan soon, but she never expected it to be so soon.

Thinking of this, her heart couldn’t help but feel hot, and the smile on her face became even brighter.

“Comrade Mo, you have to go home quickly to prepare and bring everything you need. It’s not as prosperous over there as in Beijing.” The middle-aged woman kindly reminded.

“Thank you, comrade. I will go home and prepare immediately.” Mo Yutong happily trotted out of the Youth League Office.

The sun seemed brighter, the breeze seemed softer, and even the usually noisy cicadas became much quieter.

Mr. Yan, did you see that? I’m coming to find you!