Because the matter was urgent, Mu Jinyue planned to return home the next day. The round trip alone would take six to seven hours, so lunch at home would have to be prepared by Jiang Yi when he came back from the factory.

Early the next morning, she got up and steamed two baskets of buns. That way, Jiang Yi could just reheat the buns and make a simple dish for lunch, saving time. As for dinner, she would try her best to come back early.

After finishing the cooking, she went inside to pack. The weather had turned colder recently, so Mu Jinyue wore a wool vest inside and the coat she had worn at her wedding on the outside—it was just enough to keep her warm.

Back in the production brigade, every aspect of her family’s life—food, clothing, housing—had been under Grandma Mu’s control. The original body’s family was not favored, and clothing was pitifully scarce. In summer, they could get by with tattered clothes, but in winter, that wouldn’t do—proper padded jackets and sweaters were needed to keep warm.

But Grandma Mu didn’t care about such things. She only made one padded jacket each for the couple, and only when the clothes were completely worn out would she reluctantly make new ones.

The second son of the Mu family was an honest man, never competing or fighting for anything. He managed to get some yarn and asked Lin Guihua to knit their daughter, Mu Jinyue, a sleeveless wool vest. In the winter, he instructed her not to go outside, while he gathered more firewood to keep the house warm. That was how they managed to endure the winters.

But things were different in the city. This courtyard house was old and had no heating. In winter, they could burn a stove, but coal was expensive. Besides, she still had to go out daily to buy groceries. So a proper sweater and padded jacket were necessary; otherwise, winter would be hard to get through. In the end, it all came down to making money.

Although her mind was occupied, Mu Jinyue didn’t waste time packing. After putting on her clothes, she took money and ration tickets, said a word to the two at home, and went out straight to the station. After half a month in the city, she was already somewhat familiar with the different places.

Her timing was right—when she arrived at the station, a bus came shortly after. There weren’t many people on board, and plenty of empty seats. She found a window seat in the middle and sat down, spending the whole ride thinking about the possible troubles she might face upon returning and how she should handle them.

There really weren’t many vehicles on the road at this time, so she didn’t have to worry about traffic jams. Even so, the bus still took more than three hours to reach the commune’s stop.

Getting off, Mu Jinyue headed straight toward the commune office. She hoped she might be lucky and find a team leader there on business, so she could hitch a ride back. Otherwise, with just her two legs, who knew how long it would take to reach home.

Luckily, her fortune was good that day. Someone from the neighboring village happened to be there on business, and she managed to get a ride. The horse-drawn cart carried her all the way and dropped her off at the brigade entrance before leaving.

There was still quite a distance from here to the Mu house. Not wanting to draw attention, Mu Jinyue kept her head down and walked forward. But once she reached near her home, she inevitably ran into many neighbors.

“Well now, the Mu family’s second girl is back!”

Mu Jinyue smiled at the person who spoke, then lowered her head again, intending to head straight home.

But since she had married into the city, the villagers were all curious about her. They immediately blocked her way, peppering her with questions about life in the city.

“Second girl, what do you eat and drink every day in the city?”

“Is it rice and white flour every day, and meat at every meal?”

“City folks make a lot of money in a month, right? How much does your husband earn each month?”

“Forty or fifty yuan, right?”

“…”

“Nothing special, just cabbage and potatoes, same as here.” Mu Jinyue picked questions she could answer and gave safe replies, avoiding the rest. She wasn’t stupid; she could hear the implications behind their words.

Everyone could tell she was being evasive, but their curiosity didn’t diminish in the slightest, and they continued chattering away with questions.

Just then, a sharp voice rang out:

“Someone like her comes back empty-handed—what’s the point of coming back at all?”

That question struck directly at what the onlookers were wondering. For a moment, no one spoke. All eyes turned to Mu Jinyue, waiting for her answer. Everyone wanted to know why she had come back this time.

Of course, she couldn’t tell the truth. This trip was to handle grain and oil rations, and she didn’t want too many people to know. For now, she just gave a vague reply:

“Nothing much, just came home to take a look.”

After speaking, she didn’t linger. Taking advantage of a gap in the crowd, she squeezed through and hurried toward her home.

But the people she left behind grew even more suspicious because of her words. She came back alone, brought nothing with her, and spoke so evasively—could it be she had been driven back?

They exchanged glances, each harboring their own guesses. With a few chuckles and murmurs, the crowd soon dispersed.

…

Meanwhile, Mu Jinyue had already arrived at the Mu family’s courtyard gate. She hesitated for a moment as she looked at the door. She didn’t want to go in at all—she truly wished she could cut ties completely with the Mu family. But since the original body’s parents were still here, she had to come see them.

Standing at the entrance, she took a breath, braced herself, and stepped inside. The courtyard was quiet, without a sound, only the noise of stir-frying coming from the kitchen.

Mu Jinyue was just about to head over when movement came from the kitchen first. Lin Guihua stepped out and, upon seeing Mu Jinyue return, her eyes filled with delight—but soon worry overtook her expression.

“Why did you suddenly come back? Did something happen with the Jiang family…”

Before she could finish, the window of the main room opened. Mu Jinyue turned at the noise and saw Grandma Mu, her eyelids drooping heavily.

“So you came back today? Where are your uncle and cousin?”

“Uncle? I don’t know. Isn’t Uncle at home?” Mu Jinyue was puzzled. Why was she being asked about this?

Lin Guihua quietly explained beside her, “Your uncle took your eldest cousin to the city to settle his job.”

Hearing that, Mu Jinyue recalled it—when they had demanded a bride price, a job arrangement had also been mentioned. She quickly added an explanation to Grandma Mu at the window:

“I left early this morning. I didn’t see them.”

Grandma Mu gave a cold snort. “Where’s the job for your cousin? It had better not be too tiring.”

Mu Jinyue’s expression didn’t change; she looked wooden and indifferent. “I don’t know.”

Grandma Mu’s sharp gaze locked onto her, scrutinizing intently. But Mu Jinyue let her stare. She truly didn’t know, and her face showed not the slightest hint of guilt.

Whether Grandma Mu believed her or not was unclear, but she stopped pressing the issue. Instead, she gave her a scornful once-over.

“Coming home empty-handed, with nothing in your claws—don’t you find that shameful?”

Muttering curses, Grandma Mu slammed the window shut.

With that oppressive gaze gone, Lin Guihua finally dared to speak again. She pulled Mu Jinyue toward the house.

“You must be tired from the journey. Come in and rest a while. We’ll be eating soon.”

“It’s fine, I took the bus the whole way, so I’m not tired. Mom, let me help you cook.”

There was no stopping her, so in the end, Mu Jinyue followed Lin Guihua into the kitchen to help prepare the meal.

That day, everyone ate together around a round table. Since Uncle had gone to the city and Aunt had gone to visit Mu Jinhua’s household, that family wasn’t there. The third uncle was absent too. As a result, the meal felt a bit more spacious and relaxed.