Chapter 12: At This Moment, She Resembled That Person from the Past

Chen Li cursed Ye Siran in her heart but still forced a smile and asked, “Ranran, do you want to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau?”

She was determined to stop He Hongwen and Ye Ruyue from registering their marriage, completely oblivious to the cold flash in Ye Siran’s eyes as she lowered her gaze.

“Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau won’t help. I’ll go find Uncle He instead,” Ye Siran replied, her voice still soft and gentle as ever.

“R-right, Ranran, let’s go find Uncle He now!” Chen Li anxiously grabbed Ye Siran and started pulling her along.

Ye Siran let her. Having never been favored by her biological mother, she had grown up without many friends. After all, few people wanted to befriend someone even their own mother disliked—Chen Li was the rare exception, often standing up for her.

Ye Siran cherished their friendship. Even though Chen Li always asked for things, in her past life, Ye Siran had given her heart and soul in return.

Having experienced a past life, Ye Siran no longer forced friendships. After all, “high notes resonate with few,” and a narrow mountaintop cannot hold too many people.

They had only reached the courtyard gate when a group of middle-aged women surrounded them, each enthusiastically tugging at Ye Siran.

“Siran, I heard you broke off your engagement with the He family’s second son. Have you considered my son?”

“Siran, I wanted to speak with your mother this morning, but I couldn’t find her. My cousin’s son says he knows you.”

“Siran, my nephew is 1.8 meters tall and excellent in every way.”

Ye Siran had never imagined that breaking off her engagement would make her so popular. Even after a past life, she still felt a bit bewildered.

“Step back a little! Don’t scare the girl!” one woman shouted—her son was already married, and she had no nephew to worry about.

“Hehe, sorry, Siran. It’s my fault for getting too excited. Did I hurt you?” another woman said sincerely, trying to introduce her son.

“Siran, I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you about my outstanding nephew.”

“Oh my, our Siran is amazing. Even after breaking off the engagement, people are already rushing to ask for her hand.”

The women apologized, flattered her, and smiled like Buddhas.

Ye Siran didn’t blame them. She only nodded lightly and smiled sweetly.

Seeing this, the women continued to shower her with compliments as if there were no limits.

Chen Li clenched her teeth in frustration. “All of you, step aside! Ranran is going to see Uncle He now.”

“Siran, why are you going to see Uncle He?” one woman asked casually. She knew Uncle He treated the girl well and wanted to curry favor.

“Of course…”

Ye Siran, sensing what Chen Li was about to say, interrupted: “Aunties, goodbye. Uncle He invited me to lunch.”

“Only ten minutes left until work ends, Siran! Hurry!” one woman said, smiling.

The other women stepped aside, letting Ye Siran pass. “See you later, Aunties.”

“These people… they’ve blocked the way so long. He Hongwen and Ye Ruyue probably already registered,” Chen Li muttered.

“Lili, you go check. I’ll run to Uncle He,” Ye Siran said calmly.

“Okay, I’ll try to stop them. You be quick!” Chen Li ran off.

Ye Siran shook her head at her anxious back. She wasn’t going to see Uncle He to stop He Hongwen from registering.

He Yongchang had been busy all morning helping Ye Siran prepare for her assignment to the countryside. He wanted to repay her kindness—not just for her sake.

The Ye family had been sent to Qu Ma County, the poorest in Qing Province, where information and transportation were extremely inconvenient.

Although he had been keeping tabs on them over the years, the distance of over two thousand kilometers meant shipping anything took a long time—and there was no guarantee the items would reach the family. Moreover, he couldn’t send things openly.

So he poured all his guilt for the Ye family into Ye Siran, treating her better than his own children.

He never dreamed of letting the girl suffer in the countryside, but since she had requested it herself, he wholeheartedly agreed.

In the middle of his busy day, the Civil Affairs Bureau called, saying his son had visited the restroom eighteen times that morning—every time it was his turn, he ran off. He couldn’t help but laugh at his son’s antics.

“Uncle He, there’s a little girl here to see you.”

“Quick… ah, I’ll go greet her myself,” He Yongchang said, hurrying out.

“Uncle He,” Ye Siran greeted with a smile. She was gentle and obedient, her eyes clear.

Perhaps due to walking, her cheeks were the pink of a peach, sweet and charming without being ostentatious, evoking instant sympathy.

He Yongchang, looking kindly, said, “Ranran must be hungry. Uncle He will take you to the state-run restaurant.”

“Sure! I’ve never been to a restaurant before!” Ye Siran’s eyes and mouth curved into a sweet smile.

“Ranran, order whatever you want. Uncle He wants you to eat your fill,” He Yongchang said, laughing heartily.

Ye Siran ordered three dishes—one of her favorites and two of He Yongchang’s.

He Yongchang was surprised at how thoughtful she was, even remembering his tastes. “Ranran, order two more of what you like.”

“That’s enough. Too much would be wasteful.”

“You’re a good girl, Ranran. That He Hongwen will regret it. He refused to register with your sister, but you…”

“Uncle He, my decision is made. You taught me not to wait to be loved, but to love myself. I want to love those who are worthy of my love.”

He Yongchang looked at Ye Siran seriously. Only now did he realize his son was unworthy of this girl, in both looks and character. He dismissed any thought of persuading her.

“Ranran, Uncle can see you truly liked Hongwen before.”

“I did, and I still have some fondness. But I know forced love is never sweet. Life isn’t only about romantic love; family matters too.”

“You’re remarkable, Ranran. Your grandparents are in the far northwest, about two thousand kilometers from here.”

“I’m not afraid of distance. A few days ago, I dreamed my grandmother was sick. Uncle He, can I leave soon?”

“Since your mind is made up, Ranran, we’ll set off tomorrow at eight. Life there is tough. You’ll face hardship, so I have two thousand liang of nationally valid grain coupons and over six hundred yuan for you.”

He Yongchang handed her a small cloth bag. “Ranran, can you carry this much? Do you have the confidence to keep it safe?”

“Don’t worry, Uncle He. I won’t let you down. My stepfather secretly gave me two thousand yuan last night to buy off my marriage contract, along with the university quota you gave me.”

He Yongchang had sensed a change in Ye Siran last night. The timid, petty girl of the past was gone, replaced by a strangely calm, self-assured presence.

At this moment, she reminded him of someone from long ago. The more he looked, the more he liked her, cursing Song Chunhua in his heart a thousand times.

If Song Chunhua hadn’t schemed back then, that person would have married Lu Ran, and their daughter would have looked like the little girl in front of him now.