The cadre in charge of Jiang Moli’s neighborhood was named Gao Jing.  

“Comrade Gao, busy with work?”  

Gao Jing recognized Jiang Moli at a glance.  

After all, she had just visited the Jiang family that morning. That delicate, fresh face—so tender it looked like you could pinch water out of it—was truly unforgettable.  

If it were her own daughter, she wouldn’t have the heart to send her down to the countryside to suffer either.  

But understanding was one thing; rules were rules. No exceptions could be made.  

“Made up your mind? Ready to sign up? You young people are all afraid of hardship and exhaustion. If everyone were like you, how would our country progress? How would society develop? This is unacceptable!”  

“Your words alone have saved me from reading ten books. I humbly accept all of Comrade Gao’s criticism and guidance!”  

As Jiang Moli responded, she closed the office door behind her.  

“Comrade Gao, I wholeheartedly support the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside policy. I’m willing to contribute all my strength to our nation’s prosperity. But my family situation is special. Jiang Qing is my stepsister, and she’s about to get married. Once she does, she definitely won’t take care of my father anymore. My younger brother is enlisting next month. If I leave too, there’ll be no one left at home.”  

“Of course, the country has its laws, and families have their rules. I’m willing to accept punishment—but could it be a bit lighter? Naturally, I wouldn’t ask for your help in vain. Within six months at most, I’m willing to transfer my job assignment to you, free of charge.”  

Gao Jing had initially been unimpressed.  

In her position, plenty of people had tried buttering her up to pull strings.  

But when Jiang Moli offered to trade a job assignment, she couldn’t stay seated.  

A job assignment was an iron rice bowl—a lifetime guarantee.  

“You can really get a job assignment? What kind of job is it?”  

“There’s definitely a job. As for what it is, it’ll depend on the arrangement. These days, just having a formal job is a blessing. It’s not like we can be picky, right?”  

After weighing the pros and cons, Gao Jing agreed.  

With the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside issue resolved, Jiang Moli felt much lighter.  

Plus, with money in her pocket, she strolled around the streets with great interest, buying daily necessities like soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels.  

The family already had soap, toothpaste, and towels, but they were shared among everyone. She wasn’t used to that.  

The original owner of her body wasn’t just careless about cleanliness—she was also unrefined. Her toothbrush bristles were worn to nubs, yet she never replaced them.  

Finally, she spent ten cents on an ice pop and walked home, enjoying it as she went.  

It wasn’t to save on bus fare—the buses ran infrequently, and waiting took forever. The cabins were crowded, and the air was stuffy.  

A young woman in a skirt rode past Jiang Moli on a Phoenix bicycle, her short bob and skirt fluttering in the wind. Just from the back, you could tell how carefree she felt.  

Once she got that 100 million yuan prize, she’d buy eight or ten bicycles and ride a different one every day!  

…

Meanwhile, Lu Cheng directed two delivery workers to unload items from a tricycle into his home.  

The elderly, women, and children in the compound all gathered to watch the commotion.  

“Lu Cheng, with all this—bicycles, sewing machines, cigarettes, alcohol, candy—are you getting married or something?”  

Madam Liu, the wife of Commissar Liu who lived upstairs from the Lu family, teased Lu Cheng with a smile.  

“Auntie Xiuqin, you guessed right. These are betrothal gifts for my future wife. You’re all experienced elders—come take a look and see if I’ve missed anything.”  

Hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up with curiosity.  

The eternal bachelor was finally getting married?!  

Among all the children in the compound, Lu Cheng was considered outstanding—except for his stubbornness, which surpassed even a mule’s.  

Over the years, the compound’s residents had tried to set him up countless times.  

Each match was a top-tier girl, handpicked from the best. But Lu Cheng hadn’t fancied a single one.  

Now, at nearly 27, most men his age already had kids old enough to run errands. Yet Lu Cheng remained a bachelor.  

“Which family’s daughter is it?”  

“Deputy Commissar Lu’s family sure knows how to keep a secret. The whole compound hasn’t heard a whisper about this.”  

Though none of them had met Lu Cheng’s bride-to-be, everyone in the compound shared one belief: the woman who won Lu Cheng’s heart must be exceptional in looks, family background, and character.  

Standing on her balcony, An Hui watched the commotion outside, feeling inexplicably irritated.  

Sure, her son getting married was a joyous occasion—but all she knew about the bride was her name! Wasn’t that just ridiculous?  

And then there was the living room, packed with bicycle, sewing machine, radio, cigarettes, alcohol, candy, tea, pastries, and fabric…  

It was like he was preparing to move the entire household to the bride’s family.  

Was all this really necessary just for a marriage proposal?

……

As soon as Zhou Xiaoqing got home from work, she hurried over to Jiang Qing to ask about who would be sent to the countryside—her or Jiang Moli.  

She had been worrying about it all day while at the factory.  

“Dad hasn’t said who’s going yet, but the Youth Office made it clear—either me or Moli has to go.”  

Good. That’s how it should be.

Everyone else has to go to the countryside—why should your family be exempt?

Zhou Xiaoqing gloated inwardly but pretended to comfort Jiang Qing with a few empty words before humming a tune and starting to wash rice for dinner.  

Jiang Qing shot a glance at Zhou Xiaoqing’s retreating back, her eyes filled with disdain.  

Zhou Xiaoqing thought she had secretly reported the matter to the Youth Office without anyone knowing.  

Little did she realize, this was all part of Jiang Qing’s plan.  

On the surface, Zhou Xiaoqing acted friendly, but in reality, she was a two-faced snake.  

After graduating high school, Jiang Qing had originally been assigned a job at the sugar factory.  

Employees there could buy sugar at a discounted internal price every month.  

Many workers resold their sugar under the table to earn extra income—an open secret at the factory.  

Jiang Qing had followed suit but was unlucky enough to get caught red-handed, losing her job.  

In her past life, Zhou Xiaoqing had told her it was Jiang Moli who reported her. She had believed it and harbored deep hatred for Jiang Moli.  

It wasn’t until after her death, when Zhou Xiaoqing used this very incident to suck up to Jiang Moli (who had become an official’s wife), that she learned the truth—Zhou Xiaoqing had been the one who reported her.  

These past few days, Jiang Qing had deliberately brought up her military officer boyfriend and Jiang Moli’s marriage plans in front of Zhou Xiaoqing, all to provoke her jealousy and push her to report their family to the Youth Office.  

With Jiang Moli’s fiery temper, once she found out Zhou Xiaoqing was the one who reported them, she’d tear her apart.  

Without lifting a finger, Jiang Qing could both send Jiang Moli to the countryside and take revenge on Zhou Xiaoqing for costing her the sugar factory job.  

Two birds with one stone.

…

After work, Jiang Dahai went to the bike shed to get his bicycle.  

Once he rode past the factory gates, he pretended to check the front tire, loosening the valve core slightly before continuing his ride home.  

It didn’t take long before the front tire went completely flat.  

Jiang Dahai hopped off and pushed his bike toward a repair stall he frequented.  

Just as he finished pumping air into the tire, he spotted Gao Jing riding her bicycle toward him.  

“Ah, Comrade Gao! What a coincidence running into you here!”  

Gao Jing braced one foot on the ground and nodded in greeting. “Bike trouble?”  

“Just a slow leak.”  

After glancing around, Jiang Dahai swiftly slipped a brown envelope into the leather bag in Gao Jing’s bike basket.  

“Comrade Gao, she’s my only daughter… Please, be merciful—”  

Gao Jing cut him off. “The countryside matter has already been resolved by your daughter.”  

“Resolved? How?”  

“Ask her yourself when you get home.”  

With that, Gao Jing handed the envelope back to him and rode away.  

Jiang Dahai pedaled home, laughing and wiping tears along the way.  

My daughter’s all grown up… She knows how to shoulder my burdens now.  

Sniff…