Chapter 18.2

In those days, ordinary people could only buy hard seats; to get a sleeper, one needed a recommendation from a leader. Since she had the financial means and connections, she absolutely didn’t want to endure a week in a hard sleeper.

After confirming that her sister would call again the next day to finalize the ticket details, Tian Mi booked a room at the guesthouse and then set off to the town’s primary school to find her fourth sister, Pan Di.

With her impending departure, and given the current inconvenience of transportation, it would likely be a long time before she could return.

Logically, as a child and younger relative, she should have gone home to say goodbye properly.

However, this time, not only did she refuse to marry Wang Hongyan’s foolish brother, but she also ran away. Her grandparents and even her mother, Luan Hongmei, would probably resent her.

Such speculation was quite likely, especially in their view, since her lack of awareness and unfriendly attitude towards her brothers had caused their beloved grandson to suffer for several days.

If she really went back, she might end up facing some hidden troubles. That’s why Tian Mi first sought out Pan Di to understand the situation.

This time when she returned, although Tian Mi still wore her triangular scarf, she didn’t intentionally change her appearance.

After a week of fermentation, news of the Liu family’s troubles had spread throughout the town.

Even in the county, she had heard that Liu Shu had been sentenced to hard labor for ten years in a labor reform farm.

Tian Mi didn’t know if the batch of gold she had taken had any impact on that, but it didn’t prevent her from feeling gleeful about it.

As for Liu Xiangdong, he was somewhat capable; he had publicly severed ties with Liu Shu before his charges were announced and quickly found a way to transfer to the city.

Whether it was due to some sort of protagonist aura, he couldn’t be thoroughly suppressed, leaving Tian Mi a bit disappointed and worried about a potential resurgence.

Fortunately, regardless of how Liu Xiangdong tried to clear his name, it was impossible for him to pursue a political path like he had in the original story.

“Er Jie? Which classmate’s house have you been to recently? If it weren’t for cousin Chun Xiu telling me and Dad where you went, Dad would have been so anxious he would have filed a missing person report.” Pan Di came running out, first launching into a tirade, then circling around Tian Mi to examine her closely. After confirming that her sister was fine and even looked better than when she was at home, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

The little girl’s overly mature demeanor made Tian Mi chuckle. She reached out to grab her and said, “I’m fine, see? I’ve even gained a little weight. What about you? Is it okay for you to be out right now? Don’t the teachers mind? And where’s Xiang Yang?”

Pan Di suspiciously looked at her second sister, unsure why she was asking, but still replied, “What’s there to mind? Isn’t this how it’s always been? The teacher took leave this morning, so we’re just self-studying. A lot of classmates went out to play. I didn’t want to go, and I didn’t want to go home either, so I stayed in the classroom. Xiang Yang didn’t come to school today. The teacher took them to do labor work.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi instinctively frowned, about to complain about how irresponsible the teacher was.

But just as the words reached her lips, she realized that things were different now.

In this era, the quality of education left much to be desired. Most teachers had connections, and many of them couldn’t even recognize all the characters yet still became teachers.

It was common for teachers not to show up for ten days or half a month, taking time off for things like the busy farming season.

Today’s so-called labor class for Xiang Yang’s group was essentially just helping the teacher or their relatives with work under the pretense of a class.

The few teachers who genuinely wanted to teach were often watched closely and feared that a moment of carelessness could get them reported as “stinking intellectuals”^[1]臭老九[ chòu lǎo jiǔ)] – Literally: Stinking Old Ninth. Contemptuous term for educated people during the Cultural Revolution. They were included as part of the Black Categories. They were … Continue reading “.  , leaving them too cautious to act.

It was a heavy topic, so Tian Mi pressed her lips together and didn’t pursue it further. Instead, she glanced around the area and said, “Let’s find a place to talk. I have something I want to ask you.”

“There’s an abandoned house behind the school. No one goes there. It used to be the old principal’s house, but two years ago, he was labeled a ‘stinking intellectual’  and sent away. Should we go there?”

“Alright.”

The little girl asked her sister to wait a moment, then dashed back into the school like a gust of wind.

Watching her, Tian Mi couldn’t help but recall her own school days, though the memories were too distant and had blurred with time.

She had a natural respect for schools, so she didn’t want to keep standing at the gate and stepped back toward the weathered school wall.

It was only then that she noticed a small cluster of disordered white flowers blooming in a corner of the wall.

She couldn’t identify the species, and they weren’t particularly pretty, seeming to bloom for the sake of it. But they gave Tian Mi a feeling that this was just the way things were meant to be.

These were flowers blooming in the biting cold wind, much like the resilient will of those teachers who genuinely cared about education.

Tian Mi’s melancholy didn’t last long before the little girl came running back, carrying her bag.

Then, the two of them walked hand-in-hand toward the back of the school.

Pan Di was a smart girl. Once they arrived at the old principal’s half-collapsed house, she casually found a spot to sit and, without waiting for her sister to ask, began chatting away about everything that had happened recently.

As Tian Mi listened, she pulled out some candy and cookies she had specifically bought and stuffed them into her fourth sister’s bag.

Don’t ask why she always bought the same two things — the supply and marketing cooperative didn’t have many other snacks.

Of course, the main reason was that she didn’t have any ration tickets.

After several weeks of effort, she now had over 800 yuan in savings.

This amount might not be much to families in the county with formal jobs or cadres.

But for someone who had only had a few pennies to her name, having over 800 yuan now definitely counted as striking it rich.

Compared to those farmers who rely on the weather for their livelihood, she was considered quite wealthy.

But having money didn’t mean having ration tickets, and without tickets, there were still many things she couldn’t buy.

Tian Mi had only a few fabric and cotton tickets, which Auntie Wang Li had helped her exchange. She had specifically prepared these for when she went to seek refuge with her eldest sister. As a 21st-century citizen, she was well aware of how cold it could get in the northeast.

If she foolishly wore a thin jacket there, she’d freeze to death halfway.

By the time she had transferred all the snacks into her fourth sister’s bag, the little girl had just finished talking.

Tian Mi unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into the girl’s mouth. Watching her squint in delight, she concluded, “So what you’re saying is, Grandpa and Grandma can’t wait to skin me alive, and Mom also resents me?”

Pan Di slurped the sweet candy juice and smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth. “Of course! That’s obvious.”

“What about Dad?”

“Dad’s okay. He’s been pretty worried about you these past few days.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi didn’t know how to react.

Her feelings toward Tian Hongxing were complicated.

To be fair, from what she’d seen so far, he was diligent and responsible in his work and genuinely cared about his children.

In some ways, he was more open-minded than most people of this era.

You could tell just from the fact that he encouraged his daughters to study and was willing to let the girls attend high school.

But at the same time, he also held the traditional sexist beliefs of this era.

For instance, he firmly believed that houses and jobs should be left to his son, as only sons could carry on the family line.

But unlike many others of his time, he wouldn’t go as far as selling his daughters to raise his son. Even though he favored sons over daughters, it wasn’t to the extent of being disgraceful.

However, it was true that Tian Mi’s original self had married Liu Xiangdong under his persuasion and final decision. Later, when she was subjected to domestic violence, although Tian Hongxing had gone to warn him, he was adamantly against her getting a divorce.

Because at that time, society wouldn’t allow it, and the Tian family couldn’t bear the shame.

In short, Tian Mi didn’t understand him.

He seemed like a strange product of the gap between old and new societal values, as if he had split himself in two—half striving for a new world, and half still trapped in the confines of feudalism.

This was why Tian Mi preferred to first seek out her fourth sister rather than go to him.

Maybe, deep down in a part of her she hadn’t yet recognized, she remained highly wary of the source of her original self’s tragic life.

Now that she had gotten the information she wanted from her fourth sister, she decided not to return to Chaoyang Village. In a few days, she would leave directly—there was no need to cause herself unnecessary trouble.

It was just a pity that she might not see Lai Di and Xiang Yang for several years. “Pan Di, in a few days, your Er Jie plans to go to Da jie’s place.”

Upon hearing this, Pan Di paused briefly but then quickly nodded. “Going to Da Jie’s place sounds good. Otherwise, you’d have a hard time staying at home. But when will you come back?”

Today was a beautiful day. Tian Mi sighed, looking up at the thin clouds floating in the blue sky, and answered honestly, “I don’t know. Da Jie is introducing me to a soldier. If things go well between us, I’ll probably get married soon, and it might be a long time before I come back.”

At only 13 years old, Pan Di didn’t understand love, and she knew even less about marriage. But because DaJie was very happy after getting married, she naturally had a good impression of soldiers.

She twirled her braid around her wrist, advising in a mature tone, “Soldiers are great. Just find a good man like Jie fu.”

Hearing this, Tian Mi burst out laughing. The trace of sadness about leaving and the uncertainty of the future disappeared in an instant. She raised her hand and rubbed the little girl’s head, speechless. “You? How do you even know what a good man is?”

Pan Di slapped her second sister’s hand away, worried she’d mess up her hair again. She stood up and patted the dust off her bottom. “What’s there not to know? Just the opposite of Big Brother, right?”

Tian Mi laughed again, “Yes, definitely not someone like Tian Chang Qing.”

The two sisters chatted a while longer, and soon it was noon.

Tian Mi pulled out a small packet from her inner pocket and handed it to her fourth sister. “Here, this is one hundred yuan. You and Lai Di take fifty each.”

Seeing Pan Di about to refuse, Tian Mi pressed her hand and said seriously, “Er Jie can barely take care of herself right now, so this is all I can give you. It’s not for spending; it’s for you and Lai Di to use for protection. If, in the end, Wang Hongyan really marries into the family, you and Lai Di’s lives won’t be easy. Try to persuade San Mei to go back to school if you get the chance. Don’t worry about the money; Er Jie can afford a few yuan a year. The note inside has Da Jie’s phone number. Memorize it in case something happens. Your third sister is too simple-minded to rely on, so you need to be alert. If you need help, call us for help or go to Auntie Cuilan’s place.”

Pan Di lowered her head, tightly clutching the small stack of money, her eyes gradually turning red.

It was hard to say if it was because of her second sister’s earnest advice, the impending separation, or this large sum of money.

Yes, a huge sum.

In Pan Di’s life, the most money she ever had was two yuan that her sister had given her earlier.

She’d spent one yuan on two packs of cigarettes since she didn’t have ration tickets.

The remaining yuan, she had never spent, always carrying it with her, thinking she’d give it back to her second sister when she saw her. After all, living outside, her sister’s life must have been tough.

But she never expected that her second sister would give her and her third sister a hundred yuan in return. This amount of money could marry off three or four brides in the village.

Tian Mi hadn’t noticed the little girl’s emotions and continued using the time to ramble on, reminding the little girl of things to pay attention to in the future.

Her little brother was okay, as in this day and age, boys were precious.

But it was different for her two younger sisters. They were girls, and as they grew older, although they weren’t as good-looking as Tian Mi’s original self, they weren’t bad either.

Especially her third sister—her features were the second-best among the Tian family girls. As long as she took care of herself and grew a bit older, she’d turn into the type of frail, delicate girl that many men in the future would find attractive.

She would easily stir up others’ protective instincts, and the key was, she wasn’t pretending—Lai Di was genuinely timid and honest.

That’s why Tian Mi handed all the money to her fourth sister.

Lai Di, with her temperament, couldn’t keep any secrets. If she had money, it wouldn’t take more than two days for Luan Hongmei to find out, which was no different from letting Tian Chang Qing know.

The end result, as anyone could imagine, would be the money landing in someone else’s pocket.

Speaking of Luan Hongmei, Tian Mi didn’t understand her either. Normally, she wasn’t someone who would deliberately be harsh on her daughters.

But all of this had a condition. As long as her eldest son’s interests weren’t threatened, Luan Hongmei was fine. But if they were, she’d lose all reason and act like a madwoman, sacrificing anyone, including herself, for Tian Chang Qing.

Tian Mi didn’t understand her and had no desire to.

But as for her two younger sisters and little brother, Tian Mi still wanted to care for them as long as her situation allowed.

Especially in a couple of years, when her sisters grew older.

As long as Tian Chang Qing, that coward, was around, and their father, Tian Hongxing, was busy with work and often away from home, he wouldn’t be able to protect them.

Tian Mi could leave without telling her grandparents and mother, but she wouldn’t hide it from her father, Tian Hongxing.

After all, if she did get married while staying at her eldest sister’s place, she would need her father to provide some official documents for her.

So, Tian Mi took her fourth sister to the police station to find their father.

At the station, aside from the chief, there were only two officers.

One was Tian Hongxing, and the other was a young man who had recently taken over his father’s position, named Han Wei.

When Han Wei saw Tian Mi, his face immediately flushed red like a monkey’s bottom, and he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet, looking somewhat foolish.

Han Wei’s mind was buzzing. He had heard his father mention that Uncle Tian’s daughter was good-looking and had even asked him if he wanted to get to know her.

At the time, Han Wei thought, “How good-looking could a village girl be?” and declined.

But now, he regretted it so much he could barely stand it.

Why hadn’t his dad explained it clearly?

This wasn’t just good-looking—if she wore a white dress, she could probably float up to the heavens!

He had never seen anyone more beautiful than Uncle Tian’s daughter.

Oh, and her name was nice too—Tian Mi, as sweet as honey.

With this thought, Han Wei’s young heart began to race even more.

But unfortunately, although Han Wei wasn’t bad-looking, he was usually too proud. Now, despite racking his brain, he had no idea how to start a conversation with her.

In the end, his face only got redder, and he lingered around Tian Hongxing, not wanting to leave. He even stole glances at Tian Mi whenever he could.

Tian Mi wasn’t blind. Even if she was clueless, she could still tell something was up. Couldn’t she see that her father’s face had already darkened?

She had no intention of inviting romantic trouble. Her eyes flashed as she quickly came up with an idea. Smiling at her father, she said, “Dad, my fiancé’s marriage application from the military has been approved. I just picked it up from the post office and came to ask you to take a look.”

As she spoke, she winked at her father, whose shocked expression matched her own.

Immediately, understanding his daughter’s intentions, Tian Hongxing’s already dark face turned even darker, but he didn’t expose her little scheme. Instead, he patted the pale-faced young man, who looked as if he’d suffered a massive blow. “Xiao Han, keep an eye on things here. I’m taking my daughter out for a bit.”

With that, without waiting for Han Wei to recover from the shock of his “heartbreak,” he led his two daughters to a state-owned restaurant.

Tian Hongxing ordered a bowl of shredded pork noodles for each of his children, while he himself ordered plain noodles, sitting at a table in the corner.

Seeing this, Tian Mi pursed her lips and secretly pulled out some money and ration tickets, slipping them under the table to her fourth sister.

Pan Di, a clever little one, understood her sister’s intentions with just a glance.

She immediately stood up, saying she needed to go to the bathroom, and ran off in a hurry.

Tian Hongxing, lost in thought, didn’t notice the silent exchange between his two daughters. He took a few bites of noodles to stave off his hunger before speaking. “Mi Yatou, you were too reckless earlier. You made up some fiancé out of nowhere. How will you find a proper husband in the future? Any respectable family wouldn’t want to marry a girl who’s already been engaged.”

Tian Mi didn’t like hearing this but didn’t want to argue either.

After all, that was just the way things were. Some things were better left understood quietly; there was no point in debating them.

However, borrowing Lou Luhui’s name wasn’t something she came up with on a whim. If she wanted to go to her elder sister’s place, she needed a solid reason.

Now that the threat from Liu Xiangdong was resolved, her father probably thought there was no longer any need for her to hide.

But Tian Mi knew very well that this matter was only temporarily settled.

Therefore, she had to come up with a reason—one enticing enough.

Thus, borrowing the “Bodhisattva” (Lou Luhui) as a pretext became necessary.

She planned to apologize to him later, but for now, leaving was the top priority.

So, Tian Mi, already prepared, cleared her throat and began her performance: “Who said I was lying? My elder sister really introduced me to someone—a regiment commander, no less, a full colonel, on the same level as my brother-in-law.”

Next, knowing exactly what her father cared about most, Tian Mi shared some of Lou Luhui’s impressive qualities and spun a story, blending truth with fiction. She mentioned how they’d exchanged photos and that Lou Luhui had even seen her before.

Finally, she explained that her elder sister and brother-in-law hoped she could visit the 836th unit under the guise of family visitation to get to know him better. If everything went well, they could settle on the match.

From the moment his daughter started speaking, Tian Hongxing had been stunned. Even when Si Yatou (the fourth daughter) brought over a plate of braised pork, he was too preoccupied to ask where the money came from.

It took him a long while to snap out of it, and he wiped his face, asking in disbelief, “Mi Yatou, are you serious? You really found a guy from Beijing?”

Tian Mi was speechless—was this the detail to focus on right now?

Seeing his daughter’s exasperation, Tian Hongxing fell silent and continued eating his noodles and braised pork.

Once they finished their meal, the father and his two daughters left the state-run restaurant.

Looking up at the clear sky, Tian Hongxing still couldn’t believe it wasn’t all a dream. Yet, unable to resist, he asked again, “So, you really found a regiment commander for a son-in-law?”

It was hard for him to grasp. When his eldest daughter married his son-in-law, Chen Gang was just a squad leader. He had been ecstatic back then, but now, more than a decade later, his eldest son-in-law had impressively climbed up to the rank of regiment commander, and here was his second daughter, already engaged to one!

And from Beijing! A college graduate, no less! How could this all be real?

Tian Mi nodded affirmatively: “If you don’t believe me, the post office is right ahead. Why don’t you call and ask?”

Hearing this, Tian Hongxing fell silent again.

The three of them stood there for who knows how long. Just as Tian Mi thought her father had finally accepted her story and only needed some time to process it, he suddenly turned and walked toward the post office.

Tian Mi…

Her father personally spoke with her eldest brother-in-law over the phone, receiving a firm confirmation from him, along with an assurance of the man’s sincerity. With that, the cloud that had hung over Tian Hongxing’s heart for more than half a month completely lifted.

Great!

His daughter marrying well wasn’t something he coveted for himself, but it made him happy.

Happy for her good match and proud of the prestige it brought.

Look at him, Tian Hongxing—he had two regiment commanders as sons-in-law! What a status!

The only thing that dampened his spirits was the nine-year age gap between his daughter and this Lou fellow.

Smacking his lips a few times, Tian Hongxing sighed with a “nobody’s perfect” expression: “The age difference is a bit much.”

Tian Mi…

That night, as soon as Tian Hongxing got home, he announced that his second daughter had found a husband.

He was all smiles, even instructing his wife to start preparing Mi Yatou’s dowry. To him, this matter was already set in stone.

But Luan Hongmei stood there in a daze for quite some time, her hands still holding a shoe she was sewing. As emotions like frustration, sadness, and reluctance flickered across her face, they finally settled into a deep weariness. She muttered under her breath, “Fine, let them all go far away. I only need my Chang Qing. As long as I have Chang Qing, I’m fine… Right! Chang Qing, I need to check on him.”

As she spoke, Luan Hongmei had already grown agitated, jumping up despite the night having fallen. She hurriedly made her way to her in-laws’ house.

Tian Hongxing, concerned, followed closely behind, only turning back after ensuring she safely entered the house. He closed his eyes in pain.

Thirty-one years had passed, yet his wife still hadn’t let go.

She had truly been consumed by obsession.