Beijing No.1 High School

“Mom, Dad? What are you doing here?!”

Su Huazhu was completely surprised when she suddenly heard in the classroom that her family had come to see her.

And sure enough, when she stepped out, it really was her parents.

“Huazhu, we have something very important to tell you,”

Looking at her graceful and blossoming young daughter, Qiao Jiuru felt even more strongly that being innocent and naive in this era was not necessarily a good thing.

You must guard against others, but never harm others.

Su Huazhu looked at her parents’ grave expressions, puzzled, and suddenly felt a wave of unease.

“Mom…”

“Don’t be scared. We’re both here,” her mother reassured her. “Huazhu, your dad and I signed you up to go to the countryside. You’ll leave the day after tomorrow. The place you’re being sent to is in Jilin Province. It’s a village your grandfather once visited—our Qiao family has a connection there. You likely won’t be bullied, and they’ll probably look after you.”

“Mom, did something happen at home?!”

Before Qiao Jiuru could finish explaining, Su Huazhu immediately sensed something was wrong.

She was sharp and quickly guessed something had happened.

“Yes. Our family was reported,” her mother said directly. “So tomorrow night, we’ll send your brother away first, and the day after tomorrow, it’s your turn. Your father, your elder brother and his wife, and your two nephews—don’t worry about us. Listen carefully, Huazhu. What I’m going to tell you next must not be shared with anyone.”

“Okay, Mom. I’m listening.”

“Your father and I have already stored three thousand jin of grain elsewhere, along with a large stockpile of various supplies. We’ve also exchanged for over a hundred ration and supply coupons, and we’ve saved 5,000 yuan.

After we’re sent down, your Uncle Lu will secretly bring us 500 jin of food and supplies, along with money and coupons, every six months. Not only that, your Uncle Lu and Uncle Zhang will continue to help us buy grain and goods each year. Even if we’re sent down, we’ll still be able to live well.”

“Mom, Dad—are you serious?!”

“As serious as it gets. Also, we need to secretly tell you one more thing. You mustn’t tell anyone. Even though our family has been reported, your Uncle Lu has already pulled some strings to have our relocation site changed. The new place is very close to where you’ll be. That means we’ll be able to see each other again and take care of one another.”

“Huazhu, are you scared?”

“Mom, I’m not scared. As long as you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”

“We didn’t originally want to tell you all this,” her mother said softly. “But Uncle Lu and the others said that in our current situation, you and Xiaofeng can’t be kept in the dark anymore. You can’t afford to be naive or overly trusting.

Especially you, as a young girl, won’t be under our roof anymore. You’ll encounter many complicated situations and people. There are many bad people out there—you must learn to distinguish, to protect yourself. Don’t trust anyone easily. Until you have real ability, the most important thing is self-preservation.”

“Your mom is right,” her father added. “Your two uncles also warned us—they’re afraid you’ll panic when things get tough. The situation isn’t that scary yet. Your mom and I can still protect you. We won’t let you freeze or starve.”

“Mom… Dad…”

With tears brimming in her eyes, Su Huazhu looked at her parents.

Then, quite suddenly, she calmed down completely.

Strangely enough, she no longer felt afraid of the countryside or of what was about to happen to their family.

In that moment, Su Huazhu felt herself grow up—she had to start maturing.

“Mom, Dad, I’m going back to pack my things now. I’ll come home with you in a bit.”

She would be sent down the day after tomorrow.

Su Huazhu could hardly wait to get back to the dorm and classroom to pack her bedding and books.

“Huazhu, don’t rush. We’re going to your Uncle Lu’s house first,” her mother said. “Tomorrow morning, ask your teacher if you can get your high school diploma early since you’re leaving for the countryside. Or see if you can take the final exams early. If the exam is tomorrow, your dad and I will come back to pick you up in the evening.”

Qiao Jiuru still hoped her daughter could get her high school diploma.

She knew that in a few years, the college entrance exam would resume, and then her daughter would have the chance to go to university.

If she couldn’t take the exam or get the diploma tomorrow, then she’d have to try to earn it after being sent to the countryside.

“Okay, Mom and Dad. I understand.”

Su Huazhu nodded firmly, wiped away her tears, gave her parents one last lingering look, and then turned back toward the school.

Once their daughter’s figure disappeared, Qiao Jiuru and Su Huaiyuan got on their bicycles and rode together toward the Beijing Machinery Factory.

“Really?!”