“Nana, this is what Uncle and Auntie prepared for you. It’s cold up north, you know. And with your trip to the countryside happening right during spring plowing, it’s going to be tough. Make sure you eat well and take care of yourself—nothing’s more important than your health…”  

Ma Xiumei rambled on with her instructions, fussing over Zhou Xiuna as if she were her own daughter.  

Zhou Xiuna couldn’t help but tear up.  

Ever since her mother passed away, she hadn’t heard such caring words in a long time.  

“Mom~ Stop nagging, her train’s already boarding.”  

Song Suisui glanced at her watch and couldn’t help but interrupt her mother’s endless stream of advice.  

On the surface, Zhou Xiuna’s luggage was minimal. Ever since she found out which commune she’d be sent to, she had asked Tan Kai to help prepare some essentials and mailed them ahead two days prior.  

So today, all she wore was a well-washed, slightly frayed outfit, and she carried only a small bundle of daily necessities.  

When she left like this, everyone in the vicinity of the machinery factory saw her.  

The Zhou family was bound to be the talk of the town for a while.  

And if she was going to suffer, the Zhou family wouldn’t get off easy either—she had secretly signed up her stepmother’s beloved son and daughter for rural labor assignments too.  

And not just anywhere—the most remote and harsh parts of the far northwest!  

As for whether her scumbag father would curse her out later, she couldn’t care less.  

Would he really make the trip all the way to the northeast to confront her?  

Even if he did, did he think she’d just stand there and take it?  

If Song Suisui knew what Zhou Xiuna had done and what she was thinking, she’d be even more convinced that Zhou Xiuna was the protagonist of some era novel she hadn’t read.  

This personality was just too *badass*!  

Zhou Xiuna’s meager luggage earned her even more sympathy from Ma Xiumei.  

But when she saw the large bundle the Song family had prepared for her, Zhou Xiuna burst into tears.  

“Why the tears?” Song Suisui threw an arm around her shoulder in a sisterly manner and said, “Don’t let the size fool you—it’s just quilts and some small odds and ends. It’s not heavy at all.”  

Though time was tight, Ma Xiumei had used her years of connections to scrounge up an eight-pound thick quilt and a four-pound thin quilt for Zhou Xiuna before her departure.  

Aside from the quilts, there was also a thickly padded coat. Even though the north was starting to warm up and the heavy coat wouldn’t be needed now, it would come in handy come winter.  

There wasn’t enough time to prepare new clothes, so Ma Xiumei stuffed the new outfits she had originally made for Song Suisui and Song Niannian into the bundle as well.  

As for the other miscellaneous items, no need to list them one by one—Zhou Xiuna could unpack and see for herself later.  

Zhou Xiuna was deeply moved and endlessly grateful to the Song family.

Since this bundle was prepared by Auntie Xiumei for her, Zhou Xiuna didn’t refuse it.  

However, she silently vowed to always remember the Song family’s kindness.  

She would find a way to repay them in the future.  

Since they hadn’t bought platform tickets, Ma Xiumei didn’t go into the station to see Zhou Xiuna off.  

Song Suisui, on the other hand, had a train ticket—hers was the next departure after Zhou Xiuna’s. After explaining the situation to the station staff, they allowed her to escort Zhou Xiuna onto her train.  

For this business trip, Song Suisui only carried a large military-green backpack—one she had just unpacked the night before.  

Inside were just two sets of spare clothes and a few small travel essentials.  

When it came to traveling, she preferred to keep things light.  

After seeing Zhou Xiuna off, Song Suisui waited on the platform for a while until her own train slowly pulled in.  

Purchasing agents from the machinery factory always traveled by sleeper berth—since it was reimbursable, some agents even swapped tickets to pocket the price difference.  

But Song Suisui wasn’t about to suffer for a few extra bucks—she’d never trade her ticket.  

If possible, she’d have even upgraded to a soft sleeper.  

This train’s final destination was the capital, with Xinghai City being just a stop along the way. By the time Song Suisui boarded the sleeper car, it was already quite crowded.  

Her assigned berth was a middle bunk, untouched and to her satisfaction.  

Though not yet sixteen, Song Suisui’s face still carried a hint of youthful softness. But the Song family was tall, and she was no exception—standing at around 160 cm.  

In this era, a girl of 160 cm was already considered tall, but Song Suisui still wished she could grow a little taller.  

Thanks to her height, no one in the carriage pegged her as a kid.  

She didn’t have a baby face, either. And with the maturity from her additional memories, her speech and demeanor gave off an adult-like air.  

Across from her bunk lay a pale-faced young man who had only opened his eyes briefly when she climbed up before closing them again.  

The lower bunk was occupied by a man and woman who looked somewhat alike—probably siblings.  

The two passengers on the upper bunks remained lying down the whole time, making no moves. Song Suisui didn’t run into any overly friendly strangers.  

But that was just fine by her—she wasn’t exactly comfortable with excessive warmth from people she didn’t know.  

The journey from Xinghai City to the capital took just a day and a night.  

On her first business trip, Song Suisui encountered none of the outrageous passengers she’d read about in era novels—everything went smoothly.  

The capital’s train station in 1973 might not have been as grand or modern as it would become in the future, but it was still one of the finest buildings of its time.  

Too bad she didn’t have a camera—otherwise, she could’ve taken a photo to commemorate the moment.

She arrived in the capital a little after five in the afternoon. By this time, the steel plant would already be wrapping up for the day, so she decided to check into a guesthouse near the train station and handle her business tomorrow.  

“Sister, this is my first time in the capital—what are some must-try local foods here?”  

The middle-aged woman handling Song Suisui’s check-in was over the moon at being called “sister.”  

“Oh, little girl, you’ve come to the right person! Let me tell you, you absolutely must try the capital’s roast duck…”  

The woman enthusiastically recommended several restaurants. Song Suisui memorized a few, then pulled a handful of fruit candies from her pocket and pressed them into her hand.  

“Thank you, sister. Here’s some candy to sweeten your day.”  

“Oh my, you shouldn’t have!” The woman made a show of refusing but eventually accepted the candy with a delighted chuckle.  

After dropping her bag in her room, Song Suisui slung a small satchel over her shoulder and headed out for dinner.  

She hadn’t eaten well during the day and night on the train.  

The receptionist had mentioned a state-run restaurant nearby.  

When Song Suisui arrived, she didn’t even need to ask the server—she just glanced at the menu board.  

“Miss, I’d like a portion of braised pork, stir-fried potatoes, and two liang of rice.”  

The server cheerfully tallied up the cost, and after paying, Song Suisui took her receipt and found a seat to wait for her meal.  

The restaurant wasn’t crowded at this hour. A few scattered diners occupied tables, leaving her as the only one sitting alone.  

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”  

Song Suisui looked up to see a boy who looked like the textbook definition of a “gentlemanly scoundrel” smiling at her.  

“Sure, go ahead,” she replied calmly.  

Though her tone was indifferent, internally she was screaming like a crazed fangirl.  

Ahhh!!! Where did this gorgeous guy come from? He’s even hotter than my former idol!

Those peach-blossom eyes! Those frameless glasses! That overwhelming vibe of a refined yet dangerous charmer—who understands?! 

Hnngh…  

Qin Mulin glanced at Song Suisui and smiled. “You don’t seem like a local.”  

“Nope.”  

Though he was undeniably handsome, Song Suisui wasn’t so easily swayed by good looks that she’d spill personal details to a stranger.