Unfortunately, no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t come up with a good solution.  

But he wasn’t in a hurry—he could stay calm.  

With that in mind, he put on a righteous and resolute demeanor and declared firmly, “The innocent need no defense. I’ll go with you.”  

As he spoke, he desperately shot meaningful glances at the stunned and panicked Zhang Lanxiang and the others. Thanks to the angle, no one noticed—except for Yi Chichi, who was squatting nearby and saw everything clearly.  

Seeing that Zhang Jianshe and the others were about to take him away, she timidly called out, “Uncle Zhang, wait a moment.”  

Zhang Jianshe, who had just lifted his foot to leave, turned at the sound of her voice. Seeing her squatting on the ground, gazing at him with wide, pitiful eyes, her pale, thin face filled with reverence, his expression softened slightly.  

“Chichi, do you need something from me?”  

Yi Chichi stood up and, under Yi Yong’s murderous, threatening glare, handed over the piece of paper she had been clutching. “My dad has cut ties with me. I’d like to ask Uncle to witness it and help stamp it for approval.”  

As she spoke, she sniffled, her eyes still brimming with tears from crying. Her fragile appearance was truly pitiful.  

Zhang Jianshe narrowed his eyes and took the severance document to read it.  

The more he read, the more infuriated he became. Even someone as hardened as him couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.  

“Yi Yong, are you really Chichi’s biological father?”  

He had seen fathers who treated their daughters poorly, but never one like Yi Yong—who not only mistreated his daughter but also trampled her into the ground.  

Zi Shuyu, oh Zi Shuyu, how blind were you to fall for such a hypocritical, ruthless man?  

Not only did you lose your life, but your daughter’s life was nearly destroyed too.  

Yi Yong snorted. “She’s unfilial.”  

Zhang Jianshe looked at Yi Chichi, who gave a bitter smile. “I don’t know what counts as filial piety.”  

“From the time my mom passed away until now, I’ve never had a full meal, never worn new clothes… While Yi Jing went to school, I stayed home to take care of Yi Jianguo and Yi Ling, doing laundry, cooking… Later, I finally managed to go to school and got into the embroidery factory on my own merit, but my dad forced me to give up my job and go to the countryside so Yi Jing could stay in the city…”

She waved her hand weakly, looking utterly exhausted, then bowed deeply to Zhang Jianshe.  

“Uncle, for the sake of my mom growing up with you, please do me this favor. Will you?”  

“Director Zhang, please help Chichi. This child is pitiful!”  

Sister Liu and the others chimed in to persuade him.  

Zhang Jianshe had never intended to refuse in the first place, so he naturally went along with it.

Just then, the factory director and other leaders arrived after receiving the news.  

So, in front of everyone, Yi Chichi gained a group of factory leaders as witnesses, and the severance document was signed by the director, deputy director, Zhang Jianshe, and others.  

Yi Yong and his wife were taken away by the Revolutionary Committee members, while Yi Jing and the others, frightened and at a loss, trailed behind in a daze.  

Sister Lan and Granny Zhang, eager to know the truth, hesitated briefly before following as well.  

Soon, the crowd dispersed.  

The previously packed hallway was now empty except for Yi Chichi and a few women like Sister Liu who didn’t need to work that day.  

Yi Chichi crouched pitifully on the ground, packing up her loosely bundled luggage. The tattered clothes inside left Sister Liu and the others stunned.  

“These are the clothes they prepared for you?”  

Aunt Guihua picked up a patched-up shirt that was clearly too small, her face full of disbelief.  

Yi Chichi hummed in confirmation but didn’t complain. Instead, she said cheerfully, “From now on, I have nothing to do with them. Once I earn money in the countryside, I can save up for fabric and make new clothes myself.”  

A faint smile touched her eyes, her light tone brimming with hope for the future.  

But Sister Liu and the others assumed she was just putting on a brave face, their hearts aching for her. “Did they really not give you a single cent?”  

Yi Chichi patted her pockets and pulled out four ten-yuan bills, some loose change, and a few ration coupons for grain, fabric, and industrial goods.  

“Yi Jianguo’s mother gave me fifty yuan yesterday. After seeing the doctor and buying them braised pork, this is what’s left.”  

“That’s far too little. It won’t last you long.”  

Glancing at the wide-open door of the Yi family’s apartment, Sister Liu urged her, “While Yi Yong and the others are gone, hurry inside and grab whatever you can take with you.”  

Yi Chichi blinked, as if not quite processing the suggestion.  

Aunt Guihua, impatient by nature, huffed, “What are you hesitating for? You’ve already cut ties—take some things as compensation!”  

“Go ahead and take whatever you need. We’ll keep watch for you.”  

They were offering to be her witnesses.  

Tears welled up in Yi Chichi’s eyes, deeply moved. “Aunties, sisters… you’re so kind. Thank you!”  

“Enough thanks. Grab your things and get going!”  

So Yi Chichi dashed inside and, under their watchful eyes, took the previously prepared large items like quilts and cotton-padded jackets.  

She also took two sets of Zhang Lanxiang’s clothes that were still 70-80% new, a pair of Yi Jing’s unworn shoes, some rice, flour, and other food supplies—and even a small iron pot used on the coal stove.  

“What about money? Aren’t you taking any cash or coupons?”  

(She had already hidden those securely on herself, of course—but she couldn’t say that.)  

So Yi Chichi just looked blank. “I don’t know where they keep their money and coupons.”

She couldn’t touch the money Yi Yong had embezzled, nor the little gold bars and the precious bracelet.

Those had to be left for the Revolutionary Committee.

“Aren’t you going to look for them?”

“No.”

She shook her head and, under the baffled gazes of Sister Liu and the others, finished packing her things. After exchanging a few polite words, she locked the door of the Yi family’s house and prepared to leave.

Seeing how much she was carrying, Sister Liu asked, “How are you going to take all this?”

“I’ll mail it.”

The post office was nearby, but for someone as frail as Yi Chichi, hauling everything there would be difficult. So, after a quick discussion, the sisters decided to help carry her belongings to the post office.

They even packed up homemade flatbreads and boiled eggs for her to take along.

Yi Chichi refused at first, but they insisted. Left with no choice, she offered to pay for them-otherwise, she absolutely wouldn’t accept them.

She argued earnestly that no one had much to spare, and she wouldn’t feel right taking their food.

Unable to sway her, the sisters finally agreed.

In the end, Yi Chichi bought the flatbreads and eggs at a price slightly below market rate.

After mailing her things at the post office, Yi Chichi boarded a tram to the train station under the sisters’ repeated reminders to stay safe.

She arrived at the station by 11:30 a.m.

The station was bustling with departing educated youth and their families seeing them off.

It was late September 1970, and Lin City had a special train bound for Heilongjiang Province for the educated youth.

After registering at the educated youth station checkpoint and pinning a large red flower to her chest, Yi Zhizhi took her luggage and group boarding pass, following the crowd onto the platform.

At 1:15 p.m., the train started moving.

As the educated youth special train headed north, Lin City-the place where the original owner of this body had grown up-slowly faded into the distance until it disappeared from sight.

Yi Chichi turned her gaze away and realized that her carriage was filled entirely with young women.

Upon asking, she learned that this educated youth special train had separate carriages for men and women, and meals were provided on board.

Relieved to hear about the meal service, Yi Zhizhi finally relaxed.

With so much to handle in such a short time, she had already pushed herself to the limit.

Honestly, she’d only managed this much thanks to hypnosis-otherwise, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

Food had been the last thing on her mind.

But now, at least, she didn’t have to worry about it anymore.