Chapter 7: Entering the City

This matter became a taboo topic at home.

With the eldest cousin losing his job, the bride exchange incident finally came to an end. The two branches of the Jiang family treated each other like enemies, even when they ran into each other on the road.

There were vague rumors in the village, suggesting that Jiang An’an had made her grandmother sick out of anger, which made Lin Meiru go door-to-door every day to argue with some gossiping women.

Aside from that, even though Jiang Degui and his wife avoided discussing the adoption matter, it was clear they treated Jiang An’an much better, as if…

…it was compensation!

Jiang An’an was puzzled for a couple of days but quickly cast her troubles aside.

In her previous life, she had been an orphan, and her greatest wish had always been to be adopted by a kind family. Now that her wish had been fulfilled, there was nothing to worry about.

After the autumn harvest, the weather suddenly turned cold.

Jiang An’an sat in front of the stove to warm herself, holding a freshly roasted sweet potato she had just dug out. She peeled it open to reveal the golden, soft flesh and couldn’t wait to take a bite; it was fragrant, sticky, sweet, and hot.

Her delicate brows and eyes were filled with joy.

However, there remained a faint bruise on her forehead, stark against her otherwise fair complexion.

“An’an, your mother is taking the day off tomorrow to take you to the hospital for a check-up.” Although everyone said that the scar’s recovery was normal, Lin Meiru was always worried it would leave a mark.

Jiang An’an was quite confident: “No need, even if it leaves a scar, it’s fine. I can just cut some bangs to cover it.”

Lin Meiru was very determined, mumbling to herself about what she needed to buy: “Tomorrow we’ll go to the hospital first, then to the supply and marketing cooperative to get you a bottle of skin lotion. Winter is coming soon, and we need to prepare some snake oil ointment—your father suffered from frostbite when he was young.”

“I heard from Zhou Kang that a new department store opened in the city recently. He just gifted me two industrial tickets and twenty yuan. You two should go and have a look.” Jiang Degui walked in full of cheer, humming a tune off-key.

If you were to say which daughter had married best?

Jiang Degui believed it was his eldest daughter, Jiang Shulan, because her husband was cultured and came from a well-off family, with a gentle and honest personality. If given the opportunity to return to the city in the future, they could take their daughter and grandchildren with them to enjoy a good life.

Lin Meiru happily said, “That’s great! The educated youth over there have a cream called ‘Snow Cream,’ and it’s said to be sold at the department store.”

“Exactly, An’an has delicate skin, so she should use Snow Cream,” Jiang Degui agreed wholeheartedly, “I’ll pick some fruits and vegetables from our reserved land later, so you can bring them to Meizi tomorrow.”

Everything in the city costs money, and since they had homegrown vegetables that they couldn’t finish, sending some to their in-laws from time to time could also earn them a good reputation.

Most importantly, the father-in-law valued his face and would always return the favor. Whether it was soap from the factory or a piece of meat and a handful of sugar, it was a guaranteed profit.

Jiang Degui felt quite pleased about this and took the opportunity to teach his daughter: “Exchanging small for big is how you can reap benefits in the long run. In life and work, you must never be stingy.”

Jiang An’an readily acknowledged she had learned something.

Having traveled here for a month, Jiang An’an had never visited the county town, so she was quite looking forward to it. She went to bed very late and when Lin Meiru called her to get up the next morning, she was still groggy. She had to wash her face with cold water, which instantly woke her up and cleared her mind.

In the yard, a basket of fresh vegetables had already been prepared, neatly sorted into bundles, making them look clean and beautiful—perfect for both gifting and receiving.

After a simple breakfast of corn porridge, the mother and daughter set off, carrying their things, stepping on the morning dew as they boarded the bus to the city.

The bus didn’t run every day; it mainly traveled between the town and the county, only going to the countryside on market days. At this time, the bus was packed, filled with noise and various smells.

Lin Meiru had prepared in advance, using two fruit candies to trade for a window seat. Although it pained her a bit, she felt it was worth it for her daughter to avoid standing for an hour and a half.

Jiang An’an couldn’t argue with her mother and decided they would switch seats later.

Yunzhou County was square-shaped, with a straight road running north to south. The streets were bustling with hurried pedestrians, and now and then, you could see people in red armbands patrolling.

The mother and daughter got off the bus and headed straight to the hospital, spending ten cents to register. They waited less than five minutes before it was their turn.

In those days, spending money on medical treatment was considered a luxury. Most people were reluctant to seek medical help, even waiting until they were seriously ill. So when the doctor heard the description of the condition and noticed the scar on Jiang An’an’s forehead, he was at a loss for words for a long time.

The young girl sat upright, looking bright and charming, with big, sparkling eyes that immediately made people feel fond of her.

“Doctor, my daughter can’t have a disfigured face!” The doctor remained silent for too long, which made Lin Meiru’s imagination run wild, causing her face to turn pale.

The doctor looked at her deeply: “Your daughter’s skin is too fair, so the bruise will take longer to heal than others. There’s no need to apply any medicine; if conditions allow, you can use some face cream. Alright, go refund your registration.”

“Is there such a good thing?” Lin Meiru thought it would be foolish not to take advantage of a good deal and happily went to the window to get her money back.

Once they were sent off, the doctor quickly lowered his voice to ask, “Miss, was that really your biological mother just now?”

Bumps and bruises were common, but making a big deal out of nothing was unusual. Nowadays, many bad elements took advantage of the chaotic situation to commit crimes, with abduction cases occurring frequently across the country. Therefore, he suspected Lin Meiru might be a human trafficker and wanted to ensure Jiang An’an could be sold for a good price.