Chapter 27: Sending a Manuscript at the Post Office

The next day was Sunday.

The morning was slightly overcast, making the weather much cooler, though it didn’t look like it would rain.

It was a good day to go out.

When Mu Mian got up, she saw her mother working with a large jar in the courtyard.

Yawning, her hair sticking up slightly, she squatted by the doorway like a little puppy and asked, “Mom, are you making another jar of pickled chili peppers?”

Liu Shuangcui nodded. “Yes, you and your Sister Taozi both love them, so I’m making more this time.”

Last night, Comrade Mu Fugui came home and mentioned that he had run into Liu Tao at the commune while she was working on a case.

Liu Tao hadn’t had a break in half a month. Work at the bureau was busy, and the hot weather had killed her appetite. She said she was craving her second aunt’s pickled radish and chili peppers.

They had plenty of pickled radish left, but the pickled chili peppers were all gone.

Since they had a bicycle and it was convenient to travel, Liu Shuangcui asked Mu Fugui to make a trip today. He could also send Mu Zhuo’s package at the same time.

Thinking that she hadn’t seen her cousin in a while and that she wouldn’t have to walk there herself, Mu Mian decided to tag along to the commune.

Most importantly, she wanted to send out her manuscript.

It wasn’t much, just two articles.

Even though she had written a lot, some were just practice, and she didn’t think they were good enough.

Her parents knew about it but didn’t take it seriously, thinking she was just playing around.

They figured if she wanted to send it, she could. It wasn’t like they couldn’t afford the postage.

It wasn’t that Mu Fugui and the others didn’t believe in her. It was just that no one in the village had ever done something like this before.

Getting published in a magazine seemed like something far beyond their reach.

Even though their daughter was smart, they simply couldn’t imagine it happening.

Mu Mian didn’t explain.

The main reason was that if she was selected, she would receive a reply, and there would be no need to explain anything.

If she wasn’t selected and her letter disappeared like a stone sinking into the sea, then there was even less need to explain. She could just treat it as a playful attempt.

—

Since they didn’t have to squeeze onto the ox cart, the father and daughter took their time before heading out.

The package for Mu Zhuo was tied to the front crossbar, while Mu Mian sat at the back, holding a jar filled to the brim with pickled radish for her cousin, Liu Tao.

Mu Fugui glanced back while straddling his bicycle. “Are you sure you can manage? Should we ask your mother to find a bag to hang it in front instead?”

Mu Mian hugged the jar with one arm. “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ve got it steady.”

Mu Fugui nodded. “Alright then. If your arms get sore, let me know, and we’ll take a break on the way.”

Mu Mian grinned. “They won’t. It’s not heavy at all.”

Recalling his daughter’s impressive strength, Mu Fugui didn’t say anything more and pedaled towards the village entrance.

He wasn’t riding fast, and by the time they neared the commune, they spotted Old Wang ahead, driving an ox cart.

Several people were sitting on the cart. With her sharp eyes, Mu Mian spotted Shi Xiaolian and her sister, as well as Nie Sihui, Jian Mulan, and a few older women.

Since the weather was hot, eggs wouldn’t keep for long, so fewer people were selling them at the purchasing station.

If they spoiled, it would be a waste. Instead, it was better for their families to eat them. With the heat making work exhausting, they needed some nutritious food to keep up their strength.

By the time Mu Fugui caught up on his bicycle, Old Wang had already turned the ox cart toward the purchasing station, which was in a different direction from the public security bureau. So, they didn’t greet each other.

Ten minutes later, the bicycle came to a stop in front of the public security bureau.

Before Mu Mian could get off, she saw Officer Yang, whom she had met before, coming out from inside. He paused in his tracks. “Oh, it’s you two. Here to see Xiao Tao?”

Mu Fugui could chat with anyone, let alone someone he knew. He immediately greeted him with a smile. “We happened to have some free time, so we came by to check on her. Just yesterday, she was saying that the heat had killed her appetite, so her second aunt asked me to bring her some pickled vegetables. Brother Yang, no day off for you today?”

Officer Yang sighed. “Too much work, no time to rest. Xiao Tao just got back from outside. She’s probably in the archives room now. You can go in and wait for her.”

Mu Fugui nodded. “Sure, we’re not in a hurry. Let her finish up first.”

Officer Yang glanced at Mu Mian. “This girl looks like she’s grown taller.”

He really thought highly of this little girl. She was smart and strong—practically a perfect candidate for the police force.

Mu Fugui ruffled his daughter’s hair. “She does seem taller. Kids grow fast.”

Mu Mian had no idea Officer Yang was still thinking about recruiting her into the police force when she grew up. She lifted her face and greeted him, “Hello, Uncle Yang.”

“Hey, Second Uncle, Xiao Mian! What brings you here today?”

As they were chatting at the entrance, Liu Tao came out from inside.

Officer Yang didn’t want to interrupt their family visit, so he left to attend to his work.

Mu Mian handed her the jar. “Sister Taozi, here. There’s no more pickled chili.”

Liu Tao beamed with joy. “Hehe, pickled radish is fine too. I’ve been craving this. The food at the cafeteria is so bland!”

Then she turned to Mu Fugui. “Didn’t I say just a little would be fine? Uncle, you didn’t have to make a special trip. It’s too much trouble.”

Mu Fugui waved it off. “It’s just a bicycle ride. No trouble at all. I had to send some things to Xiao Zhuo anyway, so we stopped by on the way.”

Liu Tao led them inside. “The post office won’t close for a while. Come in and rest before you go.”

Mu Mian walked beside her cousin. “Sister Taozi, are you not busy right now?”

Liu Tao shrugged. “Not in a rush at the moment.”

Mu Mian turned to her father. “Dad said you’ve been busy for half a month now?”

Liu Tao set the jar on her desk, opened it, and popped a piece into her mouth. “Yeah, we’ve been tracking down a petty thief.”

Mu Mian’s eyes widened with curiosity. “A thief? What did they steal?”

Liu Tao crunched on the radish, her words unaffected by the crisp bites. “Some fabric, stolen from the textile factory’s warehouse.”

Mu Fugui chimed in. “That’s easy to sell. Once it’s resold, how do you even track it down?!”

Liu Tao nodded. “Exactly. Luckily, not much was stolen.”

Since there wasn’t much they could do to help with that, the father and daughter stayed for a while before heading to the post office.

Since it was break time, the post office wasn’t too crowded. But even from the entrance, they could hear the lively chatter inside.

While Mu Fugui untied the package from the crossbar, Mu Mian stood waiting. In just a moment, she spotted Nie Sihui and Jian Mulan inside.

Each of them was carrying a large package. Nie Sihui noticed them too and walked over with a smile.

Mu Mian waved. “Sister Sihui, Teacher Jian.”

Nie Sihui smiled. “You and Uncle Mu are here to send something too?”

Mu Mian nodded. “For my brother.”

Her eyes swept over the package in Nie Sihui’s hands. “Your family sent you such a big package?”

Nie Sihui replied naturally, “A friend sent it.”

Hearing that, Mu Mian paused slightly but didn’t pursue the topic. She smoothly changed the subject.

Being so far from home yet receiving a package from a friend instead of family—everyone had their own struggles.

Mu Mian’s transition was seamless, but Nie Sihui noticed it. She couldn’t help but feel a little impressed. This little girl was unusually perceptive for her age—she had picked up on it right away.

In truth, her family situation wasn’t that complicated.

Her biological father had passed away, and her mother remarried, bringing her into a new family. Her stepfather already had two children, and later, her mother had two more. Stuck in the middle, she always felt like she didn’t quite belong.

The family’s financial situation was average—not particularly good, but not bad either. While she never received much attention, she was never truly deprived of material needs.

However, sometimes, if she didn’t ask for something, it simply wouldn’t be given to her, as if she had been selectively forgotten.

Over the past two years, her eldest brother had reached the age of marriage. His fiancée came from a better-off family and disliked the cramped living conditions at their home, so she kept delaying the wedding.

Her mother thought she was old enough to get married and wanted her to move out, saying that her stepfather had raised her for so long, and she ought to be grateful.

She found it ridiculous that such words came from her own mother.

She didn’t want to marry just anyone, so she packed her things and left for the distant north.

At this moment, her family was probably busy preparing for her brother’s wedding. They wouldn’t even think about her.

Mu Mian had no idea about any of this. After chatting with someone for a bit, she followed her father into the post office.

She took out her manuscript, handed it to her father to buy stamps, then sat at a small stool in the corner, carefully writing the recipient’s address stroke by stroke.

The counter was too high for her to reach.

By the time she finished, Mu Fugui had also mailed Mu Zhuo’s package.

Holding his daughter’s hand, Mu Fugui walked out and asked, “Are we heading straight home, or do you want to buy something? Do you want some canned fruit? Dad will get you some!”

Mu Mian tilted her head and looked at her father with bright, smiling eyes. “I didn’t ask Mom for money when we left this morning. Are you using your secret stash to buy it for me?”

Mu Fugui waved his hand grandly. “Of course! I’ll take you to the supply and marketing cooperative. Pick whatever you like, and I’ll pay!”

He spoke as if he had hundreds to spare when, in reality, he barely had ten yuan on him.

Mu Mian grinned like a little fox. “Anything? Then I want a watch!”

Mu Fugui stumbled mid-step and pinched his daughter’s cheek. “Are you teasing your dad now?”

Mu Mian dodged playfully. “But you were the one who said it first!”

Mu Fugui chuckled. “If you sold your dad right now, you might get just about enough money for that.”

Sitting on the backseat of the bicycle, Mu Mian clung to her father’s clothes. “No way! Dad is a good dad. I can’t sell you!”

Father and daughter laughed and chatted all the way to the store. In the end, they didn’t buy much—just a can of fruit and a few notebooks. Mu Mian went through a lot of paper since she was always writing and drawing.

By the time they got home, it was just in time for lunch.

Liu Shuangcui casually asked, “How long does it usually take for the publishing house to reply?”

Mu Mian gulped down several big sips of cool boiled water from her enamel mug and said, “I don’t know. Probably at least a month.”

She wasn’t too confident about it and was just going with the flow.

If it got accepted, that would be great. If not… she’d just try again next time.

She quickly put the matter out of her mind, but a couple of days later, something suddenly reminded her of it again.

After a cloudy Sunday, the next two days were scorching with the sun blazing in the sky. It was so hot that even staying indoors made people sweat.

The shallow water in the nearby river was practically overrun with kids, with boys soaking in it every day.

Mu Mian didn’t go to the river. Instead, she went up the mountain with Xu Lele, where it was much cooler. In deeper valleys, occasional breezes would pass through.

That day, they wandered around, stopping occasionally. If they spotted hazelnuts or anything similar, they would pick them and toss them into their small basket, though they weren’t actively searching for them.

Then, at the bottom of a slope, they saw Shi Xiaolian sitting alone under a big tree, reading a book.

Xu Lele didn’t pay attention to what she was reading. She quickly scrambled down and said excitedly, “Wow! It’s so cool here, and there’s even a breeze. Shi Xiaolian, you really know how to pick a spot!”

Mu Mian followed her down and immediately noticed that the book Shi Xiaolian was reading looked similar to the youth magazine she had bought in town, though it wasn’t the exact same one.

Curious, Mu Mian leaned over. “Did you buy this in town too?”

Shi Xiaolian glanced at her. “No, it’s my sister’s.”

Her father had bought it for her sister a long time ago. But that word—“too”…

Shi Xiaolian’s gaze lingered on Mu Mian for a moment. The two of them exchanged a look, and somehow, they understood each other’s thoughts without needing to say much.

Mu Mian raised her eyebrows, suddenly remembering that Shi Xiaolian had gone to the commune a few days ago as well.

She asked, “Did you send something in too?”

Shi Xiaolian nodded. “Yeah, I submitted one piece.”

In her past life, she never had the chance to go to school. Everything she learned came from her sister, who had started teaching her little by little when she was just four years old.

Back then, her sister always praised her for being smart, saying that once she started school, she would surely be the top student. Unfortunately, her sister never got to see that happen.

The textbooks her sister had left behind—she had read them all.

A few days ago, she had submitted an article, and her sister had said it was really good.

But Shi Xiaolian knew the truth. She was merely taking advantage of a trick. Even if she got published, she would probably run out of ideas after two or three times.

It didn’t matter, though. From the start, all she cared about was the money.

She wanted to try anything that could earn her some.

Unfortunately, she was still too young, and her options were extremely limited.

Mu Mian suggested, “I don’t have this issue. Do you want to swap? I’ll let you read mine.”

Shi Xiaolian hesitated for a moment before replying, “This one is a few years old.”

Mu Mian shrugged. “So what? A few years old doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading.”

Xu Lele, who had been plucking wildflowers nearby, turned her head and looked at them in confusion. “What are you two talking about? I don’t get it.”

Mu Mian replied, “Just about her book.”

Xu Lele made a face. “I don’t understand you two. What’s so interesting about that? There aren’t even any pictures. I still prefer illustrated storybooks. Shi Xiaolian, do you have any at home?”

Shi Xiaolian shook her head. “No.”

Xu Lele sighed regretfully. “I wish my parents could go to the county and buy it for me too.”

Mu Mian seriously suggested, “Pay attention in class and get scores above ninety. Maybe then you can ask them for it.”

Xu Lele didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Never mind, I don’t really want to watch it that badly.”

Mu Mian and Shi Xiaolian: “……”

That was way too smooth.