“Tangtang, once you arrive in the northwest, you must be obedient and not act willful. Lu Xiao is a good man—your father and I feel at ease with him.”  

“Remember to send telegrams and write letters often to keep us updated.”  

The moment Su Tang opened her eyes, she felt herself being embraced in someone’s arms.  

It was a warmth she hadn’t experienced in years.  

What was going on? Hadn’t she just collapsed from exhaustion in the hospital break room after working an eight-hour shift?  

Before Su Tang could speak, a broad, calloused hand gently patted her head.  

“We’ll bring you back as soon as things settle down. Tangtang, you’ll always be Mom and Dad’s precious treasure.”  

As the man finished speaking, the shrill whistle of a train sounded. The two released Su Tang, and she finally got a clear look at them.  

The well-maintained middle-aged woman wore an elegant dress, her posture refined.  

The man was dressed in a Zhongshan suit, glasses perched on his nose.  

Both had graying hair and faces lined with worry.  

The man bent down to stuff a suitcase into Su Tang’s hands, whispering something to her as he did.  

Then, they ushered her onto the train.  

Even after sitting down, Su Tang remained dazed. It took her a while to snap out of it.  

She suddenly realized where she was.  

This familiar dialogue—wasn’t it from the period novel The Fiery Wife of the 70s that she had just finished reading a few days ago?  

What had drawn her to the book was that the supporting female character shared her exact name, Su Tang, but met a tragic end.  

Despite her privileged background, high education, and good looks, the original Su Tang had squandered every advantage, ultimately dying alone in a broken-down shack.  

In the novel, Su Tang’s parents were university professors—true intellectuals.  

They had even arranged for her to study abroad in England.  

Originally, she was supposed to return and settle into a comfortable job they’d arranged for her. But they hadn’t accounted for the changing times.  

On the first day of autumn in 1969, Su Tang’s parents were suddenly suspended from their positions and placed under investigation. Their home was raided.  

Watching their belongings disappear one by one, Su Tang seemed to understand what was happening.  

Perhaps sensing the inevitable crisis ahead, her parents decided to send her to the northwest to live with her military husband.  

A year earlier, her father had arranged this marriage for her.  

Had it not been for their foresight, Su Tang would likely have been implicated as well.  

After recalling the book’s plot, Su Tang sighed.  

The novel told the story of the female lead, Su Xinyao, who relied on her wit and talent to carve out a bright future amid the turbulent tides of the era, ultimately achieving success in both career and love.  

The original Su Tang, naturally, served as the antithesis to her cousin Su Xinyao.  

Having been pampered since childhood, the original Su Tang never tempered her willful nature, even after moving to the northwest.  

Her antics eventually crossed Su Xinyao, leading to her own demise.  

Su Tang tightened her grip on the suitcase and turned to gaze at the scenery outside the window.  

The suitcase contained nothing but money—all of the Su family’s remaining assets, the foundation her parents had left her to survive.  

Unfortunately, the original Su Tang never understood the lengths her parents had gone to ensure her safety.  

She only resented her prestigious background being “wasted” on a marriage to some country bumpkin with nothing to his name.  

Naturally, she looked down on her husband, whom she’d never even met.  

And, of course, the feeling was mutual.  

After quickly sorting through the plot in her mind, Su Tang leaned back in her seat.

According to the timeline, the political turmoil had just begun, which was why she was able to escape from Shanghai to the northwest.  

The marriage her parents had arranged for her was with a man named Lu Xiao, who was stationed in the northwest.  

Lu Xiao’s parents had once received help from Su Tang’s father, so when he approached them with the marriage proposal, they agreed without hesitation.  

It was an arranged marriage—one where the bride and groom had never even met.  

But the fact that Lu Xiao and his family had agreed suggested they weren’t bad people.  

Su Tang didn’t know why she had transmigrated into this novel, but for now, she had no way to return.  

With chaos brewing outside, staying in the northwest under Lu Xiao’s protection was the safest option.  

Once things settled down, she could figure out if there was a way back.  

As she watched the scenery flash by outside, the sky gradually darkened from day to night.  

Su Tang was exhausted but didn’t dare sleep—not while she was carrying a suitcase full of money.  

“Stop that thief!”  

A shrill scream jolted her awake.  

Her palms were slick with sweat as she clutched the suitcase handle.  

The next second, a knife flashed before her eyes, aimed straight at her.  

But the man sitting behind her reacted faster. His hand clamped around the thief’s wrist.  

With a sharp crack, the wrist was twisted, and the knife clattered to the floor. The train police quickly arrived and subdued the thief.  

“Thank you, comrade.”  

The man responded with a low, slightly hoarse voice that was oddly pleasant to the ear. But the brim of his hat was pulled down, obscuring his face.  

Had he boarded later? She didn’t remember seeing him when she got on.  

By the time she gathered her wits to thank him, he was already gone.  

He had gotten off before her—likely not heading to the northwest. They probably wouldn’t meet again.  

Su Tang sat back down, hugging the suitcase tightly.  

The train rumbled onward toward the northwest.  

The journey from Shanghai to the northwest was long. Su Tang felt like her backside had gone numb from sitting.  

She only dozed off briefly, never fully letting her guard down.  

Fortunately, no further incidents occurred, and she arrived safely.  

Not many got off at this stop—mostly women with one or two children in tow.  

As she disembarked, Su Tang helped a woman carrying an infant with her luggage.  

“Are you heading to the military housing complex too?”  

She hadn’t expected to see the woman again, but they ended up at the same exit.  

Zhang Cui adjusted the baby in her arms and smiled as she asked the question.  

Su Tang nodded. She didn’t know the way—her parents had put her on the train without any instructions.  

The book hadn’t mentioned it either, leaving her at a loss.  

“My husband sent someone to pick me up. If no one’s coming for you, you can ride with us.”  

Zhang Cui’s generous offer made Su Tang’s eyes light up.  

People in this era really were kind-hearted.  

She climbed into the truck with Zhang Cui and learned along the way that her husband was stationed at the same base as Lu Xiao.  

It seemed they were connected in a way.  

As they drew closer to their destination, Su Tang grew nervous.  

The book hadn’t said much about Lu Xiao—only that he was a reserved man, not particularly attentive.  

But when the original Su Tang pushed her luck too far, he had stepped in to save her life.  

So… he couldn’t be that hard to get along with, right?  

When they reached the gates of the military housing complex, Su Tang stepped out and helped Zhang Cui with her bags.  

Before she could react, a rotten egg sailed through the air and splattered at her feet.  

“Get out of here, you spoiled brat!”  

“We don’t want any high-society princesses here. Scram!”