RGL – Chapter 71

Looking at the school that had already hung up a banner, Su Min pressed her lips together and patted her chest. “I’ll definitely get in!”

The two days of exams were pure torment for Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang. All day at the shop, they kept worrying whether their daughter could answer the questions, whether she was dizzy or hungry. But when Su Min came home, they didn’t dare ask too much, afraid of adding pressure on her.

Su Min herself, however, wasn’t worried.

After finishing the exam, she estimated her score. If there were no major issues, it shouldn’t be low. Based on her previous mock exam results, getting into a key city high school shouldn’t be a problem. She might even have a shot at a key provincial school.

But since the scores weren’t out yet, she didn’t share her estimates with Sun Qiufang and the others—she didn’t want to disappoint them in case things didn’t go as expected.

After the exam, Sun Qiufang made a whole table full of dishes. In the evening, she told Sun Hai and the others not to eat at the shop but to come home for a lively gathering.

Although Sun Hai was busy running the business, his niece’s advancement to the next level of school was a big deal. So that evening, he closed the shop early and brought along Grandma Sun, Li Meng, and their son over to Su Min’s home.

As soon as Doudou entered the house, Su Min picked him up and refused to let go.

Little Doudou could smile now and even tried to “talk” to Su Min in his own baby way. Although Su Min couldn’t understand him, she loved mimicking him, and the two had a great time playing together.

“Look at these siblings. Even with such a big age gap, they can still play together,” Sun Qiufang said while helping Li Meng carry dishes out.

Li Meng laughed. “Compared to me and Sun Hai, Doudou actually likes Minzi more. He grins as soon as he sees her, like a little Maitreya Buddha. Mom always says Minzi is so lovable, even Doudou can’t resist her.”

Sun Qiufang chuckled. “Listen to you—she’s just a cheeky kid.”

When it was time to eat, Grandma Sun came over to take Doudou so Su Min could have her meal.

But little Doudou clutched at his sister’s sleeve and refused to let go. The moment Su Min moved away, he burst into loud wails.

Su Min had no choice but to hold Doudou with one arm and eat with the other.

Li Meng saw this and nudged Sun Hai. “Look at your son. Why don’t you do something?”

Sun Hai glanced at his son’s watery eyes and grinned. “He cries louder than me—what could I possibly do?”

Li Meng said, “You’re the one who’s spoiled him,” though her face was full of affection despite her words.

Seeing the young couple getting along so well, Sun Qiufang laughed. “The kid’s still little, and you’re already dividing up parenting duties. Most families have the dad raising the kid and the mom doting on them. In your house, it’s the mom raising the kid and the dad getting in the way.”

“Isn’t our house the same?” Su Changrong cut in nearby. “I’ve always spoiled my daughter.”

Sun Qiufang gave him a side-eye. “Oh please, you just like showing off in front of your daughter. I only discipline her for her own good.”

Watching her parents bicker, Su Min laughed. “Mom, Dad, you’re fighting over this? If I end up going to school in the city, let’s see how you two keep arguing.”

“You’re going to the city? Are you confident?” Sun Qiufang’s face lit up with joy when she heard her daughter might study in the city. Although she was reluctant to let her daughter live so far away, if it meant a better future, she was willing to grit her teeth and let her go.

Everyone turned to look at Su Min.

Feeling a bit embarrassed under their gazes, Su Min smiled and said, “I just did a rough estimate. The results aren’t out yet—who knows? Don’t get your hopes up.”

Su Changrong chuckled. “That’s fine. If you don’t end up going to the city, the county school is just as good—and closer to home.”

Sun Qiufang nodded. “Your dad’s right. The exams are over. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Take a break from studying for a few days and go out and have fun.”

Speaking of going out, Su Min remembered she needed to talk to them about going to City B.

After Sun Hai’s family finished dinner and went downstairs, Su Min sat on the sofa and told her parents about her plan.

The moment Sun Qiufang heard her daughter was planning to go that far, she even stopped watching her TV program. “Why would you go so far away? You’re still young, you can’t go over there.”

“But Mom, I already talked it over with Xue Mian. It wouldn’t look good if I backed out now. Besides, I’ve checked the route carefully. When I get there, Xue Mian will pick me up. Nothing could go wrong. His family is in City B, so I won’t have to worry about anything over there.”

“Absolutely not.” Sun Qiufang rejected the idea immediately. The thought of her daughter going to a place she had never even been made her uneasy. Even though the times were generally peaceful, she’d still heard stories of girls who left home and never came back. Just the thought of that frightened her. There was no way she was letting her daughter go that far alone.

Su Changrong agreed. That place was way too far, and their daughter was only a teenager. How could she go somewhere like that?

“Minzi, you need to listen to your mom. Write a letter to Xue Mian and tell him you’re too young for this. You two shouldn’t be going back and forth. If you really want to talk, just go to the post office and make a long-distance call.”

What do you mean “really want to talk”…

Su Min felt a bit awkward. She wasn’t going to City B just to see Xue Mian—she also wanted to take the opportunity to explore. In the past, she hadn’t had the time or money to travel. Now that the conditions were right, she wanted to go and experience something new.

Besides, someone would be picking her up as soon as she got off the train—there was really nothing to worry about.

Since she couldn’t convince Sun Qiufang and Su Changrong, Su Min had no choice but to go back to her room and think of another way.

Looking at the reply letter from Xue Mian, where he had even planned out all the places he would take her, she sighed to herself. She had to go—otherwise, how could she face Xue Mian in the future?

The next day, Su Min went to find her uncle. In this family, he was the one she could talk to the most.

Sure enough, when Sun Hai heard Su Min’s thoughts, while he didn’t exactly encourage her, he also didn’t strongly oppose the idea like Sun Qiufang and Su Changrong had.

“Your parents do have a point. You’ve never traveled far before—not even to the city—and now you want to go all the way to City B. Of course they’re going to worry.”

“But I already promised, and I really want to go.” Su Min knew this would be difficult. No matter how old she felt on the inside, in the eyes of her family, she was still a child—and one who had never traveled on her own.

Sun Hai said, “How about this—take your mom with you. She’s not that busy now. The two of you can go have some fun. Come to think of it, your mom’s never even been out of the county.”

“My mom would agree to that?”

Sun Hai smiled, “I’ll talk to her.”

Su Min nodded, though she wasn’t too hopeful. Her mom was the type who couldn’t sit still. Asking her to go all the way to City B just to accompany her—there was no way she’d be happy about it.

To her surprise, that evening when she got home, Sun Qiufang brought up the idea of going to City B herself.

Su Min was shocked. “Mom… Mom, did my uncle talk to you?”

Sun Qiufang nodded. “Yes. Your uncle’s right. You’re already in your teens. It’s not good to keep you cooped up at home forever. We only have one child—you. You’re going to be the one holding this family up in the future. While you’re still young, go out and play, explore a bit. Later, when your dad and I get old, we won’t be able to do much to help you.”

“Mom, that’s still a long way off.” Su Min’s nose tingled with emotion. She thought of her mother from her previous life—sickly, lying in bed, her face worn and lifeless. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you and Dad and make sure you live comfortably.”

“It’s good enough that you have that intention. Your dad and I talked it over—he’ll stay behind and watch the shop, and I’ll go to City B with you for a few days.”

“Dad’s staying home alone?” Su Min suddenly remembered Shao Yun, who used to keep bothering her dad. “What if that third aunt shows up again?”

Sun Qiufang smirked, “Your uncle’s wife is keeping an eye out for me.”

The two family shops were only separated by one street, and they lived in the same building, just upstairs and downstairs. Her dad was basically under 360-degree surveillance with no blind spots.

Thinking about her sharp and shrewd aunt, Su Min figured Shao Yun wouldn’t be a problem anymore. She grinned and said, “Mom, I heard City B folks are really stylish. Let’s go learn how they dress and come back to give Dad a shock!”

Naturally, Su Changrong was reluctant to let his wife and daughter go so far away. Over the years, they’d never been apart for more than two days. Just hearing they were leaving made him feel unsettled. But he couldn’t leave the shop unattended either—especially since he had to go to the bank daily to deposit earnings. He didn’t trust anyone else with that.

And he couldn’t stop his wife and daughter from going, so after sighing and moping around the house for two days, he obediently drove them to the train station.

On the way, Sun Qiufang reminded him again, “Don’t think just because I’m not at home you can start messing around. Don’t turn into someone like your third brother. If I get even a whiff of anything suspicious, I won’t let it go. And if your family tries to come around again, don’t agree to anything. Wait till I get back.”

“I got it, I got it,” Su Changrong quickly promised.

After watching the train pull away with Sun Qiufang and Su Min on board, and the figures on the platform disappearing from view, Su Changrong let out a long sigh and turned to leave the station.

On the train, Sun Qiufang stared out the window in amazement. It was her first time riding a train in her entire life. She’d only seen those long trains on TV before, and now that she was actually on one, she found it surprisingly pleasant. “It’s so much more spacious than a bus—and not crowded at all. The ride’s really smooth, too.”

This wasn’t Su Min’s first time on a train. In her previous life, after failing to find a job in the county, she had taken her sick mother and gone elsewhere in search of work. After a few years of drifting, they had ended up back in the county.

Back then, it had been a trip for survival—her mother was ill and life was hard.

But this time, they were traveling for leisure.

Su Min leaned against Sun Qiufang and smiled with her eyes half closed.

Meanwhile, in City B, Xue Mian was at home rummaging through his closet, trying to figure out what to wear to pick her up the next day. He had already pulled out half the clothes from his wardrobe.

Old Madam Xue passed by her eldest grandson’s room and peeked through the door crack. Her eyes widened in shock at the scene inside. She quickly grabbed her cane and hobbled downstairs to find her husband. This normally mischievous child was suddenly fussing over his clothes—what on earth was he up to?

When his wife told him about their grandson’s odd behavior, Old Master Xue was only slightly surprised before everything clicked into place. His wife had always been preoccupied with her health and didn’t pay much attention to the boy’s matters, but he knew what was going on like the back of his hand.

It seemed the boy was about to meet a certain young lady.

But the kid was still young, and exposing his little secret felt a bit unkind. So the old man pretended not to know. “Kids, you know how it is. Why worry about them so much? So what if he wants to look good? Didn’t we care about appearances when we were young? If we’d had the chance, we’d have changed outfits every day too.”

Old Madam Xue thought about it and agreed. Back then, she and her husband had really lived through tough times. Forget changing clothes—when winter came, they wore worn-out cotton jackets stuffed with rice husks instead of padding.

Sighing at the memory of those hard days, the old lady felt the urge to shed a few bitter tears.

“Kids these days don’t understand the kind of hardship we endured. Even Ai Yun has never really suffered, and she’s raised this child to be so delicate. How is he going to support a family in the future?”

The old man continued watching TV, completely unfazed. “What are you worrying for? When he gets married, we won’t have to worry about a thing. His wife will take care of pushing him to earn money and support the family.”

“Our Mianmian is still just a boy! If we don’t teach him right, what if he ends up ruining some poor girl’s life?”

But with her attention diverted, the old lady soon forgot all about her grandson’s strange behavior.

Meanwhile, Xue Mian had finally settled on a dark navy short-sleeved shirt, paired with a neat pair of beige casual pants. He washed his cropped hair until it gleamed, giving him a surprisingly rugged and masculine look.

At lunch, he casually brought up the idea of inviting a classmate to stay at their home.

Originally, he’d planned for Su Min to stay at a hotel—it would be more convenient that way. But thinking about her staying alone in a strange city made him uneasy. Most importantly, he was the only person she knew here. Bringing her home was clearly the best option.

Old Master Xue, having already guessed as much, nodded. “That’s fine, but you should still ask the young lady what she thinks.”

“Of course I’ll ask. I’m just letting you guys know first, so you don’t scare her when she gets here.”

“What are you trying to say? Do I look that scary to you?” The old man blew his beard out in mock indignation.

Old Madam Xue chimed in, “Is this young lady very cute and fresh-looking?” She had never seen her grandson this invested in any girl before. When he was little, even when girls from the compound followed him around, he’d show no interest.

Xue Mian looked uncomfortable. “We’re just classmates. I don’t even pay attention to what she looks like.”

Old Master Xue quickly backed him up. “Exactly. Just classmates. You’re asking too much, old woman.”

“I’m just asking a question! Look at the two of you, grandfather and grandson, both acting like this.”

In a huff, the old lady put down her chopsticks and went upstairs, sulking.

Her temper had grown quite strange over the years—quick to come and quick to go—but the grandfather and grandson duo were used to it.

Xue Mian glanced at her retreating figure and then looked at his grandfather. “Grandpa, you should go comfort her later.”

“Comfort her? Your grandma used to be so traditional and proper. Now she’s just impossible. Three days without a scolding and she’s climbing the roof!” the old man grumbled.

Xue Mian gave him a look of disdain and kept eating silently. His grandfather was all talk—he’d definitely sneak upstairs later with a tray of her favorite food.

Sure enough, after lunch, Old Master Xue carried a tray of the old lady’s favorite dishes upstairs.

Despite his fiery temper, he could never bring himself to truly be harsh with his wife. Back in the army, they had married while on active duty. During one relocation, she was heavily pregnant and still trudging along with the troops. After giving birth, there was no such thing as “resting during the postpartum period”—she kept marching with a baby in her arms. Years of wear and tear had ruined her health. Now that life had improved, she was surviving on medicine and care. After all they’d been through, how could he bear to truly upset her?

When he reached the bedroom, she was lying in bed sulking.

“Alright, alright, I just said one wrong thing, okay?”

He sat beside her and patted her shoulder.

Old Madam Xue wiped her tears and sat up. “I know I’ve gotten old. My temper’s bad, I nag too much, and now you all dislike me. Aijun won’t come home because of Ai Yun, Nian Nian is married far away, and I’m just this lonely old woman left at home.”

“There, there,” the old man soothed, patting her shoulder gently. “You’ve still got me. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

Her eyes grew redder, and tears streamed down her face. “I want my son and daughter.”

Su Min and Sun Qiufang spent two days and one night on the train and finally arrived at B City’s station in the afternoon of the second day.

As soon as they got off the train, Su Min held tightly to Sun Qiufang’s hand, afraid they’d get separated and be unable to find each other again. This wasn’t like the future, where everyone would have a cellphone to call if they got lost. If they got separated now, it really would be like finding a needle in a haystack in a sea of people.