Chapter 9: The Breakup Letter
Early the next morning, Zhao Cui’er got up to start the fire and make breakfast.
Old Madam Su sat with a stern face. “Boil a few eggs for Yongshi to take with him…”
She originally meant for Su Yongshi to take them back for her precious grandson Su Jinbao, but before she could finish, Su He looked deeply moved and said:
“Grandma, you’re afraid I’ll go hungry on the trip, right? Grandma, you’re so good to me! When I become successful, I’ll definitely repay your kindness!”
Old Madam Su: …
She couldn’t even breathe right. She was so frustrated she wanted to choke.
After breakfast, Su He slipped two boiled eggs into Su Xiaoman’s schoolbag and handed three to Zhao Cui’er. “Mom, keep these for you, Dad, and Grandpa for lunch.”
Zhao Cui’er’s nose tingled—her daughter really had become thoughtful.
Su He went rummaging through the wardrobe for clothes. The original Su He hadn’t brought many back from the Shen family.
That’s because, at the time, the original Su He still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking her adoptive mother Song Xian wouldn’t really be so heartless as to abandon her in the countryside.
Su He finally found a blue outfit in the bundle—and also found a letter.
It was a breakup letter from Qi Yuansheng to the original Su He.
This scumbag had neat handwriting, at least. So much for the saying “handwriting reflects the person”—clearly not always true.
Though the wording was tactful, every line stabbed at the original Su He’s heart.
Su He sneered and tucked the letter back away. Who knows, maybe it’ll come in handy one day.
After changing into her outfit, she slung on a small satchel embroidered with “Serve the People” and checked herself in the mirror.
A beautiful person looks good even in a burlap sack—and Su He was clearly one of those.
Though plainly dressed and without makeup, she was still fresh and charming.
Even Old Madam Su had to admit her eldest granddaughter was truly good-looking. Strikingly so!
Su Yongshi beamed with confidence. He was sure Zhao Bin would like Su He, and once they married, his own job status would be secure—it was practically a done deal.
Su Yongshi got on his bicycle, and Su He rode on the back. She waved to the family.
“Grandma, I’ll buy you something tasty when I get back!”
Old Madam Su suddenly had a bad feeling. She wanted to say something—but the bicycle was already rattling off.
The dirt road was bumpy, and Su He felt like her butt was about to split into eight pieces from all the jolting!
Su Yongshi kept chattering along the way, mostly praising Zhao Bin’s family background and talking about how much of a blessing it would be if she married him.
Su He responded vaguely, then suddenly said, “Second Uncle, I know you wouldn’t harm me, but there’s no guarantee Zhao Bin won’t get funny ideas if he’s attracted to me. So when we meet him, you must stay with me.”
Su Yongshi didn’t take it seriously. “Zhao Bin’s not that kind of guy. And besides, messing around with girls gets you thrown in jail these days…”
But seeing Su He insist, he finally relented. “Alright, alright, I’ll stay with you.”
Su He’s eyes flickered. The portrayals in the book were often one-dimensional. Maybe she could give Su Yongshi a chance—it all depended on how he acted from here.
Over an hour later, the two of them arrived at Su Yongshi’s father-in-law’s house.
His mother-in-law, Wang Fengrong, greeted them with a bright smile. “This must be Xiao He? So pretty! No wonder even one of the county’s fine young men is interested in you. Even this old lady here can’t stop looking!”
Su He gave a shy little smile and acted bashful.
After a few brief words with his mother-in-law, Su Yongshi took Su He to the station to wait for the minibus.
At this time, transportation was nowhere near as developed as it would be in the future. The commune only had one trip to the county per day.
And if the weather was bad or the vehicle broke down, cancellations were common.
When they got to the station, it wasn’t departure time yet. The driver was sipping tea from a big enamel mug, while the female ticket-seller sat knitting a sweater.
Su Yongshi looked on enviously. Both driver and ticket-seller were good jobs—but completely out of his reach.
Su He, on the other hand, was silently horrified at how run-down the minibus was!
Luckily, the road from the commune to the county was relatively smooth. Otherwise, she really feared the thing might fall apart mid-trip.
A few more people trickled in to catch the bus, but not many.
Understandably so—eating in the county required ration coupons, staying overnight required a letter of introduction, and the bus fare alone was twenty cents.
Unless someone had urgent business, no one went to the county.
Su Yongshi bought the tickets and leaned back in a seat to nap.
Su He blinked innocently and sat beside the female ticket-seller. “Big sis, your knitting is beautiful—your hands are so skilled…”
By the time Su Yongshi woke up, the ticket-seller was calling Su He “little sister” and holding her hand—and even gave her two candies when they got off the bus.
Su Yongshi: …What the heck happened while I was asleep?!
