Chapter 9: My Cousin Goes to the Countryside and Encounters the Original Heroine

Ming Changjiang stood in the empty room with a dark expression, his face grim. It looked like Ming Dai, that troublesome girl, had caught wind of something and escaped. Xing Cuilan, clutching her face in terror, stared at the man. “What should we do?”

“Idiot!” Ming Changjiang cursed, then turned and ran toward the train station.

That brat wouldn’t dare become a vagrant; she must be heading to the countryside. If he hurried to the train station now, he’d surely intercept her.

His guess was spot on.

After yesterday’s fiasco, Ming Dai had packed up the last of her belongings and, under cover of night, slipped quietly into the train station. She slipped through a broken fence and found a secluded corner to enter her own space.

She was still sound asleep in that space.

Thus, Ming Changjiang searched every inch of the station, but found nothing.

Ming Yanhong ran back and forth, parched and exhausted, but didn’t dare stop. Her marriage was at stake! Without a proper job, the meat factory director would never agree to the match.

Soon, more and more people filled the station, but Ming Changjiang and his family remained empty-handed.

Just as Ming Changjiang began to suspect that Ming Dai was bold enough to become a vagrant and skip the countryside assignment, a voice chilled him to the bone.

“Dad! Dad!”

It was his son!

Ming Changjiang turned to look and saw several people escorting his disheveled son toward the train.

“Yaozu! Yaozu!” Ming Changjiang’s heart split apart. He frantically pushed through the crowd to chase after them. Ming Yaozu, like a helpless chick, was dragged forward by the neck, his face and body marked with injuries.

He managed to catch up, but was stopped by a staff member nearby.

Ming Changjiang recognized Director Qi—he’d seen him when he arranged for Ming Dai to go to the countryside in place of Ming Yanhong.

“Director, director, what’s going on? Why are you taking my son?”

Ming Changjiang sensed trouble, but still tried to butter up Director Qi with a sycophantic smile.

Director Qi ignored the offered cigarette. “Your family has two children. By regulation, one must go to the countryside. Ming Yaozu signed up. I’m taking him. Is there a problem?”

Ming Changjiang panicked. “But didn’t Ming Dai already go?”

“Ming Dai?” Director Qi feigned thinking. “Oh, yes, there is such a person. But that doesn’t affect Ming Yaozu; he signed up.”

Ming Changjiang was dumbfounded. “Who signed him up?!”

“Ming Yanhong, she said he’s your family’s child too.”

Without another glance at the stunned Ming Changjiang, Director Qi signaled his people to escort Ming Yaozu onto the train.

Ming Yaozu, his mouth covered, was forcibly hauled aboard.

Before departing, Director Qi scribbled Ming Yaozu’s countryside address on a slip of paper and handed it to the utterly stupefied Ming Changjiang. “Your son left in a hurry, probably didn’t bring anything. Send his things to this address.”

Ming Changjiang looked at his son being forced onto the train, then at the slip in his hand. When he saw the address was in the far Northwest, his world collapsed!

This was his precious only son, his heart and soul!

On the train, Ming Yaozu struggled fiercely, unwilling to submit. With a glance from Director Qi, the guards pulled him out of sight and gave him a beating.

Soon, Ming Yaozu “fell asleep,” and the carriage quieted.

Outside the train, Ming Changjiang watched his son’s silhouette disappear, knowing he was powerless to change fate.

Yaozu’s departure to the countryside was now set in stone.

At that moment, Xing Cuilan and Ming Yanhong arrived, breathless.

Xing Cuilan, seeing her son aboard, cried anxiously, “Changjiang, why is Yaozu on the train? Get him down!”

Ming Changjiang’s gaze shifted stiffly to his wife and daughter. When he saw Ming Yanhong, a furious fire rose within him. Silently, he pulled out his belt and, in full view of the public, beat Xing Cuilan and Ming Yanhong half to death.

The people at the station were shocked, unable to intervene in time. Ming Yanhong was left barely alive.

Ming Dai took advantage of the chaos to board the train, watching the drama outside through the shaded window.

Ming Changjiang’s most beloved son was sent to the countryside because of Ming Yanhong. Even if he later realized Ming Dai was behind it all, what could he do?

Men like Ming Changjiang would only believe that if Ming Yanhong had obediently gone to the countryside from the start, none of this mess would have happened, and his precious son wouldn’t have been sent to the far Northwest.

The knife hurts most when it strikes the softest place.

Ming Dai was certain that this gift would be remembered by the Ming family for a lifetime.

Indeed, especially when they learned Ming Dai’s job and house had been sold, the hatred reached its peak.

Amid the wails of Ming Yanhong and Xing Cuilan, the train began to move.

Ming Dai sat on the northbound train, heading toward the place where she would live for at least the next five years.

The sorrow of parting infected the young faces in the carriage, and the sentimental girls began to weep.

“Don’t you feel sad?” Suddenly, a choked voice sounded beside her. While Ming Dai was lost in thought, someone sat down next to her.

Slender build, pointed chin, dark skin, yellow hair; the only striking feature was a pair of large, lively apricot eyes, now red-rimmed and fixed on her. Ming Dai felt as if she was being accused of heartlessness.

“I cried yesterday,” she replied.

The girl hadn’t expected such an answer. She sniffled, pulling out a faded handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

“Where are you from? I’m from the east side of the city.”

This was the departure station; everyone boarding here was from the capital. Ming Dai immediately understood her intent.

“Oh, I’m from the west side.”

As expected, upon hearing Ming Dai was from the west, the girl stopped talking much to her, quietly dabbing at her tears and chatting softly with the comrades in other seats.

Ming Dai enjoyed five minutes of peace.

Five minutes later, two people approached.

A young man and woman, both well dressed.

The girl wore a pale white wool coat, a light yellow dress underneath, and a matching silk ribbon in her hair. She carried a fashionable red leather suitcase and wore rare black calfskin shoes. The overall impression was clear: I am wealthy, I have status.

The young man wore a military coat, green army trousers, liberation shoes, and a green canvas military backpack. He also carried a large black suitcase. He radiated the same aura: I am wealthy, I have status.

The girl who had just been crying brightened upon seeing them, especially the young man. She immediately stood up to help with their luggage.

Her enthusiasm made Ming Dai, lost in thought, seem rather indifferent.

Fortunately, Ming Dai didn’t care about others’ opinions and remained deep in thought.

Each two rows of seats could hold six people; four had already gathered from the capital—truly a coincidence.

When the time came for introductions, Ming Dai felt this was fate.

The newcomers sat opposite Ming Dai, the girl facing her directly.

On such a long journey, introductions were inevitable. The other pairs had started, and now it was their turn.

The young man spoke first.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Qi Zhijun, eighteen years old, just graduated from high school. I am responding to the call to go up to the mountains and down to the countryside, volunteering to serve in the Black Province!”

His impassioned speech made the girl’s eyes sparkle.

After he finished, the girl smiled gently. “Fang Rou, eighteen, high school graduate, also heading to the countryside in Black Province.”

When Ming Dai heard her name, she was speechless. She’d encountered the female lead and the second male lead right at the start. Was she, a mere cannon fodder, destined to follow the plot?

The girl beside her laughed sweetly. “What a coincidence, I’m eighteen too. My name is Liu Yan, Yan as in swallow, high school graduate, also going to the countryside in Black Province. Are you both in the Red Flag Commune?”

She glanced at Qi Zhijun as she said her name, but unfortunately, Qi Zhijun was infatuated with the female lead and had chosen the countryside for her, so he didn’t notice her hopeful look.

Fang Rou, however, gave Liu Yan a meaningful glance upon hearing her name.

“Little Rou and I are both assigned to Red Flag Commune. It truly is fate!” Qi Zhijun, always cheerful, quickly struck up a conversation with Liu Yan, who was eager to please.

After their exchange, Qi Zhijun realized the girl by the window hadn’t introduced herself.

“Comrade, hello, please introduce yourself.”

Qi Zhijun gave Ming Dai a friendly smile—a normal greeting, but to Liu Yan it seemed Ming Dai was purposely holding back, trying to attract Qi Zhijun’s attention.

Ming Dai was unaware of her thoughts; otherwise, she’d have rolled her eyes skyward.

Wasn’t it you who just hijacked the conversation with a question?

“I’m Ming Dai, fourteen, high school graduate, assigned to Red Flag Commune in Black Province.”

To avoid trouble, she gave a clear answer all at once.