Gazing at Ni Yang in front of him, Yao Wei was almost under the illusion that she was the one in control.
This was just a seventeen-year-old kid, after all...
Ever since Ni Yang had saved Zhou Changzheng, Yao Wei had been curious about this girl because Ni Yang had shown remarkable calmness, exhibiting a maturity that surpassed many adults when it came to handling situations.
It was said that, having been saved by Ni Yang, Zhou Changzheng asked what she wanted, even if it meant a large sum of money, he would do his best to satisfy her.
Surprisingly, Ni Yang's request was very simple.
All she wanted was to leave the Mu household and Dam Village smoothly.
Later on, it was heard that Zhou Changzheng investigated Ni Yang, but the results were always the same.
She was just a blank slate of a country girl.
Born in Dam village, raised in Dam village.
"Uncle Yao, this is where we should part ways. Every banquet has to end eventually. I wish you every success in the future," Ni Yang bade farewell to Yao Wei at the entrance of the village.
"Alright, I'll take your good words. Safe travels to you too," Yao Wei stopped.
"Goodbye Uncle Yao," Ni Yang waved.
"Goodbye," Yao Wei watched the departing figures of Ni Cuihua and her daughter.
After the mother and daughter turned a corner and could no longer see Yao Wei, Ni Cuihua asked, "Yangyang, how do you know Secretary Zhou?"
Ni Cuihua was filled with questions.
Ni Yang told her mother the entire story, to which Ni Cuihua responded with a laugh, "My Yangyang, you're amazing! Thanks to Secretary Zhou's help today, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to leave so easily."
Little did they know, the moment they left Dam Village, the villagers began to gossip.
In these days without TVs, internet, or mobile phones, people could only resort to gossip to pass their time.
In addition to Old Lady Mu's outcry, everyone in the village knew about this incident.
"If I were Mu Jinbao, I would have killed that slut Ni Cuihua! Not only is she unable to bear a son, but she also runs off with another man! How shameless!"
"The Mu family is so generous! If she were my daughter-in-law, I wouldn't let her get through that door today!"
"Ni Cuihua, not only did she cheat and eloped, but she also took the two granddaughters of the Mu Family. As the old saying goes, 'When it comes to marriage, you need to examine the other party's three generations.' You really can't take in a woman from outside whose background you don't know!"
"Shh..." Another person pulled their husband's hand, "Keep your voices down, I think this might not be entirely Cuihua's fault. Cuihua is always an honest person, undertaking all the heavy duties in the Mu household. Didn't you notice that the Mu family recently welcomed a new pregnant woman? There could be more to this story than meets the eye. We outsiders can't see everything clearly."
"Hm, that makes sense. But no matter what, Ni Cuihua shouldn't have divorced. After being divorced, which man would dare to want this worn shoe?"
Ni Yang didn't care about whether people gossiped or not; as long as she lived comfortably, she was fine.
In any era, money is the boss.
Her current wish was to earn money.
Although this was a rather crude wish, money was the foundation for living.
Three hours later, the mother-daughter duo arrived at the township.
The township was about ten kilometers or so from the village. Quite clearly, the township was much livelier compared to the village, with roadside vendors peddling various goods. Despite it not being as modern as the 21st century, one could still see glimpses of more modern elements.
Ni Cuihua had never left Dam Village for over a decade, and now, the dizzying scene left her awestruck.
She had no idea how much the outside world had changed.
"Mom, let's find a place to eat first." It was already past twelve in the afternoon, and they had been clutching their rumbling stomachs for three hours.
Ni Cuihua looked at the shops on both sides of the street and hesitated, "Yangyang, this should be very expensive, right?"
Going by Ni Yang's intentions, they might also be going to Beijing. Where would they get so much money to splurge now?
Zhou Changzheng did give them money, but what about their expenses in Beijing?
Ni Cuihua was a frugal person.
"It's okay, we can afford a bowl of rice." Ni Yang, carrying her younger sister, walked into a nearby small restaurant.
This restaurant was not a state-owned one, but a private business, offering cheap and delicious dishes.
Ni Yang ordered a portion of braised pork, a pot of chicken soup, and a portion of stir-fried vegetables. Rice was free, and altogether, it cost less than 10 yuan in total.
For the first time, Ni Yang felt money was easy to spend.
In the 21st century, this amount of food would cost at least 300 or 400 yuan.
"Yangyang, let's just eat a little. There's no need to waste money." Ni Cuihua felt a bit overwhelmed, looking at all the good food in front of her.
When had she ever eaten such good food in her life?
When she was in the Mu household, she ate the worst food, all the good stuff was left for Old Lady Mu and Mu Jinbao.
"Mom, just eat. I've paid already," Ni Yang poured a bowl of chicken soup for Ni Cuihua, "If we don't, it will be wasted."
In the eighties, there were the few farmed broiler chickens, so the chicken soup was layered with a wax yellow oil, and the soup was delicious and savory, and the chicken melted in the mouth - it was a real treat. This was also the first proper meal Ni Yang had since her rebirth.
Listening to Ni Yang, Ni Cuihua started drinking the chicken soup in large gulps. She was, at her core, not a wasteful person.
People in this era didn't have a lot in their bellies, so their appetites were quite large. The mother and daughter easily finished two dishes, a soup, and several bowls of rice.
In the meantime, Ni Cuihua went to the restroom to breastfeed the child and asked the owner's wife for some wood ash.
In this era, there was no such thing as diapers, so people would sew a cloth bag and fill it with wood ash. While it's not as good as a diaper, it's better than nothing, and more helpful than a thin nappy.
"Here you go, young lady. Here is the wood ash you asked for." The restaurant owner's wife was a very kind person and handed her a full bag of wood ash.
"Thank you, ma'am," Ni Cuihua received it with both hands, thanking her.
Ni Yang, holding her younger sister, walked ahead, "Mom, let's go to the county town first, spend the night, and take the train to Beijing tomorrow morning."