After a two-day-and-one-night train journey, followed by half a day on a bus, I finally reached Hubottle Town in De City.
Lin Anning had learned that it would take several more hours by oxcart to get to Hongqigou.
With the sun about to set, she felt somewhat uncertain.
Traveling overnight was unsafe, but without an introduction letter, staying at the hostel in town was not an option either.
Just as she was at a loss, she saw an old man driving an oxcart across the street, waving at her.
"Are you Lin Anning? I am the village chief of Hongqigou, Li Youbao."
"I received a call from Director Wang of your district, saying you would come. Let's go!"
Upon hearing that Wang Cuihua had made a call, Lin Anning felt immensely grateful and breathed a sigh of relief.
She wiped her face and walked over to get on the oxcart.
"Thank you, Village Chief, I appreciate you recognizing me."
She had just glanced at herself in a roadside mirror and couldn't recognize her own dust-covered face.
"Recently, you're the only educated youth here. There's no one else to confuse with, easy to recognize."
Once Lin Anning was seated, Li Youbao patted the old ox on the rump.
"Old buddy, let's go!"
The old ox mooed, pulling the squeaky oxcart away into the distance.
Not long after leaving the town, the dirt road narrowed, eventually turning into a rugged path winding through the mountains.
The evening glow was like fire, entwining between the green mountains and blue waters.
Birdsongs from the woods, accompanied by the ding-dong of spring water, involuntarily intoxicated her.
Clutching her luggage, Lin Anning gazed at the scenery, spellbound.
Li Youbao didn't look back. Seeing that Lin Anning remained silent for a long time, he thought she might be secretly shedding tears.
"Although Hongqigou is a bit remote, the scenery is very beautiful."
"Recently, there was a team surveying the mountains, talking about mining or something. The mountain road has also been widened a bit, and they say cars will be able to drive through by next year."
"In the future, our Hongqigou will definitely prosper. Comrade Lin, don't be too sad."
Lin Anning smiled and shook her head.
"Village Chief, I'm not sad. I like this place."
Because this is her home!
Hearing this, Li Youbao couldn't help but look back at her.
In recent years, he had picked up many educated youth who had come to Hongqigou.
Upon their arrival, seeing how remote Hongqigou was, if not all in tears, none had appeared as happy as Lin Anning.
Just because of this, he had a good impression of her.
"Good to hear you like it. Now we have a phone installed in town, so if you ever miss home, it's easy to call back."
The sun slowly set, while the moon rose to mid-sky.
Lin Anning lay relaxed amongst a pile of hay, gazing at the moon.
Upon reaching Hongqigou, she should be able to see her birth mother and brothers, right?
But she wondered, how would she recognize them?
They probably wouldn't recognize her!
In fact, in her past life, she had met her birth mother, just that she hadn't known it at the time.
After being schemed against, she was frail and confined at home.
One day, she heard someone talking to Su Jiaojiao downstairs.
Out of curiosity, she took a glance and saw a gaunt middle-aged comrade insistently giving Su Jiaojiao money.
"Jiaojiao, consider it a mother's plea, I beg you!"
"You must give her this money! Don't tell her it's from me, just let it be my final wish, alright?"
As she spoke, she unexpectedly knelt down.
Reluctantly, Su Jiaojiao accepted the money. At that moment, Lin's parents came and chased the woman away.
Before long, she was sent to the countryside and locked in a cellar.
It was only later, when Su Jiaojiao came to visit her and disdainfully brought up the matter, that she realized—it was her own biological mother.
"The bit of money she gave couldn't even buy me a few nice clothes, yet she had the nerve to offer it?"
"Right, I forgot to tell you, she died, died from an illness."
"Can you believe how foolish she was? She heard you were unwell but instead of using the money for treatment, she stubbornly held on."
"She wanted to save the money for you, for you, a daughter she had never met, she even knelt and begged me!"
"Tsk, you have no idea how stubborn she was. Back in the day, when she couldn't feed her kids, she never knelt for food, yet for you, she was willing to go to such lengths!"
"If that money had been for me, maybe I would have kindly let her go to the hospital for a look."
"But alas, it wasn't. Tell me, didn't she deserve what she got?"
By that time she was so weak she couldn't even walk, only manage a feeble scream.
Books say they are wicked, but that's not the case at all; the truly wicked one was clearly Su Jiaojiao.
This time, she was determined to find her mother and take good care of her.
The oxcart rumbled along, and Lin Anning didn't know when she had fallen asleep.
"Lin Comrade, we have arrived!"
She rubbed her eyes and then noticed that the oxcart had stopped in front of a row of mud brick houses.
A dim light swayed under the eaves, the slogans on the red paper clearly visible.
Ask the barren mountains for grain, demand the river give way.
Submit to the needs of the motherland, accept the selection of the people.
"You'll stay in the room to the east! At this time, the educated youths are probably at the brigade headquarters for a meeting, they'll be back soon."
Lin Anning nodded her head, jumping down from the oxcart, her stomach rumbling embarrassingly loud.
"Village Chief, I'm sorry, do you have anything to eat at home? I have money and coupons, could you spare a bite?"
Li Youbao chomped on his dry pipe, looking somewhat distressed.
A few days ago, his grandson had come to visit, the half-grown boy eating him out of house and home, and now he had planned to borrow some food from the neighbors the next day.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help; he simply had nothing to give.
Glancing up and seeing a figure passing by the crossroad, he immediately had an idea.
"It's Mantun's wife from next door; they just got a new educated youth comrade today. She's hungry now; do you have something to eat? Spare a bite!"
As he spoke, he turned his head to instruct Lin Anning.
"She's the wife of Mantun from Hongqigou, works at the slaughterhouse in the neighboring town. Mantun has been gone for many years now, and as a widow, people are sympathetic, usually giving her some scrap meat."
"If you're lucky, you could get some meat over at her place."
"But remember, don't mention her husband or daughter, or you'll find out just how scary her temper can be."
The figure walked out of the darkness, getting closer and closer, until standing completely in the light.
Lin Anning's whole body tensed as she clutched her luggage tighter.
It was her mother, no doubt, robust in stature, with a rosy complexion.
Completely different from her emaciated skeletal appearance in her previous life.
She had thought to secretly visit her upon arriving in Hongqigou, but hadn't expected to encounter her so soon.
Her eyes were a bit red, her throat tight.
Zhang Fenglan paused for a moment, then walked up to Li Youbao, glanced at Lin Anning, said nothing, and strode away.
Lin Anning felt a bit awkward and looked at Li Youbao.
"Go on, follow her! That's just her way, her silence means she agrees."
Lin Anning nodded and quickly followed, clutching her luggage.
Zhang Fenglan marched ahead at a brisk pace with a slab of pork offal, completely unconcerned with Lin Anning chasing after her, panting heavily.
Arriving at a small adobe house with three rooms, Zhang Fenglan opened the door to the side room on the west.
Lin Anning paused for a moment, then followed inside.