Chapter 15: The Spirited Girl of the Seventies (15)

“From now on, it’s better if you keep your distance from me.”
Li Xiangyang lowered his gaze, feeling somewhat disheartened.
It was not good to be too close to him.
Liu Suisui hummed in response.
Instantly, his spirits plummeted to the lowest point.
“You say what you want; whether I listen is my business.” She stood up, approached him, and poked his arm with a finger.
“Li Xiangyang, I’m not some small kitten or puppy you can just brush off. Want to send me away? You’re not capable of that.”
The young lady knew how to be both flexible and resilient.
If she wanted to throw a tantrum, no one could stop her. Once she was set on something, she wouldn’t change her mind just because of others’ opinions.
Moreover, after all these years, how could she change her habits overnight? For the rest of her life, Li Xiangyang would only be the butler trailing behind her.
“The medicine is over there; take it yourself. Remember to disinfect your wound. I’m leaving now.”
She waved her hand and turned to leave.
She didn’t notice the sparkling eyes behind her—like stars, shining with undeniable light.
Li Xiangyang’s heart, which should have been on the brink of death, suddenly revived at that moment. It was like a fish gasping for water suddenly caught in a downpour, brought back to life.
An unspoken affection lingered between them, but neither dared to pierce that fragile veil. Not for lack of courage, but because the time was not yet right.
Gazing at her retreating figure, he clenched his fists.
Everyone has the right to pursue happiness; it’s just that his identity posed some problems—not that there was anything wrong with him as a person. He needed to prepare fully, to welcome the moment happiness arrived.
And when that moment came, he could firmly tell her that he could make her happy!
Now, finally, he had a purpose to live for.
Liu Suisui returned to the youth work station. Today was supposed to be her workday, but since Chen, a fellow youth, had taken her money, he worked on her behalf.
After the others learned about it, they pretended not to know—after all, those roasted chicken pieces weren’t free.
She only needed to wash her personal clothes; nothing else required her attention.
“Liu, you get a day off tomorrow. We’re planning to visit the commune; do you want to come?” Chen asked after finishing the work.
But he kept his distance, knowing she was fastidious about cleanliness.

“Yes, I’ll go. What time? Early?”
“Probably before dawn. The team’s ox cart will take us there.”
Forget about the tractor—it was a precious fuel-powered machine, mostly reserved for fieldwork, receiving new youth arrivals, or important matters.
Since the team had an ox cart, naturally they used that.
“Then wake me up tomorrow morning. I’m afraid I won’t get up on my own.”
“Got it!”
Liu Suisui planned to visit the scrap station—not to hunt treasures; by this hour, any valuable items would have long been taken.
Instead, she was thinking ahead for two years later. Once fully open, she intended to take the college entrance exam.
Here, her original family background couldn’t offer her a good start, so she must work hard to earn one herself.
In the 1980s, university graduates carried great value.
When she stepped out then, who wouldn’t treat her with respect?
Though spoiled, the young lady was also self-reliant; relying solely on men meant no future.
After washing up that night, she lay in bed early, thinking about visiting the supply and marketing cooperative. She hadn’t planned to buy snacks when she arrived, so after mealtime, there was nothing to eat.
She truly missed the days of milk tea and fried chicken.
Before dawn the next day, Chen was already dressed and woke Liu Suisui from her sleep.
The young lady used to have a fierce morning temper; anyone waking her could be slapped away.
But the night before, she had told 007 that if anyone woke her, they must remind her about her time-travel experience right by her ear.
So, sitting up with closed eyes, she endured her moodiness for a long time before calming down.
“Host, are you alright?” 007’s voice showed concern.
“Shut up!” The tone in her mind wasn’t very pleasant.
Thanks to going to bed early, though, Liu Suisui could manage not to lose her temper despite the lack of sleep.
Looks like this habit needed to change for now.
After getting ready, the group headed toward the village entrance.
Though it was said to be a day off, not many actually went to the commune.

Paying a penny to get on the cart, and spending money once at the commune—what’s the point without money? Just to see the local customs?
Usually, visits to the commune were for practical reasons—buying daily necessities or visiting relatives.
With few people going, there were plenty of seats on the ox cart.
The so-called ox cart was simply a flat wooden cart pulled behind an ox. It could also be pulled by hand or by a donkey; as long as the two wheels turned, it worked.
“Liu, this young girl is quite a beauty. How is her skin so good? I bet no one in our village is as fair-skinned as her.”
A few aunts sitting on the cart started chatting.
It was impossible to just sit quietly all that time.
“Liu, how many people are in your family? What do your folks do? Any siblings?”
An immediate census check?
Liu Suisui raised an eyebrow and said, “Auntie, why do you ask? Although my parents are both workers, they’re just ordinary people. You don’t look ordinary yourself; are you here to buy something for the commune? From what I heard, you’re preparing things for your son’s wedding, right?”
A dual-income family was considered good. This also helped her shake off the suspicion of being from a capitalist family, despite her usual demeanor inviting doubt.
So what if her previous life was that of a capitalist? That was undeniable.
But she wasn’t going to let the topic get drawn to herself, so she cleverly redirected it.
The aunt immediately laughed.
“Yeah, my eldest son is getting married next month. I need to prepare some things for him. It wouldn’t do if my new daughter-in-law came empty-handed.”
“Well, your daughter-in-law is lucky to have such a good mother-in-law.” Flattery never fails.
The spoiled young lady was not without her merits.
Chen, standing nearby, was surprised at how well she spoke.
The aunt’s eyes narrowed into slits from laughter.
Once wedding talk started, the other aunts couldn’t stay quiet either.
Gossip after gossip spilled out.
Through this information, Liu Suisui learned details about the female lead—information 007 had not provided. Now, she was obtaining it from the villagers’ mouths.