"Don’t bother packing too many clothes—just a couple of changes will do. Aren’t you and Qi Fang coming back in a couple of days anyway?"
Half a month after Qu Mingli left, Yan Xue was also preparing to report to the county town. The Second Old Lady helped her pack, worried she might struggle with the load.
In truth, Yan Xue wasn’t that delicate, but she appreciated the elder’s concern and simply smiled without saying anything.
As the old lady bustled about, she brought up another matter: "Have they arranged a place for you to stay in the county?"
"Everything’s settled," Yan Xue replied. "Qi Fang’s workplace has family housing, but it’s quite small—we only got one and a half rooms."
Qi Fang had gone to the county machinery factory half a month early precisely for this reason—they had no place to stay in town.
"Qi Fang and I plan to stay there for now. Once we have time, we’ll look for a bigger place and bring you and Jigang over."
The factory’s family housing was far too cramped, with multiple generations often squeezed into a single room. There was no way they could all fit, and finding another place in such a short time was impossible.
The old lady waved it off. "Jigang and I are fine here. Whether you bring us over or not doesn’t matter—this is a new house, after all."
She then reassured Yan Xue, "Take your time, no need to rush. And don’t worry about Yan Yu—Jigang and I will take care of him. He’s been sleeping well with us these past few days."
Both Yan Xue and Qi Fang were starting new jobs, with Yan Xue essentially beginning from scratch. It was clear they’d be swamped and wouldn’t have time to care for their child. After discussing it, they decided to leave Little Chubby with the Second Old Lady for now, at least until things settled down.
The only downside was that the little one would only see his parents on their weekly visits, which might be hard for him.
Yan Xue had stayed behind these extra two weeks partly to hand over her work at the pilot site and partly to ease Little Chubby into staying with the old lady and Yan Jigang—they couldn’t just separate abruptly.
Fortunately, since she’d always been working, the Second Old Lady had been the one raising Little Chubby most of the time. He’d adjusted well, so Yan Xue felt at ease leaving for the county.
Just then, a familiar voice called from outside, "Is Technician Yan home?" Spotting Yan Jigang playing with his little nephew in the yard, the visitor added, "Yan Jigang!"
It was Xu Xiaoli, daughter of Xu Wanchang. Due to family matters, she’d been held back a year. After transferring to Jinchuan Forestry Station, she ended up in the same class as Yan Jigang.
Hearing her voice, Yan Xue sighed inwardly, reluctant to respond. But Yan Jigang had already confirmed she was home, and Xu Xiaoli stepped inside, clutching a paper bundle.
Compared to two years ago, the girl had grown much taller and wasn’t as skinny, though her face was tanned from years of running around the mountains.
"Technician Yan, I heard you’re leaving for the county. I picked some wild raspberries for you—take them for the road."
Without waiting for a reply, the girl set the bundle on the kang and, as usual, turned to flee. "Technician Yan, have a safe trip!"
Yan Xue didn’t know what to say. She hurried after her to thank her. "I hope your family prospers too."
"We definitely will!" Xu Xiaoli turned back with a bright smile, waved, and dashed off again.
Returning inside, Yan Xue unwrapped the bundle—inside was a heap of glistening red berries, vibrant as clusters of coral beads.
These were a common wild fruit in the Changbai Mountains, known botanically as raspberries. Sweet but small, gathering this many must have taken ages.
Even the Second Old Lady was moved. "That girl… it’s been years, and she still brings us gifts every year."
Gratitude in the moment was one thing, but remembering kindness over time was rare. Even with Yan Xue leaving, the girl hadn’t forgotten.
Yan Xue smiled, popping one into her mouth. It was sweet—just like the girl’s radiant smile and sincere heart.
No sooner had she put the raspberries away than Aunt Guo arrived, bearing several pairs of machine-sewn shoe insoles.
"You’ll be doing a lot of walking when you first get there—these will wear out fast. I made extras so you and Qi Fang can switch them out."
She pressed the stack into Yan Xue’s hands—thick and tailored to their shoe sizes, impossible to refuse.
Yan Xue accepted them with a laugh. "Auntie, why didn’t you make more for Changan? You’ve given us so many!"
"Changan got his share too," Aunt Guo chuckled. "It’s his first time working so far from home—of course I prepared for him."
Qu Mingli worked efficiently. Shortly after Yan Xue finalized the list of transfers, the others’ reassignment orders arrived, leaving the forestry station staff stunned.
No one was surprised that Yan Xue and Qi Fang were leaving, but why were others tagging along? Just how influential was Technician Yan?
When Guo Chang’an was first disabled by injury, people had pitied him, assuming his life was over. Yet here he was, promoted to the county…
The gap between people was stark. If they’d known such opportunities existed, they’d have curried Yan Xue’s favor sooner.
The most regretful were Old Man Wang’s family. Yan Xue had initially wanted to rent their house, but Old Man Wang ruined the deal. Otherwise, they might’ve been the ones heading to the county now.
No matter how much the Wang family quarreled, Aunt Guo now walked under envious gazes instead of pitying ones.
"Thank goodness we met you," Aunt Guo said, squeezing Yan Xue’s hand. "Don’t worry about things here—Changping, Baozhi, and I will keep an eye on your home."
Given what Yan Xue had done for their family, they’d prioritize her affairs over their own.
Lowering her voice, Aunt Guo added, "If you come across any suitable matches… keep an eye out for Chang’an." Yan Xue couldn’t help laughing.
As soon as Aunt Guo left, Liu Weiguo showed up, holding a paper package in one hand and his two-year-old daughter in the other.
Little Liu Airong demonstrated the meaning of "gone in a flash"—the moment she entered, she shook free of her father and sprinted toward Little Chubby. "Brother! Yan Yu, brother!"
The little chubster was all smiles, his peach-blossom eyes crinkling as he cooed, "Sister."
Liu Airong immediately forgot her father, pointing at his package and betraying him on the spot. "Meat!"
Liu Weiguo grimaced. "What’s with your kid? He smiles at everyone—can’t he take after his dad a little?"
"Who says he doesn’t?" Yan Xue teased. At least when it came to his father, the little chubster was very much like Qi Fang.
Since his daughter had already spilled the beans, Liu Weiguo handed over the package. "My mom made jerky using your method. Take it—hard to get this in the county."
The county had its conveniences, but everything relied on rations. Unlike the forestry station, where a trip up the mountain meant no shortage of food.
Yan Xue didn’t stand on ceremony. "Has Wenhui finished packing what she needs to bring?"
To everyone's surprise, it was Zhou Wenhui who first hesitated, yet in the end, she was the one who followed Yan Xue. On the other hand, Lang Yue'e deliberated carefully before deciding to stay behind for the time being.
For one, as the daughter of Secretary Lang—now Deputy Director Lang—she could command authority and communicate more easily with the town officials.
Secondly, with Yan Xue just having moved to the county, they needed a trusted person to handle the accounts, and Zhou Wenhui was more suitable for the role than her.
But the most unexpected twist was Liu Weiguo’s agreement to let Zhou Wenhui leave home and their child behind to work in the county.
He had previously mentioned wanting a second child, but now he didn’t bring it up again. When Yan Xue asked, he simply nodded and said, "Everything’s packed."
He added, "Don’t worry about the house. I’m here, and so are my parents. If needed, there’s also Chuncai—she’s graduating this year. The only thing is, I can’t keep an eye on things in the county. If Wenhui runs into any trouble, she might have to rely on you and Qi Fang."
"Don’t talk like we’re strangers," Yan Xue laughed. Then she gave him a once-over and remarked, "I didn’t expect you to be so open-minded."
"I’ve always been this open-minded. You just didn’t know before," Liu Weiguo boasted immediately.
After the joking, his expression turned serious again. "I’m not capable myself, so how could I hold Wenhui back from going out?"
When Zhou Wenhui first brought this up at home, the family wasn’t entirely supportive. In the older generation’s mindset, women were supposed to prioritize the family—how could she just leave home to work?
But Liu Weiguo insisted, "Working with Yan Xue is a good opportunity. Once Wenhui settles in the county, maybe I can find a way to transfer there too."
However, he was a chainsaw operator in the logging team—what suitable position could the county possibly have for him? With educated youth being sent to the countryside, jobs were scarce.
Seeing Liu Weiguo’s rare solemnity, Yan Xue thought for a moment and said, "Actually, you two don’t necessarily have to be separated—one in the forest farm, the other in the county."
Liu Weiguo immediately perked up. "What do you mean?" He trusted Yan Xue’s intelligence and foresight.
"It depends on whether you’re willing to switch to sales," Yan Xue said. "If you are, try to secure a few big contracts this year."
With the current output of Jinchuan Forest Farm, fulfilling multiple large orders would be impossible—they’d have to source from other farms, just like last year.
"Then you could suggest to Acting Director Ning that the town consolidate the edible fungus production from several farms. All qualified products could be sold under Jinchuan’s brand, which would mean the town needs a dedicated salesperson."
If anyone benefited the most from Qu Mingli’s departure, it wasn’t the town’s former deputy director or Lang Zhongting, but Acting Director Ning, who had just been promoted to secretary.
Acting Director Ning hadn’t lifted a finger, yet he landed the position of forest farm secretary—enough to make anyone jealous, especially Director Liu, who had recently taken sick leave.
But his greatest strength was knowing his limits, which was why Lang Zhongting dared to entrust the farm to him. If approached with this idea, he certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Once Liu Weiguo transitioned to town-wide sales, his schedule would become more flexible. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to log in the mountains every year, and traveling to the county would be easier.
There were regular long-distance buses between the county and Chengshui, so the couple could easily commute back and forth.
Liu Weiguo wasn’t slow on the uptake. The more he listened, the brighter his eyes became. "Alright, I’ll think it over."
Of course, it was too late to make the change this year. Even if he wanted to switch, someone would have to take over his chainsaw duties first.
But it was undeniably a good plan. When Liu Weiguo explained it at home, even Huang Fengying sighed in relief. "Yan Xue really has a sharp mind."
She wasn’t worried that Zhou Wenhui’s move to the county would strain their marriage—she trusted her daughter-in-law completely.
Besides, people in those days valued commitment. Even when the college entrance exams resumed and many left to study, most still returned to marry their original partners, or else face public scorn.
But how could a young couple endure long separation? Especially with a child involved—Huang Fengying just wanted her son and daughter-in-law to be happy.
On the day of departure, little Qi Yanyu thought his mother was just going to work as usual. He waved his chubby little hand and said goodbye.
Yan Xue, however, was reluctant to leave. She picked up her son and kissed him. "Be good for Great-Grandma while Mommy’s away."
The little chubster may or may not have understood, but he nodded cheerfully before planting a slobbery kiss on Yan Xue’s cheek.
Only when Yan Xue picked up her bags did he seem to sense something was wrong. His big eyes darted around before he reached out to grab her luggage.
But just as his little hand stretched out, a glass jar appeared in front of him. "Yan Yu, look! What’s this?"
Yan Jigang distracted his nephew with the jar, and the toddler instinctively focused on the tiny fish swimming inside. "Fish?"
"That’s right! Fish! Uncle caught them in the river yesterday. Fun, huh?"
While her son was occupied, Yan Xue slipped out with her luggage. By the time she reached the station, Guo Chang'an was already there.
Lang Yue'e had also come to see them off. Soon after, Liu Weiguo arrived, carrying Zhou Wenhui’s bags.
The only one missing was Gao Daidi. They waited at the small train station for a long time, but she never showed.
Zhou Wenhui grew worried. "Did her family stop her at the last minute?"
Among everyone at the forest farm, the biggest surprise was that Gao Daidi had also been transferred to the county alongside Yan Xue.
Guo Chang'an and Zhou Wenhui made sense—one was a technician, the other an accountant, and both were close to Yan Xue. But what was Gao Daidi’s role?
When people inquired at the pilot site, they were told the cultivation center needed an experienced worker, and the only ones who had worked there long-term were Xu Wanchang and Gao Daidi.
Envy spread like wildfire. People said the Gao family had stumbled into incredible luck, but the Gaos weren’t entirely pleased. They even approached Yan Xue privately.
Yan Xue lost her temper on the spot. "I went through all this trouble to arrange the transfer, and now you’re backing out? Do you not want to work anymore?"
Gao Daidi’s mother was left speechless. Later, when she complained that Technician Yan was unreasonable, no one believed her—Technician Yan was known for her kindness. How could she be unreasonable?
Besides, moving to the county was an incredible opportunity. If her family didn’t want her to go, something must be wrong with them.
For greedy people, giving up benefits was worse than death, so the matter was eventually dropped.
Now, seeing Gao Daidi’s absence, everyone frowned. Liu Weiguo turned to leave. "I’ll go check on her."
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the path, carrying a large bundle on her back.
Spotting the group, she quickened her pace—first walking fast, then breaking into a jog, her face alight with joy.
She wasn’t just running toward the small train station or the people waiting for her. She was running toward a brand-new life, starting today.
No matter what had happened before, from this moment on, she wouldn’t have to look after her younger siblings or hand over every penny she earned to her family.
From today onward, there would be no endless piles of laundry or chores waiting for her the moment she got home. Every drop of her sweat would now be shed for herself...
Gao Daidi ran over and gave Yan Xue a big hug, then embraced Zhou Wenhui and Lang Yue'e in turn. The sky seemed especially blue today.
The group arrived in the county and went straight to the County Forestry Bureau to find Qu Mingli, who helped arrange two dormitory rooms for them.
Zhou Wenhui and Gao Daidi shared one room, while Guo Chang'an stayed with another male employee from the bureau. Until they could secure their own accommodations at the cultivation center, they would have to stay here temporarily.
"Just a short walk ahead is the unit's cafeteria. Settle in today, and tomorrow at 8:40 a.m., come to my office. I’ll introduce you to the center’s director," Qu Mingli said.
He personally escorted them, which left some of them—especially Gao Daidi—feeling a bit awkward, as they hadn’t interacted with him much before.
Yan Xue, however, was familiar with Qu Mingli’s temperament. "If we have any issues, can we come to you?" she asked.
"Of course," Qu Mingli replied with a gentle smile. "After all, you’re the ones I brought from Chengshui."
He had work to attend to and didn’t linger, but his presence reassured everyone.
Yan Xue wanted to help the others unpack, but a familiar tall figure appeared outside the dormitory, holding a watermelon.
Zhou Wenhui grinned when she saw him and nudged Yan Xue. "He’s here for you. Don’t waste time here."
Yan Xue was surprised to see Qi Fang. "Aren’t you working today?" she asked.
"I swapped shifts," he answered casually, setting down the watermelon before pitching in with the chores.
There wasn’t much to do, though. After helping tidy Zhou Wenhui and Gao Daidi’s room and having lunch, the couple was shooed away.
They then took the bus to the mechanical factory’s residential compound to see the new home the factory had assigned to Qi Fang and Yan Xue.
The place was conveniently close to the factory—less than 500 meters away—but cramped, with rows of connected single-story houses and tiny courtyards.
As they entered, the sound of a child being scolded echoed from the opposite house through the open windows and doors. Qi Fang frowned immediately.
Yan Xue stayed silent until they stepped inside and closed the door. Then, in a hushed voice, she asked, "Does this happen often?"
"Bad temper. And nosy," Qi Fang summarized succinctly.
Now Yan Xue understood. "Once things settle down, let’s look into buying a house."
It wasn’t like this place was big enough anyway.
Qi Fang gave a quiet "Mm" before reaching back to slide the bolt shut.
Yan Xue was still wondering just how nosy the neighbors were that they had to lock the door in broad daylight when Qi Fang suddenly scooped her up.
Her feet left the ground, and instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
The next second, his lips captured hers in a familiar, heated kiss.
Outside, the noise continued, but inside, it was as if they were in their own world, the only sounds their mingled breaths.
It took a while before Yan Xue regained hers. She pushed lightly at his shoulders. "It’s still daytime."
"It’s fine. The neighbors won’t hear," he murmured against her lips. "And our son isn’t home."
That last part was the real point. Yan Xue couldn’t help laughing. "Did you pick this tiny place on purpose?"
"No," he denied quickly. "All the family housing is this small. Even the factory leaders only get two rooms."
Before she could say more, his lips found hers again, as if making up for all the restraint of the past.
Yan Xue lost the will to argue, her fingers tightening on his shoulders until he carried her to the desk and set her down—
A loud creak echoed through the room, startling them both. Qi Fang immediately checked the writing desk beneath Yan Xue.
But the movement only made it wobble again, prompting Yan Xue to hastily clamp her legs around his waist. "Where did you even get this?"
Her grip was so tight it made Qi Fang pause before he exhaled. "A friend of Master Hong’s was getting rid of it. Just temporary."
It was far from sturdy—certainly not as solid as the disciplinary rod she remembered from Qi Fang’s teaching days. She slid off anyway.
Not that the desk’s flimsiness mattered. As long as their chubby little troublemaker wasn’t around, Qi Fang could give his "lessons" anywhere, with extra "tutoring" sessions thrown in for free.
The only real nuisance was Sister-in-law Lu across the way, whose nosiness was legendary. The moment she spotted Qi Fang’s wife, her gossip radar activated, and she seemed determined to excavate Yan Xue’s entire family tree.
If Liu Weiguo had been there, even he would’ve been impressed—and he was no slouch in the prying department, though at least he knew when to back off.
The next morning, Yan Xue and the others gathered punctually in Qu Mingli’s office. He led them to a newly prepared office in the bureau.
"Until the cultivation center is officially established, this will serve as your temporary workspace. I’ll give the key to Yan Xue—make a copy later," Qu Mingli instructed.
Noticing someone already in the office ahead, he greeted, "Director Zhuang, you’re here early," and introduced both sides.
The bureau had assigned Zhuang Qixiang, a man in his forties with a stern, unsmiling demeanor, to oversee the cultivation center.
Seeing that the Chengshui group was made up of youngsters—the oldest looking no more than twenty-five—his brow furrowed slightly. Still, he picked up their files and began reviewing them.
When he saw Yan Xue’s name, he paused—recognizing her as the woman from the newspaper—but said nothing before flipping to the next page.
He remained similarly silent about Guo Chang'an’s technical role, showing no reaction to the man’s visibly impaired hand and leg.
But when he reached Zhou Wenhui’s file, his frown returned. "You’re entrusting accounting—such a critical position—to a young woman? And a family worker at that?"
Zhou Wenhui, already sitting ramrod straight, tensed further, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Everyone realized then that their youth had drawn skepticism from the bureau’s appointed supervisor.
And skepticism meant distrust—which didn’t bode well for their future collaboration.
Yan Xue straightened. "For the past two and a half years since the Jinchuan Forest Farm’s mushroom cultivation pilot began, Accountant Zhou has handled all financial records without a single error."
She met his gaze squarely, speaking with the authority of the pilot’s de facto head. Yet his frown only deepened.
Zhuang Qixiang knew about the Jinchuan pilot—a makeshift operation run by family workers. Though successful, it lacked formality.
Now that the cultivation center was a formal county unit, certain standards had to be upheld. Professionals were needed.
Just as he was about to voice this, Zhou Wenhui spoke first. "If Director Zhuang doubts my competence, he’s welcome to test me."
He was somewhat taken aback when the young woman firmly repeated, "Section Chief Zhuang can bring over the ledger, and I’ll show you how well I can calculate."
Little Fatty: Have you all forgotten Qi Yanyu by the shores of Daming Lake? [sobbing][sobbing][sobbing]
