Bai Fumei in the 70’s

Teardrops rolled down Zhao Lanxiang's cheeks and her eyes were red.

She held the thick, warm hand on the hospital bed and wept silently.

"Lanxiang, you are not small anymore, don't cry like a child."

The man lying on the bed tried hard to stretch out his hand to touch her head, but he could hardly draw any strength.

He is old. The old wounds that had piled-up on him over the years had hit him hard and quickly knocked him down. The ten years of prison life that he suffered when he was young gave him a sickly body. It is already a blessing to be able to keep it until now.

His hazy old eyes glanced affectionately at his wife again. Although she is just as old as he is, she is still so beautiful.

That gentle brows will be bent like crescent moons when she smiles, which he likes very much.

"Show me a smile?"

Zhao Lanxiang wiped away her tears and smiled reluctantly at her husband, who was lying on the bed.

He Songbai closed his eyes with satisfaction.

She covered her mouth, her crying was getting louder, and her tears couldn't stop.2

Secretary He, who was next to her, took down his gold-wired glasses and reached into the man's nose.

He comforted the woman with difficulty, "Madam, please be at ease. The estate left by the chairman; the lawyer will discuss it with you in detail later."4

Secretary He looked at the broken man on the bed with awe and regret.

This man's life was inspirational and bumpy. He was born in poverty. He went to prison at the age of nineteen and spent ten years in jail. After he was released, he worked hard for ten years and suddenly turned from a poor boy with no background to a business giant. He was a legend that fought a bunch of seasoned businessmen with no prior experience himself.1

...

Two lines of tears suddenly dropped on Zhao Lanxiang's cheeks. Her mother, Feng Lian, wiped her red face, poked her forehead, and said, "Crying when you have a fever, so squeamish! If your dad sees you like this, you will have another scolding."

Zhao Lanxiang opened her eyes and stared at Feng Lian for a long time.

Feng Lian sighed and said, "Who is not married these days? The first time I met with your dad was when I was getting the marriage certificate. It was a blind date. Haven't the days been well?"

Zhao Lanxiang only thought that she was dreaming. She was immersed in the grief of losing her husband, and could not cope for a long time.

It's just that, if this is a dream, how can she be so confused... and dream about her young mother?

Seeing that her daughter ignored her, Feng Lian thought she was being stubborn and hated her. She poked her daughter's forehead again, hating the iron for not becoming steel and said,

"After all, it's not a small marriage. It's not easy to make your dad to decline... the other party's parents are your dad's boss!"

[T/N: "Hating the iron for not becoming steel" means blaming other people for not meeting their expectations.]

Zhao Lanxiang's forehead hurt. She finally faced her mother's chatters and quickly got up.

She noticed the calendar on the table said, April 16, 1976.24

Zhao Lanxiang was terrified in her heart and was shocked for a long time.

"Mom, can you go out first and let me think about it?"

Feng Lian looked at her slim daughter, who she had raised for 17 years and now looked like a sickly girl, begging her with such a soft voice. Her heart softened. No matter what, she can't harden her heart and force her child.

Zhao Lanxiang had recovered from the shock. She returned to forty years ago!1

Forty years ago, she fell in love with a tall and cool man, Jiang Jianjun, and all she had in mind was to make Jiang Jianjun accept her. Naturally, she refused to agree with her parents setting up an engagement for her.

It was also in this year that she finally got married to him.

It's a pity that Jiang Jianjun's heart was not hers. Zhao Lanxiang lost two children one after another, and finally, she became cold-hearted and divorced Jiang Jianjun.

Zhao Lanxiang looked at the table full of supplements. Jiang Jianjun had been injured and was hospitalized during this time. These supplements were bought by her to repair his body.

A trace of cold glinted across Zhao Lanxiang's eyes. Fortunately, she came back early. Otherwise, if she returns half a year later, she would have been caught up with the scum again, and she would be so angry.

Jiang Jianjun was her ex-husband. She left him before she was lucky enough to meet He Songbai.1

But now isn't the time to struggle with Jiang Jianjun. Zhao Lanxiang remembered that it was in these next two years that her old man accidentally killed a person and was put in prison!3

She immediately packed the malted milk, honey, and milk powder in a duffel bag, and also packed a few sets of clothes.

She must hurry to find her old man!37

...

The Zhao couple learned that their daughter had voluntarily signed up for the "Down to the Countryside" movement, and they were helpless.

[T/N: This is a Chinese government program in the late 1960s to early 1970s to force privileged urban middle school or high-school graduates to mountainous areas or farming villages to learn from the workers and farmers there.]

Now that she was going to the countryside, Zhao Lanxiang's marriage to Zeng Hang's son would go nowhere.

Zhao Yongqing almost couldn't eat, his face blackened, and he scolded her.

"Do you think that your wings are now sturdy enough, so we can't control you anymore?"

Feng Lian was a little sad. While helping her daughter pack her luggage, she shared her thoughts. "Your dad has finally made you escape the program, but you took the initiative to volunteer. My girl, with your thin arms and thin legs, can you do farm work?"

Zhao Lanxiang looked at her parents, who cared about her, and her heart was warm.

"It's a glorious thing to go to the countryside. Almost all the young people of my age have gone to the countryside. If I stayed at home, my father's face would be gone."

"I will take good care of myself, and I will never embarrass you."

Zhao Yongqing looked at his daughter's firm face. He was not too angry in his heart. It would be better if she could endure hardship. All-day long she was being pampered by her mother!

For him, it would be a good thing for her to go to the countryside if they could hone his daughter's will. If it is not possible, he can always pull some favor and assign his daughter not too far away.