"Jiang Cheng’s" sigh was perfectly timed.

The rather loud sigh drew the attention of Sister Lian and Gui Ying toward her by the window.

"Oh—Comrade Gui Ying, about my situation—"

Jiang Cheng choked up.

Sister Lian was dumbfounded.

Sister Lian: Somehow, Jiang Cheng is going to reveal some grand twist?

Jiang Cheng tilted her head down, covering her forehead with one hand, her silhouette and hanging strands of hair speaking of sorrow.

"Comrade Gui Ying, at least you have a family that loves you wholeheartedly, but I... boo hoo..."

As the crying began, Sister Lian felt a shiver run through her.

My goodness, what are you planning to do?

"When I was little... I never had a full meal, I was so hungry I had to fight chickens for bugs to eat."

"From a young age, I was doing laundry and cooking, chopping wood on the mountains before dawn, fishing in the river during the harsh winter, getting my hands covered in chilblains."

...

"As I grew up, the workload increased! I even starved myself at one point because I didn’t want to grow up!"

Jiang Cheng’s narrative was full and heartfelt, bringing Gui Ying to tears, while Sister Lian was unsure whether to believe it or not.

She knew Jiang Cheng had a tough childhood, but was it really this harsh?

"I thought I found something to rely on, but it turned out to be just another wolf’s den."

....

Jiang Cheng spoke of the Lin Family.

In her account, her mother-in-law was difficult, her sister-in-law a drama queen, the old lady a fuss-maker, the father-in-law a hypocrite, and Lin Chengyuan was truly a big scoundrel.

The fear in Gui Ying’s mind about married life was rising in a straight line.

Gui Ying thought, if she married Zhang Dazhu, would she live such a life?

Seeing the end at a glance, yet seeing no end in sight.

Sitting between the two, Sister Lian stopped guessing and wiped her tears, filled with sympathy.

Jiang Cheng’s "misery" continued.

"I finally managed to break free from the Lin Family, begging everyone along the way hoping to support myself, but it’s really hard!"

"As an honest, simple girl who knows nothing, how can I stay in the city?"

Sister Lian continued wiping her tears, her heart aching, as if having a heart attack, almost suffocating herself.

Honest and simple? Ordinary girl? Hard to find a job?

Which of these phrases suited Jiang Cheng at all?

Next, Jiang Cheng narrated her "difficult" job search process.

Encountering bad people while working an odd job at a recycling plant and losing the job; being a single woman attending night school and running into a human trafficker.

Finally took a train trip and encountered a train derailment.

Gui Ying listened with fear, focus, and sympathy.

Sister Lian’s expression contorted as if her eyelids were fans.

For a moment, even fake crying seemed impossible.

Encountering bad people at the recycling station? But didn’t you send those bad people to jail?

Meeting a human trafficker? Didn’t she hear that the trafficker was beaten up beyond recognition by a crowd?

Train derailment?

That did happen, but why didn’t you mention how you used that to meet foreigners, starting your journey of deceiving them and earning foreign currency?

Jiang Cheng continued to "pick and choose" her narrative, making it uncomfortable for Sister Lian stuck between the two.

Because her niece behind her believed with all her heart, an utterly gullible girl.

While the person in front of her perfectly displayed one character: miserable!

"Boo hoo hoo—Comrade Jiang Cheng, you’ve had it so rough!"

Comrade Gui Ying couldn’t help but push Sister Lian aside, hugging Jiang Cheng tightly.

She cried while patting Jiang Cheng’s back, saying, "It’s okay, everything will be fine, don’t be sad."

"All those bad things are behind you, everything will get better."

Gui Ying turned around and began to console Jiang Cheng.

Deeply into the act, Jiang Cheng sobbed uh-huh-uh-huh, her arms trembling as she hugged Gui Ying.

In truth, she was winking at Sister Lian.

Sister Lian was amused by Jiang Cheng, giving her a thumbs-up: Bravo!

Through practical actions, Jiang Cheng flawlessly demonstrated how to console someone.

The key is to convince them they’re better off than you.

Returning to the Red Flag Commune, Gui Ying was utterly moved and genuinely pained by Jiang Cheng’s actions.

Need water?

Gui Ying pours it for you.

Cold?

Gui Ying covers you with a blanket.

Hungry?

Gui Ying brings you snacks.

In short, Sister Lian was pushed to the side and never got a glance from her cousin.

Mortgaged, Gui Ying felt Comrade Jiang Cheng had it far worse, and her own trivial issues seemed insignificant compared to Jiang Cheng’s misfortunes.

And so, the truck headed back to the Red Flag Commune.

Director Lu had no issue with one more person, it wasn’t his business. After a few simple questions, that was it.

Towards noon, several people prepared to return.

The team leader had prepared quite some stuff for Jiang Cheng, who naturally had to express her gratitude.

At the same time, she left some coupons for the team leader.

The village lacked nothing in terms of food and drink, but coupons were rare.

Many families still shared one winter coat among several people.

But there was no choice, it was the time for a tight belt to earn foreign exchange. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Director Lu and the others stood beside the truck, habitually watching Jiang Cheng and the team leader exchange pleasantries.

Unaware of the truth, Gui Ying imagined: Everyone seemed to feel so sorry for Comrade Jiang.

Thus, a beautiful misunderstanding was born, one Comrade Gui Ying firmly believed.

Nearby, Jiang Cheng finally boarded the truck, carrying the goods.

Director Lu puzzled: Why carry bundles of firewood?

Jiang Cheng didn’t explain, calling everyone to get on the truck.

With a wave, farewell, and the truck slowly rolled out of the Red Flag Commune.

On the way back, Master Li drove as quickly as possible, not wanting to be caught on the road after dark, also fearing snowfall.

The sky grew darker and darker, the one o’clock afternoon sun hidden by thick clouds.

The temperature kept dropping, the people in the truck huddled close together.

The floor felt like stepping on ice, colder and colder.

With a bumpy ride, by five in the afternoon, it was already completely dark.

Snowflakes began to fall sporadically from the sky.

Director Lu leaned forward from the front passenger seat, anxiously asking, "Xiao Li, how much longer do we have?"

Master Li glanced out, estimating, "About two more hours, I’d say."

Director Lu nodded, anxious internally but knowing worry solved nothing.

"Drive as you see fit, no need to rush, safety first."

Master Li nodded, acknowledging.

Another half hour passed, snow began to obscure visibility.

The wipers on the truck couldn’t cope, but luckily the road wasn’t too slippery.

They traveled on dirt roads, not the later smooth, slippery highways.

The truck roared, mixed with clattering sounds.

After driving further, the truck began creaking, and Master Li had a bad feeling.

He gently patted the steering wheel, saying, "Hang in there, buddy!"

"I know you’re cold, just hang in there a bit longer and we’ll be home!"

Master Li muttered continuosly, and the truck held out for about twenty more minutes accommodatingly.

The engine noise grew fainter until a sudden bang silenced it, and the truck halted.

Amidst heavy snow, it stopped where there was neither village ahead nor shop behind.