Chapter 134: Female Educated Youth – 4

Over the next few days, Ren Xin was busy beyond belief. The sale of her job was handled privately; her condition for agreeing to a lower price was that the official story had to be that the factory had reassigned the position, not that she had sold it.

The buyer agreed. It was a simple enough matter to arrange.

In the end, she received six hundred yuan in cash, along with a mountain of miscellaneous coupons¹ and some factory seconds—things like fabric, mugs, and thermoses.

The flaws didn’t affect their utility, only their appearance, which was actually a plus as it wouldn’t attract unwanted attention.

She realized she would need to do some more collecting before she left this place. The supplies she had hoarded previously were all modern goods; she hadn’t been thorough enough in her planning.

However, she couldn’t possibly blame herself for this oversight, so she had to find a scapegoat.

Scapegoat Number One: “…” Could she not open her eyes and see how pitiful it was?

Message read, no reply!

The Ren Family’s recent troubles had become a source of constant mockery among the neighbors. They had long been disgusted by the way the couple treated Ren Xin with such blatant bias.

Now, justice had been served. Their precious younger daughter had caused a disaster that dragged the whole family down. They deserved it. The only pity was for a good girl like Ren Xin; a perfectly good permanent job had been ruined by that jinx of a younger sister.

Father Ren and Mother Ren were so humiliated by the rumors that they didn’t even want to step out of the house. Yet, they had no choice; there were so many things to prepare. They had heard that life in the Northwest was bitter and required thorough preparation.

They prepared for themselves, but neither of them lifted a finger to help Ren Xin with her luggage. Ren Xin had to organize everything bit by bit on her own.

Ren Lili spent every day wallowing in self-pity. she believed that no one loved her anymore, that everyone was being mean to her, and that there was no hope left in this world…

They were scheduled to depart a day earlier than Ren Xin. However, Mother Ren demanded that Ren Xin find a place to stay with someone else for that final night because she wanted to lock the house up tight, fearing that Ren Xin wouldn’t handle things properly.

Was this really her biological mother?

Could there be some hidden secret? Some melodramatic plot where she was switched at birth?

Book Spirit Number One gave a solemn guarantee, “You can put your heart and brain right into your rectum; she’s your biological mother, no doubt about it.”

Ren Xin: “…”

She watched as the family of three left without a single backward glance. They gave Ren Xin no instructions, let alone any warm words of parting.

Ren Xin didn’t follow them. Instead, she turned around, took her letter of introduction², and booked a room at a guesthouse.

Once the door was locked, Ren Xin entered her space and took a long, refreshing bath. She took a moment to try some psychological manipulation on Huhu. “If only you knew how to give a back scrub, then you could serve me.”

Huhu replied with feline earnestness, “My tongue is covered in barbs. I can lick you—it feels amazing.”

Ren Xin: “…” Thanks, but no thanks.

In the middle of the night, there was a room check. Suppressing her irritation, Ren Xin opened the door to let the inspectors in. She was interrogated once more, and it was only when they heard she was a Sent-down Youth that their attitude softened slightly.

As they left, they even helpfully pulled the door shut.

By now, Ren Xin was wide awake.

Time to open the gift bags!

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Thank You for Playing³ *3】

Ren Xin: “…”

“Book Spirit, get your ass out here. I know you’re online…”

The Book Spirit appeared, yawning and looking completely oblivious to the impending doom. “What’s up? Why are you calling me? If I’m working now, it counts as overtime, okay?”

“Why are the gift bags ‘Thank You for Playing’?”

“Why else? Because you’re unlucky!”

Book Spirit Number One continued to babble, “But to pull three ‘Thank You for Playing’ results in one go… there aren’t many unlucky kids like you left. How should I cherish you?”

Ren Xin: “…” With a smile, or with silence?

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Translator’s Notes

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1. coupons: During China’s planned economy era, essential goods were rationed. Citizens needed specific coupons (piao) in addition to money to purchase items like grain, cloth, or oil. ↩
2. letter of introduction: A ‘jieshaoxin’ was an essential document issued by one’s work unit or local authority. Without it, individuals could not travel, stay in guesthouses, or access services. ↩
3. Thank You for Playing: A common ‘consolation prize’ in Chinese gacha or lottery systems (谢谢惠顾), meaning the user won nothing. ↩