Lihua was the family's best hope for getting into college, which would mean securing a "steady iron rice bowl" for the future. Consequently, the entire family placed great importance on her education.
However, after Lihua overheard her parents discussing how the loss of their son—their primary laborer—had left them relying solely on farming to support so many mouths, she made up her mind. Upon returning to school, she told her teacher that she intended to drop out. The teacher, not wanting to see such a promising student give up on college, urged her to go home and discuss it with her family to see if they could manage to support her for two more years.
"Lihua, what are you saying? We’ll find a way to cover your tuition. You just focus on your studies at school. Besides, didn't your teacher say there's no tuition for college? We’ll just endure for these two years, and everything will be better in the future."
Zhang Guifen, hearing this, hurried over and patted Lihua on the shoulder. She was the family's only hope, currently in her second year of high school with the college entrance exams coming up the year after next.
"That's right, Lihua. Don't worry about the tuition. Our family can certainly afford to support one high school student. You just need to set your mind at ease and study."
Li Xiulan looked at her young sister-in-law. She had effectively watched Lihua grow up. Although the girl was a good student, she didn't look down on those who couldn't afford school like some others did, and she often helped look after the children when she was at home.
"But we're relying entirely on farming now. Dad’s leg isn't good, and Mom and my sister-in-law work so hard. I feel terrible knowing I’m the one enjoying myself at school while you all sacrifice."
Lihua didn't want to give up her studies either, but knowing the situation at home, she couldn't comfortably enjoy the hard-earned money of her parents and sister-in-law.
"Lihua, if you feel guilty, then you must study even harder. Only by becoming someone successful will our family stop being looked down upon, and only then will we not have wasted all these years of support. Don't worry, I'll find a way to make money soon. You just go back to school."
Li Xiulan didn't want to put too much pressure on her, but if she didn't nudge the girl now, she might really give up. It would be a terrible waste to quit after having worked so hard to reach high school.
"Exactly. Your sister-in-law is right. Next year, I'll have your father take you to the county town for classes. Just rest at home tonight."
Hearing "county town," Li Xiulan quickly volunteered for the task; she had been wanting to visit the county town and the local town herself to see if there were any ways to make money.
"All right, then your sister-in-law will take you tomorrow."
The next day, Li Xiulan woke up early. Her biological clock was set, so she didn't need anyone to call her. Her mother-in-law, Zhang Guifen, was up even earlier, having already prepared breakfast. Seeing Li Xiulan enter, she pulled two yuan from her purse.
"Xiulan, take this money for when you're in town. I’ve already talked to Lihua, and she’ll stay focused on her studies. I'll have to rely on you to help manage the family from now on. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault—if only I hadn't..."
Seeing that her mother-in-law was about to launch into one of her long, repetitive monologues—something the original owner of her body had clearly endured before—Li Xiulan quickly interrupted.
"Mom, don't worry. I won't spend the money recklessly. I’ll keep an eye out for any business opportunities while I’m in town, so I might be back a bit late."
"All right, take your time." Zhang Guifen stopped talking and set out breakfast for the two of them before they left.
Jiayu had woken up after Li Xiulan, but having already heard from her mother the night before that she was taking her aunt to town, the child didn't fuss and simply watched them leave.
Having been to town before, Li Xiulan and Lihua walked to the local road junction. There were very few cars, and they only departed once they were packed to capacity. The two waited by the roadside, deciding to take whichever arrived first—a bus or a cart pulled by oxen.
"Sister-in-law, why don't you take my scarf? It's too cold out," Lihua said, noticing her shivering. She unwound the scarf from her neck—a prize from her second sister for getting into high school, which she had always cherished.
"I'm fine, the cold will pass. You wrap it back up; it's easy to catch a cold if you take it off." Li Xiulan quickly stopped her. It was freezing, and Lihua still had two months before her break, and the school had no heating—it was all about shivering through it. She had just noticed the chilblains covering Lihua's hands, the fingers all red and raw; she couldn't imagine how the girl managed to write.
After about half an hour, a cart pulled by an ox finally appeared. The driver was a neighbor from nearby whom Lihua knew, so they climbed on with a few other people heading to town. The cold wind bit at them, and the cart moved slowly. Li Xiulan wrapped her head in a scarf, feeling quite disheveled in the wind. She had initially thought about starting a career in the county town, but seeing that even basic transportation was a struggle, she realized she would have to look for opportunities in the local town first. Fortunately, Zhangjiawan was close by, she thought.
After an hour and a half of swaying on the cart, they finally reached the county town. Seeing how curious her sister-in-law was, Lihua offered to take her around, assuming she rarely visited.
The county town wasn't particularly bustling. There were a few three- or four-story buildings, which were the busiest parts of the area. There were already people doing business, but not many. Li Xiulan visited the entrances of a few factories, where she saw street vendors and a state-run restaurant—which, at the time, still required food stamps.
The walk around didn't take long.
"Lihua, you head to school now. I'm familiar with these roads; I won't get lost," Li Xiulan said, reassuring her when she saw Lihua’s worried expression.
"All right, Sister-in-law, I'm going in." Though still hesitant, Lihua knew her sister-in-law was an adult, so she turned and headed inside, looking back at every few steps.
On her own, Li Xiulan checked out the state-run restaurant and some food stalls. She noticed they mostly sold noodles, flatbread, and rice noodles, with very little variety, which made her feel more confident about her prospects.
On the way back, she caught a bus. There was no such thing as "overloading" limits back then, and the vehicle was already packed with standing passengers. Seeing Li Xiulan hesitate at the door, the conductor, who was seated, glanced at her impatiently.
"Well? Are you getting on or not? Just squeeze in, what’s the fuss about?" the conductor grumbled.
Not wanting to wait in the freezing wind, Li Xiulan got on and pushed until she finally found a spot to stand. The bus door slammed shut, and a wave of gasoline fumes filled the air, nearly making her vomit.
She didn't get a moment of peace the entire trip, only catching her breath when they reached Luoping Town.
"Acting like she's from the city, pfft," the conductor scoffed, rolling her eyes in contempt as she watched her leave. Since these conductors had steady, state-paid jobs, they were often quite rude to passengers, a fact everyone had grown used to.
Li Xiulan turned to retort, but the bus sped away, leaving behind a thick cloud of black exhaust. She jumped back, thinking that every time she rode that bus, it was a miserable experience. She would have preferred the ox cart; at least then she was breathing fresh air.