Chapter 75: About to Leave

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: About to Leave

Deng Yuyuan’s words sent a tremor down his spine, spreading straight to the tip of his heart. Instinctively, Meng Deyin believed she was telling the truth.

"A year is too long. How about a month? I’ll come find you in a month," Meng Deyin said, his tone softening. His usually domineering eyes now revealed a look that bordered on pleading. He would go mad if he couldn’t see Deng Yuyuan for a whole year.

Deng Yuyuan sighed. "As you wish."

She thought to herself with a snicker that she would just return to her maiden home, pack up some of the original owner’s belongings, and leave. By the time a month passed, she would have vanished without a trace. She simply didn’t believe she had failed the college entrance exam. She planned to take her ID card to the admissions office of Jinghua University and ask them directly. If her identity had merely been stolen by an imposter, things would be much easier to handle. But if the name "Deng Yuyuan" wasn’t on the admission list at all... at worst, she would just retake the exam next year.

Meng Deyin turned around in pleasant surprise, pulling Deng Yuyuan’s petite frame tightly into his arms. After a long moment, he finally murmured, "Don’t make me wait too long."

Deng Yuyuan didn’t respond to that. Instead, she changed the subject. "I’m going to see the village chief and the production captain to process my departure paperwork. I also need them to write me a letter of introduction so I can buy my train ticket home tomorrow."

"I’ll go with you. Since you’re no longer staying here, I’ll return to Beijing too." Meng Deyin stood up with a faint smile. "Besides, with me walking by your side, fewer people will dare to gossip to your face."

Deng Yuyuan readily agreed. Along the way, whenever villagers asked where she was going, she patiently replied that she hadn’t received her admission letter and planned to return home first. She still didn’t know which part of the process had gone wrong. If the culprit had spies in Dazhang Village, going home might actually help alleviate some of their suspicions.

The only problem was that, in this day and age, even staying at a hostel required a letter of introduction. Returning to her hometown, she would have no valid reason to get a letter for a hostel. Yet, if she stayed at her family home... Deng Yuyuan honestly wasn’t sure if that family had even kept a room for the original owner. Traveling to Beijing could be managed by taking an unlicensed long-distance bus for a few days, but staying in an unlicensed hostel... A woman traveling alone with a young child would likely be taken full advantage of.

The original owner had been an obedient child. The one and only time she had run away from home, she had spent the night hiding in a dumpster. After realizing that absolutely no one cared about her disappearance, she dejectedly slinked back home, only to be punished by her family with a full day of kneeling. She had no idea where a safe place to spend the night would be. During that night in the dumpster, she had even been dragged out by a homeless man. Fortunately, he was just a simple-minded, kind-hearted fool who merely circled around her, wanting to play.

"Deng Zhiqing, are you heading home?" Aunt Xinghua asked with a knowing, matchmaking smile. She glanced at Meng Deyin, who was walking alongside Deng Yuyuan, before adding, "I just passed by the Zhang family’s house. I heard Jiahua arguing with Granny Zhang over you. He said that if Granny Zhang doesn’t agree this time, he’ll absolutely split from the family.

"For your sake, he’s even willing to give up a young, unmarried woman. Think about your lifelong happiness—there’s no need to rush back home so quickly."

Deng Yuyuan let out a scoff. "Auntie, whether it’s him rejecting young, unmarried women or them rejecting him is definitely up for debate. The reason I’m rushing home this time is that my family is pressuring me to go on blind dates. They want me to find a man who lives close to home so that it’ll be convenient for our relatives to gather in the future."

The frown that had been slowly forming on Meng Deyin’s brow gradually smoothed out. He could easily buy a house near his future mother-in-law’s home in Deng Yuyuan’s hometown.

Deng Yuyuan’s words weren’t always perfectly watertight, but she always knew how to make those with ill intentions step down in embarrassment. If someone asked where she was going out of polite curiosity, she would cordially give them a mutually satisfying answer. However, if their intent to mock her was too obvious, she would make sure they suffered right along with her. Meng Deyin possessed a certain intimidating aura, but today, Deng Yuyuan seemed so exceptionally approachable that she appeared weak and easily bullied. Consequently, there was always someone who couldn’t resist stepping up to make a snide remark, only to be verbally torn apart and left utterly crestfallen.

When the village chief and the production captain learned of her intentions, they felt immense pity for her. Since the results were set in stone, regrets were useless. They could only encourage her, insisting that she would definitely pass with flying colors next year.

"I already know about the situation with the Zhang family. Don’t worry. Since you have no intention of getting together with him, I will absolutely not allow him to bother you," the village chief said. "That boy, Jiahua, has actually never let you go. Over the past two years, he went on quite a few blind dates, but the moment he met those girls, he would tell them that his heart still belonged to you.

"There were some girls who refused to give up. You know what happened next—they would secretly come to look at you. Upon seeing you, they realized they simply couldn’t compare. Knowing that Zhang Jiahua was still pining for you and feeling that they could never win this man over, they ultimately gave up."

The village chief studied her intently one last time. The afterglow of the setting sun outlined her delicate silhouette. She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her beauty felt tragically out of place.

"When looking for your next husband, you must keep your eyes peeled. Don’t be deceived by superficial appearances anymore. You need to look at his parents, his family’s financial situation, and most importantly, how he treats your daughter. If he has money, see if he is willing to spend it on you. If he’s also divorced with a child, it’s best if his child is older than Tuantuan and has a gentle temperament."

It was rare for Deng Yuyuan to see the village chief ramble on like this. He sounded just like a father advising his own child before a long journey, terrified that she would suffer a terrible loss somewhere out of his sight. Even though he knew Deng Yuyuan had transformed significantly over the past two years, right now, in the village chief’s eyes, she was defined by only two words: "easily deceived."

As soon as the village chief’s wife walked in, she launched into another lecture, wishing she could impart every ounce of her worldly experience to Deng Yuyuan. Ultimately, Deng Yuyuan and Meng Deyin were kept at the village chief’s home for dinner.

The next day.

She went to town alone early in the morning to buy train tickets for the day after tomorrow, requesting two adjacent seats. Transportation was not well-developed during this era; even taking the slow, green-skinned train home would take an entire day. She also took the time to mail a letter to the Agricultural Research Institute, briefly stating that she would be moving to Beijing with her child, who was going to university.

The mailbox at the Agricultural Research Institute was checked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. This letter didn’t contain any technical insights; rather, it was full of a subtle desire for connections. Mr. Cheng retrieved the letter from their secret drop spot that afternoon. Highly tactful, he wrote back mentioning some professor friends of his who had established themselves in Beijing, even sharing a few amusing anecdotes about them so it would be easier for Deng Yuyuan to reach out for their help if needed. He also planned to send letters to Beijing himself. Knowing that Deng Yuyuan liked to remain secretive and had yet to reveal her true identity, he merely told his friends that his benefactor was heading to the capital. He asked them to lend a helping hand if she came knocking, but to pretend nothing had happened if she didn’t.

Meanwhile.

Tuantuan was at Fubao’s house for their final farewell. The two little ones had tears welling in their eyes, neither bearing to part with the other. They even exchanged their most treasured small toys.

"Tuantuan, do you really have to go?" Fubao was deeply reluctant to part with her cute friend and her pretty mother.

Tuantuan hurriedly covered Fubao’s mouth. "Quick, take it back!"