In the end, the matter was stuck at the pastry factory. Zhan Chunlan had recently been given a name by the leadership and indeed had many new ideas. Factory Director Qiao hoped that during his tenure, he could lead the pastry factory to further progress. If many of Zhan Chunlan's new ideas could be implemented, then products like rice candy and peach cake could be sold outside of Jiangcheng.

There were no problems at the Haicheng Food Factory. Not to mention that Su Menghua's parents and teachers came to the factory to cause trouble and affect production, Zhan Chunlan is a rare multi-talented person. She can customize new flavors according to customers, such as chocolate and coffee flavored milk candies, which they had never thought of before; she can also independently design many exquisite packages to increase sales.

So when Su Menghua hinted at it to the food factory, the factory agreed without hesitation, wishing Zhan Chunlan would immediately go there with her documents to complete the formalities.

Section Chief Tian from the Logistics Department has been having a major headache these past few days. All she wanted was to win over Qiao and hope that others would pay more attention to Zhan Chunlan, instead of just giving her away whenever someone wanted her. Wouldn't that make her seem unimportant?

But she didn't intend to send Zhan Chunlan to another factory, did she?

They ended up in Haicheng, how could they possibly manage that?

Factory Director Qiao and Deputy Factory Director Zhou personally spoke with Zhan Chunlan, asking her to explain her difficulties, assuring her that the factory would definitely want to help resolve them.

But Zhan Chunlan couldn't bring herself to talk about this difficulty. Could she say it was because she wanted to escape from her parents? Could she say that her parents had treated her badly since she was a child?

No! Because most people around us live like this: older children take care of younger ones, girls give way to boys, every family does it this way. Why should Zhan Chunlan run away for these 'trivial' reasons? Isn't that a huge act of filial impiety?

If I told you, I probably wouldn't even be able to stay in Jiangcheng, let alone go to Haicheng.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally whispered, "My... boyfriend is in Haicheng."

Factory Director Qiao and Deputy Factory Director Zhou spoke up almost simultaneously: "What? Where did you get a girlfriend?"

Zhan Chunlan lowered her eyes and said softly, "I met him on this business trip... I felt we were a good match, so we started dating."

Deputy Factory Director Zhou looked incredulous: "But haven't you been with us these past few days? Where did you find the time to date?"

"Isn't there free time?" Zhan Chunlan argued softly.

Deputy Factory Director Zhou was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "...How long have you known each other? And you're already talking?"

Zhan Chunlan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice lowered even further: "He... is a very good person."

—I'm sorry, Comrade Wang Wenfeng, I'll borrow your name for now.

Director Qiao paced around the office with his hands behind his back, his leather shoes creaking on the wooden floor, each step feeling like a blow to Zhan Chunlan's nerves.

"Xiao Zhan," Director Qiao finally stopped, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority, "Marriage is not a game. You've only known him for a few days? Are you really going to throw away your future for a 'partner'?"

Zhan Chunlan lowered her eyes, staring at the tips of her shoes. The hem of her lake-blue shirt was already crumpled from being clenched in her hands, like shattered moonlight. She couldn't look up; if she did, she might reveal the true emotions in her eyes.

It's not love, it's escape, it's rebirth.

That home was like a vine wrapped around her; the thicker she grew, the more it suffocated her. Only by cutting off those vines could she receive the rain and dew and be reborn.

So she could only bite her tongue until it ached, forcing out a shy smile: "He... promised that he would treat me well."

Factory Director Qiao was speechless, his beard bristling and eyes wide, as if he had seen some kind of unparalleled "love-struck" genius. He pointed at her with trembling hands, but couldn't utter a single word.

Deputy Factory Director Zhou quickly tried to smooth things over, his tone urgent yet concerned: "It's understandable for young people to be impulsive, but they need to know their limits! How far is Haicheng? It's across provinces! It's easy to transfer your file there, but it'll be difficult to transfer it back! What if... what if that kid treats you badly, who will back you up?"

Zhan Chunlan smiled slightly, but her eyes were unusually firm: "I have always supported myself."

Director Qiao lowered his raised hand dejectedly, his anger at her lack of ambition gradually turning into a deep sense of helplessness. When Zhan Chunlan first came into their view, her file was already in the hands of the leaders. In addition to the excellent academic performance written in the file from childhood to university, there was also the exploitation of her family. In such a large family, she was the only one who had to go to school and work. They heard that she almost died of a fever last year.

Perhaps it was that experience of facing death that made her realize that nothing was more important than herself, which is why she gradually learned to resist.

I recently heard that her parents have already started making plans for their son... It seems that leaving this home might be the only way out for her.

"Chunlan..." Director Qiao's tone softened, filled with the heartache of an elder. He still wanted to try again, just in case. "Do you really have to take this step? The organization can help you with your family's difficulties!"

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, but stubbornly refusing to fall. "It's no use, factory director. It's a tangled mess. Only when I go far away, severing their hopes and my own, can I... can I finally breathe like a human being."

She paused, took a deep breath as if using all her strength, and said, "I believe in him. Even if... even if I'm wrong in the end, it's my own choice, and I accept it."

A silence fell over the office. Only the faint hum of machinery outside the window reminded everyone that this was still the real world.

Deputy Factory Director Zhou sighed deeply and exchanged a glance with Factory Director Qiao. They understood that this wasn't a momentary lapse of judgment due to "love," but rather a young woman driven to desperation, grasping at the only rope she could see that might lead to a new life, even if the other end of that rope led to an abyss, she was willing to jump.

"Alright, alright." Director Qiao waved his hand, looking as if he had aged several years in an instant. "Files, letters of introduction... let's proceed according to procedure. Chunlan, remember, the food factory... will always be your home. If you suffer any injustice outside, write back!"

"Thank you, factory director! Thank you!" Zhan Chunlan choked up, bowed deeply, and then turned to leave. She knew she couldn't hold on any longer.

"Hey... wait a minute, don't rush off!" Deputy Factory Director Zhou called out to Zhan Chunlan, who was about to leave: "What's your boyfriend's name? I'll have my friend in Haicheng take a look and see if he's worth all this trouble."

Although he knew she didn't leave because of "love-struck" behavior, Deputy Factory Director Zhou still wanted to do one last thing for her. If the other person was a decent person, that would be fine; if not, it would be a way to help her see through someone beforehand.

With her back to them, Zhan Chunlan closed her eyes in frustration and lightly punched the air in front of her with her fist: "I should have rushed out in one go."

But she still took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and said with a grateful smile, "His name is... Wang Wenfeng, and he is a doctor at Haicheng First People's Hospital."

As she turned to leave the factory manager's office, sunlight streamed through the corridor windows onto her face, stinging her eyes. The tears she had held back for so long finally burst forth.

But these tears were no longer filled with the bitterness and repression of before; instead, they carried a kind of relief, almost painful, after cutting off the vines. She knew that the road ahead might not be smooth, but at least she had earned herself a chance to break free from her constraints and embrace the sunshine.