Chapter 1 Return to Beijing
1975, late autumn, Beijing.
Bai Xiaolian was contentedly carrying several large bags as she followed Chen Xiangsong out of the department store. Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and blurted out, "Sister Qiuyue?!"
"What did you say?" Chen Xiangsong asked, tilting his head.
Bai Xiaolian pointed in a direction, her face full of fear, "Sister Qiu...Sister Qiuyue...Sister Qiuyue seemed to have just walked past that way."
Chen Xiangsong glanced in the direction Bai Xiaolian pointed, and saw only people coming and going on the street, but no sign of that stupid woman.
He patted Bai Xiaolian's hand and said, "You must have seen it wrong. That woman is still hiding in the countryside. There's no way she'd show up in the capital. Even if she came back on family leave, she wouldn't be able to stay here for long. Don't be afraid."
"Yes! I believe Brother Song." Although Bai Xiaolian was still a little doubtful, she nodded obediently, her fingers unconsciously twirling the corner of her clothes, "I was sorry for Sister Qiuyue for what happened back then..."
She suddenly turned her head to look in the direction where Gu Qiuyue disappeared, but the corners of her eyes slowly turned red. She sighed softly, "If she comes to find Brother Song and asks him to fulfill his promise, I... I..."
Chen Xiangsong didn't care that they were still on the street. He forcefully turned Bai Xiaolian over to face him and found that Bai Xiaolian's lower lip had been bitten white by herself.
Chen Xiangsong couldn't stand Bai Xiaolian's aggrieved and stubborn look. Every time she looked like this, his heart felt like it was being torn by a big hand.
He quickly comforted her softly, "Don't be like this! Xiaolian, do you want to make me die of heartache? Yes! She was the one who got the spot back in the city, but haven't we sent her a lot of living expenses in the past few years? Just think of it as if we bought that spot. We haven't let her down at all."
When Bai Xiaolian heard Chen Xiangsong mention living expenses, a hint of guilt flashed in her eyes.
Chen Xiangsong's voice continued to be heard: "Besides, there are not many people left at home. Even if she returned to the city, she might not even have a place to live. It would be better for her to stay in the countryside. At least she wouldn't starve to death."
Bai Xiaolian was very proud. So what if Gu Qiuyue, that self-righteous woman, had a better family background than herself? She could get any man she liked just by snapping her fingers!
…
The other side.
Gu Qiuyue didn't see the couple at all. She turned two streets and arrived at a heavily guarded compound. She registered at the guard post before walking in.
After walking for a few more minutes, he stopped in front of a courtyard gate, straightened his clothes, and knocked on the door solemnly.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!" The next second, the door creaked open, and a young soldier in green saw her and nodded, "Comrade Gu, Mr. Tang is waiting for you in the study."
"Thank you!" Gu Qiuyue nodded slightly and walked towards the study.
In the study, an old man with white frost on his head was holding a newspaper and reading it intently. He didn't even look up when he heard footsteps.
Gu Qiuyue did not want to feel wronged. She sat down opposite the old man and reached out to pour herself some tea.
"You seem to be at ease. You really think of yourself as the master here." There was kindness in Mr. Tang's stern voice.
Gu Qiuyue also filled Mr. Tang's cup with tea. She took a sip before saying, "Didn't you say that you wanted me to treat this place as my home from now on?"
Mr. Tang put down the newspaper and looked at her, "Have you met your parents?"
"Hmm!" Gu Qiuyue replied with a somewhat depressed look, "Their lives are even harder than I imagined. They live in a thatched hut that's leaky everywhere. They don't have anything they want, and..."
Gu Qiuyue paused for a moment before continuing, "Perhaps you don't know yet, they are both very ill." What she didn't say was that if she hadn't arrived in time this time, her parents in this life would not have lived to see the day of redress.
After hearing this, Tang Lao's face showed some anxiety, "How are they now? Grandpa Tang knows a few old guys in Qing County. It may not be easy to rescue your parents, but it is possible to have someone secretly go and treat their illness.
They are all pillars of the country and should have been treated favorably by the country, but someone took advantage of them..."
Gu Qiuyue had read many books about this era and knew that many senior intellectuals returned to China with a heart to serve their country, but died innocently in this turmoil. Many people in high positions wanted to save them but were powerless.
"Don't worry, on my way to my parents' place, I happened to save the barefoot doctor who had been sent to the village where my parents were sent. He was an old man with a strong sense of justice. After hearing about my story, he secretly cured my parents' illness."
Elder Tang heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, then said with a look of apology, "I'll have someone take good care of them in the future. At least, I won't let this happen again. I've also found out which farm your grandparents went to. I've asked Xiao Wu to send a telegram to his old friends there, asking them to take good care of them."
Gu Qiuyue nodded, then changed the subject and asked, "Is my brother missing or sacrificed?"
Elder Tang stared at her for a long time before slowly uttering two words, "Missing. I can't say more. Do you understand?"
Gu Qiuyue closed her eyes and opened them again, "I understand."
Mr. Tang looked at Gu Qiuyue inquiringly for a long time before changing the subject, "What are your plans for the future?"
"I am an educated youth who went to the countryside." Gu Qiuyue reminded her, implying that after her home visit leave was over, she still had to go back to her hometown.
Mr. Tang narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "As far as I know, you had the opportunity to come back three years ago. Why did you give the spot to someone else?"
Gu Qiuyue smiled nonchalantly, "That person is in poor health. She needs the spot to return to the city more than I do, so I'll give it to her!"
"Speak human language!" Old Tang slammed the table, his kind expression revealing an aura of majesty without even being angry.
Gu Qiuyue pursed her lips. "Maybe my brain was full of water at that time. Now that the water has cleared up, I feel quite regretful. Grandpa Tang, do you think my awareness is not high enough?"
"What do you mean by not having a high level of consciousness? Do you have to be toiling away in the countryside farming to be considered highly conscious?" Old Tang said angrily, "You think you have a high level of consciousness just for a man? Besides, you earned that position through your own ability. What does it have to do with consciousness?"
Gu Qiuyue smiled miserably, but three years ago, someone really used the label of not having a high level of awareness to suffocate the original owner and even took away her chance to return to the city. Later, on her way home from work one day, she fell into the river due to hypoglycemia.
The original owner was gone just like that, and she, a rich and beautiful woman from the 22nd century who was rich and wealthy and lived off her parents at home, fell asleep while taking a hot spring bath in her own villa, and when she woke up she became Gu Qiuyue from the 1970s.
She had reason to suspect that this was a punishment from the evil God for her being a parasite. Otherwise, how could she, a daughter of a wealthy family, be banished to this era of food and clothing shortages?
The most important thing is that although she traveled through time, she did not have the complete memory of the original owner!
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