To please others? It's better to please yourself.

As soon as Shen Yue opened the door, he saw a young woman.

She was not yet twenty years old, fair-skinned, with an oval face, and wore two braids that went past her shoulders.

Chen Xiangxiu immediately asked obediently, "Is Officer Shen's wife, Xu Jing'an, at home?"

Although she didn't recognize the person in front of her, he looked quite similar to Xu Jing'an's lover, Shen He, so they must be from the same family.

Chen Xiangxiu, who is less than 1.6 meters tall, looked up at Shen Yue, who is 1.75 meters tall.

The girl's eyes were clear and bright, with long, thick eyelashes. Her voice was soft and gentle, as if it could pass through the ears and reach the heart.

Shen Yue's hand, gripping the door bolt, paused for a moment. He turned and shouted, "Sister-in-law—, sister-in-law—, someone's looking for you!"

After calling out, he took a few steps back and said, "Come in, she's home."

Hearing Shen Yue's call, Xu Jing'an quickly got up and went outside. She kicked off her shoes while hurriedly running her fingers through her hair. "Hey—, coming—"

As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Shen Yue and Chen Xiangxiu in the courtyard. Xu Jing'an was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

"Sister-in-law, I have to go out for a bit." After saying that, Shen Yue left in a hurry without waiting for Xu Jing'an's reply.

Xu Jing'an couldn't care less about Shen Yue, who was rushing out. She was now very curious about why Chen Xiangxiu had come to find her.

"Xiangxiu, please sit down," she said, moving two stools to the yard, then turning to the kitchen to pour a glass of water and bringing it over.

"Sister Jing'an, you don't need to do anything. I just came to talk to you for a few minutes." Chen Xiangxiu quickly stood up, feeling embarrassed.

Xu Jing'an shoved Chen Xiangxiu back onto the stool. "Even if we don't know each other or have dealt with each other before, do you think we wouldn't offer her a drink when she comes to our door?"

Chen Xiangxiu smiled gently. After exchanging a few polite words, Xu Jing'an asked curiously, "Xiangxiu, what brings you here today?"

The other person is a nice person, and it doesn't take much effort on my part, so I'll help out when it's something I can easily do.

Chen Xiangxiu placed the water she was carrying on the stone table in the courtyard: "Sister Jing'an, my mother is planning to move with me to M City. I'm unsure about the future, so I wanted to ask how the steel mill in your hometown is doing?"

"Are the people there easy to get along with?"

Xu Jing'an thought for a moment: "Working at the steel mill is pretty good now. And there haven't been any bad rumors about the leaders there."

"You and Sister Qing need to keep a close eye on the specifics!"

Chen Xiangxiu then asked, "How is Factory Director Guo?"

"He's a very upright person, and no one can say anything bad about him at work." It was Director Guo who helped her switch jobs with Zhao Xiaofang.

Zhao Xiaofang's mother, Feng Chuncao, was an ordinary worker who, before she died, asked Director Guo to take care of her daughter.

Factory Director Guo didn't refuse and readily agreed. As for his daily life and private life, she couldn't comment.

Chen Xiangxiu felt more relaxed after hearing this. "Thank you, Sister Jing'an, you've gone to so much trouble."

"And Sister Jing'an, do you need me to bring some things back to your parents' house?"

Xu Jing'an smiled and declined, "No need, we correspond every month." What was there to give? She wouldn't part with any amount!

"Furthermore, my brother is not married yet, so it's not appropriate for a young woman like you to come to our house."

If something goes wrong or rumors spread, won't the two sides become enemies?

Since post offices exist, it's better to pay money if you can avoid having to do it for free.

The publicity is extensive—basically, everyone in the residential compound knows about it after just one visit; there are records—no one can just casually start gossiping.

Most importantly, it won't cause any trouble for men and women. — No side effects!

Wasn't Shen Yue buried in there like this?

Before the reform and opening up—unmarried men and women should be careful, as they were easily implicated by others.

After the reform and opening up, people all looked to money, and even married men and women had to be wary.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Chen Xiangxiu left. Xu Jing'an hadn't asked a single question about the mother and daughter's move to M City from beginning to end.

After returning home, Chen Xiangxiu and Liu Qing immediately got busy once they confirmed they were leaving. Liu Qing rushed out to make phone calls and handle the paperwork. Chen Xiangxiu tidied up the house, packed up the things she was taking and mailed them, and carefully put away the rest.

After two days of getting everything ready, the mother and daughter went to the train station that afternoon with their bags on their backs.

.........

As soon as Shen Yue stepped outside, he started running around the riverbank. In no time, he looked like he had been pulled out of the water!

Judging that it was about time, he slowly walked back, panting heavily.

As soon as she entered the house, she found that Xu Jing'an was the only person in the yard.

Shen Yue was busy all afternoon. He cleaned every window in the house, swept the floor until it was spotless, and even washed the curtains and mats.

Shen Yue stayed home for another day, and left the house the following afternoon. Before leaving, his parents repeatedly gave him instructions out of concern.

Xu Jing'an and Shen He, along with several children, stood at the gate watching Shen Yue's figure recede into the distance...

Turning my head, I saw that Shen's mother's face was covered in tears.

Mr. Shen raised his hand to wipe away Mrs. Shen's tears. "Alright, everyone, get back to what you were doing! Go about your work!"

The children disappeared in a flash. Shen He went to work, while Xu Jing'an continued to relax.

When Shen Yue arrived at the train station to wait for his train, he saw Chen Xiangxiu and her daughter. The waiting room was packed with hundreds of people, but he spotted the girl immediately.

The summer heat was unbearable. The house reeked of sweat and foot odor mixed together. It was unbearable to walk in suddenly, and if you ate anything substantial, you might just throw up!

Chen Xiangxiu covered her nose with a handkerchief, staring intently at the ticket gate. Liu Qing fanned himself with a newspaper.

After hesitating several times, Shen Yue was still worried and slowly moved to a spot not far from Chen Xiangxiu.

As soon as the ticket gates opened, the crowd surged forward frantically. Liu Qing held his daughter's hand tightly, nearly being separated from her several times.

Once we were out of that distance, I quickly ran towards the platform with the crowd. The train pulled into the station and slowly pulled away, but it was already quite crowded.

"Why aren't you opening the door?"

"They won't let us on the bus, will they?"

……

The crowd gradually became agitated; those in front began banging on the car doors, while those behind kept pushing forward.

At that moment, Chen Xiangxiu felt someone push her to the side, and her foot slipped, causing her to fall off the platform.

Meanwhile, the train was still moving slowly forward. Chen Xiangxiu was completely terrified, her face turning pale with fear.

Shen Yue was not far from Chen Xiangxiu, so he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her up with all his might.

Liu Qing rushed over in a panic, hugging his daughter and comforting her repeatedly.

When Chen Xiangxiu finally calmed down and turned to thank the person who had saved her, she could find nothing.

After watching the two board the train from afar, Shen Yue turned around and ran towards his own train.

The train clattered along, and the scenery outside the window flashed by.

Shen Yue clenched his fist, stretched it out the window, and then suddenly opened his hand. The single strand of hair that remained between his fingers drifted away in the wind!

Life is about making choices; nothing is perfect.