At the bus station in Bingcheng’s Sui County, Su Qing stepped off the bus and took in the sight of the town before her.

Sui County was the most remote county under Bingcheng’s jurisdiction. It was not only small and sparsely populated, but also a far cry from the bustling Xiyuan County.

Just outside this small town was a large farm, and it was here that Li Aiguo, Li Yuan, and Zhao Li’e had been sent to perform labor.

"Excuse me, Ma’am, could you tell me how to get to Hongxing Farm?" Unfamiliar with Sui County, Su Qing had simply stopped an older woman on the street to ask for directions.

The woman turned at the sound of her voice. Her eyes lit up when she saw Su Qing, and she smiled. "Well now, young lady, you’re from out of town? Your face is new to me."

This woman was a known matchmaker in her spare time and was familiar with just about every pretty, unmarried girl in Sui County. One look at Su Qing was enough to tell her this girl wasn’t a local.

Su Qing gave a faint smile. "Yes, I’m from out of town. I’m trying to get to Hongxing Farm. Ma’am, do you know the way?"

"Oh, Hongxing Farm? That’s a long way off. What’s a young girl like you doing heading out there? The people they send to that place... they’re not the best sort. Are you going to visit family?" The woman said, frowning as she looked Su Qing up and down.

Su Qing replied calmly, "I’m on an errand. Ma’am, if you know the way, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me. If not, I can ask someone else."

As she said this, she began to turn away.

"Whoa there, you’re an impatient one, aren’t you?" The woman quickly said, "Is there anything in all of Sui County I don’t know?"

Without waiting for Su Qing to respond, she rattled off the directions to Hongxing Farm.

Su Qing thanked her with a smile, handed her a few White Rabbit candies, and hurried away.

"Hey, young lady, I wasn’t finished talking..." The woman clutched the White Rabbit milk candies, watching Su Qing walk away with incredible speed. She couldn’t help but mutter, ’Honestly. You didn’t even tell me your name. What’s the big hurry?’

"Dacheng’s mother, what are you muttering about?" another woman asked with a smile, patting her on the shoulder.

"Ah, forget it," she sighed, turning to see it was an acquaintance. "I just saw an incredibly pretty girl. I wanted to ask her a few things, but she ran off so fast I couldn’t find out a thing."

"Whose family is she from? Is there really a pretty girl in all of Sui County you don’t know about?"

"She’s not a local. Came from out of town..."

As the two women spoke, their voices gradually faded. Su Qing pressed her lips together slightly and headed in the direction the woman had indicated.

The distance from Sui County to Hongxing Farm was over thirty kilometers, and there was no dedicated bus route. To get there, one either had to drive their own car or find an ox-cart from a nearby village. With any luck, the cart would drop you off just a few kilometers’ walk from the farm.

Su Qing was in luck. She found an ox-cart in a village only four kilometers from her destination. The old man driving the cart was very friendly, and when he learned she was going to Hongxing Farm, he went out of his way to take her right to the main gate.

Deeply grateful, Su Qing gave the man two packs of cigarettes and a bag of brown sugar as thanks.

"Here for a visit?" the guard at the gate asked, looking at Su Qing sternly.

"Yes, for a visit." Su Qing nodded.

"Fill out the form." Someone led Su Qing to a room off to the side, gave her a form, and asked, "You know how to write, don’t you?"

Su Qing nodded. She knew it was a standard part of the visiting process.

After over half an hour of paperwork, Su Qing finally saw Li Aiguo, Li Yuan, and Zhao Li’e.