The first sentence in the letter read: Dearest Little Qingqing, it’s like I’m right here with you! Have you missed me?

Her tone was so familiar, as if they’d been friends for years.

Goodness knows, she and Li Huan had only just met. All they’d done was spend twenty-some hours on a train together.

Li Huan’s letter to Su Qing was a full two pages long. In it, she chattered on and on about many things, all of them interesting. Clearly, Li Huan was sharing her happiness with Su Qing.

After talking about herself, Li Huan asked if Su Qing had made it home. She urged Su Qing to write back as soon as she got the letter, or better yet, give her a call. She’d even specially included her home phone number. Li Huan also reminded Su Qing to pick up a package from the post office, saying she’d bought her some New Year’s gifts.

Su Qing looked at the parcel slip. In this day and age, packages were mailed more slowly than letters, so the slip was from three days ago. Su Qing raised an eyebrow slightly. She hoped Li Huan hadn’t sent any perishable food. Still, the weather was cool now, so even food would be easy to preserve.

Li Huan’s letter was incredibly cheerful, and Su Qing’s mood lifted even more after reading it. She glanced at her space. Since Li Huan had sent her a New Year’s gift, she decided to send some back in return. However, mail wasn’t fast in this era; Li Huan probably wouldn’t receive the package before the new year.

In the end, Su Qing put together a New Year’s gift package for Li Huan. It included one smoked rabbit, two smoked pheasants, and two strips of cured meat. Additionally, there were some candies she’d bought in Chuncheng and a scarf from Laxian. Su Qing had bought quite a few of these scarves in Laxian because they were just so beautiful. She’d picked up extra, figuring they would be great to wear herself or give as gifts.

「The next day.」

Su Qing delivered some pastries and candies she’d brought back from Chuncheng to a few families she was close with. Then, she set off for Xiyuan County. Besides mailing Li Huan’s gift, she also had to visit Fu Yuzhen’s home to drop off a New Year’s gift.

After arriving at the post office, Su Qing first picked up the package Li Huan had sent her. She hefted it; it was quite heavy. She had no idea what Li Huan could have sent her, but she wasn’t in a hurry to look. She decided to wait until she got home to open it.

"Comrade, if I’m mailing a package to Beijing, about how many days will it take?" Su Qing asked the post office worker as she picked up a parcel form and started filling it out.

"About ten days," the worker said after inspecting the items Su Qing wanted to mail.

"Ten days." Su Qing did a quick calculation. ’It definitely won’t arrive until after the new year.’ Without much hope, she asked, "What’s the fastest option?"

Before that worker could reply, another one nearby spoke up. "If you want to expedite it, the fee isn’t cheap."

Su Qing’s eyes lit up. "It can be expedited?"

"Yes, it can," the worker said. "Before the new year, the post office is piloting an express line. It only goes to Beijing, though. It’s faster—it should arrive in about five or six days."

"Okay, I’ll take the express line." Su Qing hadn’t expected an express option to exist in this era and made her decision on the spot. ’It’s just a matter of paying more. In this world, any problem that can be solved with money isn’t a problem at all.’

’I’m rich!’

After arranging for the package to be mailed, Su Qing thought for a moment and then dialed Li Huan’s home number.

"Hello, who is this?" a woman with a very gentle voice answered the phone.

Su Qing smiled lightly. "Hello, I’m looking for Li Huan."

"Oh, you’re looking for Huanhuan. Just a moment," the woman on the other end replied with a laugh, then called out, "Huanhuan, you have a phone call."

Su Qing could hear Li Huan’s clear voice through the receiver. "Coming! Mom, who’s calling me?"

"I didn’t ask. It’s a girl."

Hearing Li Huan’s voice on the line, Su Qing chuckled. "It’s me, Su Qing."

"Ah, Su Qing, it’s you!" As soon as Li Huan heard Su Qing’s voice, she exclaimed happily, "You’re back from Chuncheng! When did you get back? Did you get my letter and package? Why didn’t you call me and stay in Beijing for a couple of days? I was going to show you around the city! Was Chuncheng fun? Were there any nice sights?"

Before Su Qing could say anything, Li Huan had already bombarded her with a string of questions.

Su Qing couldn’t help but laugh. "I just got back yesterday. I received your letter as soon as I arrived, and I came to the post office today to pick up the package. I didn’t stop over in Beijing because it’s almost the new year. Chuncheng was a lot of fun, with lots of beautiful scenery."

"I’m so jealous! You got to stay in Chuncheng for so long. I want to go too." Li Huan was envious, but unfortunately, her mother would never let her run off so far away for such a long time.

"You’ll have a chance to go in the future," Su Qing said with a smile. "By the way, I mailed you some things too. Be on the lookout for them."

"Ah, really?" Hearing that Su Qing had also sent her a gift, Li Huan was instantly delighted again. "Su Qing, I love you so much!"

They chatted for a little while longer before Li Huan, worried that Su Qing would run up a high phone bill, promised they’d keep in touch regularly and ended the call.

After hanging up with Li Huan, Su Qing took the package from her and found a secluded spot. She placed Li Huan’s package into her space, then took out the New Year’s gift for Fu Yuzhen’s family. With that done, she headed to Fu Yuzhen’s house.

Meanwhile, in Beijing at Li Huan’s home, Shang Yuqi saw how happily Li Huan was chatting with the girl on the phone and casually asked, "A new friend of yours?"

Shang Yuqi had met most of Li Huan’s friends, but this girl’s voice was unfamiliar.

"Yep." Li Huan, still in high spirits from her call with Su Qing, linked her arm through Shang Yuqi’s and sat down on the sofa. "She’s a good friend I made on the train when I came back from the Northeast last time. She was going to Chuncheng, and we happened to be on the same train to Beijing."

"You..." Mentioning that incident soured Shang Yuqi’s mood. She gently poked Li Huan’s forehead. "You still dare to bring up how you snuck back home last time? Do you have any idea how badly you scared your uncle? And didn’t I tell you not to talk to strangers when you’re out? You’re a young girl traveling alone. What if you get scammed? What if they have bad intentions? If something had happened, you’d have been completely helpless, with no one to turn to! How can you be so reckless?"

Li Huan wrinkled her nose. "I was the one who started talking to her first."

"You silly girl."

Before Shang Yuqi could say more, Li Huan quickly interjected, "Mom, can’t you have a little faith in your own daughter? Am I that easy to fool?"

"Yes."

Li Huan: ...