Chen Xiaoyan now held Xia Wan in her arms, gently patting her, a look of contentment on her face.
Xia Wan held her mother’s hand and scanned her entire body using her system.
She then rose and gently reassured Chen Xiaoyan, “Mom, you continue staying at Uncle’s house for now. After my college entrance exam, I’ll come get you. Our family will be together again, okay?”
Chen Xiaoyan sobbed, clutching Xia Wan’s hand tightly. “Don’t go! Daughter, don’t go!”
Xia Wan lightly patted her hand. “Mom, don’t worry. I’m not leaving. I’ll come see you often. For now, stay with your parents and younger brother. Once I’ve settled things, I’ll come for you. At the latest, in July just wait for me two more months.”
Chen Xiaoyan’s vacant eyes immediately brightened.
She made a “yay” gesture with her hand and happily said, “Two months?”
“Yes, two months! I’ll come get you after my exam!”
“Good!”
Xia Wan smiled warmly. “Then it’s agreed. I’ll study hard at home, and you must listen to Grandpa and Grandma, eat properly, and don’t hurt anyone again, okay?”
“Yes! I’ll be obedient. Daughter, take me with you.”
“That’s right. If you behave, I’ll take you with me.”
After spending some time together, Chen Yuling knocked on the door. “Cousin, the meal is ready. Come eat first.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Xia Wan lead Chen Xiaoyan out, Chen Yuling instinctively stepped back.
After confirming that Chen Xiaoyan had no aggressive intentions, she cautiously asked, “Is Aunt going to eat with us?”
Xia Wan nodded. “It’s fine. She just didn’t see me before. Now that I’m here, she won’t attack anyone.”
Grandpa and Grandma, seeing their daughter follow Xia Wan to the table, couldn’t help but have tears well up in their eyes.
During the private time earlier, Xia Wan had tidied Chen Xiaoyan a little and secretly administered an injection to calm her down.
Now she could behave obediently and sit with everyone to eat.
After the meal, Xia Wan escorted her back to her room.
She took two bottles of medicine from her system, put them in her bag, and handed them to Grandma.
“These… Uncle Liu at the factory arranged for someone to get these medicines. They can treat my mom’s illness. One pill per day is enough.”
Grandma looked worried. “Uncle Liu from the factory? This must be expensive, right? Is it safe?”
“It’s fine. I’ve been helping the factory solve problems recently. He asked me personally, that’s why he did this.”
Xia Wan had already told her family about how she had helped repair the factory machines.
So no one questioned her further.
Grandma looked at the English on the bottles and exclaimed, “Wow, even in foreign language! Uncle Liu is doing so well?”
Xia Wan smiled faintly and said seriously, “These medicines were obtained secretly. Don’t mention it publicly.”
Everyone immediately understood and nodded solemnly.
Xia Wan was satisfied.
Factory Director Liu’s connections could indeed help her a lot.
They hardly met anyway, so there was no risk of exposure.
After arranging everything with the Chen family, Uncle had her two cousins escort her back to the town.
The next day, the group drove to the factory gate in a grand procession.
Xia Wan led them straight to the Lu family.
By this time, Lu Hongmei had already gone to work.
Yang Shufen was home alone.
Seeing Xia Wan arrive with such a group, she screamed in terror, “Help! Murderers!”
Xia Wan crossed her arms, looking down at Yang Shufen. “What are you yelling for? These people are here at my request. We’re just taking my belongings.”
Yang Shufen’s scream drew the curiosity of nearby people.
Zhang Wei’s mother, Aunt Wang, hurriedly called over anyone she knew.
“Yang Shufen, have some shame! You’re kicking out your daughter-in-law, and she’s only taking her own things.”
Aunt Wang excitedly told the surrounding women, “Old Xia was a good person. Her family only has one daughter left. Yesterday, she even helped our factory repair the machines. We must watch over her so the Lu family doesn’t take advantage!”
The women nearby looked puzzled. “But you didn’t say that yesterday?”
Aunt Wang cleared her throat. “I was angry then. I see things clearly now!”
Seeing Aunt Wang’s change in attitude, Xia Wan realized she must have found out about the job.
Since Aunt Wang was willing to help, Xia Wan couldn’t reject her goodwill.
“Thank you, Aunt Wang and the other ladies. I asked my cousins and some friends from our village to help move these large items. We’ll only take my belongings. I won’t touch anything from the Lu family. I hope you can witness this, so no one can twist the story later.”
Aunt Wang gladly replied, “Of course, we’ll watch over it!”
Xia Wan took a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to Chen Yuling.
Chen Yuling took the paper, ran to the doorway, and called to her two older brothers, “I’ll call out one, you move one. Don’t take more or less! Let’s start with the big items!”
“Wardrobe!”
“Sewing machine!”
“Bed!”
…
Xia Wan handed a water bottle to Chen Yuling.
Chen Yuling took a sip it was a pear juice drink from Xia Wan’s post-apocalyptic world, sweet and soothing for the throat.
It had been specially prepared for her.
Chen Yuling drank and looked at the water in surprise. “Cousin, this tastes amazing!”
Xia Wan smiled. “It’s boiled pear water. Good for your throat.”
Chen Yuling nodded firmly and continued, “Three washbasins!”
…
In front of everyone’s shocked eyes, they emptied out the Lu family house.
When the Lu family had suffered a fire before, most of their belongings were already destroyed.
Later, the factory provided this current residence, with items purchased with her own money.
These items had originally been forced from her by Yang Shufen at knifepoint.
Originally, the previous owner had come to repay the favor, and partly because she was to marry into the family anyway, she agreed to treat them as her dowry.
Her invisible husband didn’t seem to approve of the marriage and went off to enlist, leaving family matters entirely unattended.
Xia Wan recalled the original book’s plot.
Su Lijuan and Lu Jingxing had grown up together as childhood friends, born only days apart.
Their families were very close.
Yang Shufen treated Su Lijuan as her own daughter.
It seemed she had long seen Su Lijuan as her future daughter-in-law.
Unfortunately, Su Lijuan didn’t like Yang’s poor son and rejected the marriage.
Otherwise, they would have married long ago, and Xia Wan would have had no role in this story.
Xia Wan’s expression darkened.
Fortunately, according to the original plot, Lu Jingxing would only return after her college exam.
By then, she would take her mother to settle near the university and ensure she would have no further contact with that scumbag.
Xia Wan looked at the fully loaded truck and asked, “All loaded?”
The group answered in unison, “All done!”
Xia Wan glanced toward the door, pointing at a flowerbed. “I had this flowerbed built with my money. Smash it, and take the flowers with you.”