Summer, 1975. The cicadas were chirping incessantly beneath the blazing summer sun.
Along a bumpy, dusty country road, an old-fashioned walking tractor rattled along at full speed, kicking up clouds of yellow dust behind it.
Shen Qing huddled on the hard wooden plank at the back of the tractor. Her body swayed with every jolt, but her face remained largely expressionless.
The wind whipped the loose strands of hair across her forehead. All she could feel was the dry, scorching, rough country breeze blowing against her face.
It completely swept away the last trace of the Li family’s city life.
Beneath the enormous locust tree at the entrance to the village, several Apricot Blossom Village residents sat in small groups.
The moment they spotted Shen Qing, they began pointing and whispering among themselves.
“Isn’t that Shen Qing? Didn’t she go to the city to reunite with her biological parents?”
“Why has she come back looking so miserable?”
“I heard the Li family didn’t acknowledge that country girl at all. They simply kicked her out and sent her back!”
“A sparrow raised in a muddy ditch actually dreamed of becoming a golden phoenix. What a ridiculous fantasy!”
“Just look at her! She’s so dark and skinny. She doesn’t look like a young lady from a wealthy family at all. Anyone would be embarrassed to have a daughter like her.”
The villagers’ gossip seemed to have grown wings, drilling relentlessly into Shen Qing’s ears and stabbing painfully at her heart.
In her previous life, it was on this very day that she couldn’t bear the villagers’ ridicule and threw herself into the river to end her life. She was rescued just in time by Er Lai Zi, a local hooligan, and eventually married him.
From that moment onward, her life had completely descended into an abyss.
Before she died, her adoptive sister, Li Mengyao, had looked down at her condescendingly and revealed the entire truth with a smile.
From the moment the Li family had sent her back to the village, everything had been an elaborate trap carefully laid by Li Mengyao.
In her previous life, Shen Qing had been foolish and weak. She had fallen into one trap after another, eventually being sent to a laboratory where she was tortured to death.
Her family had been destroyed, and she had died without even a complete body left behind!
Shen Qing clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
In this life, she would never repeat the same mistakes!
She glanced at Er Lai Zi, who was eagerly watching from among the crowd, then lowered her eyelids to conceal the hatred in her eyes.
“Qingqing!”
A familiar voice rang out.
Shen Qing’s eyes instantly grew hot, and she almost burst into tears.
In her previous life, when she had fallen into the depths of misery, her adoptive mother had endured endless discrimination and humiliation just to protect her.
She had even been beaten to death while trying to shield Shen Qing.
Shen Qing turned around with a trembling body and saw Liu Cuihua approaching through the crowd. She was dressed in a patched blue cotton jacket, looking rather disheveled as she hurried toward her.
“Qingqing! The villagers told me you were back, but I didn’t believe them at first. I never expected it to be true!”
Someone immediately stepped forward and remarked, “Your daughter was rejected by her biological parents in the city and sent back here! What a disgrace!”
Liu Cuihua looked at Shen Qing anxiously.
“Qingqing, they didn’t acknowledge you?”
Shen Qing replied calmly, “If they don’t want to acknowledge me, then so be it. I already have all of you.”
Shen Qing shot the person who had made the remark a glare. The villager shrank back and abandoned the idea of adding more fuel to the fire.
The person couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
What was wrong with Shen Qing? She seemed like a completely different person. Even the way she glared at people was rather frightening!
Liu Cuihua took Shen Qing by the hand.
“Qingqing, let’s go home!”
Er Lai Zi watched the two women leave, feeling extremely disappointed.
Why hadn’t that girl jumped into the river?
His lecherous gaze remained fixed on Shen Qing’s retreating figure…
Shen Qing stood inside the family’s narrow earthen house. The familiar scent of firewood lingered beneath her nose, making her feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and belonging.
The low adobe walls were slightly blackened by years of smoke. The table inside was even missing one leg, with a brick propping it up.
Everything was shabby and worn-out, yet it felt warmer than any luxurious place she could remember.
“Mom, where’s Dad?”
Liu Cuihua replied, “Your father, eldest brother, and eldest sister have all gone out to earn work points. Your third brother has probably gone off wandering somewhere again.”
Shen Qing nodded.
At this time of day, her father and eldest brother should indeed be working in the fields.
Her second brother was disabled in both legs and spent most of his time lying in bed.
Her third brother was a good-for-nothing who had left behind a letter before disappearing. No one knew where he had gone.
Her younger brother, Tiedan, had gone out to play.
The house was quiet, except for the faint, suppressed coughing coming from the inner room.
It was her second brother, Shen Chang’an.
Shen Qing’s heart tightened, and she hurried inside.
The small inner room was dimly lit. A thin layer of old straw matting covered the earthen kang bed.
Shen Chang’an was half reclining on the bed. His face was pale and gaunt, but his features were delicate and clean-cut. His legs lay straight and rigid beneath the quilt, completely motionless.
Her second brother had been born with a disability. Nerve compression had damaged the nerves in his legs.
Because the family lacked both money and medicine, they had missed the critical window for treatment, leaving him paralyzed for the rest of his short life.
In her previous life, disaster had struck the family one after another. The entire household had been destroyed, and her second brother had died at a young age.
Thinking about all this, Shen Qing felt as though an enormous hand had clenched around her heart. The bitterness and sorrow were so overwhelming that she could barely breathe.
Hearing the movement, Shen Chang’an turned toward the doorway. A flicker of surprise crossed his clear, gentle eyes before he offered her a warm, faint smile.
“Qingqing? You’re back?”
His voice was weak and hoarse, with little strength behind it.
Earlier, some villagers who enjoyed watching other people’s misfortunes had told him that Shen Qing had been sent back by her biological family. He had been worried sick ever since.
“Qingqing, they must have treated you terribly, haven’t they?”
Shen Qing noticed that there was no medicine bowl nearby and suddenly realized something. Her eyes filled with guilt.
“I’m sorry, Second Brother. I shouldn’t have taken the family’s money to go to the city.”
She had impulsively taken all the money with her. Her second brother probably hadn’t had his medicine for several days.
Damn it! How could she have forgotten something so important back then?
Shen Chang’an’s expression remained gentle.
“Your second brother understands. Although you have the vanity and tendency to compare yourself with others that are common at your age…”
“Your second brother also knows that part of the reason you went back was because you wanted to make life better for this family. You wanted to help me stand on my own two feet again.”
“Second Brother!”
Shen Qing’s eyes reddened.
Everyone else called her vain, and the truth was that she really had been somewhat vain.
But just as her second brother had said, she had also genuinely wanted to improve her own circumstances first so that she could come back and help her entire family.
Shen Chang’an gently patted her back.
“All right, Qingqing. You’re home now. That’s all that matters. You’re home.”
He knew that his younger sister was hurting more than anyone.
She had desperately wanted to reunite with her biological family, only to be abandoned by them.
She had wanted so badly to help her family, yet she had been powerless to do anything.
He understood her helplessness and humiliation better than anyone.
Grrr…
Her second brother’s stomach suddenly growled. His cheeks turned slightly red with embarrassment.
Shen Qing took a roasted sweet potato out of her pocket.
“Second Brother, eat this.”
But Shen Chang’an cautiously asked, “Where did you get it?”
At this time of year, only the commune’s public storage cellar had sweet potatoes.
Without batting an eye, Shen Qing lied, “The Li family gave it to me.”
The truth was that after her rebirth, a small plot of land had suddenly appeared.
Sweet potatoes were growing in the soil.
Beside the plot of land stood a laboratory, one that looked remarkably similar to the laboratory where Li Mengyao had imprisoned and tortured her.
Before returning home, Shen Qing had roasted several sweet potatoes and kept them with her.
Shen Chang’an was so hungry that he wolfed down the entire sweet potato.
Watching him eat, Shen Qing felt a pang of heartache.
In this life, she would make sure her entire family had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear. She would also find a way to cure her second brother’s legs.
Just then, Shen Qing’s younger brother, Shen Tiedan, returned with a message.
Liu Cuihua had finished preparing the meal and wanted Shen Qing to come over to Grandma’s house to eat.
The Shen family hadn’t formally divided their household, so everyone ate at the paternal grandmother’s house.
As soon as Shen Qing stepped over the threshold of her grandmother’s house, her eldest aunt’s sharp, mocking voice rang out.
“Well, well! Look who’s here! If it isn’t our young lady from the city!”
“I heard you were chased out and sent back in disgrace!”
“How embarrassing!”
Grandma Shen frowned and pointed at Shen Qing.
“You are not allowed to eat today’s meal! No, actually, you won’t be allowed to eat here ever again!”
The family’s food supplies were already stretched thin. If this little girl ate one less portion, her beloved eldest grandson would have a few extra bites!
Shen Qing raised her eyes and gave the two women a cold glance. The corner of her lips curled into a chilling smile.
In the past, she had endured everything in silence, allowing them to bully and humiliate her however they pleased.
But from now on, no one would ever be allowed to bully her again!
“The Shen family hasn’t divided the household yet. I’m a daughter of the Shen family. What right do you have to stop me from sitting down and eating with everyone else?”