Su Jiaxuan swiftly tossed the eggs from the stove into the fire pit and covered the pot of rice with a lid.
“Shh.” He covered Shen Fujuan’s mouth, signaling her to stay quiet before cautiously moving toward the door.
Su Jianqiang and Su Jianjun also stepped out. The three men stood at the doorway, but none dared to act rashly.
Their family background was already problematic, burdened with numerous labels. If they were caught cooking privately again, it would only deepen their unjust predicament.
“Mom, Dad, Big Brother, Second Brother, please open the door! It’s Lina!”
Su Lina’s tearful voice pierced through the poorly soundproofed door, echoing clearly inside the house.
Shen Fujuan’s heart, which had felt as if suspended by a thin thread, finally settled back into place.
Jianjun pulled open the door bolt and opened the door to find Su Lina standing outside, weeping uncontrollably.
Though less than half a month had passed since they last saw her, Su Lina seemed to have undergone a dramatic transformation.
The person at their doorstep was disheveled and unkempt, her eyes filled with sorrow and evasion. Her once rosy lips now resembled parched earth, cracked and peeling.
The moment she saw Shen Fujuan, Su Lina burst into loud sobs.
Without the support and protection of the Su family, Su Lina had once again experienced the harshness of the outside world.
She wanted to rush into Shen Fujuan’s embrace as she had done in childhood.
However, this time, as she took a step forward, Su Jiaxuan blocked her path, standing protectively in front of Shen Fujuan.
It was as if he feared Su Lina might harm Shen Fujuan.
Su Lina’s face was etched with embarrassment and unease. “Dad, I truly know I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
“I know my reaction last time was too extreme, but I understand now—you are the ones who love me most in this world—”
Su Lina reached out to grab Shen Fujuan’s hand.
Her once delicate and fair hands were now swollen like radishes from doing rough labor.
Shen Fujuan merely glanced at them before quickly looking away.
Su Lina was not genuinely remorseful.
She had only endured a few days of hardship and now realized how indulgent her family had been toward her.
But how many second chances does life offer?
Shen Fujuan pushed Su Lina away and took a step back, her expression cold.
“Who are you? Do we know each other?”
Just as she had declared on the day they severed ties, Shen Fujuan acted as if she had never raised this child.
In her previous life, if she had realized this earlier, the entire family would not have suffered at Su Lina’s hands, ending in death and injury.
“Mom, I’m Lina!” Su Lina thought Shen Fujuan didn’t recognize her because of her drastically changed appearance and even reached up to smooth her tangled, straw-like hair.
Shen Fujuan shook her head. “Our family only has two sons. We have no daughter named Lina.”
Su Lina’s emotions seemed to shatter. She couldn’t bear that the family who had once cherished her like a precious jewel now refused to acknowledge her.
“Mom, Dad, I truly know I was wrong this time. Please forgive me.” Su Lina’s knees gave way, and she knelt before Shen Fujuan, kowtowing heavily twice.
Shen Fujuan had already witnessed how wretched Su Lina’s biological family was.
However, Su Lina only realized their worth after being beaten. Now that she had come back to find them, these “Stinking Ninths,” it was already too late, Shen Fujuan thought.
A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips as Shen Fujuan sidestepped slightly.
Since Su Lina was no longer her foster mother, Shen Fujuan couldn’t possibly accept this kneeling gesture from her.
“Everyone has their own fate. Being sent down here was the fate of our family, and returning to the place where you were born and raised is yours,” Shen Fujuan said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.
Zhao Xiaorou slowly stepped forward. Seeing Su Lina in such a pitiful state, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. “Lina, you should go back quickly,” she advised. “If your family finds out you’re still associating with us, they’ll beat you again!”
At the mention of the word “beat,” Su Lina trembled like a leaf in the wind.
Still unwilling to give up, she lifted her head and cast a pleading glance at the people inside the room.
No one showed any sign of relenting. Su Lina bit her lip, wanting to plead further, but her eyes met Su Jianjun’s fierce, warning glare, which was as intense as the gaze of a bronze bell.
Startled and afraid they might resort to violence as well, she gritted her teeth and reluctantly left, looking back every few steps with lingering resentment.
After locking the door again, Shen Fujuan took out the vegetables she had prepared earlier.
She stir-fried a plate of greens and cooked a few eggs. The aroma of the meal and the fragrance of rice filled the air, moving the entire family to the brink of tears.
In the past, when they had meat to eat every day, they had never felt particularly fortunate. Now, even having a full meal felt like a blessing worthy of gratitude.
Su Jianjun slapped his own face hard, making sure this wasn’t a dream, before picking up his bowl and taking a few mouthfuls.
The sweet fragrance of rice instantly spread across his tongue. Su Jianjun felt as though he had never tasted such delicious food in his entire life.
Gathered around the table under the dim glow of a single lamp, the family shared a reunion meal.
Looking at her family, their faces still youthful, Shen Fujuan felt tears welling up in her eyes.
She had imagined this scene countless times in her heart.
After the meal, Su Jianjun volunteered to wash the dishes, while Shen Fujuan began examining the shoes they wore.
The clothes and shoes they had on were all brought from the city. City dwellers prioritized style and appearance in their footwear, but when it came to working in the fields, the impracticality became painfully clear.
This was especially true for Su Jiaxuan, who did the heaviest labor. His feet were covered in large, painful blisters.
Just looking at them made Shen Fujuan’s heart ache.
Su Jiaxuan was a scholar. For the first half of his life, he had dealt almost exclusively with books and numbers. Now, in the latter half, he had to abandon everything he relied on for survival and work the land.
Shen Fujuan sniffled and sat on the edge of the heated brick bed, tracing the outline of Su Jiaxuan’s old shoes to measure their size.
In her previous life, Shen Fujuan had learned shoemaking from the village women.
Although she hadn’t practiced the craft for decades after their rehabilitation, her skills came back to her quickly.
To save time, Shen Fujuan traced shoe patterns for everyone in the family at once.
Next came the process of attaching the soles, which required a considerable amount of fabric.
Shen Fujuan’s Dimensional Space held plenty of fabric in reserve.
But considering the current circumstances, if the entire family suddenly wore shoes made of new fabric, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
After much thought, Shen Fujuan decided to take one of her own white shirts and carefully cut it apart with scissors.
She then mixed a small bowl of paste with flour, and Shen Fujuan officially began her grand shoe-making endeavor.
Su Jiaxuan fetched a basin of foot-washing water. When he entered the room, he saw Shen Fujuan holding a pair of shoe-shaped paper patterns, sitting by the bed and studying them intently.
The lamplight fell on Shen Fujuan’s fine, dense eyelashes, casting a small but distinct shadow.
When Shen Fujuan focused, her pink lips couldn’t help but pout slightly, looking utterly adorable.
Su Jiaxuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He placed the foot-washing basin in front of Shen Fujuan, crouched down, and was about to remove her shoes and socks.
Shen Fujuan was startled.
Seeing Su Jiaxuan crouching before her, she nearly jumped up. “Husband, what are you doing?”