“Sister-in-law, the sun’s out today, did you see it?” Chen Guilan called out toward the interior before even seeing anyone, her hands tucked in her sleeves as she pushed the door open with her shoulder.
“Saw it, hung in the sky for a bit then disappeared,” Hu Xiu replied without turning her head, busy changing Guo Guo’s pants.
Over the years, Chen Guilan had grown accustomed to her sister-in-law’s meticulous ways. She obediently stood at the doorway scraping the muddy snow from her shoes before removing her padded jacket and entering the room.
When she finally saw Hu Xiu, her face immediately fell as she grumbled: “Look at you, anyone would think that Lin Ting is some kind of spiritual elixir.”
Hu Xiu shot her a glare: “Watch your words.”
Chen Guilan pursed her lips: “Am I wrong? You just got the news yesterday, and already you’re looking so much better.”
She and that simpleton Meihua had been keeping her company every day without seeing any improvement. So irritating.
Hu Xiu knew full well her sister-in-law was being petty again.
But her health had already been mostly restored – how could it be all because of her daughter-in-law?
Still, she couldn’t be bothered to argue, knowing she’d never win. Instead, she bent down and handed the freshly changed Guo Guo over: “Keep an eye on this little one for me. I looked away for just a moment and he’d already wet his pants.”
Before Chen Guilan could respond, Guo Guo, now settled in his second aunt’s arms, protested first.
The three-year-old already understood shame. In his childish voice he objected: “I didn’t mean to pee. Little Birdie decided on its own. It didn’t listen. Guo Guo is good.”
The little boy was well cared for – fair, plump, with large dark eyes like grapes. When he looked at you with that pitiful expression, it simply melted your heart.
Not only did Hu Xiu burst out laughing, even Chen Guilan forgot her sharpness, scooping up the child and covering him with kisses: “Yes, yes, Auntie’s Guo Guo don’t cry. Guo Guo is right, it was Little Birdie who didn’t listen. Your grandma is talking nonsense.”
Guo Guo looked satisfied: “Grandma was wrong.”
Chen Guilan grinned widely: “Yes, your grandma was wrong.”
“Don’t teach the child nonsense.” After her laugh, Hu Xiu got down from the kang and picked up the wet pants to wash them.
Unexpectedly, little Miao Miao, who had been quietly playing with her doll, glanced at her twin brother and, completely unaware of the adults’ well-meaning white lie, stated bluntly: “But Guo Guo did wet the bed.”
Having been ruthlessly exposed by his sister, the recently comforted Guo Guo’s lips began to tremble again.
Seeing this, before Hu Xiu could react, Chen Guilan – who doted excessively on the Dragon and Phoenix Twins – grew restless. Holding the child, she climbed down from the kang to look for candy.
Just as she retrieved two pieces from the high jar, a somewhat familiar voice came from outside: “Aunt Xiu, are you home?”
Chen Guilan frowned and muttered: “Why is the Wang family’s eldest girl here again?”
Their families didn’t live close – one at the village entrance, the other in the middle. With such heavy snow outside, was this really the time to come gawking?
Hu Xiu didn’t understand either, but a guest was a guest. She couldn’t very well ignore them, so she signaled for her sister-in-law to open the door.
Chen Gulan never had much patience for these curiosity-seekers.
She pulled the door open, lifting her slender eyelids to scrutinize the visitor up and down.
Only when the other woman shivered from the cold did she slowly move aside: “Oh, it’s Qin girl? Your Aunt Xiu is home, come in.”
Pretending not to notice Aunt Guilan’s displeasure, Wang Xiuqin quickly slipped inside.
Having stayed outside in the cold for too long, Lin Ting sneezed twice as soon as she entered the warm room.
Seeing this, before Hu Xiu could even frown, Chen Guilan exploded.
She took two steps back, then shifted to shield the child in her arms before complaining, “What’s wrong with you, Qin? If you’ve caught a cold, why are you running around? Don’t you know my sister-in-law is frail and there are two little ones in the house?”
“Not at all, it’s just the sudden warmth. If I were really sick, I wouldn’t dare come,” Wang Xiuqin replied. Having battled her in-laws for a decade, she was no stranger to such petty remarks. Unfazed, she hung her coat by the door, exchanged a few lighthearted words, and moved further inside.
But Chen Guilan blocked her again. “Hey! How can a young lady be so careless? Clean your shoes before coming in—don’t dirty my sister-in-law’s floor.”
Wang Xiuqin’s smile stiffened as she glanced down. Her shoes weren’t particularly dirty; she’d stamped them clean while knocking outside. Her eyes then drifted to Aunt Guilan’s spotless footwear—a stark contrast. Why the sudden nitpicking today when no one had minded before?
Still, she had to admit the floor was impeccably clean. After all, the Huo residence was one of only two homes in the village with red brick flooring, second only to Old Secretary’s house. Tsk… the Huo family’s wealth was undeniable. Between Huo Xiao’s monthly stipend and Aunt Xiu’s renowned midwifery skills—a veritable goldmine—their lavish interiors rivaled even urban officials’ homes. In her extra decade of life experience, Wang Xiuqin had never seen wealthier.
The thought reignited her ambition: once she married into this family, all these luxuries would be hers. Her irritation vanished instantly. She even retreated to the doorway with an apologetic smile, meticulously cleaning her shoes.
Chen Guilan…
Her pride prickling at being ignored, Chen Guilan bristled like a provoked hedgehog, ready for battle.
Oblivious to being targeted, Wang Xiuqin reentered and perched on a stool. She promptly fished two hard candies from her pocket, beaming as she offered them to the child. “You must be Guo Guo? Auntie brought you sweets.”
Chen Guilan intercepted. “No wrapper, stuffed in pockets, handled bare-handed—are you trying to make the child sick?”
Wang Xiuqin…
Enough already!
Who packaged loose candies anyway?
These were delicacies!!!
Rongcheng.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic sisters seeing her off, Lin Ting boarded the train to Hu Shi under the escort of guard Xiao Zhang.
Perhaps her luck had turned.
During the four-day, three-night journey, none of her compartment mates had foul foot odor. Chuckling at her own relief, she realized how easily contentment came through comparison. In her previous life, she’d have complained endlessly about the hard, narrow bunk. But compared to the arduous outbound journey in hard seats, this return trip felt luxurious—especially with Huo Xiao’s books to pass the time.
So when the conductor announced their imminent arrival in Hu Shi over the loudspeaker days later, Lin Ting was almost caught off guard.
What made her even more grateful was that when boarding the train, the guard Xiao Zhang had specifically spoken to the train attendant.
He mentioned she was a military spouse and asked for assistance when they arrived at Hu Shi Railway Station. Consequently, the two bundles that were quite a burden for Lin Ting were carried down by the young train attendant, who didn’t even let her take one.
It must be said that most people in this era were warm-hearted and sincere.
They practically had the phrase “Serve the People” engraved in their bones.
At this moment,
Lin Ting suddenly felt that perhaps she shouldn’t scrutinize everything here with a critical eye.
After all, aside from the initial hardships, everything was moving in a positive direction.
Moreover, only by wholeheartedly accepting this new world and her new identity could she truly live well.
Thus, having fully come to terms with it, Lin Ting felt like shopping.
She left her luggage at the guest house where she had stayed upon arrival,
then asked the enthusiastic attendant Sister Liu where in Hu Shi she could shop without using ration coupons.
With light steps, she headed toward the department store.
Daily necessities couldn’t run out.
As Sister-in-law Fengying had said, it was rare to travel so far, and who knew when the next opportunity would be.
Once she returned to Xiangyang Brigade, some supplies would be impossible to buy.
As for how to explain buying a bunch of things while ostensibly attending a funeral, she’d have to figure that out on the way back…
The only thing bothering Lin Ting now was the family of the original body’s owner.
Would they notice she was different?
Thinking this, being married didn’t seem so bad.
At least she wouldn’t have to live closely with those who knew her well.
Time waits for no one.
No matter how uneasy she felt, she still had to face them.
After another three days on the train,
as it pulled into the snow-covered Ice City station,
Lin Ting spotted her brothers on the platform, scanning the carriages before she even got off.
The original body had five siblings, and she was the fourth.
She had two older brothers, one older sister, and a younger brother.
She hadn’t expected both older brothers to come.
In her memories, compared to the honest and kind eldest brother, the second brother had always been shrewd.
Lin Ting felt apprehensive but had no choice but to brace herself and wave at them from the window.
It wasn’t snowing in Ice City today, but it was windy.
Standing in temperatures of over twenty below zero, Lin Wei, with only his eyes visible, stamped his feet repeatedly to keep warm in the bitter wind.
Fortunately, his suffering wasn’t in vain—the darn girl had really returned.
He nudged his still-searching eldest brother: “Bro, Tingting’s over there.”
Then, with a dark expression, he led the way toward his sister’s carriage.
How could he look happy?
Heaven knew, after learning his sister had run off with the money, Lin Wei had gone to the Huo family to check her belongings.
When he found that, aside from clothes and money, all the letters from her ex-boyfriend—which she had once treasured—were gone, his head spun.
If his sister hadn’t called in time, Lin Wei would have asked her classmates for the address and gone to Tibet himself to drag her back.
Unexpectedly, his assumption had been wrong.
But!
Even if she had gone to her husband’s troop, he couldn’t easily forgive her!
Did the darn girl not have a mouth?
If she wanted to go, couldn’t she have asked him to accompany her?
Who was she trying to worry to death?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!!
Lin Wei pushed aside his good-natured eldest brother, who had already started smiling, and sternly reached out to his sister: “Just come down through the window.”
Lin Ting glanced at the crowded carriage and, following local custom, first dropped her bundles before starting to climb out the window.
After being half-carried and set on the ground, before she could even speak, a sharp pain bloomed on her cheek.
Lin Wei, having pulled off his glove, pinched his sister’s face and tugged outward: “You brat, do you have any idea how scary that was? I thought you’d gone looking for that certain someone.”
Lin Ting also had an older biological brother. She was the second child, born only after her mother paid a fine for an unexpected pregnancy.
Having been pinched and bullied by her brother since childhood, she’d developed an instinctive reaction to it.
Sure enough, as the familiar pain registered, Lin Ting instantly forgot her unfamiliarity and discomfort, instinctively frowning and raising her hand to swat his away.
But just as her hand lifted, his words shocked her into freezing mid-motion.
Seeing this, Lin Wei—whose exposed peach-blossom eyes, strikingly similar to hers—narrowed slightly as he scrutinized her. “Was I right?”
Though Lin Ting was clearly the victim in this situation, her gaze still wavered guiltily for a moment…