He had heard his mother mention the money and knew he needed to find a way to get it back from his second sister-in-law. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to afford a wooden wheelchair from the neighboring village, and moving around would be extremely difficult—let alone finding some work to do.
Out of consideration for him, the village leaders had pulled some strings to arrange the easiest job in the village for him: a scorekeeper. He had originally planned to give the job to Lu Miaomiao so she could have an easier life while he searched for another way to make a living. Unexpectedly, upon returning home, he was met with disdain and was even asked for a divorce.
Xiao Bi’an silently calculated how he might retrieve the money. He knew his second sister-in-law well—she was like a pixiu: easy to take money in, but nearly impossible to make her give it back.
Youyou lifted the lid of the water vat and was about to scoop some water when she suddenly froze at the sight of her reflection.
There wasn’t even a mirror in the bedroom, so she hadn’t known what she looked like until now.
Wasn’t this exactly how she had looked in her youth?
An oval face, large watery eyes, and rosy cherry-like lips. Her height was also similar to that of her previous life. Only a few faint scratches marred her delicate cheeks, likely from the fight with the so-called second sister-in-law the day before. Thanks to the spiritual spring water she had drunk, the scars had already begun to fade.
It was still her own face—how wonderful! Lu Miaomiao happily looked herself over from every angle. Heaven was truly kind; after all, facing a completely unfamiliar face would have been quite unsettling.
After briskly washing her hands and face, she walked over and sat beside Xiao Bi’an. With a vigilant expression, she looked at her young sister-in-law, Xiao Xiaocao, and commanded:
“Comrade Xiaocao, come and bring water for your brother to wash his hands.”
She had never served anyone before, so it was only natural to let others do it. Without realizing it, she used the cold, authoritative tone she had employed to command her subordinates in her previous life.
Xiao Bi’an frowned, feeling that her matter-of-fact attitude toward ordering people around was inappropriate, especially when directed at family. He was about to say that it wasn’t necessary and that he could wash his hands himself, but then he touched his immobile legs.
His gaze immediately darkened—he couldn’t even wash his hands without assistance.
“Okay!” Xiao Xiaocao obediently stood up and went to fetch the water.
Since childhood, she had been mocked by villagers as the child of a “fool and a cripple,” leaving her with a deeply ingrained sense of inferiority. Though only around ten years old, she always kept her head lowered and rarely spoke. Aside from her parents and Xiao Bi’an, she wasn’t close to the other family members.
Then again, who would want to be close to people who constantly ordered them around as if they were servants? Only a masochist would.
Lu Miaomiao handed the filled basin to the little girl and then sat beside Xiao Bi’an on the stone steps, watching as Xiao Xiaocao carefully presented it to him.
Xiao Bi’an glanced at Lu Miaomiao with a complicated expression but ultimately said nothing. He decided it would be better to discuss the matter with her privately rather than in front of the child. Xiaocao was family, not a servant, and shouldn’t be ordered about so casually.
“I’m done washing. Thank you, Xiaocao. You should go wash up too—we’ll be eating soon.”
Xiao Bi’an gently patted her dry, yellowish hair with his slender hands and spoke softly.
Blushing, Xiaocao hurried off with the basin to water the small vegetable patch in the backyard. Their household water was drawn from the public well at the eastern end of the village, quite a distance from their home in the west, so the water used for washing was usually poured onto the garden.
Lu Miaomiao glanced at the damp patch of ground nearby and looked up at the sky in speechless frustration. Heaven knew she had genuinely forgotten about this practice.
She awkwardly stole a glance at Xiao Bi’an, only to meet his deep gaze. Seeing her own reflection in his eyes, she suddenly felt an inexplicable shyness.
Xiao Bi’an was also momentarily stunned. Her lively, expressive eyes dazzled him, and a hint of amazement flashed across his face before he quickly composed himself. He calmly turned to look toward the kitchen, where his second sister-in-law, Liu Huifang, was bustling about while her son helped tend the fire. He found it rather strange—since when had she been so diligent? Normally, she would order their mother or eldest sister-in-law to cook.
Xiao Xiaocao returned after putting away the basin and quietly sat down on Xiao Bi’an’s other side, her head still lowered. No sooner had she sat than a rumbling sound came from her stomach.
In those days, many people couldn’t get enough to eat. In the Xiao family, there were few members able to work the fields but many mouths to feed. The entire family had avoided starvation only because of Xiao Bi’an’s allowance, but eating their fill was out of the question.
“Xiaocao, are you hungry? Just wait a little longer; we’ll be eating soon,” Xiao Bi’an comforted her gently.
Embarrassed, Xiaocao covered her stomach with both hands, lowering her head even further and softly responding with an “Mm.”
At that moment, as if by chain reaction, Xiao Bi’an’s stomach also began to rumble loudly.
This made Lu Miaomiao feel that she should perhaps join in, so she unexpectedly let out two loud burps.
Uh… that definitely wasn’t her intention!
She smoothed her long hair to hide her embarrassment. Meeting Xiao Bi’an’s indescribable expression, she pretended to be nonchalant and said:
“My mouth is hungry! Hehe!”
After all, as long as she wasn’t embarrassed, it would be others who felt awkward.
As she spoke, she took out several White Rabbit Creamy Candies from her pocket, unwrapped one, and popped it into her mouth. She loved snacks. In her previous life, she had been recognized and taken home by her wealthy father shortly after turning eighteen. Just two days later, she awakened a spatial ability.
Taking it as a warning from heaven, she went on a shopping spree with her father’s credit card, purchasing vast quantities of supplies—rice, flour, fruits, vegetables, meat, and especially snacks, which made up a significant portion. When there was nothing left to buy, the apocalypse arrived. Her ability to live freely and comfortably during those harsh times was due not only to her strength but also to her ample preparations.
Savoring the candy with a look of delight, she took out another and handed it to Xiao Bi’an, enthusiastically promoting her favorite treat.
“Here, try one. It’s rich in milky flavor—super delicious.”
“I don’t like sweets. You can have it yourself.”
In truth, the moment the wrapper was opened, Xiao Bi’an had already caught a faint milky aroma. It was probably an expensive kind of candy, so he quickly shook his head and declined.
Lu Miaomiao glanced at him, swiftly unwrapped the candy, and deftly pinched his chin. Before he could react, she stuffed the candy into his mouth. With a mischievous grin, she said:
“Hmph! Even if you don’t like it, you still have to eat it. From now on, if your wife likes something, you have to like it too. Nyah!” She even made a playful face at him.
With the candy in his mouth, a faint sweetness rose in Xiao Bi’an’s heart.
“Thank you. I’ve tasted it—it’s very good. Let Xiaocao have a taste as well.”
As he spoke, he prepared to take the candy out of his mouth to give it to Xiao Xiaocao.
In those days of material scarcity, especially in the village, it was common for a single piece of candy to be shared among a dozen children, each taking a lick just to enjoy a bit of sweetness. Very few people would mind that it had already been tasted by someone else.