“It’s true! Mother, I saw it myself just now—a whole basket full, more than a hundred pieces! And my second sister-in-law said she still has a lot more, and she’ll give us some every day from now on!”
Father Jiang said, “Her life is also quite hard right now. Why don’t we let her come back to live with us? A widow raising two children is ultimately not very safe.”
He spoke while looking at Mother Jiang. He had no real objections to this daughter-in-law, but his wife had always been at odds with her, and he could only turn a blind eye. Now that there was a chance to ease things, it might be better to let her return so the family could look after each other.
Mother Jiang said nothing. In truth, she had long wanted to see her two little grandchildren, but she just couldn’t bring herself to lower her pride.
She said sternly, “If what you’re saying is true—such a big business—I’m not at ease. I’ll go with you to take a look!”
“Alright, Mother, let’s go right away!” Wang Shi pulled Mother Jiang along as she prepared to leave.
“Grandmother, Mother, I want to go too!” Jiang Wenwan grabbed Wang Shi. She also wanted to see her second aunt and find out why she was still alive.
“Wait!” Jiang He quickly stopped his wife. “You haven’t finished speaking yet.”
He continued, “Go tell my second sister-in-law that I agree. From now on, I’ll help her sell the soap every day. If she has anything else she needs brought back, just tell me and I’ll bring it all back together.”
“Alright!” Wang Shi happily agreed, taking one person in each hand and heading out.
“Oh dear, slow down! My old bones can’t keep up!” Mother Jiang was nearly dragged into a jog and hurriedly told her to slow down.
“Ah! That’s my fault—I got too excited and forgot!” Wang Shi slowed her pace, and together with her daughter, she supported Mother Jiang as they walked toward Hua Wanxi’s residence.
As soon as they entered the shabby little mud house, Mother Jiang’s eyes turned red. Her youngest son… back then she had been so angry that she forced a separation, and she never expected her usually obedient and filial son would agree so readily—and even accept such a poor house without complaint, happily getting married.
She had nowhere to vent her anger and only blamed Hua Wanxi for leading her son astray. After her son’s accident, her resentment toward her had reached its peak—she almost wished she didn’t exist.
Now returning here, everything had changed.
“Second Aunt!” Jiang Wenwan spoke first. This second aunt seemed different from what she remembered.
“Mother, sister-in-law, Wenwan—you’re here!” Hua Wanxi greeted them. In her memory, she recognized them immediately.
Mother Jiang looked around the room. Even though the bedding had been replaced with new ones, it was still extremely poor.
“Second sister-in-law, don’t move—I’ll do it,” Wang Shi said, quickly pressing her back down. She familiarly went to the kitchen and poured a bowl of water for her mother-in-law. She and her daughter didn’t take any.
Seeing that Mother Jiang remained silent and only observed everything, Hua Wanxi knew there was still some emotional distance. She broke the silence:
“Mother, sister-in-law, did you come to give me the answer?”
“Yes. Your uncle agreed! He also said if you need anything in the future, just tell him and he’ll bring it back for you.”
“That’s wonderful!” Hua Wanxi smiled brightly. She pointed at the basket and said to Wang Shi, “Sister-in-law, from now on there will be at least this much every day. As for the price, let your uncle decide. He knows better than I do.”
Both Mother Jiang and Wang Shi were satisfied with the praise of Jiang He. Mother Jiang’s lips even curled slightly upward. Especially when she saw the two grandchildren sleeping on the bed, warmth filled her eyes.
Hua Wanxi did not intend to deliberately please anyone, but since Mother Jiang had come on her own with signs of reconciliation, she naturally went along with it. Though she could not fully forgive her past actions, she still chose to act as though they were reconciling.
After all, she had no familiar people in this world, and during the upcoming journey of hardship, she might still need their help.
She picked up one child each and placed them into Mother Jiang’s and Wang Shi’s arms.
“Mother, sister-in-law, look—haven’t they grown again?”
Mother Jiang looked at the baby in her arms and suddenly teared up. He looked exactly like Jiang He did as a child.
She gently touched his little hand and hair, clearly well cared for.
The sleeping baby moved his mouth slightly but did not wake.
They then swapped the children. Mother Jiang and Wang Shi looked at the little girl again—fair skin, delicate features. She would surely grow up beautiful.
They both nodded in satisfaction. The Hua girl was good-looking, and so were her children.
Jiang Wenwan leaned in to look at her younger siblings. In her previous life, when her second aunt died of complications during childbirth, the younger brother had already frozen stiff, and her belly was still swollen—with another child inside. It turned out to be a younger sister.
She secretly observed her second aunt. How had she survived this time?
Hua Wanxi felt Wenwan’s gaze and became slightly nervous. This girl was the only one who knew she should not exist here. She feared being seen through and tried her best to stay calm.
But Jiang Wenwan, despite having lived two lives, was still only a teenager. Her thoughts were simple—she only wanted to know how her second aunt survived, and did not suspect anything else.
After seeing the children, Mother Jiang’s heart softened completely. She cleared her throat awkwardly and said sternly:
“Hua Shi, since you’ve given birth to two children for the Jiang family, I won’t pursue the past. You should move back to the old house with us.”
Hua Wanxi did not expect this. She did not want to live with them—she had too many secrets, and living with anyone increased the risk of exposure.
She lowered her head and said hesitantly, “Mother… thank you for your kindness, but this is the place where my husband and I lived. I don’t want to leave.”
Her words were sincere, and she even wiped away nonexistent tears, her acting flawless.
Mother Jiang was a little displeased at first, but hearing this, she felt reassured—this showed deep affection for her son. Her son’s sincerity had not been wasted.
She sighed. “Fine, then as you wish. If you need anything, tell Wang Shi. We are still family.”
“Thank you, Mother!”
Hua Wanxi gave Mother Jiang and Jiang Wenwan each a small piece of handmade soap as a gift. Mother Jiang was indifferent, but Jiang Wenwan was delighted. In two lifetimes, this was her first time having soap—it smelled so good and looked so nice.
Wang Shi carried the basket and reminded them to close the door, and the three of them left together.
Hua Wanxi was also tired. She extinguished the oil lamp, went to the bathroom to take a shower, changed into clean clothes, blow-dried her hair, and lay down in the soft bed.
“So comfortable…”
The new bedding was indeed different—soft and warm. With a sigh of contentment, she drifted into a good sleep.