Wen Nian, in the final stages of stomach cancer, lay in the operating room, the attempts to revive her proving futile.
Before losing consciousness, she heard the doctor asking a nurse to go out and console the patient's relatives. The nurse held back her tears before replying, "There are no relatives outside."
No one?
What a joke.
Her parents were alive, she had an elder brother above, a younger brother beneath.
She herself was with a son and a daughter.
These were her kin, her own blood!
How had things come to this, a state of complete abandonment?
Wen Nian couldn't help but reflect on her life.
She was married at the age of twenty-one, arranged by her parents.
Her husband's family was in business.
As soon as she got married, their small business started growing.
Her parents were very pleased with this, so much so that during a family dinner on a certain holiday, they shared with her mother-in-law how lucky her son was to have married her, attributing their business success to her.
Of course, her mother-in-law wasn't pleased to hear this but was too prideful to visibly show her discontent. So, when her parents proposed that her unemployed brother was given a job in their 'family business', albeit grudgingly, she agreed.
Once some things start, they become seemingly endless.
Not long after, her parents asked her to send her younger brother to the best school in the city through her husband's family connections.
And more trouble followed.
The demands from her family were relentless. Her eldest brother was getting married, and since her husband's family was well-off, they wanted her to help with a house for him. Her younger brother failed his university exams, and they expected her to find him a decent, well-paying job...
How much had she helped her family?
And in the end, she received not even a shred of gratitude from them.
At death's door,
Wen Nian suddenly came to a great realization.
Pandemic giving will not touch the hearts of the greedy. Instead, it will incite them to be more voracious.
A sarcastic smile traced her lips as she closed her eyes in despair, tears flowing down her cheeks.
If she could do it all over again,
She would absolutely not let her parents and siblings parasitize off her, nor would she give up her chance to study. She would also refuse to marry Xi Jing to be a housewife, always having to ask him for money...
Splash---
A basin of cold water was poured on her face.
Wen Nian, sleeping against the edge of the bathtub, choked on the water and began to cough uncontrollably.
She struggled to open her eyes, her head feeling dizzy.
The surrounding scenes felt both familiar and alien to her. Before she had any chance to make sense out of it, harsh words swarmed into her ears, as though piercing her eardrums.
"I've had enough! You even fell asleep when asked to prepare a bath for Chengcheng!"
"If I hadn't come to check, our house would've been entirely flooded!"
"Hurry up and wipe the floor dry!!"
Wen Nian was jerked to her feet by a tremendous force.
She swayed a few times, staring dazedly at the yelling woman.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You really think I'm going to clean up this mess for you?!" The woman shoved the mop into her hands, nostrils flaring and eyes wide, "The ladies downstairs are waiting for me. If I come back from my game and find you haven't cleaned the house, you'll have it coming!"
"Really now ..."
"My son Ah Jing was meant for a life of wealth, how he ended up marrying a low-grade woman like you is beyond me! Can't even take care of a child properly, what good are you!”
With that, her voice gradually receded.
Wen Nian felt her blood rushing, her heart was pounding as if going to explode.
Hadn't she died of terminal stomach cancer with no chance of recovery?
What was happening now?
Wen Nian wretchedly pushed away the broom in her hand and awkwardly stumbled towards the mirror.
Steadying herself on the basin, she stared at the young, slightly immature face staring back at her in the mirror. Her pupils constricted, but her brows were lifted in indescribable joy.
Reincarnated?
Reincarnated back to 1996!
That year, she was 26.
Wen Nian turned around, holding her breath and carefully looking around to verify.
The bathroom tiles were colorful, showy. The floor tiles were even more over-the-top, resembling the vivid blossoms of a wide-open chrysanthemum.
A truly classic 90's decoration style.
"Wow—Woo woo woo woo."
At that moment, the sound of crying came from outside.
Thinking of something, Wen Nian quickly ran out to check.
Xi Yicheng was seen lying in the stroller, stretching his tiny arms and legs, crying fervently until his face turned red.
Wen Nian blinked, not daring to touch him.
Who could have thought that the baby in the stroller, baring his bottom and drooling, would grow into a fearsome bully that people would dread?
She last met Xi Yicheng in her past life at a police station.
She had rushed in with a lawyer to bail him out, and as soon as she entered, she began to yell at him, "How old are you?! You never concentrate on your work, and spend your entire day hanging out in bars with your disreputable friends. If you keep going like this, how are you going to take over the family business?!"
Under the dim light, Xi Yicheng lifted his head. His gaze towards her was colder than towards a stranger, "So to you, this is my only use, right?"
Wen Nian choked a little, her tone much softer, "Okay, as long as you're not hurt. Chengcheng, come on, let's go home with mom."
Xi Yicheng repulsed her with a disgusted wave, "Scram, don't touch me!"
Until now, the image of Xi Yicheng rejecting her was still fresh in her mind.
At this moment, the one-and-a-half-year-old Xi Yicheng had been crying for half a day. He hadn't seen his mom comforting him and he sulkily pouted. His voice was very baby-like as he mewled, "Meh... wah wah."
"Hug..."
He still couldn't speak fluently, only able to blurt out unconnected words, and his pronunciation lacked precision.
Wen Nian's heart softened like a puddle of water, and her eyes stung as she bent over to lift Xi Yicheng out of the stroller.
In her eighth grade, she had to quit school to support her younger brother's education.
At 21, she married Xi Jing and became a housewife after her marriage, preoccupied with mundane household affairs.
She had no understanding or skills in child education.
Also, because of the constant dealing with groceries and cooking, her temperament became worse and worse, decreasingly patient.
What she often murmured into Xi Yicheng’s ear was, "You should strive to excel. Only if you are excellent, can your mother and sister have a better life at home."
As a result, when Xi Yicheng grew up, he became heavy-hearted and rebellious.
"Meh..."
The little Xi Yicheng, who hadn't grown up twisted, blinked his teary eyes, and nuzzled his small head into her arms.
Wen Nian couldn't help but sob.
With her arms folded, she bent down with teary eyes and kissed his forehead.
Even though she had been reborn in the fifth year after marrying Xi Jing.
But she won't repeat the mistakes of her previous life!
From now on, her parents and brothers shouldn’t dream of squeezing a single penny from her!
She would also not be a housewife who could only ask her husband for money without doing anything else.
...
Five o'clock in the afternoon.
Zhao Qianzhi raced back during dinner time.
Losing money while playing cards had put her in a bad mood, and as soon as she entered the house and hung her bag on the coat rack, she intended to go head-to-head with Wen Nian.
But as soon as she saw the massive fish and meat on the dining table in the living room, she quickly swallowed her words with saliva.
"Mom, you're back."
Wen Nian stood with a pot of mutton soup and brought it to the table, smiling and saying, "You must be tired from playing cards all day, hurry up to wash your hands and come to eat."
Zhao Qianzhi looked Wen Nian up and down.
The disheveled housewife she was used to seeing was suddenly all dressed-up and not only was she wearing a dress, but her makeup was also nicely done.
Wen Nian had a naturally stunning appearance which became even more eye-catching with some make-up on.
"Mom, what's the matter?" Seeing Zhao Qianzhi continuously staring at her, Wen Nian's smile never faded.
"What's the occasion today?" Zhao Qianzhi frowned, puzzled, "You, who're frugal in daily life, could not even afford meat once in a fortnight. The sun rises from the west today? And you've prepared this elaborate feast for us?"
It wasn't about being stingy.
Rather, the living expenses for her previous month would always be borrowed by her biological parents.
To put it nicely, it was 'borrowed'. In truth, it was like throwing a bun to a dog, never to see it again.
With the start of this month, there was no call from her parents asking for money yet. If she didn't spend her budget for living expenses, was she expected to keep it for them? Dream on!
Of course, she couldn't voice out the harsh truth. Wen Nian picked up the words Zhao Qianzhi wanted to hear, "Did Xi Jing not close a big deal just last week? I thought of his hard work and decided that he deserved a treat."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qianzhi's face brightened up indeed, "You should have realized this long ago. Ah Jing works so hard every day. You have such an easy time at home, taking care of kids, and you can't even cook a proper meal. It's ridiculous."
"From now on, you should cook three meals a day up to this standard. We are not the sort that can't afford meat like other households."
Wen Nian's smile waned.
There would be no 'from now on'.
Her life's purpose was not confined to household chores like doing laundry, cooking, raising children, and cleaning.
Without engaging in a war of words with Zhao Qianzhi, Wen Nian pulled out a chair to sit down, picked up a bowl, took a piece of braised pork, and started eating on her own.
Seeing her make the first move with her chopsticks, Zhao Qianzhi’s eyes grew wide, "Which demon has possessed you? Ah Jing hasn’t returned and you're already starting to eat, child! You..."
Suddenly, Wen Nian lifts her head!
Looking past Zhao Qianzhi, her gaze landed directly at the entryway.
For some reason, she felt the presence of Xi Jing's return home.
Very distinctly.
