Chapter 15

“I’m Not Hungry, I Ate Earlier” 

Although she had quieted down, all her frustration was vented on a little girl sitting nearby. “You just love eating, don’t you? Everyone knows the tender stems are the best. You have no manners!” With that, she used her chopsticks to smack the girl’s small hand. 

Five-year-old Huahua was so scared she wanted to cry but didn’t dare to. Seeing her reaction, Li Ling seemed to remember something that made her even angrier. She slapped Huahua hard on the shoulder twice. “You little brat, why are you so greedy? I just gave birth to your younger brother. If there’s something good to eat, why didn’t you think of saving it for me or him first?” 

Aunt Qiao stepped forward, scooped Huahua into her arms, and said through gritted teeth, “That’s enough! There are so many people outside. Over some food, really? If anyone hears about this, it’s Old Three’s reputation that will be ruined!” 

The eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Fang, suppressed the smile tugging at her lips and took big bites of her meal. 

This household was still under Aunt Qiao’s control, so she only dared to complain behind her back. Facing her directly was out of the question. She wasn’t foolish like Li Ling. 

The second daughter-in-law, Yuan Hong, pulled Huahua over to her. “Huahua, don’t cry, okay? Second Auntie will give you something tasty, alright?” She took a milk candy out of her pocket and handed it to the child. 

With the girl comforted, Aunt Qiao shot a glare at Li Ling before picking up her cornbread to eat. 

After the meal, everyone filed out of the house in groups of twos and threes. Li Xiang followed closely beside Xia Wanyan. 

Zhang Heping stood at the front gate with his three sons, seeing the guests off. Among the departing crowd, Xia Wanyang trailed leisurely behind, her head lowered, seemingly indifferent to everything around her.

Zhang Shiye kept his gaze fixed on the distance, but his peripheral vision remained locked on Xia Wanyang. As she passed him, she didn’t even glance up, merely letting her eyes sweep lightly over him from the corner of her gaze.

Zhang Shiye maintained his posture, as if nothing had happened.

On the way back, Zheng Yu and the others kept praising the food, while Gu Xiuyuan silently pondered Xia Wanyang’s strange behavior.

Xia Wanyang, however, was distracted. She knew that, just like in her past life, Zhang Shiye had probably figured out her true identity.

In their previous life, they had been in a mutual but unspoken understanding of affection. But when *that incident* occurred, Zhang Shiye happened to be away, and by the time he returned, rumors had already spread far and wide.

Xia Wanyang had always assumed that Zhang Shiye despised her afterward because he never came to see her again. It wasn’t until her death that she learned he had been searching for her all those years.

Once the guests had left, Qiao Shuyun called everyone to the dining table.

Letting out a long sigh, she said, “Your father and I didn’t invite people over for dinner to curry favor or to solidify his position as the team leader. We genuinely pity those kids who left home at such a young age. Your second brother joined the army at just 25. Your father and I thought that if we were kind to others, maybe someone out there would be kind to him.”

Liu Fang and Li Ling nearly buried their heads under the table, knowing the criticism was directed at them.

“Eldest and youngest, do you two think your father and I did the right thing?”

The eldest son, Zhang Shifeng, quickly nodded. “Of course, Mother. You and Father are good-hearted people. I fully support this approach!”

The youngest, Zhang Shijing, chimed in immediately in agreement.

“Good. Since you both have no objections, that’s settled. Eldest and youngest daughters-in-law, remember, most of the household’s public funds come from your second brother’s military stipend. Even his wife has never complained. If I hear either of you gossiping about your father-in-law behind his back again, you can both pack your things and go back to your families. I mean it!” Aunt Qiao said and stormed back to her room.

Her two elder sons were diligent and honest, but she couldn’t fathom why they had married such lazy wives. When the youngest son marries, she thought, she must choose carefully.

Zhang Shifeng and Zhang Shijing each grabbed their wives and headed back to their rooms. Zhang Shiye was about to leave when Zhang Heping stopped him.

“Hold on.”

Zhang Shiye turned back. “Father, I have no complaints. If the family needs meat, just let me know, and I’ll get it.”

Zhang Heping snorted. “You know that’s not what I wanted to talk about. You didn’t eat much tonight, did you?”

“I’m not hungry; I ate earlier this afternoon.”

Zhang Heping couldn’t help but chuckle. Zhang Shiye seemed to remember something too, his lips tightening into a thin line.

“Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing, I’m relieved. You boys have always been easy for your mother and me to manage. If you’re still hungry, your mother will make you a bowl of noodles. Now go rest!” With that, Zhang Heping returned to his room to console his wife.

Zhang Shiye lay quietly on his heated brick bed, eyes closed, though his mind surged with thoughts. Xia Wanyang’s radiant smile surfaced in his memory, vivid as if it had happened just yesterday.

At the same time, the dreams that had haunted him for years began to replay in his mind.

The dreams had started when he was eighteen, a time when he was still young and naïve. Yet, in those dreams, he saw Xia Wanyang, pale and frail from illness. Despite her fragile body, her face always bore a gentle smile, her eyes gazing at him with the same intensity as they did during the day.

Meanwhile, Xia Wanyang wasn’t feeling much better. Recalling the events of her past life, she sighed deeply, pulled out pen and paper, and began writing letters to her family. She even wrote a separate letter to her mother, detailing her recent encounter with Zhang Shiye.

The next day, the work bell rang at six o’clock, waking Xia Wanyang. She quickly freshened up; today, she needed to buy supplies, send letters, and prepare offerings for the gods. Tomorrow marked the start of her work assignment, and she wouldn’t have the chance to go out for a long time.

For breakfast, she ate two boiled eggs and drank a cup of soy milk, which filled her up. She changed into a white *Dacron* blouse and a pink skirt, paired with white sneakers. She also found a sun hat with a small pink flower from her storage space, which perfectly matched her outfit.

By this time, most villagers were already at work. Those who weren’t were having breakfast. Today, the newcomers had been specially approved to take the tractor to buy supplies. Each person had to pay 20 cents to the commune or 50 cents to the city.

With 10 to 15 people per trip, the fare collected exceeded five yuan. While it seemed like a lot, the cost of fuel was high, and the tractor belonged to the commune. It was primarily used for farming. Using it to transport people was considered a private use, so even though the fare was steep, no one complained. After all, those unwilling to pay could walk.

When Xia Wanyang arrived, most of the new youth had already gathered. As soon as Xu Jiaojiao saw her, she puffed up like a fighting rooster. “Oh, Miss Xia, all dressed up! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were going on a matchmaking date instead of running errands.”

“This is just my most ordinary outfit,” Xia Wanyang replied nonchalantly. “What can I do? My brother and sister-in-law spoil me so much that I don’t even have a choice not to buy new clothes. Unlike you, with so many younger siblings and no affection from your family, you probably have to beg for new clothes. You wouldn’t understand my troubles!” She didn’t even glance at Xu Jiaojiao, instead sitting next to Duan Xiaoyu and Wang Yan.

Xu Jiaojiao’s face turned pale. “What’s there to brag about? Spoiled as you are, you still ended up in the countryside!”

Xia Wanyang took off her hat and fanned herself casually. “So what? I’m here to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. It’s such an honor; how could I miss it? Unlike you, who probably came against your will.”

“Who says I didn’t want to come?” Xu Jiaojiao quickly retorted. If she were labeled as unwilling to go to the countryside, it would spell trouble for her.

Not long after, the tractor set off, driven not by Zhou Su, but by his younger brother, Zhou Yan. In her previous life, this boy was one of the few who stood up for her when she was slandered by the village’s malicious gossip.