Chapter 16

Sister Yang slapped Lin Xixi’s arm and said, “Who gives birth without stretch marks? If your uncle dares to find fault with me, watch me use a rolling pin to flatten him like dumpling dough! Just you wait!”

At this moment, Yingzi yelled loudly from behind the partition between the bathroom and the dressing room, “Mom! What are you doing? Hurry up, there’s a showerhead here!”

Sister Yang also shouted, “Coming! You hold on first!”

She grabbed the naked Wu Nier and rushed in like a storm, as if going into battle.

Qiao Wei picked up a basin and went in as well.

The bathroom was filled with white mist, and the heat was stifling. The sound of water was loud, and people were shouting to converse over the noise. Bodies were everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

Even in her university dorm, Qiao Wei had a private shower. She had never been to such a traditional public bathhouse in her entire life and found it quite intriguing.

She wandered around but couldn’t find where Sister Yang and her two daughters were. However, people changed quickly under the showerheads, and soon she found an unoccupied one.

Although she had taken a basin bath yesterday, nothing compared to the comfort of a shower with flowing water. Qiao Wei tilted her head back and started showering.

Lin Xixi followed behind Qiao Wei.

When she had returned home, water heaters were not yet common in her third-tier city. Bathing was done in the factory’s communal bathhouse, similar to the scene before her. Lin Xixi was more familiar with this kind of communal bathhouse than Qiao Wei and quickly found a showerhead.

She showered while keeping an eye on Qiao Wei through the gaps in the crowd. However, Qiao Wei seemed to be taking a normal shower without any suspicious behavior.

Lin Xixi felt a bit discouraged.

Wanting to wash her hair, she realized she didn’t have soap. The soap that her uncle sliced was only two pieces, one with her uncle and the other with her aunt.

In this annoying era, there wasn’t even any bee flower shampoo.

Lin Xixi wiped her face and had no choice but to find Sister Yang. With so many people around, she had to shout loudly, “Aunt,” “Aunt!”

Soon, she found Sister Yang and asked for a piece of soap.Sister Yang said, “Hurry up and return it to me when you’re done.”

On Sister Yang’s side, one large and two small individuals shared one showerhead, each needing to wash both their hair and body.

Lin Xixi agreed, took the soap back to her own showerhead, and suddenly had an idea.

Men usually shower quickly, especially those from the military, right?

She quickly washed her hair…

Qiao Wei enjoyed the hot water but felt that the soap wasn’t satisfying.

After finishing, with fewer people around, she saw Sister Yang under a distant showerhead. Sister Yang had finished washing her daughter’s hair and was now helping Yingzi with a back rub. Wu Nier was on the floor, picking at the mosaic.

Qiao Wei wrung the towel, dried her hair and body, and greeted Sister Yang, “I’m going out first.”

Sister Yang glanced at Wu Nier, thinking of letting Qiao Wei take Wu Nier out first. However, considering Qiao Wei’s usual indifference, she hesitated and refrained from making the suggestion.

Yet, even though Sister Yang didn’t say anything, Qiao Wei, who had spent a long time in the hospital, understood her expression and gaze.

This lady had been taking care of Yan Xiang for several days. Qiao Wei took the initiative and said, “Is Wu Nier done showering? Why don’t I take her out?”

Sister Yang smiled, quickly handed a towel for back rubbing, and pushed Wu Nier towards Qiao Wei. “Put her clothes on and take her out. Her dad showers quickly.”

Qiao Wei agreed and led Wu Nier out.

Captain Yan’s wife had always been a reserved person; her face was often gloomy. She didn’t like interacting with people, especially those from rural areas. Yingzi didn’t like her very much and was a bit afraid of her.

Yingzi complained, “Where’s Sister Xixi? Really?”

After Sister Yang finished washing Wu Nier, she wanted to see if Lin Xixi had finished as well. She intended to have Lin Xixi take Wu Nier out first if she did. However, she couldn’t find Lin Xixi, wondering where she had gone.

After finishing her shower, she left without saying a word.

Sister Yang felt a bit unhappy about it.

Qiao Wei also noticed Lin Xixi’s absence. While dressing Wu Nier, she casually asked where Lin Xixi had gone. Wu Nier replied, “Don’t know, don’t know, don’t know…”

She shook her head vigorously, making her hair fly, and giggled.

Qiao Wei couldn’t help but laugh too.

After dressing both herself and Wu Nier, Qiao Wei led her out of the bathhouse.

Outside, people were gathered in small groups, mostly men.

Residents living in the courtyard went home after washing. Those waiting outside for their families were from the old family quarters. Men, being faster in the shower, would come out first to wait under the trees for their families.

Qiao Wei immediately spotted Captain Zhao and Yan Lei.

Captain Zhao wore a white undershirt, while Yan Lei had changed into a clean, army-green short-sleeved round-neck shirt, obviously military training attire. The muscles on his chest and back, biceps, and triceps filled the training suit.

There was an air of toughness about him.

Of course, Yan Xiang was there too, squatting on the side, seemingly watching ants. Lin Xixi, who couldn’t be found in the bathhouse, was squatting right beside Yan Xiang, as if playing with her.

Qiao Wei’s lips twitched.

No wonder she couldn’t find her inside; she had already come out early to get close to Yan Lei.

In the original text, Lin Xixi got the marriage certificate from Yan Lei without any emotion. They got married first, and love developed later. At the beginning, she gradually opened Yan Lei’s heart by taking care of Yan Xiang.

At this point in the original text, Qiao Wei should have died yesterday, and Yan Lei didn’t come back from handling her affairs in the provincial capital. Yan Xiang was left at Captain Zhao’s house, and knowing about Qiao Wei’s death, the reborn female lead, Lin Xixi, took the opportunity to please Yan Xiang in advance.

The obsession with wanting to become a stepmother is really strong; she’s already creating an “loving children” persona.

Qiao Wei, leading Wu Nier, approached. Captain Zhao even exclaimed, “Why did Aunt Qiao take her out?”

With a glance, he noticed that there was no sign of his wife and eldest daughter behind Qiao Wei.

Qiao Wei smiled and said, “Sister Yang and Yingzi haven’t finished yet; they’re still scrubbing.”

Captain Zhao bent down, picked up Wu Nier, and thanked Qiao Wei, “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Qiao Wei said. “Where are the kids?”

Captain Zhao had three more sons.

Captain Zhao said, “They’ve gone back first. They can’t stand it here. If our kids were half as quiet as Yan Xiang, your sister-in-law should be grateful.”

While talking, Yan Xiang had already stood up and hugged Qiao Wei’s legs, happily shouting, “Mom.”

Lin Xixi also stood up.

Captain Zhao glanced at his niece.

Young people in future generations may not understand very well, but in this era and even in the 80s and 90s later on, girls like Lin Xixi, who came from the countryside to live with relatives in the city, were assumed to become maids. In city families, if they didn’t hire relatives from their hometown but chose outsiders as maids, they would be criticized by their relatives.

Even when choosing relatives as maids, they would prioritize those with closer blood relations. Girls like Lin Xixi, being the niece of Captain Zhao, taking care of household chores, and younger siblings in Captain Zhao’s house were considered her responsibilities.

Captain Zhao, like Yingzi, had a bit of reluctance to get too close to Yan Lei, the husband. Unexpectedly, today it was someone else who took Wu Nier out first.

After washing up, Lin Xixi came out early, ignoring Yingzi and Wu Nier. Not helping her aunt take care of the children made Captain Zhao slightly dissatisfied with his niece.

Lin Xixi, being a middle-aged person at heart, naturally understood these social norms. However, she had grand plans to change her life as an official’s wife and occasionally neglected these details.

She turned her face away, pretending not to see.

Yan Xiang took out a mosaic from his pocket and said, “Mom, look!”

“Did you pick it?” Qiao Wei smiled. “Wu Nier also picked one.”

Yan Xiang told Qiao Wei, “Big Brother Gangzi helped me pick it. He picked several pieces.”

Captain Zhao laughed and scolded, “The floor of the bathhouse will be cleaned by these kids later.”

Qiao Wei came out, and Yan Lei said, “Let’s go.”

The couple greeted Captain Zhao, and, just like when they came, each held one of Yan Xiang’s hands and walked back.

On the way, Qiao Wei let go of Yan Xiang’s hand several times and swung her arms.

Yan Lei asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Wei grimaced. “My arm hurts.”

She had overworked her arm washing clothes in the morning. At first, it just felt sore, but now it has started to ache. It was a different kind of discomfort from the sharp pain of being cut by a knife; it was a sour and uncomfortable ache.

It should be muscle soreness from excessive exercise.

Not too severe, but uncomfortable.

She swung her arm and asked Yan Xiang, “Xiang Xiang, were you playing with Sister Lin just now?”

But Yan Xiang said, “I played with ants, and she talked.”

Qiao Wei asked Yan Xiang, “Do you like playing with Sister Lin?”

Yan Xiang shook her head without hesitation and said, “Don’t like.”

Lin Xixi, wanting to be Yan Xiang’s stepmother, would definitely try hard to please Yan Xiang. So, Qiao Wei was a bit surprised when Yan Xiang firmly said she didn’t like it. “Why?”

Yan Xiang told her seriously, “She keeps talking non-stop, very noisy.”

Qiao Wei understood now; Lin Xixi had been too overwhelming.

Qiao Wei suppressed a smile and said, “Mom talks a lot too.”

But Yan Xiang said, “Mom is not noisy; I like talking to Mom.”

Children’s eyes are bright, and their smiles are cheerful. It’s indeed different whether they are with their biological mother or someone else. Qiao Wei, at this moment, became more determined to continue this marriage for Qiao Weiwei, not letting Yan Xiang become the stepchild raised by another person, becoming the child that people gossip about being “not biologically related, left behind by the previous person.”

Of course, this was also beneficial to herself.

Her understanding of marriage, life, and death was different from others. She had no expectations of love. As for sex, it would be a bonus if there was, but it didn’t matter if there wasn’t.

What was more important were the material conditions of having an organized and institutional identity, a generous income, and good welfare benefits. After all, she had to survive here.

Who wouldn’t want to live more comfortably? Otherwise, where would Lin Xixi’s obsession with Yan Lei come from?

Back home, Yan Lei noticed the clothes on the clothesline. “Did you wash the clothes?”

In traditional views, the man was the breadwinner, but men who adhered to traditional views often underestimated the value of housework.

Qiao Wei currently had no other job; housework was her job, and Yan Lei paying her a salary was equivalent to acknowledging that. If she did her job well, she had to report to the boss; she couldn’t silently contribute.

Qiao Wei swung her arm and grimaced. “My arm hurts from washing.”

No one forced her to wash. In the past, when she couldn’t wash, Yan Lei did it. Now she took the initiative to wash.

Yan Lei snorted, went over, and touched the clothes. He frowned. “Why are they still damp?”

It should be completely dry, given the current temperature and sunlight, after a day of drying.

Qiao Wei looked innocent. “I couldn’t wring them out, so I hung them up directly.”

Although Yan Lei’s face showed no expression, Qiao Wei could sense his helplessness.

But she had no choice. Although this body was much healthier than her body in the other world, it still had slender arms and legs. In this era, there was no washing machine, and washing clothes, especially a large amount of clothes, was really physically demanding.

The person who invented the washing machine deserved to be honored!

Yan Lei remained silent, put the bathing basin aside, took each piece of clothing off the clothesline, and wrung them out again.

His hands were big, and when wringing the clothes, he would first shake the clothes by the collar, straighten them out, and then wring them out from the collar to the hem, gradually squeezing out all the water.

Qiao Wei liked the sense of order he displayed in the process.

She said, “I’ll go cook.”

Putting down the basin for bathing, she turned and went to the kitchen.

Yan Lei glanced at her back. Although she was swinging her arms while walking, her steps were light and carried a youthful vitality. It was different from before, when she seemed to be sinking into the marriage with him.

He put the wrung-out clothes back on the rope.

So, “when she is dead,” she means to live a good life with him again, right?

Really?

Yan Lei couldn’t help but ask himself over and over again.