Untitled 

Lin Miaoyin secretly pinched him. This man was getting more and more out of control. 

Meng Yuanzheng’s grandmother needed surgery for her illness, but she didn’t need to be hospitalized for now. Staying at home to recover was fine. 

Hearing the noise in the yard, she propped herself up and asked, “Shuying, is Zhengzheng back?” 

She really liked her only grandson. He had come back only once with much difficulty, but last night for some reason he didn’t return. 

Meng Yuanzheng’s mother lifted the curtain, found a large plate, put the buns on it, poured soy milk into a bowl, then carried it into the room and placed it by the bedside. 

“He’s back, and he even brought his wife.” 

As soon as Meng Yuanzheng’s grandmother heard this, she immediately said, “Then quickly let them in so I can see them.” 

“Yuanzheng, bring your wife in!” Meng Yuanzheng’s mother called out towards the outer room. 

Meng Yuanzheng went first, Lin Miaoyin followed behind, and as soon as they came in she smiled and said, “Grandma, I’m Miaoyin.” 

“Yuanzheng’s wife, come here, let Grandma take a look.” Meng Yuanzheng’s grandmother beckoned kindly, and Lin Miaoyin came over and crouched by the bedside. 

The elderly woman in front had kind eyes and a gentle look that made people feel close. 

“You look so lovely. Such a blessed face.” Meng Yuanzheng’s grandmother gently patted her head. “How did you come to Shanghai by yourself? Was the journey tiring?” 

“Not at all. I wanted to spend the New Year with you, Grandma,” she replied with a bright smile. 

Seeing the grandmother and granddaughter-in-law chatting warmly, Meng Yuanzheng’s mother quietly tugged on Meng Yuanzheng’s sleeve, signaling him to talk outside. 

Meng Yuanzheng followed her out. Meng Shuying spoke softly, “Do you like her?” 

Meng Yuanzheng was a little confused, “Hmm, why do you ask?” 

“I’m just worried, don’t they say sometimes the locals in the countryside use tricks to trap educated youth? I thought…” 

Meng Yuanzheng frowned, “She’s not that kind of person. We seriously dated before getting married.” 

“Since you like her, then I have to say something. Don’t be upset.” 

Meng Yuanzheng thought she was going to say something unpleasant but patiently listened, “I won’t be.” 

“A few days ago, that girl who came to our house, from your same team — keep your distance from her. I can see right through her intentions toward you. Now that you’re married, just live your life well and don’t think about nonsense.” 

At first, she’d assumed her son looked down on his wife from countryside, which was why he was getting close to Zhu Wanqin. 

Meng Yuanzheng was speechless, thinking his mother really was an experienced person. “Don’t worry, I will live well with Miaoyin from now on.” 

His mother nodded, “I’m going to buy some vegetables. You take care of your grandma. Also, take some of the cured meat you brought back and cook some for us.” 

Lin Miaoyin took care of Meng’s grandmother, helping her eat breakfast and take medicine. After she fell asleep, she and Meng Yuanzheng swept the floor. 

While they were squatting on the ground cleaning the cured meat, the yard gate opened. Zhu Wanqin’s face stiffened the moment she saw Lin Miaoyin. 

Now that everything had been laid bare, Lin Miaoyin didn’t even bother to look at her and silently scraped the smoke residue off the cured meat skin with a kitchen knife. 

Zhu Wanqin looked awkward, standing at the doorway. Without any instruction, Meng Yuanzheng didn’t dare move either. 

Lin Miaoyin glanced at Meng Yuanzheng and said, “You have a guest. She probably came to see you. Go take care of it.” 

Upon hearing that, Meng Yuanzheng washed his hands, wiped them dry with a cloth, and said to Zhu Wanqin in a low voice, “Come with me.” 

The two of them went to a spot along the alley wall. Zhu Wanqin’s face was dark, and her tone lost its previous softness—it even turned sharp. “Didn’t you promise not to let her come with you?” 

“She came on her own,” Meng Yuanzheng smiled faintly. “Besides, she is my wife. What’s wrong with her coming to my home?” 

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll expose that photo?” 

“You mean this one?” Meng Yuanzheng pulled out a photo from his pocket with his fingers — the very photo Zhu Wanqin used to threaten him. 

Zhu Wanqin’s face changed, and she blurted out, “How did you get it?” 

Because of limited conditions in the countryside, she only developed this one photo, thinking it was enough. Who knew how it suddenly ended up in Meng Yuanzheng’s hands? 

“When you leaned close to me on the train, I just casually took it.” 

After he got the photo, he didn’t know whether Zhu Wanqin had backups or what else she might do, so he chose to pretend to believe her. 

But now he didn’t want to anymore, because it would make Lin Miaoyin unhappy. 

And the fact that Zhu Wanqin had lied to him, saying that in their previous life they were married, and that Lin Miaoyin had cheated and divorced him, only hardened his tone further.  

“I don’t know what you want to do, and I don’t care if you’ve been reborn or not, please don’t disturb the life between Miaoyin and me anymore.” 

Zhu Wanqin stared at him, then suddenly laughed as tears welled up in her eyes. “You’ve changed. You’ve really changed…” 

She murmured to herself, then suddenly turned and left, walking until her eyes turned red. 

After leaving the alley, she walked along the roadside, recalling things from her previous life. 

In her past life, as a young educated youth sent to the countryside, she struggled to adapt, but Jin Chengren helped her, and the two naturally grew close. However, Meng Yuanzheng already had a wife at that time, yet he kept pursuing her. 

She always refused him. 

But after the educated youths returned to the city, she went to university. Because of his family’s connections, Meng Yuanzheng ended up attending the same university as her, while Jin Chengren, who only had a primary school education, could only start doing business. 

Meng Yuanzheng kept pursuing her at university. She did waver at one point, but Jin Chengren was also very good to her, and he became very successful in business, becoming the first person in Houtouwan to earn ten thousand yuan. 

In the end, Jin Chengren carried more weight in her heart, and she married him. 

Actually, in the original story, this was the ending. What happened afterward was unknown even to Lin Miaoyin. 

Jin Chengren died in his forties from cancer, leaving her and their ten-year-old son. Their company was ruined by competitors, and she and her son were kicked out of their home. 

It was Meng Yuanzheng who offered help, giving her and the child a place to live, and later sending her son abroad to study. 

She always held love for Jin Chengren in her heart and refused Meng Yuanzheng’s advances. Meng Yuanzheng gave up pursuing her in his forties and no longer mentioned it; the two became friends. 

Now that she was living her life over again, she suddenly realized that in her past life, she had no regrets toward Jin Chengren, but the one she had truly wronged was Meng Yuanzheng. 

He had waited for her for so many years. Now that she was reborn, it must be heaven’s will for her to make it up to him. 

Besides, in her previous life, after getting married, she had lived a pampered and comfortable life. To start over now as an educated youth again—she couldn’t take it. 

Meng Yuanzheng would return to the city after two years, attend university, and eventually become an official, unlike Jin Chengren, who worked hard all his life and died of cancer. 

But who knew, she was reborn too late; Meng Yuanzheng was already married to Lin Miaoyin. She knew they would eventually divorce—their relationship was never good from the start. Meng Yuanzheng liked her as soon as he saw her. 

But things were completely different from what she imagined. 

Not only did they not divorce, their relationship even grew stronger. 

She panicked and started looking for chances to get close to Meng Yuanzheng, but Lin Miaoyin kept interfering. This time, when she finally found a chance, Lin Miaoyin even came from the countryside to follow them. 

From the way Meng Yuanzheng looked at her just now, she knew she had lost. Meng Yuanzheng had changed, Lin Miaoyin had changed, and even though she was reborn, it seemed everyone else had changed too. 

In her past life, one man treasured her like a jewel, and another stayed with her until the end. But now, they were both different. 

Why did it turn out like this…? 

Was it because of Lin Miaoyin? 

If Lin Miaoyin hadn’t existed, would Meng Yuanzheng have chosen her?