Chapter 6: Changing the Household Registration

“Yeng Zhiyue immediately leaned in closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder: ‘Fan Fan, Accountant Ye, wifey—’

‘Dad and Brother can’t touch alcohol at work, Brother can’t smoke at his job, and Dad’s health doesn’t allow him to smoke anymore. You can’t drink or smoke without someone to share it with.’

Yeng Zhiyue said, ‘But you can’t buy me something meant for kids.’

‘Cola helps with alertness.’

Yeng Zhiyue was momentarily taken aback; he had never heard that cola could help with alertness: ‘What about a box of coffee instead?’

Ye Fan replied, ‘How are we going to brew it on the train?’

‘There’s hot water on the train, too.’

Ye Fan immediately told the salesperson, ‘Then get a box of coffee.’

‘Forget it, five bottles of cola,’ Yeng Zhiyue said. ‘I can’t finish a box by myself, and I don’t want to give those two an easy bargain.’

Ye Fan rolled her eyes: ‘Aren’t you going to drink it when we get back?'”

“Don’t come back needing to put on a brave face to deal with those two little ones.” Yeng Zhiyue looked around, wanting to buy everything but held himself back.

Ye Fan asked, “Is that enough?”

Yeng Zhiyue nodded, “Didn’t we buy two boxes of cookies? And there are flaky candies and pastries. How much can five people eat?”

Ye Fan moved his hand off her shoulder, stuffed five bottles of cola into his arms, and asked the sales clerk to grab a few more bags of cookies. “Don’t touch those items; they’re for the kids.”

Yeng Zhiyue furrowed his brow slightly, “Her nephew and niece?”

Ye Fan replied, “Didn’t you buy things for Da Bao and Er Bao?” Implying, who else could it be?

“Wouldn’t want my in-laws to feel hurt.”

Ye Fan paid and took the items. “Your in-laws aren’t that petty. After getting off the bus, give these things to Chen Xiaohui. Do we still need to go to the street office to get a visit permit?”

“Let’s leave tomorrow. After we set off, we’ll head to the train station.” Shencheng is not far from where Yeng Zhiyue is stationed, and since he passed through Shencheng on the way here, he sighed at the thought of having to sit on the train again tomorrow. “Even the express train takes twenty hours. My old bones can’t handle that.”

Ye Fan, used to early departures from her previous life, didn’t want to miss lunch: “The express train takes that long too? We’ll have to eat two or three meals on the train; this isn’t enough.”

“Didn’t we buy rice and noodles?” The two clerks from the supply and marketing cooperative helped her load the items onto the train. With the added cola and cookies, the back seat was already full.

“Should I make you some scallion pancakes tomorrow?” Ye Fan asked.

“Sure. I haven’t had pancakes in a long time.” Yeng Zhiyue got on the train and suddenly caught a whiff of a delicious smell. “You only had a few bites of noodles; you must be hungry. Have something to eat before heading back.”

Ye Fan felt a bit hungry. “But it’s already past five.”

“It’s still early; the sun hasn’t set yet.” Yeng Zhiyue said.

Yeng Zhiyue pointed southeast. “The delicious smell is coming from over there.”

Ye Fan shot him a look.

“Trust me, you won’t be wrong!”

Ye Fan drove over and, upon getting closer, her eyes widened. “Are you… a dog?”

“I’m a little dragon,” Yeng Zhiyue replied as he got out of the car and called over a restaurant staff member for two bowls of braised dishes and four crispy buns.

Ye Fan paid, but she only wanted half a bun. The half she broke off was promptly snatched by Yeng Zhiyue, who didn’t hold back at all and finished it completely. Comfortable, he got back in the car and started to doze off.

Ye Fan slowed down and bought a braised pig’s knuckle along the way.

When she reached the alleyway at her home, Ye Fan stopped to separate the things she bought for the kids from the food they were eating before driving in.

Hearing Zhao Rujing’s voice, Yeng Zhiyue opened one eye and saw his brother-in-law and sister-in-law coming over. As the Chen family members hadn’t reached them yet, he adjusted to a comfortable position and continued to doze off.

Ye Jin took the food. “Get up and eat before you sleep again.”

Ye Fan whispered, “I ate a bit on the way, so don’t mind him. What did my sister-in-law make?”

Typically, the Ye family either made noodle dumplings or boiled some noodles for dinner. Ye Fan’s sister-in-law, Li Mingyue, was worried that Chen Xiaohui wouldn’t be able to handle three meals a day of noodles, so she used a steamer that could hold two tiers.

She heated one tier of steamed buns and steamed a pot of rice.

Ye Fan loosened her grip; both her mother and mother-in-law knew she wouldn’t just buy a bag of noodles when she drove to the supply and marketing cooperative. Once the rice was cooked, Li Mingyue placed the buns on top and went to the main room to tell her in-laws to wait for Fan Fan to come back to stir-fry the vegetables.

Li Mingyue held the braised pig’s knuckle and said, “I’ll just take this apart and add some vegetables, and we can eat.”

The delayed lunch consisted of more than just a bowl of noodles; neither Yeng Zhiyue nor Li Mingyue and Ye Jin had eaten enough. Li Mingyue heated up the dishes from noon and brought the braised pig’s knuckle to the dining room.

“Chen Kuanren couldn’t help but burp before he even put down the bowl, causing Chen Xiaohui’s face to turn bright red. She didn’t dare to look up at Ye Fan’s expression.

Ye Fan remained unfazed; how Chen Kuanren acted had nothing to do with her. Although she occupied little Ye Fan’s body, without the Ye family’s parents, even if she had the fortune to be in the Ye family, she would still be a wandering ghost.

‘Take your time eating. I’m going to tidy up some clothes for Geng Zhiye,’ Ye Fan said as she got up.

Geng Zhiye got up with her, ‘Sister-in-law, Fan Fan bought a few snacks and drinks. I’ll go pack them up.’

When Ye’s father heard that everything was ready for the afternoon trip, he nodded in satisfaction, ‘Pack up well and get some rest early.’

With her father’s words, Ye Fan went to wash up before returning to her room.

In the bedroom, she took out the things from Geng Zhiye’s bag, placed two sets of change of clothes, and set aside some boxed and canned items, then wrapped the snacks and sweet pastries in newspaper.”

“Then she found a military-green shoulder bag and stuffed the snacks from the road and Geng Zhiye’s officer’s ID into it.

‘How much money do you have on you?’

Geng Zhiye, exhausted after sending his brother-in-law back, leaned against the head of the bed, feeling drowsy. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Where is it?’

Geng Zhiye was silent for a moment. ‘I think it’s inside the dried kelp and fish.’

Ye Fan was shocked.

She opened the newspaper that wrapped the kelp and found a roll of paper inside. When she unfolded it, it was all ten-yuan bills. ‘You didn’t save any?’

Geng Zhiye straightened up, pinching the corners of his eyes. ‘There’s no place to save money on the island. There isn’t one in the coastal town either. I was too lazy to go into the city.'”

“‘No post office?’

‘The post office is in the county. Don’t tidy up; just go to sleep early.’ He reached out to pull her in.

Ye Fan was caught off guard and fell into his arms, startled. ‘You should sleep if you’re tired.’

Geng Zhiye held her waist, not letting her go.

Ye Fan helplessly tapped his back. ‘Let go; I need to take off my coat.’

Geng Zhiye immediately released her and moved aside.

Ye Fan really wasn’t tired. After he fell asleep, she got up to stuff the money into the wardrobe and split the seafood he brought into two, rewrapping it with newspaper.

The next morning, Ye’s father, who didn’t like the Chen family, continued to be silent. Geng Zhiye closed his eyes to rest. Ye Fan drove her mother and sister-in-law to the street office and the workplace to obtain certificates. No one paid attention to the Chen family, and Chen Xiaohui felt even more out of place.”

“Chen Xiaohui was not close to Ye’s father and Geng Zhiye in this life. She had seen Geng Zhiye in her previous life but never spoke to him. Before she died, she hadn’t had a proper conversation with Ye’s father and mother for many years, which made her unsure of how to start mending their relationship in this life.

Zhao Rujing felt no discomfort at all; she was still savoring the pickles she had just eaten with the porridge, not knowing how the Ye family made them—better than those made by her neighbor, who was the best at making pickles.

Only Tao Chunlan in the Ye family could make pickles, but she usually had to pick up Da Bao and take care of Er Bao. Ye Fan didn’t want her to work so hard, and since their pickles were nearly finished, she bought some from Liu Biju. Even the simplest sweet garlic pickles weren’t something she asked Comrade Tao Chunlan to make.”

“Tao Chunlan was afraid of being gossiped about for using the washing machine, so Ye Fan took the initiative to get one. Usually, when there were fewer people at home, she would use the rice cooker to make porridge. However, since Ye’s father and Ye’s brother and sister-in-law were not home, Tao Chunlan hardly ever made breakfast, so Ye Fan told her to buy something to eat.

When neighbors saw Tao Chunlan, they would ask if she was buying breakfast again. Tao Chunlan felt quite embarrassed, so Ye Fan stepped out of the yard and said, ‘If you don’t buy it, I won’t either. If the state-owned restaurant closes, all the employees will be out of work.’

It was a novel perspective, but it made sense. Tao Chunlan felt that if she bought breakfast again, it wouldn’t feel like stealing, although sometimes she felt embarrassed, thinking she was becoming decadent.

Ye Fan had asked her countless times how she managed to escape from the brink of death and work so hard for half her life.”

Here’s the translation:

“Finally receiving her retirement pension, Tao Chunlan thought that if she didn’t take the opportunity to enjoy a few comfortable days while she could still eat and drink, what was the money for?

Tao Chunlan said it was for marrying off Da Bao and preparing a dowry for Er Bao. Ye Fan then suggested using her father’s higher salary for that.

Since then, whenever Tao Chunlan went to the restaurant to buy roast duck, she felt much more at ease about it.

Compared to plain porridge and simple dishes, Chen Kuanren preferred smoking—one cigarette after another, puffing away with a cloud of smoke all around him.

Ye’s father used to smoke a lot of rolled cigarettes, but the doctor advised him to stop. With Geng Zhiyue’s father having retired early, Ye’s father felt tempted by the smell of smoke but didn’t dare to indulge. Geng Zhiyue would occasionally smoke a few puffs during holidays while on duty at the office, but the strong smoke made him feel irritable.

The two men exchanged glances and then looked at Chen Kuanren, wondering why he was craving a cigarette.

It was probably because Chen Kuanren had never smoked a Huazi in his life.

Fortunately, Ye Fan drove, and they returned in less than an hour.”

“Geng Zhiyue heard the sound of the car and immediately went outside: ‘Aunt, Xiaohui, pack your things. We’re going to the train station.’

Zhao Rujing instinctively asked, ‘So early?’

Geng Zhiyue replied, ‘One car can’t fit so many people. We’ll take the bus; it’s better to be early than late.’

Before Chen Xiaohui arrived, she thought about going back to the capital, but she wasn’t in a hurry— the Ye family didn’t want her to return.

In the past, she had hated Ye Fan and the Ye family with a grinding teeth, but there was also a sense of helplessness because the latter were her blood relatives, while the former were more capable, and the latter protected them. She complained about the Ye family’s favoritism, but her complaints lacked conviction, as even though the Ye family favored Ye Fan, they maintained a facade of fairness. For instance, during the Lunar New Year, when they gave Ye Fan’s children two thousand, her child also received two thousand.”

“Now that she knows the truth, she can no longer hate her relatives. Ye Fan pointed out in the hospital that the Chen family had wronged her. She didn’t have to take care of Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing in their old age. Though there were hints of provocation, it ultimately allowed her to voice what she had been too afraid to say. Chen Xiaohui had no reason to hate Ye Fan, but the unwillingness from her past life and the suffering she experienced in this life in the countryside made her feel like she was going insane, with nowhere to vent her frustrations. As a result, she couldn’t help but resent Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing, leading her to feel tortured just being in their presence for even a moment longer.

Chen Xiaohui said, ‘Mom, we haven’t bought the tickets yet.’

Zhao Rujing asked, ‘Did Ye Fan not buy them?’

Chen Xiaohui helplessly revealed that Ye Fan had gone to her sister-in-law’s workplace to get proof.

On the way back from the hospital yesterday, Chen Kuanren felt that sending Chen Xiaohui to the Ye family was too cheap for them. Although Zhao Rujing could find a way to deal with Chen Xiaohui, having raised her for many years and treating her like her own daughter, she was reluctant to just give her away to the Ye family.

Yesterday afternoon’s egg noodles and the evening’s braised pork made the couple feel that they had not gained anything from this situation and had even lost out.”

“Looking at it long-term, the daughter won’t lose out.

Chen Kuanren stood up and asked, ‘Are the things packed up?’

Chen Xiaohui replied, ‘I packed everything up early.’

Chen Kuanren glanced at the cigarette box on the table and instinctively reached for it, only to see Ye’s father stiffen again. ‘Brother Ye, do you still smoke?’

Ye’s father froze for a moment before he realized, feeling utterly speechless inside. He couldn’t believe he was even less particular than the most uncouth relatives back home. Fortunately, Fan Fan told them that from now on, they would owe each other nothing: ‘I don’t smoke. This is something Fan Fan—along with Xiaohui—brought back. He doesn’t smoke either; it was given out during the New Year.’

‘Then can I keep it for when I need to stay awake on the bus?’

Ye’s father casually asked, ‘Is that enough?’

‘Enough—'”

Zhao Rujing eagerly said, “Is there more?”

Chen Xiaohui’s face instantly flushed, “Mom, what are you doing?”

Zhao Rujing glared at her, thinking that there was no need to be polite with her own father: “Did you not hear? Your dad said no one is smoking, so it’s just going to get moldy.”

Ye’s father moved his mouth, thinking to himself that he couldn’t keep it just for guests. A person of dignity couldn’t afford to be polite anymore: “I think there’s still a pack left. Mingyue, Mingyue—”

Li Mingyue walked in: “I’ll take a look.” She went to the bedroom of Ye Jin and brought back two packs of cigarettes, one box of Peony and one box of Xiangshan, “Dad, there’s only two packs left.”

Anything from the Ye family is bound to be of high quality. Zhao Rujing smiled and said, “That’s enough, that’s enough.” She took them and stuffed them into her bag, just right for her two sons to have one each.

Chen Xiaohui wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in. Li Mingyue was quite surprised to see this; she actually knew what shame was. It made sense, though—Chen Xiaohui was in her early twenties and was thin-skinned. Fortunately, she was thin-skinned; if she had the same character as Zhao Rujing, she could take offense at even two packs of cigarettes, and in the future, she wouldn’t dare to approach the bedroom.

“Well, Aunt, Uncle, although the train station is close, the bus stops at every station, and during peak hours, it moves slowly. The fastest it will take is an hour,” Li Mingyue pointed to the wall clock, “The train is at eleven, and it’s almost nine now.”

Zhao Rujing’s son is an ordinary worker, and her daughter-in-law is a temporary worker, so they can’t take time off. With no one to take care of the child, she also thought about her eldest grandson: “Then let’s go. By the way, Xiaohui, did you bring the fruits and snacks?”

Chen Xiaohui nodded, “I brought them.”

“That’s good. Otherwise, how could you endure a whole day and night?” Zhao Rujing said as she walked outside, and saw Ye Fan leaning against a post looking bored while waiting. She couldn’t help but recall the events of the past few days, “We’re not like Ye Fan who doesn’t have to go back.”

What’s wrong with her? Ye Fan laughed in anger, “Yeah. Back then, it was my parents who carried me home. Now that I’ve grown up, they can’t carry me back. Don’t you think so, Comrade Zhao Rujing?”

“You—” Zhao Rujing almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. How did the Ye family educate her? Why was she so good at banter? Zhao Rujing pointed at her with a face full of anger, “Do you have any manners at all? I thought your elder brother and sister-in-law were too busy to teach you. Now it seems you’re not like anyone else; you’re just an oddball!”