“Make sure everything is ready for the old lady. Inform those who need to be informed. It’s probably going to be a matter of a day or two.”

“Doctor, are you saying that the old lady…”

“Sigh, you don’t have to be too sad. For her, this might be a good thing. Maybe even a relief.”

“Wuwuwu, the old lady has really had a hard life, suffering all the way till now…”

…

Amidst the blurry haze of her weak consciousness on the hospital bed, Qiao Jiuru could vaguely hear the intentionally hushed voices, and the familiar sound of Lin Fang—who had taken care of her for thirty years—crying in grief.

Was she dying?

Good! She could finally die.

Actually, she had lived enough.

No, she had wanted to die for a long time.

If it weren’t for her husband making her swear to live on before he died, she would have ended her life long ago, the moment her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren all perished.

But her husband forbade her to die.

He insisted she live well.

So for the past thirty years, she didn’t die, but lived like a walking corpse.

Her body was alive, but her soul was long gone.

She was exhausted.

So tired.

Why did the ones who deserved death live on, while the ones who shouldn’t die all died?

But it was finally over.

This life had been full of injustice and regret.

And this complicated emotion made her breath grow weaker and weaker, flickering like a dying flame.

In her mind, she saw all the dearest loved ones of her life—her young grandchildren, sons and daughters-in-law, her husband, parents, siblings, grandparents…

She was coming.

“Jiuru, you silly child! How could you forget the ancestral heirloom of the Qiao family?! Didn’t your grandfather tell you that in times of great crisis, the jade bracelet could save your life?!”

In her final moments, a stern and cold voice—her grandfather’s—echoed in her mind.

Beep—beep—beep…

At the door, Lin Fang, crying silently with her mouth covered, suddenly heard the alarm sounding from the hospital room.

Her swollen eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the motionless old lady, then burst into loud sobs and rushed to her side.

“Old lady…!”

“Ah-Ru! Ah-Ru, wake up!”

“Ah-Ru, what’s wrong?!”

A familiar, deep, anxious voice rang in her ears, accompanied by gentle shaking.

“Ah…”

Qiao Jiuru felt her heart suddenly pound fiercely a few times, then her eyes flew open, and she let out a surprised cry.

“Jiuru, are you feeling unwell? I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

Su Huaiyuan looked worriedly at his pale, dazed wife, full of concern and blame for not taking better care of her.

Because of the bad weather recently, their twin grandchildren had fallen ill.

With fewer teaching duties that week, his wife had taken it upon herself to care for them.

Last night, she had stayed up nearly all night until their fevers subsided.

After the children were picked up by their parents, they returned home to rest.

But only about an hour later, when he came to wake her for breakfast, he found her flushed, breathing rapidly, and convulsing.

Terrified, he immediately prepared to take her to the hospital.

Old man?

No—Huaiyuan?!

Her husband, Su Huaiyuan!

Qiao Jiuru stared at him in disbelief.

Not the white-haired, wrinkled man in her memory—but the black-haired man from before they were sent down.

“Ah-Ru, come on, put on your coat. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Su Huaiyuan didn’t notice her odd expression.

He just thought she was truly sick, so he rushed to get her coat and clumsily helped her put it on.

Had her husband come to fetch her?

“Huaiyuan, I—I…”

She wanted to say she missed him, but then her eyes fell on the room’s decor, the yellowed newspapers on the wall…

Wasn’t this their old home in Beijing before they were sent down?

She even spotted the date on the latest paper pinned to the wall.

March 17, 1972!

That’s right—it was a week before they were sent down.

But she had died, hadn’t she?

How could she still be alive?

Especially when her husband’s warm hands touched her forehead several times, and the tug of helping her dress—everything felt so real.

“Huaiyuan, I’m really fine. I don’t need to go to the hospital. Let me lie down and rest for a while.”

Qiao Jiuru came back to herself.

This was too big to process all at once.

She had to calm down—slow down…

“Ah-Ru, come on now. We should go to the hospital when we need to. Small illnesses shouldn’t be dragged into big ones.”

Su Huaiyuan insisted.

He was worried sick.

Qiao Jiuru: …Still as stubborn as ever.

Seeing he was about to pull her away, Qiao Jiuru thought she might as well go.

The hospital had medicine—potentially life-saving supplies.

“Huaiyuan, I’m weak and hungry. How about we eat first before going? It’ll be less harsh on the body.”

She needed him out of the room for a bit so she could think clearly.

“Alright, alright. As long as you agree to go.”

Su Huaiyuan quickly stepped out to get breakfast.

As soon as he left, Qiao Jiuru pinched the base of her thumb as hard as she could.

Hiss—pain.

Then she pinched her other hand. Even harder.

Very painful.

Then without hesitation, she pressed hard on the philtrum under her nose.

Tears shot out—unbearably painful!

The next moment, Qiao Jiuru burst into tears.

She had really, truly been reborn.