Chapter 15

Years later, her family finally remembered the granddaughter they had once despised and wanted to bring her back. However, when Lin’s mother casually suggested they make up for the years of upbringing costs, they immediately backed out. Lin Nanzhi had no idea what happened to that family afterward.

Because she had been reborn. And right now, Lin Nanxuan had yet to get deeply involved with that boyfriend.

She let out a sigh of relief.

Even though this lifetime might not have a little niece, she still felt this was for the best. She only hoped that her niece could return to their family in another way.

Seeing the two of them, Lin Nanxun had already run downstairs. Lin Nanzhi walked over slowly, looking up at Lin Nanxuan, who was a head taller than her, and smiled.

Her smile broke Lin Nanxuan’s composure instantly—she rushed forward and hugged Lin Nanzhi tightly.

Lin Nanzhi had already opened her arms, welcoming the embrace.

There wasn’t much of an age gap between them, but they had never gotten along as children. They argued constantly and, when things got heated, even fought. They would bicker daily and get into physical fights every other day.

During their school years, they never woke each other up, went to and from school separately, and at school, they acted as if they were strangers.

Calling them sisters was a stretch—they were more like enemies.

—-

In their previous life, they had reconciled. Naturally, in this life, Lin Nanzhi wanted to repair their relationship earlier. Knowing Lin Nanxuan’s personality, she wrote her a letter, telling a story that left her with a choice.

It seemed she had chosen the latter—abandoning the scumbag and the child to become an independent woman.

Lin Nanzhi smiled.

“Welcome home.”

Just four simple words, yet they hit like an emotional bomb. Lin Nanxuan immediately burst into tears, scaring Lin Nanzhi into calling for help.

“Mom, mom, hurry! Your daughter is crying—I can’t handle this!”

Lin’s mother rolled her eyes and scolded, “What are you crying for? You’re home now, why the hell are you still crying? You even have the nerve to cry…”

After getting reprimanded, Lin Nanxuan didn’t dare cry anymore and pitifully held back her tears.

The family started moving Nanxuan’s belongings into the house.

“I saw that the yard behind your grandma’s house is being dug up. Someone’s laying a foundation—is your dad building a house?”

“Mom, let’s finish moving first, then you can ask.”

Lin’s mother glanced at the nosy neighbors looking on from a distance and fell silent.

Their home was at the edge of the village, but it happened to be in a very crowded area. The layout looked like a “T”—the horizontal part had three households, the vertical part was an alley, and their home was at the bend, near four other households.

They had neighbors on both sides, especially on the left. Lin’s father was too kind and had allowed the neighbors to build a shared wall with their home. The two houses were so close that even slightly raised voices could be heard clearly.

The arrival of the moving van had drawn the attention of the three neighboring families, so Lin’s mother decided to drop the topic for now and continued moving things.

All the stuff belonged to Lin Nanxuan—clothes, blankets, shoes, and bags, along with gifts she had brought for her siblings and father.

It took seven or eight trips to move everything inside before Lin’s mother finally returned to her question.

Lin Nanzhi spoke in a low voice, “I’ll tell you, but don’t be too loud—don’t let others overhear.”

“This secretive?”

Lin Nanzhi smirked mysteriously and then told them about winning the lottery and her plans with her father. As she finished, she noticed both of them staring in shock, mouths agape, and couldn’t help but laugh.

It took them a long time to process everything, and though they still found it hard to believe, the house construction confirmed it wasn’t impossible.

“So, Mom, we’re rich now. As long as we don’t squander it, we have enough for a lifetime. You don’t need to leave for work anymore. If you keep pushing your eyes like this, you’ll go blind.”

Lin’s mother wasn’t from the embroidery capital, but she had grown up there and learned the craft from her adoptive mother. She had a natural talent, and her embroidery skills were unparalleled.

If not for historical conflicts between China and Russia at the time, which led to her getting separated from her family, she wouldn’t have ended up stuck in this small place.

Lin’s mother was still doing embroidery but mainly factory-made cross-stitch pieces for sale. Occasionally, she embroidered intricate designs herself, which fetched high prices.

In her case, the saying applied: “One sale can feed you for three years.”

It took her one to two years to complete a single embroidered piece, earning tens of thousands or even more with each sale.

—-

In four years, she had saved 500,000 yuan, even after Lin Nanxuan’s spending sprees.

Lin’s mother thought for a moment. In the past, she hadn’t known her embroidery could make money, but now she had regular clients who recommended her work. It didn’t matter where she worked—she might as well stay home.

“I still have some things to sort out. Let me think about it first.”

Lin Nanzhi figured it was probably about that boyfriend.

She didn’t push any further.

At that moment, Lin Nanxuan took off her scarf, revealing her face.

The three Lin siblings were mixed-race, inheriting features from both parents. Among them, Lin Nanxuan had the most striking looks—deep, exotic features, long golden hair, and porcelain-white skin. The only thing keeping her from looking entirely foreign was her amber eyes, inherited from their father.

Because of this, Lin Nanxuan had been popular since childhood and knew how to use her beauty to her advantage. She had dated countless boyfriends.

Now, she excitedly took out the gifts she had bought for everyone. Just as she was about to check on the construction, Lin’s mother stopped her.

“What’s there to see? It’s just a foundation.”

Nanxuan pouted but gave up. Suddenly remembering something, she pulled a bag from the alley and handed it to Lin Nanzhi.

“Today is your birthday. I rushed back just in time—happy birthday!”

Today was the second day of the twelfth lunar month.

If Lin Nanxuan hadn’t mentioned it, Lin Nanzhi would have forgotten—it was her twelfth birthday.

“Thanks, sis.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Lin Nanxun, you’ll get yours on your birthday. That’s enough gifts for now.”

Lin Nanxun glanced at his two gifts, then at Lin Nanzhi’s pile, and forced a smile.

Lin’s mother, thinking she hadn’t prepared anything, took out a red envelope and gave it to Lin Nanzhi, along with 200 yuan each for the others.

“I didn’t buy gifts, so take this red envelope and get yourself something. Even though you’re not short on money, a birthday should still be celebrated properly.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Thanks, Mom!”

Lin Nanzhi carefully put the red envelope away.

Lin Nanxuan plopped onto the sofa and started talking about her experiences in Zhejiang Province. The others listened attentively, with Lin’s mother occasionally chiming in.

“You have no idea—I cried like crazy when I read your letter. I don’t even know why, but I just kept crying. After that, I had to come back, no other choice!”

Lin Nanxun pursed his lips but said nothing.

Lin Nanzhi and Lin Nanxun exchanged glances, wisely choosing to stay silent to avoid trouble.