Chapter 5

Once inside the yard, Lin Kexin bolted the door and immediately began her systematic collection of everything she could take.

She first went to Wang Cuihua’s room. Opening the wardrobe, she saw the new bedding and the cotton-padded clothes Wang Cuihua had made for Lin Jianguo and Lin Tianci.

Without hesitation, Lin Kexin stored all the clothes along with the wardrobe into her space.

The bed, the table, the stools—anything she could see, she collected it all into the space.

Next, she went to Lin Tianci’s room. Everything there had been newly bought last year. She took the bed and the thick, soft quilt, the writing desk, chair, washstand, shoe rack, and bedside cabinet—everything was gone.

Satisfied, Lin Kexin clapped her hands and then returned to her own small storage room.

The old Lin household had two acres of farmland, along with a full set of farming tools: iron shovels, hoes, carrying poles, sieves, sickles, raincoats, stone rollers…

Whether useful or not, if Lin Kexin saw it, she took it.

Finally, she moved on to the kitchen: pots, bowls, pans, oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, rice jars, flour jars, water jars—nothing was left behind.

Even in the courtyard, she collected everything, down to the wobbly clothesline.

Looking at the now-empty Lin household, she smiled in satisfaction.

Now it was an empty shell. Even if the mice came, they’d leave hungry!

Seizing the right moment, Lin Kexin quickly left the house, thoughtfully returning the spare key under the stone pillar, then dashed toward the train station.

Fortunately, the station was not far, and she had barely rested ten minutes before her train arrived.

She squeezed through the crowd and boarded the train, successfully finding her seat. The train departed on time. Leaning back, Lin Kexin closed her eyes, resting while thinking about the journey ahead.

“Lin Kexin!”

Suddenly, a female voice full of disbelief called out.

“Lin Kexin? I finally found you!”

Lin Kexin barely furrowed her brows, a familiar irritation rising from deep within.

“It’s you,” she said coldly.

Opening her eyes, she saw Liu Xuewei—the one who had caused her early death in her previous life. Her gaze was icy, devoid of any warmth.

This was Wang Cuihua’s maternal cousin, Liu Xuewei. She was the third daughter in her family; her father disliked her because she was a girl and insisted she take her mother’s surname rather than his own.

Coincidentally, Liu Xuewei was also heading to the same countryside location.

In her previous life, Lin Kexin had been delighted to encounter Liu Xuewei on the train, thinking she would have a companion and the hardships of rural life would be easier.

But in the countryside, Liu Xuewei constantly used excuses about feeling unwell to make Lin Kexin do all the work.

If that had been the end, it would have been tolerable. But Liu Xuewei had been malicious, trading her own virtue for the chance to return to the city.

After being assaulted by that man, Lin Kexin had wanted to report it, but Liu Xuewei stopped her, claiming a woman’s chastity was paramount and the matter shouldn’t become public.

Over time, Liu Xuewei whispered incessantly about the man’s “virtues,” until Lin Kexin, naive and confused, thought that since her body was already compromised, she might as well follow Liu Xuewei’s advice—marrying the man without a dowry or wedding feast.

After marriage, Lin Kexin worked tirelessly, caring for his family. Possibly due to malnutrition in her youth, she was never able to conceive. The man frequently beat or scolded her.

Later, during China’s reform and opening-up, Lin Kexin sold wontons honestly and hygienically. Her small stall gradually became a successful business, eventually growing into a chain of more than ten stores.

By the age of forty-five, Lin Kexin’s assets had exceeded hundreds of millions. The man’s attitude toward her became more considerate as her wealth grew.

She felt guilty for not bearing him children and gave him control over all her money outside of business development.

If she hadn’t fallen ill and been hospitalized, she might never have discovered that the person she trusted most, Liu Xuewei, had been involved with her husband, even bribing her attending physician to ruin her health. Worse, Liu Xuewei and her husband already had children, even grandchildren…

“Lin Kexin, I heard you’re going to Victory Village in Sichuan Province. We’re in the same brigade! That’s so great!”

Compared to Lin Kexin’s icy demeanor, Liu Xuewei was cheerful and eager, pressing a large bundle under the seat and sitting next to her, even rubbing her shoulder affectionately.

“Kexin, once we’re in the countryside, if you need help, just ask. I’m a year older than you, so I should look out for you!”

Lin Kexin suppressed her hatred and smirked with irony.

By relation, Liu Xuewei was her cousin. Not particularly close, but in others’ eyes, they were family.

“Mm,” Lin Kexin replied, keeping her eyes closed, not wanting to speak further.

“Kexin, didn’t sleep well last night?”

Seeing that Lin Kexin didn’t want to talk, Liu Xuewei leaned closer.

“Me neither! I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about going to the countryside.”

“Kexin, my mother brought some steamed buns. I’ll share some with you at mealtime…”

“Kexin, are you cold? Want me to get you a blanket?”

Lin Kexin, annoyed by the chatter, snapped, “I don’t need anything. I want to rest. Can you stop bothering me?”

Her voice was loud enough to draw the attention of others nearby.

Liu Xuewei’s face flushed bright red. She bit her lip, tears glimmering in her eyes, and said pitifully, “I’m sorry… Kexin, I’m just so happy to see you…”

Even with her eyes closed, Lin Kexin knew Liu Xuewei was playing the role of someone terribly wronged, as usual.

“This train ride will last dozens of hours. If you keep fussing like this, others can’t rest. Once we arrive at the zhiqing station, we’ll immediately start working.

Only on the train do people have some private space to recover. I don’t mind you disturbing me, but if you disturb others, that would be unfair!”

Isn’t this just acting? Who wouldn’t know how?

Lin Kexin opened her eyes and sharply addressed Liu Xuewei:

“You can’t let your emotions affect everyone else. I’m only saying this for your own good. If you resent me for it, fine. I just want to give others some peace and rest!”