Chapter 53 – Reborn Girl’s Aunt

Wen Yaya took advantage of the early morning darkness to return home. The Hu Family lived together in one big household. Hu Youbin had an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. His siblings were still in school. His older brother had two sons, and both of Hu Youbin’s parents were still alive. As a result, the small courtyard was packed with people.

Their wedding room was a small space partitioned off from the living room, enough for a 1.5-meter bed and a small wardrobe. Wen Yaya opened the wardrobe, pulled open a small drawer inside, and remembered that before she went back to her parents’ house, she had placed a bag of peach crisps there.

However, when she opened the drawer, it was completely empty. Wen Yaya’s face immediately darkened. The only person who would casually enter their room was Hu’s mother, and she wouldn’t do such things unless she had a reason!

Wen Yaya couldn’t hold back her anger and slapped Hu Youbin awake, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. “Hu Youbin, look! Your mother snuck into our room while I wasn’t paying attention, and the peach crisps I put in the drawer are gone!”

Hu Youbin, who had been sleeping soundly, was irritated by the sudden wake-up call. “Are you crazy? It’s just a bag of peach crisps. If they’re gone, just buy more! Why are you making a big deal out of it?”

“How can I not make a fuss? Don’t you know how expensive peach crisps are?” Wen Yaya was furious. She had been the one who found someone to get them. Without a connection, in this age when everything needed tickets, she wouldn’t have even been able to smell their fragrance.

Wen Yaya had long been involved in the black market, and she had a good amount of tickets and money. She loved eating high-priced, delicious pastries, and her drawers were often stocked with them. Of course, whenever she bought pastries, she never forgot to get some for the Hu family. But the Hu family was large, and Wen Yaya couldn’t buy enough for everyone, so once Hu’s mother knew where she kept them, she would often take them without asking.

Hu Youbin didn’t say anything. Seeing his reaction, Wen Yaya got even angrier. “I heard Engineer Liang is looking to take a disciple. You better behave well recently.” The Engineer Liang Wen Yaya was referring to was a technician in Hu Youbin’s workshop. Wen Yaya remembered that in her previous life, Hu Youbin moved from being a factory worker to a technician because he became a disciple of Engineer Liang.

Hu Youbin pulled the blanket over his head, not wanting to listen to Wen Yaya’s nagging. He was very satisfied with his current job and had no intention of becoming a technician. There was too much to learn, too many exams, and it wasn’t free at all.

Wen Yaya, seeing this, grew even more upset. She couldn’t understand it. In her previous life, Hu Youbin had been an extremely ambitious man, but in this life, he had become this lazy and unmotivated person. He did his factory work just to get by, and when it came to working with her in the black market, he was too timid and lazy. Time and time again, Wen Yaya regretted it. She thought that after being reborn, she should not have placed all her bets on Hu Youbin. She should have looked around more, after all, in her previous life, there were many people who were more successful than Hu Youbin.

Take Wen Xin’s current husband, Wei Xiuran, for example. He had not been in their village or worked as a sent-down youth for many years, and by the time he was under 70, he had already returned to the city. In 1983, he even came back to open a factory here.

It was her fault; in her previous life, she hadn’t paid much attention to these things and had only heard Hu Youbin mention them a few times while chatting with Wen Xin. By the time she remembered this, Wen Xin was already pregnant with his child. Wen Yaya had already married Hu Youbin, and no matter how regretful she felt, it was too late to change anything.

Thinking of Wen Xin, Wen Yaya became upset again. Why was this woman so lucky? From childhood to adulthood, she had the protection of two elderly parents. She had stolen a good husband and then immediately married someone even better. Why was her life so blessed? Why did she have such good fortune? Why was her life so miserable?

Before dawn, Wen Yaya was so angry that she couldn’t sleep. There was some noise outside, the sound of Hu’s mother getting up to prepare breakfast for the whole family. On usual days, to please the Hu family, Wen Yaya would have already gotten up and gone to work. But today, she didn’t feel like moving at all.

Hu’s mother waited for a long time in the kitchen but saw no sign of Wen Yaya. As the sky began to brighten, Hu’s mother worked with a scowl, and the sounds of pots and pans crashing echoed loudly.

The alarm clock rang, and Wen Xin woke up from the Spiritual Water space. With a thought, she appeared in the bedroom she shared with Wei Xiuran. Wei Xiuran and Wei Rongrong were still asleep. Wen Xin stretched and climbed onto the bed. Wei Rongrong slept against the wall, and Wei Xiuran lay in the middle. As soon as Wen Xin lay down, she was pulled into Wei Xiuran’s embrace.

Wen Xin adjusted her position, closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep. After she had fallen asleep, Wei Xiuran opened his eyes, glanced at her, and then went back to sleep.

The next morning, when Wen Xin woke up, Wei Xiuran had already left. She had practiced cultivation most of the night, so she felt refreshed. Ever since she had refined the merits from her past life, a cultivation method had appeared in her mind, one that was most suitable for water-based beings like her. However, just like in the previous world, the spiritual energy in this world was scarce. Now that she was married, she could only sneak into the space at night to cultivate. The past two years hadn’t been in vain.

Her spiritual awareness was stronger than before, and she had become more skilled at using magic. Many minor spells could now be used at any time and place, without the need for incantations.

Wen Xin happily left the house. Only Mother Wen Tai was at home. Outside, she heard someone calling her to go up the mountain to gather firewood. Wen Xin grabbed a corn bun from the kitchen, took a basket, and headed out.

Mother Wen Tai didn’t interfere with her.

The person who called Wen Xin out was the young wife from the Wang family, who lived diagonally across from her. Her surname was Liang, and her name was Liang Zizhen. She was about the same age as Wen Xin and had only married last year. In their small alley, they were the only two women of similar age, so naturally, they became the best of friends.

The two of them walked together up the mountain to gather firewood, a place they often visited. As they walked, Liang Zizhen started asking about Wen Yaya.

Wen Xin smiled and said: “You know the relationship I have with her. The day before yesterday, she came to ask me to go to Niangzi Mountain. I thought she must have some ulterior motive, so I kept my guard up. Yesterday, I left early and waited at the foot of Niangzi Mountain until noon, but she never showed up, so I came back.”

Liang Zizhen responded with a “Oh.” and then whispered to Wen Xin: “What do you think about those grass leaves on her? Did she really roll around in the grass with someone?”

Wen Xin shook her head. “How would I know? Besides, if she really did something like that, would she even tell me?”

Liang Zizhen nodded in agreement. “True. You wouldn’t know if you hadn’t gone out this morning. There were quite a few people by the well this morning gossiping about it. A lot of them said she must have rolled around in the grass with someone. After all, she’s been married for so many years and still hasn’t gotten pregnant. She must be trying to get pregnant with someone else’s child.”

The fact that Wen Yaya had been married for many years without having children was no longer news in the village. What people were more interested in was the various remedies Li Cuihua had found. “Xin Xin, I heard your sister-in-law found a new remedy for getting pregnant. They say if she eats centipede powder, she’ll get pregnant. Do you think that will work?”

Since giving birth to her first daughter, Liang Zizhen had had no luck with getting pregnant again. It had been more than a year, and her mother-in-law had been constantly mentioning the issue of children, which made Liang Zizhen feel a little anxious.

Wen Xin glanced at Liang Zizhen and replied: “It definitely won’t work. What does centipede powder have to do with getting pregnant? If you really want to get pregnant, it’s better for you and your husband to stay clean and keep a happy mood. Maybe you’ll get pregnant with just one try.”

Liang Zizhen laughed and said: “You seem experienced. When are you and Wei Xiuran going to have your second child? Recently, Zhen Tao has been taking our Lianhua to the team office. Your Wei Xiuran is always teasing her.”

The villagers all called Wei Xiuran “Wei Educated Youth.” After Wei Xiuran married Wen Xin, they still continued to call him that.

“Let nature take its course.” Wen Xin replied dismissively, changing the subject.

The two of them continued chatting and laughing as they reached a patch of forest. Winter was approaching, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves. They were looking for dead, withered trees to chop. It didn’t take long before they had gathered a bundle. They carried the firewood down the mountain and, on their way down, they ran into a few other Educated Youths from the village.

The one who called Wen Xin out was the young wife from the Wang family, living diagonally across from her. Her surname was Liang, and her name was Liang Zizhen. She was about the same age as Wen Xin and had only married last year. In their small alley, they were the only two women of similar age, so it was only natural that they became the best of friends.

The two of them headed up the mountain together to gather firewood, a place they frequently went. Along the way, Liang Zizhen started asking about Wen Yaya.

Wen Xin smiled and said: “You know the relationship I have with her. The day before yesterday, she came and asked me to go to Niangzi Mountain. I thought she must have some ulterior motive, so I kept my guard up. Yesterday, I left early and waited at the foot of Niangzi Mountain until noon, but she never showed up, so I came back.”

Liang Zizhen responded with a soft “Oh.” then leaned in and asked quietly: “What do you think about those grass leaves on her? Did she really roll around in the grass with someone?”

Wen Xin shook her head. “How would I know? Besides, if she really did something like that, would she even tell me?”

Liang Zizhen nodded in agreement. “True. You wouldn’t know unless you went out this morning. This morning, a lot of people were gossiping by the well about it. Many said she must have rolled around in the grass with someone. After all, she’s been married for so many years and still hasn’t gotten pregnant. She must be using someone else’s seed.”

The fact that Wen Yaya had been married for years without having children was no longer a big deal in the village. What people found more interesting was the various remedies Li Cuihua had been trying. “Xin Xin, I heard your sister-in-law found a new remedy to get pregnant. They say if she eats centipede powder, she’ll get pregnant. Do you think that will work?”

Since giving birth to her first daughter, Liang Zizhen had not been able to have any more children. It had been over a year, and her mother-in-law kept mentioning the issue of children, which made Liang Zizhen anxious.

Wen Xin glanced at Liang Zizhen and replied: “It definitely won’t work. What does centipede powder have to do with getting pregnant? If you really want to get pregnant, it’s better to make sure you and your husband stay clean and keep a happy mood. Maybe you’ll get pregnant on the first try.”

Liang Zizhen chuckled. “You seem experienced. When are you and Wei Xiuran going to have your second child? Recently, Zhen Tao has been taking our Lianhua to the team office. Your Wei Xiuran always teases her.”

The villagers all called Wei Xiuran “Wei Educated Youth.” Even after Wei Xiuran married Wen Xin, they continued to call him that.

“Let nature take its course.” Wen Xin replied dismissively, changing the subject.

The two of them continued to chat and laugh until they reached a patch of forest. Winter was approaching, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves. They were looking for dead, withered trees to chop. It didn’t take long before they had gathered a bundle. They carried the firewood down the mountain and, on their way down, ran into a few other Educated Youths from the village.

Everyone greeted each other politely as they passed, and Wen Xin and Liang Zizhen continued on their way home.

As they walked away, a female Educated Youth kept turning around to look at Wen Xin.

“Liu Yue, hurry up.” the accompanying female Educated Youth called out.

Liu Yue, the female Educated Youth who had been glancing back at Wen Xin, heard her companion’s words and responded, quickly catching up.

At that moment, Wei Xiuran was at the village office, playfully interacting with Wang Zhen Tao and Liang Zizhen’s daughter. The little girl was fair and delicate-looking, a couple of months younger than Wei Rongrong. She sat quietly and demurely on a bench, looking exceptionally cute. Wei Xiuran was enjoying himself, smiling as he watched her.

Just as he was having fun with the child, the village secretary entered from outside. “Wei Xiuran, you’re here? I just returned from the town. There’s a telegram for you. I brought it back.”

Wei Xiuran took the telegram, still smiling, but as he unfolded it and read, his expression changed immediately. He quickly rushed to find Father Wen, his father. “Dad, my mother sent a telegram. Grandpa’s health is worsening, and it’s urgent. I need to ask for leave.”

As Educated Youth, Wei Xiuran and his peers weren’t required to stay in the countryside all the time. They had family leave every year, but applying for leave was a bit tricky. In some villages, with a large number of Educated Youth, only two or three would be allowed to take leave each year, and it could take years before everyone got their turn. Wei Xiuran had been in the village without returning home, saving up his family leave for emergencies.

“Alright, alright, go pack your things quickly. I’ll help you get an introduction letter and a certificate here.” Father Wen hurriedly said.

Wei Xiuran immediately ran home. Wen Xin had just returned and placed the firewood down. She hadn’t even had a chance to drink water before being pulled into the room to help pack.

When Wen Xin heard that Grandpa’s health was bad, she became anxious as well. She quickly began packing clothes into the suitcase. “Xiuran, should we bring Rongrong?”

“Yes, bring her.” Wei Xiuran replied, then ran toward the village. He grabbed Wei Rongrong, who was sitting under a tree watching ants move their nest. He swiftly stripped off her dirty clothes and replaced them with the clean ones Wen Xin had laid out.

Wei Rongrong understood that Grandpa had been sending her treats and didn’t resist, calmly allowing Wei Xiuran to change her clothes. 

It was rare for her to be so obedient, and Wei Xiuran couldn’t help but give her a kiss.

Wen Xin had finished packing as well. With Wei Xiuran holding one suitcase in one hand and carrying Wei Rongrong in the other, they rushed out. Father Wen had already reached the door. Mother Wen went back into the room and returned shortly, handing a handkerchief to Wen Xin. “Here, take this, buy some good food when you get there to visit the elderly.”

Wen Xin nodded, barely having time to exchange pleasantries.

“The car is ready, it’s right outside. Let’s go quickly.” Father Wen said as he handed the introduction letter to Wei Xiuran, then walked ahead, carrying Wei Rongrong.

Outside, an ox cart was waiting. The three of them climbed onto the cart, and Father Wen drove it toward the town. Once they reached the town, they took a bus to the county, where there was a train station with direct trains to Shanghai.

The family was in a rush, transferring from vehicle to vehicle. At the train station, Wei Xiuran used his connections to get tickets for the 7 PM train home. He finally felt a sense of relief. In the waiting room, Wei Xiuran bought some hot water and, with his family, they ate several steamed cornmeal buns while they waited.

At exactly 7 PM, they boarded the train. The scene caught the attention of Wen Yaya, who was at the station waiting to pick up something secretly.

Wen Yaya suddenly realized that Wei Xiuran had returned to the city that year, but why had he brought Wen Xin with him? Wasn’t he supposed to leave Wen Xin behind and go back on his own, never to return? Many Educated Youth had done so in the past.

Caught off guard, Wen Yaya missed the best time to make the exchange. Her companion scolded her, and she quickly snapped back to attention, grabbing the goods and running after her friend. Their hurried footsteps drew the attention of the HWB patrolling the station. The HWB, sensing something was off, began to pursue them like dogs chasing after bones.

As a woman, Wen Yaya lacked the physical stamina to outrun the men behind her. In a moment of desperation, her intelligence finally kicked in. She handed off the goods to her companion and ran in the opposite direction.

She didn’t get far before she was caught. In the Revolutionary Committee’s interrogation room, the officers stared at Wen Yaya with cold, grim faces. “State your name and place of origin.”