The city was still underdeveloped, and although it was small, the public transportation was sparse, making it inconvenient.

On the roadside, there were pedal rickshaws with a canopy for shade. Originally private, they had become state-owned through public-private cooperation.

There were two styles: one with the passenger sitting in the back and the driver in the front, and the other with the passenger in the front and the driver in the back.

Lin Shu felt that having the driver in the back was a bit awkward.

She hoped others would observe her without staring.

She found a seat in the back of a car. It was more convenient than changing cars and only cost a little more.

She heard that she was going to the steel plant. The driver started chatting, “Miss, is your husband working at the steel plant?”

Lin Shu replied, “My sister is an electrician at the steel plant.”

The driver was surprised, “A woman working as an electrician? That’s impressive!”

He wanted to continue asking questions, but Lin Shu quickly changed the topic to ask about him instead.

It was better to have him talk about himself than her private matters.

The driver was very talkative and shared stories about his famous jobs, how much money he had made, how he had been schemed against, and his experiences of being sent down…

Just as he was getting into his stories, Lin Shu interrupted, “Driver, we’re here!”

The driver hit the brakes and smiled, “I was having such a good time chatting with you that I lost track of the route.”

Lin Shu paid and went to the security office at the steel plant’s main gate to register her visit and specify who she was there to see.

Then she headed directly to the family quarters.

Her sister Lin Xia worked as a level-two electrician at the steel plant and was preparing for the level-three exam.

Her brother-in-law was a level-five fitter aiming for a level-six certification.

Today was Sunday, a day off, and if Lin Xia wasn’t working, she might be able to swap shifts.

Lin Shu followed her memory to find the building.

The door to apartment 205 was locked, and Lin Shu felt a bit disappointed.

She was about to find someone to help her check the workshop when the neighbor from apartment 204 came out—a woman in her mid-twenties wearing a red checkered short-sleeve shirt.

“Oh, isn’t this Lin Xia’s sister? What brings you here?”

Lin Shu said, “Hello, Sister. Is my Elder sister working overtime?”

Tong Ailian replied, “Yes, she is. By the way, has your husband returned? I heard he hasn’t been home for years.”

Lin Shu was a bit surprised at her curiosity.

She said, “Well, if you’re busy, I’ll look for my sister.”

Tong Ailian quickly caught up and said, “Busy? It’s Sunday, and I’m off today. Come on, I’ll help you find her.”

Without waiting for Lin Shu’s reply, she took her arm and led her.

Tong Ailian looked Lin Shu up and down, saying, “Wow, you’re really beautiful. No wonder your sister always says you’re pretty.”

Lin Shu tried to pull her arm free but couldn’t.

Tong Ailian asked, “How many children do you have?”

Lin Shu answered, “Two.”

“Why are you acting so coy?”

“Oh, you have two kids already at such a young age? When will you bring them over to let us see? Why do you never bring them when you come over? Are you afraid we’ll see them?”

Lin Shu replied, “I was thinking sister. If you’re so enthusiastic, you’d have to provide food if I brought the kids along, right? I’m afraid your family might run out of food.”

Tong Ailian said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just bring the kids. I can handle it.”

Anyway, you didn’t bring them, so it’s easy for you to talk.

Lin Shu finally pulled her arm away.

Tong Ailian said, “Sister, let me tell you something, but don’t tell anyone else. Your sister still hasn’t gotten pregnant, and that old woman of hers is getting anxious.

She’s trying all sorts of bizarre remedies on your sister. When your sister refused, she cursed her behind her back. I heard it with my own ears…”

Lin Shu pushed her away, “Sister, could you please go and call my sister?”

Tong Ailian immediately went to the workshop, and once she entered Lin Xia’s office area, she shouted, “Lin Xia, Lin Xia, your beautiful sister is here again!”

Lin Xia had just finished checking the circuits and set down her tool bag when she heard Tong Ailian’s loud shouting.

She immediately removed her dirty gloves and took a pair of new gloves she had been saving from the cabinet and put them in her pocket.

She grabbed Tong Ailian by the shoulder, “Alright, stop shouting. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think your house was on fire.”

She pushed Tong Ailian outside, “My sister’s here, I need to make her a nice meal. Go to the cafeteria and buy half a pound of meat for me.”

Tong Ailian worked at the cafeteria.

Lin Xia gave Tong Ailian money for the meat and pushed her toward the cafeteria.

Tong Ailian said, “Oh, I’m off work today.”

Lin Xia replied, “Being off work doesn’t stop you from buying meat.”

Lin Xia quickly went outside and saw Lin Shu standing there.

No wonder Father and my younger brother said that the third sister had changed so much.

She thought they were exaggerating, but now she saw it was true…

She looked like a different person.

Lin Shu had told Lin Xia about the sewing machine request from her family and the details of Lin Yue’s divorce.

Both Father and Brother had informed Lin Xia.

Lin Xia also agreed that the divorce was a good thing.

“Second Sister.” Lin Shu stepped forward and warmly took Lin Xia’s hand.

Although this was the first time she and her original self’s second sister had truly met, for some reason, she felt very close, as if she were meeting her real older sister.

In her previous life, she had no sisters and always wanted an older sister.

Unexpectedly, this wish was fulfilled when she transmigrated into the book. It felt wonderful.

The sisters chatted for a bit…

Lin Xia asked, “Third sister, what brings you here?”

Lin Shu replied, “Our mother isn’t feeling well. I thought since you’re all in the city, I’d bring her here for a check-up and some treatments.”

Lin Xia immediately became serious. “Did that scoundrel Sun Xiaohong cause trouble and upset our mother again?”

Even though their mother favored her son when they were young and treated her daughters less well, she didn’t mistreat them or skimp on their needs.

Despite the frequent arguments between mother and daughters, their relationship was still good.

Lin Shu nodded. “Definitely.”

Lin Xia sneered, “She thinks our Lin family is easy to bully. I’ll deal with her when I get back.”

Lin Shu asked if Lin Xia had any important work today and if she could go out to visit their mother.

Lin Xia said, “Wait a moment. I asked Tong Ailian to buy some meat for me.”

Lin Shu whispered, “Sister, isn’t she a bit…”

Lin Xia didn’t lower her voice at all. “Yes, she’s got issues. One moment she’s got conjunctivitis, the next she’s talking non-stop.”

At that moment, Tong Ailian came back with a piece of meat and heard Lin Xia.

She stomped her foot and scolded, “Oh, Lin Xia, you’re talking bad about me while I’m buying meat for you and your sister?”

Lin Xia snatched the meat and huffed, “Didn’t I give you money? Didn’t I have install the wiring and light bulbs at your place? Are you gossiping with my sister again?”

Tong Ailian, who thought she was in the right, felt guilty now. “Oh, I remember, my mom is looking for me.”

She turned and ran off.

Lin Xia took Lin Shu home, saying, “Let’s cook the meat and bring it with us.”

When they got home, Lin Xia opened the door and handed Lin Shu a new pair of work gloves. “Wear these when you work.”

Lin Shu accepted them, saying, “Thank you, sister.”

Lin Xia replied, “You’re always so sweet-talking.”

Once inside, Lin Xia made sure no one was outside, then closed the door and quietly asked about Lin Shu’s husband, Lu Shaotang. “Your in-laws haven’t given you a hard time, have they?”

Lin Shu said, “No, they’re actually treating me even better.”

Lin Xia sighed in relief. “That’s good. You gave the Lu family such wonderful children; they should treat you well.”

Lin Xia quickly prepared the meat and found some wrinkled potatoes for Lin Shu to peel. Meanwhile, she went to the hallway to start a fire in the coal stove.

She went downstairs to her neighbor’s house, who had a constantly burning stove, and got a red coal ball to start the fire, so they could cook the meal directly.

She placed the ingredients into a double-ear iron pot for dry frying.

After the oil started to render out, she added soy sauce, two star anise, and two segments of non-edible green onion stalks, then added water and let it simmer.

The stove was placed at the door, and she asked Lin Shu to watch it while she went inside to rummage through things.

Lin Xia often helped her younger sister.

She worked at the steel mill and wore work clothes every day.

Reluctantly, she made new clothes only for the New Year, and most of her fabric rations were used to help her sisters.

She even took old work uniforms that men no longer wore back home for her father and younger brother to use.

Additionally, she saved up food rations and other supplies to get sugar tickets and sugar blocks for Panpan and Tiantian.

Watching Lin Xia bustling around, Lin Shu felt a pang of sympathy.

Such a good older sister—what happened later…

Wasn’t her brother-in-law very fond of her? Didn’t they have a good relationship?

How could she have developed breast cancer?

She heard that breast cancer is often related to emotional issues—repressed anger or stress leading to internal damage.

The book mentioned limited details about her second sister, stating that she couldn’t have children, but her husband loved her deeply and even shielded her from their mother’s pressure for grandchildren, saying he didn’t want children and preferred a child-free lifestyle to avoid future worries.

Was her second sister’s illness related to her husband’s change of heart?

No matter what a man says at the beginning, he must eventually mind not having children, right?

The book only mentioned that her second sister couldn’t have children and didn’t provide details about her brother-in-law.

Since she was here, she needed to find a way to encourage her second sister and brother-in-law to get checked out as well.