Chapter 62: From the Previous Life to Now

Under the intense scrutiny of several pairs of eyes, Tang Xin opened the package under immense pressure. Inside were two winter coats, a pair of cotton shoes, two pieces of rather unimpressive cloth, a large bag of dried red dates, and a packet of brown sugar.

These were secondary, however—the key item was a large cloth bundle, which, upon opening, revealed itself to be filled with rice. Mrs. Fang hefted it with her hand and could tell at once that there was at least ten jin of rice—along with everything else, it was quite a bounty. No wonder Tang Xin had struggled to carry it home.

After considering it for a moment, Mrs. Fang gave a word of caution: “Put these things away for now. Since the brigade leader delivered the package, many people must have seen it. It’s likely people will come by to pay a visit. Most folks in the team are decent, but there are always those who can’t stand to see others do well. You have a kind heart, but it’s best to guard against people in some matters.”

Though Mrs. Fang rarely left home, she’d heard much about the goings-on at the Educated Youth compound. With so many children at home, her two youngest acted as her little informants. Thus, Mrs. Fang knew about the falling out between the two young women there. In her opinion, her daughter-in-law had done nothing wrong.

Mrs. Fang had met Meng, the educated youth, before—a gentle-looking, soft-spoken girl on the surface, but who would have expected such malice beneath? What sort of friend borrows incessantly and never returns a thing, all the while insisting on calling you “best sister”? Did she think everyone was a fool? It was only because her daughter-in-law was young and easily misled that she’d been deceived. Thankfully, she’d finally woken up to the truth.

Ah, this child had left home at such a young age. Mrs. Fang resolved to care for her more and impart some life wisdom. She herself appeared to be such a kind-hearted mother-in-law, yet even she could not help but speak plainly.

Tang Xin blinked her beautiful eyes in feigned innocence and said, “The money and things I have belong to me. Why should it concern anyone else?”

This child, Mrs. Fang suppressed a sigh and gently tapped her forehead, whispering, “You’re too good-hearted. Not everyone in the world is kind.”

Tang Xin only smiled. She had no argument with the rest but handed the bag of rice to her mother-in-law. “Mother, let’s cook this for porridge in the morning.”

Mrs. Fang hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll make porridge for you in the morning.”

Rice was a precious thing—not something one could eat to satiety whenever one pleased. Their meals were always made with a mixture of grains. Pure white rice like this was a luxury, even in the best harvest years; most people had never tasted it.

Tang Xin then pulled out a bag of peanuts. “These can be roasted as snacks for everyone, or we can shell them and fry the kernels.”

Mrs. Fang accepted them as well, but seeing the look on her mother-in-law’s face, Tang Xin guessed she probably meant for her to keep them for herself. That wouldn’t do—she was part of the Tang family now and shouldn’t eat alone. Still, there was no need for a debate now; actions would speak louder in time.

The bulk of the foodstuffs Tang Xin entrusted to her mother-in-law to be locked away in the cupboard, but for some items, Mrs. Fang insisted her daughter-in-law sort them herself. She even told her to take those things back to her room, since they were sent by Father Tang and belonged to her alone. Mrs. Fang believed every woman should have some private savings and had no intention of being the sort of mother-in-law who coveted her daughter-in-law’s nice things.

Especially those winter coats and cotton shoes—they were sturdy and clearly meant for Tang Xin to get through the winter. Tang Xin nodded without further comment, carrying the rest back to her room for sorting. Her only goal was to make the items visible to all, so it would be easier to bring them out later.

At that moment, a voice came from outside the courtyard gate:

“Tang Xin, Tang Xin, are you home?” The others paid it little mind, but Mrs. Fang poked her head out for a look. Startled, she saw it was none other than Meng, the very person she’d just been thinking of.

What was she doing at the old Li house? Because of Mrs. Fang’s background and the incident years ago, Li Zhirong was unpopular, and most in the team avoided visiting their home. In the past, no educated youth had ever come here; Tang Xin’s arrival marked a first.

After Meng Jia entered the courtyard and called out a few more times, she wore an expression of kindness and thoughtfulness. Mrs. Fang stepped outside and said, “You must be Meng, the educated youth. What brings you here?”

Meng Jia smiled at Mrs. Fang, acting the picture of graciousness. “Hello, Granny Li—I came to find Tang Xin. Is she home?”

As the saying goes, no one flatters another without a hidden agenda. Mrs. Fang couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the sight of Meng’s smile. She couldn’t understand why, after falling out with her daughter-in-law, Meng had the gall to show up here. Was her face made of stone?

Of course, Meng Jia’s unusual life experience was the reason—she had lived twice, after all, and was not like other educated youths. For the sake of her goals, what did a little shamelessness matter? In her previous life, this had been the method by which she ingratiated herself with Lu Liqin and his wife for years, gaining many benefits. It was a hard-won lesson.

Though she resented Tang Xin deeply, Meng Jia also acknowledged that without Tang Xin’s help in her past life, her own situation would have been much worse. Yet she remained stubbornly dissatisfied, convinced that Tang Xin’s good fortune was solely due to marrying Lu Liqin.

This time, she’d found a way to have Tang Xin marry someone else first, intending to marry Lu Liqin herself and return to the city with him. Only now, things weren’t going according to her plan at all.

Though the outcome differed somewhat from her design, Tang Xin had indeed married into the Li family, leaving no hope between her and Lu Liqin. Yet, for Meng Jia, not only had there been no progress with Lu Liqin, but they seemed to be drifting further apart—he barely spoke to her now.

In truth, Meng Jia knew the only reason Lu Liqin had paid attention to her before was his mother’s request, and because almost every conversation revolved around Tang Xin. As Meng’s mother had taught her, Lu Liqin was a gentleman to the core, always gentle and considerate with women. Whenever Meng Jia showed her vulnerability and helplessness before him, he’d always look after her and even scolded Tang Xin, the young miss, for bullying her, which drove Tang Xin to fits of anger.

Yet Lu Liqin’s concern for Meng Jia was nothing but pity; from beginning to end, the only one he truly cared for was Tang Xin. Meng Jia had seen all too well how dearly Lu Liqin cherished Tang Xin, both in her past life and in this one. This only fueled her jealousy and resentment. Now, with her relationship with Tang Xin severed, she no longer had any pretext for seeing Lu Liqin at all.