Chapter 12: The Quota for Returning to the City

Since her rebirth, Xie Jinyu had been contemplating whether to warn Zhan Xinyue that her fiancé would be unfaithful in the future.

After much deliberation, Xie Jinyu decided to send the warning through a written message.

Once calm, Zhan Xinyue pondered and softly said, “From an outsider’s perspective, I would definitely tell her everything. But as the leading lady, she might not believe just my side of the story and simply walk away from a relationship so easily. I can sense from your words how stubborn she is. She’ll probably have to hit a wall herself before she truly feels the pain…”

“And what if you were the leading lady?” Xie Jinyu asked curiously, wondering what choice Zhan Xinyue would make.

Zhan Xinyue’s gaze returned to the manuscript in Xie Jinyu’s hand.

“If I were the leading lady, I would still follow the same path. The future is uncertain, but I believe that when they decided to be together, there was love between them. If one day my love fades, I would leave gracefully.”

Watching Zhan Xinyue like this, Xie Jinyu couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

In every life, Zhan Xinyue always knew clearly what she wanted.

Unlike herself.

She had drifted through her past life aimlessly, even dying in such a miserable way.

Had it not been for the flash of memories before death, she would never have realized how she had been deceived all her life by Lu Qianjin, Chen Wanru, the Lu family, and the Xie family.

When Zhan Xinyue looked up and saw Xie Jinyu’s burning gaze, she asked with some surprise, “Xie Jinyu, why are you looking at me like that?”

Snapping back to herself, Xie Jinyu smiled gently. “I envy you.”

She was the second child in the Xie family.

With elder siblings above her,

and younger ones below.

She was always the one overlooked and abandoned.

Her parents had been reluctant to pay her school fees, wanting her to stay home and care for her siblings.

It was only because her academic performance was excellent, and her teacher repeatedly visited, even involving her parents’ superiors, that she was allowed to attend school.

And it was because she met such a good teacher that she had resolved to be a teacher her entire life in her past life.

“Envy me?” Zhan Xinyue smiled faintly, like a crescent moon in the night sky that one couldn’t look away from. “Xie Jinyu, don’t belittle yourself. You shine just as brightly. You are the protagonist of your own life.”

Zhan Xinyue’s words opened Xie Jinyu’s mind.

Everyone is the protagonist of their own life.

Instead of envying others, it’s better to live your own life well.

“Zhan Xinyue, you’d be great at ideological work,” Xie Jinyu said, linking her arm with hers. “It’s late tonight; you should sleep with me.”

Zhan Xinyue declined, “No, I’ll go back to the youth dorm myself.”

“There are so many guests at the village party secretary’s house tonight. It’s far and unsafe to walk from the cattle shed to the youth dorm. Let’s sleep together.”

“All right.”

When Ye Changzheng left, he left a hot water bottle for Xie Jinyu.

Before going with Yan Hongying to a wedding banquet, Xie Jinyu had filled the hot water bottle and put it in the bed.

Now, when Zhan Xinyue and Xie Jinyu got into bed, the quilt still radiated warmth.

In the darkness, they chatted about writing techniques.

Somehow, they fell asleep mid-conversation.

When they awoke,

the sunlight was bright.

Winter sunshine was a rare blessing.

Xie Jinyu and Zhan Xinyue tidied up and stepped into the courtyard, where the distant mountains stood clearly under the warm winter sun.

“Jinyu, I have to return to the youth dorm,” Zhan Xinyue reminded.

“Be careful on the way.”

Waving her hand, Zhan Xinyue said, “Got it.”

As Xie Jinyu turned into the corner room, Yan Hongying handed her a bowl of freshly made Vermilion Bird soup.

“Xiaoyu, have some soup.”

Xie Jinyu was now pregnant.

She had to pay attention to her nutrition.

Knowing Yan Hongying’s kindness, she accepted the bowl without refusal.

“Grandma, where did you get these eggs?”

Yan Hongying usually treated villagers and collected herbs from the mountains herself.

Rich villagers paid consultation fees; the poor offered goods in exchange.

Because of this, Yan Hongying was well-liked in Yuejin Village.

“The villagers traded with me,” Yan Hongying said, then proposed, “Xiaoyu, today’s weather is nice. I’ll prepare some starch paste. Shall we make clothes today?”

“Okay.”

Women in this era knew how to knit sweaters, sew their own clothes, and make cloth shoes.

With the New Year approaching, Xie Jinyu and Yan Hongying planned to make new clothes for the celebration.

After breakfast, Yan Hongying started a fire and prepared the starch paste.

Xie Jinyu first drew sewing patterns on paper, then cut the fabric accordingly.

The two busily worked on their tasks.

Meanwhile, the courtyard was lively.

On the second day after their wedding, Chen Wanru and Lu Qianjin happily moved into the cattle shed.

Chen Wanru directed Lu Qianjin and some young men to arrange their belongings.

Although the bedroom had only a bed, a desk, and an old wardrobe,

Chen Wanru was delighted. She no longer had to deal with a difficult sister-in-law or endure her mother-in-law’s displeasure.

“Lu Qianjin, go bring some firewood so we can warm up. It’s freezing.”

Lu Qianjin drewlily replied, “Chen Wanru, why do you have so many demands? I haven’t stopped working since morning.”

Chen Wanru placed one hand on her hip and the other on her belly. “Lu Qianjin, are you trying to let your son freeze?”

Lu Qianjin grumbled, “Other women are pregnant and not as precious as you.”

“Those women aren’t carrying your son.”

Without waiting for Lu Qianjin’s reluctant response, Chen Wanru turned and walked toward the corner room where Xie Jinyu was.

From a distance, she saw smoke rising from the roof; Xie Jinyu must have lit a fire today.

“Xie Jinyu.”

Looking at the new cotton and colorful fabrics, jealousy reddened Chen Wanru’s eyes.

“Are you making a new cotton-padded jacket?”

Xie Jinyu always wore shabby, worn-out clothes.

Her parents never cared for her.

Chen Wanru never expected that after marrying Ye Changzheng, Xie Jinyu would still have new clothes to wear.

Xie Jinyu glanced at the uninvited Chen Wanru and asked with disdain, “Aren’t you entertaining guests at home? What are you doing here?”

“Since my relatives are home, I’m moving the furniture over,” Chen Wanru said as she approached the fire to warm her hands. “Why didn’t you watch the movie last night?”

Xie Jinyu narrowed her eyes coldly. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“That Yang Jiaojiao from the youth dorm and a district official…” Chen Wanru began.

Xie Jinyu put down her scissors and asked sharply, “Who?”

“Yang Jiaojiao—the one who used to talk bad about you behind your back,” Chen Wanru said with a sigh. “You wouldn’t believe it—they got together in the woodshed. I heard the official promised Yang Jiaojiao that if a spot opened up in the city, he’d send her back.”

Xie Jinyu frowned impatiently. “Chen Wanru, if you want to return to the city, can’t your father-in-law arrange it for you?”

“My father-in-law says he has to be careful about appearances. Xie Jinyu, I’ll ask him to give your city return quota to me,” Chen Wanru schemed silently. “How about you take it to the army with you when the time comes and give it to me?”