Chapter 73: One’s Aspirations Must Soar High

Although Tang Xin seldom left the house, she was not ignorant of what was happening outside. Meng Jia and Lu Liqin had hardly any contact these days, showing no signs whatsoever of being in a relationship. Once again, this proved that the story’s plot was not set in stone, and Tang Xin felt even more confident that she could change the fate of the Li family.

Because she had received a letter from her mother, Tang Xin was in high spirits. At the very least, it proved that the original owner of this body was still loved by someone in this world.

Thus, at noon, she did something rare—she ate two whole steamed buns by herself.

Li Xiyue, watching from the side, was thoroughly surprised. For days now, her sister-in-law had been eating less and less, her appetite shrinking from missing her husband. At every meal, their mother would steam two large white buns or specially cook two bowls of white rice for her, but Tang Xin could never finish them, always giving half to her younger brother.

So when she saw her sister-in-law’s unusual behavior, Li Xiyue, for once, voiced her concern: “Sister-in-law, are you alright?”

Coming back to herself, Tang Xin saw her little sister-in-law’s face, full of sincere worry.

Recalling how, in the original story, Li Xiyue was vain and obsessed with dressing up to attract men so she could marry into the city, Tang Xin knew she would have to work hard to change her. It would take constant effort to wash away those thoughts.

So she suddenly asked seriously, “Xiyue, what kind of family do you hope to marry into in the future?”

Li Xiyue was caught off guard; she hadn’t expected her sister-in-law to bring up the topic so openly at the dining table.

Seeing that everyone, even her parents, wore serious expressions, Li Xiyue wondered if she was just making a fuss over nothing.

So she lifted her chin and declared loudly, “I want to marry into a family with endless white flour, rice, and all kinds of coupons to spend as I please.”

Such lofty ambitions were commendable.

But Li Kai couldn’t help but dampen her spirits. “Shameless. Who would want someone like you?”

“Why not?” Tang Xin interjected. “I think Xiyue’s ambitions are great. But let me tell you all, if you want to marry someone like that, you must first become a person worthy of them.”

Seeing the children deep in thought, Mrs. Fang asked on their behalf, “Daughter-in-law, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Mother, I’m telling Xiyue that the most important thing for a person is to be independent and self-reliant. For example, if you don’t want to cook but want to eat good food, you must first know how to enjoy food yourself to find someone willing to cook for you.

If you want endless white flour, rice, and coupons, you need the vision and ability to deal with such people.

That means you have to learn. If you don’t study, you’ll spend your life in the production team, only interacting with people here. At most, you’ll marry a driver or a butcher.”

But if you study hard and one day enter the city, everything and everyone you encounter will be different, and you’ll discover a whole new world.

So, everything depends on you. The life you want in the future depends on the attitude you adopt today.”

Perhaps because she truly agreed with her daughter-in-law’s words, even Father Li, who rarely joined in family conversations at the table, spoke up: “Your sister-in-law is right. If you face life with energy and effort, life will reward you. If you spend your days lazing around, hoping for something for nothing, how can you expect anything good?”

Li Xiyue nearly retorted, “Dad, are you talking about sister-in-law?” But remembering her parents now favored that “enchantress,” and fearing she’d lose the argument, she held her tongue.

Still, the conversation lingered in her mind.

And not just hers—the other Li children were silently pondering as well.

They had always thought spending their lives as farmers was their fate. But according to their sister-in-law, if they worked hard enough, could their lives really change?

Whether it was working in the fields or learning to read, neither could be accomplished overnight; both required patience and daily commitment.

After her initial burst of enthusiasm, Tang Xin’s spirits inevitably waned.

The truth was, she was constantly preoccupied with one thought:

Why hadn’t Brother Li Sheng returned yet? Had something happened to him on the road?

She understood the situation. Since Li Sheng was traveling a long distance—there were no highways yet, and the roads were rough—coming and going would never be quick.

But this time felt different. Tang Xin was genuinely anxious.

She often stood at the door frame, peering outside, sometimes for ten minutes straight without blinking.

Everyone in the household noticed. Was her sister-in-law lovesick?

Mrs. Fang understood. Her daughter-in-law wasn’t ill, nor was she angry at anyone. Every day, she gazed longingly outside, clearly hoping for someone’s return.

She knew that feeling well. In the early years of her marriage, to support the family, her husband often had to leave home. His work was dangerous, and every time he left, she would wait at the door, not daring to blink.

Because she understood, Mrs. Fang reminded the little rascals at home to behave themselves and not to upset their sister-in-law these days.

Even Mrs. Fang herself moved quietly while working around the house, afraid to disturb her daughter-in-law and make her mood worse.

With everyone giving her space to yearn, Tang Xin found the days growing longer and harder to endure.

Brother Li Sheng, where are you now? Couldn’t you at least call home to say you’re safe?

While Tang Xin was longing day and night for her husband’s return, Li Sheng was hastening his journey home.

Because they had narrowly avoided an accident on the road, Li Sheng missed his wife even more, hoping only to return home quickly and see her.

But when the truck finally pulled into the transport team and he started walking home, he hesitated.

This time, he had brought gifts home as usual—some biscuits and little trinkets. But he could see that the biscuits were coarse and his wife didn’t really like them.

He thought for a moment, then changed his route, heading up the mountain instead.

Many people in the production team would go up the mountain, quietly looking for something to bring home and improve their meals. But most dared not go too deep—after all, the mountains were dangerous, and encountering a wild animal could be troublesome.

Li Sheng was not afraid; he was far more agile than most young men, and he had brought weapons with him.

Thinking about how happy his wife would be if he found something good, Li Sheng felt energized.

His steps up the mountain grew all the more determined.

Back at the Li house, Tang Xin was on the verge of frustration. It had been nearly a month—why hadn’t Brother Li Sheng come back yet?

Could it really be that...