Chapter 80: Happiness Every Day

Yet what struck Lu Liqin as strange was that, on this particular night after he fell asleep, he actually began to dream. He dreamed of that troublesome girl, who instead of sleeping at such a late hour, ran off to the Li family’s house. And then, absurdly, she did something outrageous and was caught red-handed by a crowd of people.

Under such circumstances, naturally Tang Xin could only marry into the Li family, but she did so entirely alone. Tang Xin’s parents were furious, nearly severing all ties with their daughter, and Lu Liqin himself was filled with anger. He felt there was no point in staying there any longer, and it was Tang Xin’s father who helped arrange for him and Meng Jia to be transferred back to the city together.

He never expected that this decision would be the beginning of a mistake. Left alone in the countryside, Tang Xin did not fare well; not long after their wedding, her husband died in an accident, and her in-laws and sister-in-law all blamed her for his death. Furthermore, because her father was angry and gave her no dowry, Tang Xin entered the Li family penniless, so they naturally looked down on her as a daughter-in-law.

After Li Sheng’s death, the Li family placed all the blame on Tang Xin, and life became even harder for her. Later, news arrived from the countryside: Tang Xin was dead. The Li family shirked responsibility, claiming she was lazy and unwilling to work, that she couldn’t bear the hardships of rural life and had thrown herself into the river in despair.

From that moment on, Lu Liqin wandered through his days in a daze, lost and distracted. He often wondered if he had truly made a mistake. After all, he had loved Tang Xin so deeply, dreamed of spending his life with her, and imagined she would one day be his wife. He had even gone to the countryside for her sake. So why had he managed to lose her in the end? Even worse, he had left for the city with Meng Jia.

Where had it all gone wrong?

The night the news of Tang Xin’s death arrived, Lu Liqin locked himself in his room and did not sleep at all. The next day, when he emerged, even his parents remarked that he had changed. Yet no one could say exactly how. Only Lu Liqin himself understood: he no longer had a heart. With the passing of that young woman, his heart had died as well.

As policies began to shift, Lu Liqin started dabbling in business, wanting to earn as much money as possible.

But in truth, he no longer knew what all that money was for. He only remembered that Tang Xin used to say she wished she could one day shop as she pleased, free from constraint.

And the one who remained by his side was always Meng Jia. Meng Jia managed his business with him, offered suggestions, and together they would reminisce about Tang Xin and the days gone by. The two always had endless things to talk about, even if most of it revolved around business or Tang Xin.

To outsiders, it seemed obvious the two of them were a couple. When Lu Liqin heard such rumors, he simply laughed them off, not bothering to explain. The one whose opinion mattered most could no longer hear him—what need was there to explain? Yet around that time, Lu Liqin realized that Meng Jia probably liked him too. He could ignore the misunderstandings of others, but Meng Jia was Tang Xin’s dearest friend, and Lu Liqin didn’t want her to be mistaken as well.

He had planned to transfer Meng Jia to another post, to create some distance. But before he had the chance, an accident occurred. Business required socializing, and one night, after too much drinking with clients, something happened.

That evening, Meng Jia had accompanied him as his assistant. Lu Liqin had intended to discuss her transfer after closing this deal, since she was familiar with it from beginning to end.

Alcohol leads to disaster, as the ancients warned.

Having taken a woman’s innocence, Lu Liqin naturally felt responsible, and so he married Meng Jia. At last, he had lost his girl for good. Not only had Tang Xin married someone else—Lu Liqin himself had taken another woman as his wife.

…

When Lu Liqin jolted awake from this nightmare, he was drenched in sweat. Though just a dream, everything within it felt as though it had truly happened, especially the heart-wrenching pain of learning that the woman he loved had married another. It felt exactly the same as what he had experienced not long ago. He even wondered if it had been a dream at all.

If it were true, would Li Sheng really meet with misfortune, Tang Xin be abused, and finally take her own life in despair?

Lu Liqin was truly terrified, suddenly too afraid to return to the city so soon. If he left and something happened to the Li family, what would become of Tang Xin?

He knew Tang Xin was now married, a fact that tore at his heart. But compared to that, her safety was far more important. No matter what, Lu Liqin only wished for Tang Xin to live well.

Because of a single dream, Lu Liqin changed his mind and no longer wanted to return to the city so quickly. Meng Jia, unaware of all this, was still anxious, wondering what she would do if Lu Liqin left her behind in the countryside. Similarly, Tang Xin knew nothing of these matters, but she no longer cared.

Perhaps at first, when Tang Xin realized she was living inside a novel, she had been concerned about the fate of the book’s protagonists, since their actions could affect her own life. But after several months here, Tang Xin came to understand that this was her life, and even if she was living inside someone else’s story, she didn’t have to follow the author’s logic.

Not everything in the book was bound to happen. Since that was so, what business was it of hers what the original protagonists did or didn’t do?

Against all odds, Li Sheng had returned safely, seemingly having escaped that fatal disaster. In the transportation trade—especially in an era when roads were poor and law enforcement scarce—danger was ever present. All one could do was be careful; there was no other solution.

Tang Xin knew that, given their circumstances, she could not easily persuade her husband to quit. At least until she could find a better way for Li Sheng to earn a living, being a driver was the best job they could have. With so many mouths to feed, Li Sheng couldn’t afford to be selfish.

Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. Tang Xin was not one to torment herself with needless worries; after all, any life carries risk. Accidents can happen at any time—should one stop living because of that?

Better to go about one’s days and enjoy each moment as it comes. Since Li Sheng, for once, had time off to spend with her, and the New Year was approaching, wouldn’t it be wonderful to simply enjoy life together?

“It’s sweet and crisp—try it.” Tang Xin handed Li Sheng half an apple, the other half already eaten.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to give him a whole one, but she knew her husband’s character: anything good, he would always save for her or the family. So she ate half and claimed she couldn’t finish the rest, knowing Li Sheng would be sure to “help her out.”