Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Reliving Life Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Reliving Life “Get up, you lazy girl! I have never seen a girl as lazy as you in any other family! It’s all because your mother spoils you!” In the darkness, Lu Youxi heard a series of familiar yet strange scoldings.
With a loud “bang,” the door was rudely pushed open, and within a few seconds, she was yanked out of bed by someone pulling off her quilt.
Lu Youxi now completely woke up, opened her eyes, and saw Old Madam Lu’s face, every wrinkle filled with disgust, confronting her own.
“Get up and cook already! You do nothing to help out during your days off, just sleep in! Are we raising you for nothing?” Old Madam Lu let go of Lu Youxi and scolded, “You’re so lazy, I don’t see who would want to marry you. Get up this instant!”
With that, Old Madam Lu strode out the door.
Lu Youxi stood there stunned, watching Old Madam Lu’s retreating figure.
Wasn’t she dead?
She had died suddenly from overwork followed by exercise.
And Old Madam Lu had been dead for many years too.
But now…
Lu Youxi looked at her hands, coarse from too much labor, not at all resembling those of a young girl.
Her hands at the age of 38 had been much more delicate than they were now.
Looking around at the environment, it was the shabby village house.
When Lu Youxue was still young, she used to share a room with him. Later, as Lu Youxue grew up and she became an adult woman, even though they were siblings, it wasn’t appropriate for them to share a room.
It was only then that her grandparents cleaned out a storage room for her to use as a bedroom.
The room was dark and damp, with patches of moisture on the wall plaster.
Lu Youxi climbed out of bed and went over to the calendar hanging on the wall.
She truly had returned, returned to twenty years ago.
Lu Youxi could not believe all this, even pinching herself hard.
The real pain reminded her that all of this was true.
“Lu Youxi, what are you dawdling for!” Old Madam Lu’s loud voice came from outside the door again.
Lu Youxi quickly got ready and went to the kitchen.
In reality, it had not been long since dawn had broken.
Upon entering the kitchen, she saw her mother, Liu Yushu, adding firewood to the stove.
“Mom,” Lu Youxi’s voice was hoarse, somewhat difficult to speak.
“Eh!” Liu Yushu pulled Lu Youxi in and secretly handed her a boiled egg, “Eat this first, you don’t need to do any chores. When your grandma comes in a bit, just get up and pretend you’re busy.”
The Lu Family’s elders were severe in their preference for sons over daughters, but Liu Yushu still cherished her daughter.
She had no authority in the household, unable to stand up for herself, but she couldn’t just watch her daughter suffer.
Lu Youxi looked down at the egg in her hand, still hot. She also didn’t overlook her mother’s rough hands, bearing wounds from work.
In her previous life, she resented her grandparents for favoring males over females, resented her father for his foolish filial piety, resented her mother for her weakness, allowing her to be bullied, resented her brother for taking everything from her.
So, when her mother secretly gave her something or treated her kindly, she was even more annoyed.
Being children of the same family, why did everything good have to be done in secret for her?
Why did she have to eat an egg like a thief?
As if she was eating something from the house illicitly, as if she weren’t entitled to eat it at all.
So, every time her mother secretly gave her something, she would throw it back, refusing it.
She still remembered one time, her mother also secretly gave her an egg to eat and told her not to tell anyone; she just turned her face away, said she didn’t want it, and left.
Lu Youxi closed her eyes, to soothe her reddened, sore eyes.
After a while, she looked up only to collide with Liu Yushu’s nervous face, fearing she would refuse again.
Lu Youxi sniffed and nodded with a smile, “Okay.”
Lu Youxi carefully peeled the eggshell as if it were a treasure.
Liu Yushu watched her movements, feeling even more upset.
If the family hadn’t treated Lu Youxi poorly, why would she need to treat a mere egg with such treasured delight as if she had obtained some precious gem?
Lu Youxi threw the peeled eggshells into the fire to destroy the evidence, lest Old Madam Lu see it and create a commotion.
She got up and saw Liu Yushu busy chopping vegetables.
Lu Youxi then broke the egg in two, walked over to Liu Yushu’s side, “Mom, you eat too.”
“I don’t…” Liu Yushu was about to refuse since she had specially saved it for Lu Youxi, not being able to bear to eat it herself.
In this family, only Old Master Lu, Lu Youxi’s dad, and Lu Youxue could have an egg every day.
No one expected Liu Yushu or even Lu Youxi to have any, not even Old Madam Lu.
But Lu Youxi took advantage of the moment Liu Yushu opened her mouth to decline, and promptly stuffed half of the egg into her mother’s mouth.
She also stuffed the other half into her own mouth and ate while watching Liu Yushu with a smile.
Liu Yushu smiled helplessly yet joyfully, looking down and cutting vegetables as she cherished and slowly swallowed down the half egg.
Lu Youxi washed her hands, rolled up her sleeves, and went over to help.
“Aren’t you supposed to rest?” Liu Yushu hurriedly said.
“It’s okay, I’ll help you. If we work together, it’ll be faster and you’ll have an easier time,” Lu Youxi said with a smile.
In her past life, Liu Yushu didn’t want her to work, only to pretend. But Lu Youxi harbored resentment, and if Old Madam Lu caught her, she would be beaten.
So, she thought Liu Yushu, clearly unable to protect her, always gave her bad advice.
Every time, she would work reluctantly, filled with resentment, making a loud clamor.
Liu Yushu was startled for a moment, then bowed her head and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes.
“It’s my fault, I am useless…”
“Mom.” Lu Youxi interrupted Liu Yushu’s words. She used to hate when Liu Yushu blamed herself while being unable to change anything, sounding like a perpetual, plaintive mantra. But now, hearing these words, Lu Youxi only felt closeness and heartache. Yet, being tough all her life, she didn’t know how to comfort her mother and could only change the subject to distract Liu Yushu, “Has Youxue left yet?”
Lu Youxue attended school in the town, and since it was quite far away, he left every day before dawn.
“Yes, I packed him a bun and an egg, plus a bag of milk to eat on the way,” Liu Yushu said, then suddenly stopped, regretting mentioning it.
Lu Youxi knew it was because of the milk.
Liu Yushu could secretly give Lu Youxi an egg, but she dared not give her milk.
The milk was bought from the town; one box was bought at a time. The two adult men in the family, plus Lu Youxue, accounted for the days’ consumption.
A missing bag would be noticed by Old Madam Lu.
“Mom,” said Lu Youxi softly, “You don’t have to be so cautious. Before, I was immature and couldn’t understand your difficulties, but I’ve grown up now. I am an adult; I can’t act capriciously like before.”
Since heaven had given her a second chance, she would definitely live differently.
She would no longer be involved with Lin Jingshen, nor have any connections with the Lin Family.
She would also lead her parents and brother to a better life, repaying what she owed them.