WRS – Chapter 94 Extra 1

At dawn, Jin Xiuzhu struggled to open her eyes. After a brief daze, she propped herself up on her arms, ready to get out of bed—but as soon as she moved, a sharp pain shot through her head, and her whole body felt weak.

She frowned, and only then did it slowly dawn on her that something was wrong. The blankets on the bed were unfamiliar, the fabric cheap and patched in several places. Looking around the room, the layout seemed vaguely familiar, yet everything else was completely foreign.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t understand the situation. Could it be that she had somehow returned to life in someone else’s body?

Fear prickled at her heart. She didn’t want to die; she was content with her current life. A few days ago, Yang Yingxiong had called her, saying he would come back with his girlfriend soon and hoped she could help with the formal proposal to the girl’s family at the end of the year.

The two brothers always treated her like an elder to be respected, and Jin Xiuzhu loved taking care of them. She had already begun preparing things for the proposal.

Since they would return tomorrow, she had even gone to bed early, hoping to be in better condition. Yet she couldn’t understand how everything could change the moment she opened her eyes.

Still, she wasn’t the sentimental type. Realizing something was off, she immediately got up, dressed, and went out.

The door to the room was thin, painted a layer of yellow. A small iron latch pulled to the right would open it.

The door and lock felt familiar to Jin Xiuzhu. She remembered that back when she lived in the military housing, the door had been just like this.

A pang struck her chest.

Stepping out, she scanned the surroundings—and her heart sank more and more as she looked.

Even though many things in the room were different from her memory, the layout still reflected traces of the past.

Just as panic was about to overwhelm her, she noticed someone sitting in the living room.

A man sat with his head down in the shadows, silent, as if he had been there for a long time.

Jin Xiuzhu stared at his young yet haggard face and froze. It was Jiang Mingchuan in his youth.

Instinctively, she wanted to call out, but quickly realized something was wrong. Jiang Mingchuan wouldn’t just sit here instead of returning to his room; something must have happened between them.

Yet she couldn’t understand it. Had she ever quarreled with Jiang Mingchuan before? Yes, but never enough to make them strangers or avoid their own room.

Hearing footsteps, Jiang Mingchuan didn’t seem surprised. He raised his head, eyes bloodshot, with dark circles beneath them.

Jin Xiuzhu had never seen him look so exhausted and miserable; she frowned.

She knew clearly: this was not the Jiang Mingchuan she knew.

After a moment of silence, he moved his lips and asked hoarsely, “Are you really sure?”

Jin Xiuzhu felt puzzled but showed nothing. She was always good at reading people. Even after decades of pampered life, this skill had waned somewhat, but it was still enough for dealing with Jiang Mingchuan. Calmly, she turned the question back to him: “Shouldn’t it be you who decides first?”

Hearing this, Jiang Mingchuan fell silent again. Just as Jin Xiuzhu was feeling a bit hungry, thinking about what to make for breakfast, she heard his rough, dry voice: “Fine. We’ll get divorced this afternoon.”

“…Divorce.”

Jin Xiuzhu said nothing. She could be certain that this Jiang Mingchuan wasn’t the one she knew, and she herself wasn’t either. Her mind raced—she had returned to the body of this world’s “Jin Xiuzhu.” Over time, she sometimes forgot this fact, though she occasionally wondered what Jiang Mingchuan and the original “Jin Xiuzhu” would have ended up like.

Now, it seemed the answer was exactly this.

Without responding, she glanced at him once, then turned toward the kitchen.

Jiang Mingchuan withdrew his gaze after speaking, knowing she would likely mock him sarcastically. Yet after waiting a long while, he heard nothing familiar. She had turned to the kitchen, and soon the sounds of cooking reached him. He frowned, unsure what Jin Xiuzhu meant by this.

The kitchen had almost no leftover food. After searching, she found only three eggs, a few vegetables, and a small piece of ginger. The rice bin was nearly empty, but fortunately, there was still half a bag of flour. Hungry, she mixed all the flour, kneaded it, and, unable to find a rolling pin, cut it into small pieces with a kitchen knife.

She heated the pan, added oil, fried the three eggs, boiled water, then added noodles and vegetables.

The aroma quickly filled the kitchen. Two children woke up and, drawn by the smell, sneaked closer to see.

Seeing Jin Xiuzhu cooking, the two children didn’t show happiness; they knew this might be the last meal the family would share together.

Jin Xiuzhu noticed their gaze, looked at them, and met their eyes.

She recognized them as He Yan and Yanyan—but they were not the same. He Yan was thin and cold-eyed; Yanyan was even thinner and shorter, hair sparse, skin sallow, her eyes filled with fear of the unknown.

Jin Xiuzhu’s heart tightened. These children had always been well cared for—healthy, strong, and clean. They had never been this thin, clearly starved.

The children, seeing her, seemed afraid and quickly hid.

Suppressing her complicated emotions, Jin Xiuzhu finished cooking the noodles and served them into four bowls. One bowl lacked an egg, so she added extra noodles. After adding noodles, she placed a drop of sesame oil in each bowl.

Then she called out, “Time to eat.”

Jin Xiuzhu carried her bowl outside. The children took turns entering the kitchen and also brought their bowls out.

However, the youngest daughter didn’t eat directly like her brother. Instead, she first carried the bowl over to her father, who was not far away. Jiang Mingchuan hesitated and glanced at Jin Xiuzhu, but she kept her head down, eating her own food without looking at him—she hadn’t yet decided how to handle the situation in front of her.

Fu Yanyan whispered, “Uncle, you eat. There’s another bowl.”

Jiang Mingchuan took it.

Fu Yanyan then turned back to the kitchen and brought out the bowl without the egg. She stole a glance at Jin Xiuzhu and He Yan sitting at the table, but didn’t go over; instead, she squatted by the kitchen doorway and began eating.

Even without the egg, she ate enthusiastically, gulping it down as if it were a delicacy.

Jin Xiuzhu looked at the few empty vegetables left in the bowl—she had planned to leave that bowl for Jiang Mingchuan.

Jiang Mingchuan probably noticed as well and waved to his daughter. Fu Yanyan obediently carried the bowl over, and Jiang Mingchuan used his chopsticks to transfer the egg into her bowl.

Fu Yanyan looked at him.

Jiang Mingchuan forced a smile. “Uncle doesn’t like it. You eat it.”

Fu Yanyan bit her lip, gave a soft “Mm,” and then squatted down beside Jiang Mingchuan.

The family of four had a quiet breakfast together.

After finishing, Jin Xiuzhu put her bowl on the table and returned to her room.

Jiang Mingchuan waited until his youngest daughter finished, then got up, took her bowl, and cleared the table, washing everything in the kitchen.

He Yan watched his sister tiptoe to wipe the table, unusually not teasing her like before. He silently looked at the table, then suddenly said, “I wish we could have noodles like this every day.”

After saying this, his eyes reddened slightly. He then looked at his sister with a stern expression: “Happy now? You’ll never see me again.”

Fu Yanyan paused in her wiping, saying nothing. She thought to herself that she probably should be happy—she didn’t like it here at all.

After washing the dishes, Jiang Mingchuan walked to the doorway but didn’t enter. He stood there and said, “I’ll be back by noon.”

Some words were left unsaid, but both understood the meaning.

Jin Xiuzhu lay on the bed without moving. Her head ached too much, and she wanted to rest properly—she wanted to sleep and wake up back in her original world.

She didn’t like it here and hoped it was only a dream.

She didn’t reply. Outside, no one spoke, and soon she heard footsteps growing more distant and the sound of the living room door closing.

Jin Xiuzhu closed her eyes. She was likely really exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

She didn’t know how much time had passed. When she opened her eyes again, it was already broad daylight outside. The room was hot, and she looked at the familiar yet strange surroundings, feeling deeply disappointed.

However, she had always been decisive and ruthless. Realizing she might not be able to return, she decided to prepare to survive here and make choices that favored herself.

First, divorce was definitely out of the question. Whether for interests or emotional reasons, leaving Jiang Mingchuan wasn’t the best option.

Next, she needed to earn money.

Luckily, she had experienced all this before—interacting with Jiang Mingchuan and the kids, making money through painting, and so on. She had experience with all of it.

After thinking this through, Jin Xiuzhu got up and went out, pocketing some cash and tickets.

Everything in the room had been packed—two large bundles, with the money placed in the smaller one. Not much, only two or four hundred yuan and some bills.

She thought the other party was bold, daring to even consider divorce over such a small amount.

Both children were in the living room, quiet, not saying a word, sitting far apart—clearly, their relationship wasn’t good.

This unsettled Jin Xiuzhu. In her memory, the siblings had always been lively, endlessly chatting even as they grew older, constantly teasing each other and letting her mediate.

But she also knew that this home was no longer the one she remembered.

The children looked up when she came out.

He Yan’s gaze was calculating and distant, while the daughter’s was more fearful.

It was clear that this “Jin Xiuzhu” wasn’t close to the children. Resolute in her mind, she directly said to her daughter, “Come with me outside for a bit.”

Fu Yanyan was surprised her mother wanted to go out with her alone but didn’t protest, quietly saying, “Okay.”

Jin Xiuzhu walked past He Yan and out. Fu Yanyan lowered her head and followed.

He Yan watched the pair’s backs, showing a hint of displeasure. He thought to himself that, indeed, it was a mother-daughter bond. No matter how much she pretended to like him, her heart was still biased.

Jin Xiuzhu walked ahead. She had wanted to say a few words to her daughter, but the girl stayed quiet behind her. Even if Jin Xiuzhu deliberately slowed her pace, the daughter didn’t catch up, instead matching the slower speed.

Jin Xiuzhu realized there was a problem in the mother-daughter relationship.

But she had no memory of the past and didn’t know what had happened.

From this morning’s scene alone, it was clear the daughter didn’t live well here, always treading carefully to please everyone.

Jin Xiuzhu spoke first, “I’m not planning to divorce your father… your uncle.”

Fu Yanyan, walking behind, was momentarily stunned but didn’t feel disappointed. She stayed silent for a moment, then softly said, “Mm.”

Jin Xiuzhu continued, “I thought about it. If we divorced, we two might end up worse off than now. At least for now, we still have a house. But if we leave, we definitely can’t return home, and going south, with the little money we have, no one knows what we’d face.”

Fu Yanyan stayed silent. A few days ago, she had said she would work hard to make a good life for them.

But Jin Xiuzhu had gone back on her word many times, so she didn’t care this time.

“However, I’ve thought it through. Life is ours—whether it’s good or bad, it’s our choice. We can’t let anyone else dictate it. We used to try to save money, but now, saving won’t make it more. It’s better to spend it on ourselves.”

Fu Yanyan listened, surprised by her mother’s words. She had never dared to believe she would hear this from Jin Xiuzhu.

Yet even so, she still doubted it was more than just talk.

Jin Xiuzhu put her words into action. At the supply and marketing cooperative, she bought rice, soy sauce, flour, vegetables, and meat—filling two large bags.

Jin Xiuzhu carried the big bag, and Fu Yanyan carried the small one.

When it came time to pay, Jin Xiuzhu noticed that ice cream was being sold and bought two red bean popsicles. She handed one to her daughter, and they started walking back while eating.

Fu Yanyan followed behind in a daze. She glanced at her popsicle, then at Jin Xiuzhu walking ahead. Suddenly, she realized that her mother seemed… different this time.

She lowered her head and carefully took a bite. The popsicle was sweet, with a grainy texture—it was delicious.

It was her first time eating one. Before, her mother had only bought ice cream for He Yan, and it had always been the cheapest one-cent kind, not these expensive red bean popsicles.

On the way, Jin Xiuzhu ran into Qian Yufeng, who was carrying a basket back from her small private plot. Seeing Jin Xiuzhu with so many groceries, she thought she must have been out of her mind after an argument. She hurriedly stopped her and said, “Buying meat is one thing, but why all these vegetables? Don’t you grow them in your own plot? Spending money like this isn’t right.”

“Listen to me, sister-in-law. That neighbor of yours… she’s not serious. Don’t be upset with your husband. Jiang Mingchuan is too kind, and you have a quick temper. It’s fine to argue, but don’t get mad over money. Go home and live well. Couples argue; my husband and I have two kids and we still quarrel.”

Jin Xiuzhu looked at Qian Yufeng’s sallow, wrinkled face. She looked completely different from the person Jin Xiuzhu remembered. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and just nodded.

Qian Yufeng pulled a bunch of green vegetables from her basket and handed them to her. “Go home, don’t let yourself get upset. If anything’s bothering you, come find me.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

Qian Yufeng waved, and Jin Xiuzhu watched her walk away, feeling a twinge of sadness. They had been such good friends, yet now, it seemed she alone carried those memories.

Once they were out of sight, Jin Xiuzhu told her daughter, “Let’s go.”

At home, He Yan was surprised to see so many groceries. Jin Xiuzhu didn’t bother with pleasantries and directly instructed him, “Light the stove and wash the vegetables. Yanyan, sweep the floor.”

Fu Yanyan glanced at Jin Xiuzhu, put down her things, and went to get the broom.

He Yan didn’t move. Jin Xiuzhu had never asked him to do chores before.

She calmly looked at him. “I won’t beg you.”

He Yan stayed silent, then got up and went to the kitchen.

Fu Yanyan noticed this too. She was shocked that her mother had asked He Yan to work, and even more surprised that he actually did it.

Jin Xiuzhu carried all the groceries into the kitchen and placed the vegetables in the sink. Once He Yan lit the stove, she had him wash all the vegetables while she trimmed the fat off the meat to render oil.

By noon, Jin Xiuzhu had made stir-fried greens with pork cracklings, spicy eggplant, and tomato and meat soup.

When Jiang Mingchuan returned, the rice was just bubbling. Upon entering, he smelled the delicious aroma and was surprised—this was the first time he’d smelled such appetizing food.

Soon he saw his son and daughter carrying out dishes, each looking perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

He couldn’t help but go to the kitchen. At the doorway, he saw Jin Xiuzhu ladling rice soup, He Yan tidying the counter and sink, and Fu Yanyan getting the bowls and chopsticks.

Seeing this, he felt unexpectedly moved. This finally felt like a real home.

But this home would soon be broken.

The rice finished cooking, and the family had a hearty meal. Both children ate voraciously, especially He Yan, who had never eaten such good food before. Helping with the cooking made it feel even more rewarding.

Fu Yanyan kept taking more food. At first, she was cautious, but the food was too good to resist. She noticed her mother didn’t scold her, so she took more servings.

After Fu Yanyan finished, Jin Xiuzhu served her a large bowl of meat soup to make sure she ate well.

Fu Yanyan held the bowl and lowered her head to drink, her eyes red. This was the first time her mother had treated her this way. Previously, she would only call her a pig and focus on eating.

After the meal, the three of them sat quietly. He Yan glanced at Jin Xiuzhu across the table. Without her instruction, he didn’t move either.

Jiang Mingchuan instinctively started clearing the dishes.

The children didn’t leave, sensing that something more important was coming.

Sure enough, after Jiang Mingchuan finished, he sat beside Jin Xiuzhu and took a stack of money from his pocket, pushing it toward her. “Here’s a thousand yuan. Take it.”

“You haven’t had a good life these past few years. After the divorce, you take care of the children and live well. For now, I can only give you this much. Later, I’ll save some each month and send it to you at the end of the year. If anything comes up, you can contact me.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t refuse and directly took the money.

There was silence for a moment in the living room.

Finally, Jin Xiuzhu looked up at Jiang Mingchuan and asked directly, “I’m asking you—do you want a divorce?”

He seemed unprepared for the question, showing a hint of confusion, but honestly shook his head. “The children aren’t grown yet. Divorce wouldn’t be good for them.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded. “I think the same. So I’m asking you—what exactly do you mean?”

Jiang Mingchuan looked puzzled.

Jin Xiuzhu said, “I married you with the children to live a good life, but it seems you didn’t think that way. Everyone can see you’re interested in the neighbor. Do you think that’s good for the children?”

Although she didn’t know the full situation, from Qian Yufeng’s words, she had a rough idea. Here, Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t compete with Zhao Yun next door.

Jiang Mingchuan frowned. “I haven’t crossed any lines with her. Zhao Yun said that Yingxiong ran away from home while Yang Yao wasn’t around, so I just helped look for him…”

Jin Xiuzhu frowned. “Yingxiong ran away?”

He nodded. “Apparently after some argument. The kid is about He Yan’s age; running away is dangerous.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t understand what had caused Yingxiong to run away. She knew the child was good, so he must have suffered a lot. “Has he been found?”

Jiang Mingchuan shook his head. “I’ve contacted the county and city police. They told us to wait for news.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded, deciding to deal with the matter at hand first. She spoke sternly: “Only this once, Jiang Mingchuan. This is the last time. I don’t care what excuse you have next time; if she contacts you, you must tell me immediately. This home isn’t just yours; it includes me and the children. Your reputation affects us too.”

“And from now on, all your salary goes through me. Whether it’s for comrades or your sister, it must go through me. I control the household finances and the children’s upbringing; when I make a decision, you must cooperate.”

“Everyone must do housework. You wash clothes, He Yan washes dishes, Yanyan sweeps and washes vegetables, I cook. If you disagree, leave. Otherwise, we follow this.”

The last words were meant for the children, technically He Yan, but he didn’t fully understand and sat obediently, sneaking glances at Jiang Mingchuan, thinking it was directed at him.

Jin Xiuzhu asked Jiang Mingchuan, “Do you agree?”

He nodded. “I can accept it.”

“Then that’s settled. I hope you’ll follow through.”

In the afternoon, Jin Xiuzhu and the two children cleaned the house inside and out, throwing away anything unnecessary. After the effort, the three were drenched in sweat, but the house was instantly cleaner, more spacious, and comfortable.

Fanning herself, Jin Xiuzhu said, “Tomorrow, we’ll buy a fan from the county. It’s too hot in the house.”

The children were surprised, and He Yan excitedly asked, “Really?”

Other families had fans; theirs didn’t.

Jin Xiuzhu nodded.

At night, Jin Xiuzhu fried the remaining meat, and the four of them ate until their mouths were greasy.

Before going to bed, He Yan told Jin Xiuzhu, “As long as I can eat meat every day, I’ll do anything you ask.”

Jin Xiuzhu laughed.

She realized that no matter how the child changed, his love of food remained the same.

He Yan, feeling a bit embarrassed, snorted and quickly ran back to his room.

A different ending for the past life.