Chapter 28

In the middle of the night, Song Jinping lay on the hard wooden bed, tired and hungry. He suddenly realized he hadn’t asked about Old Master Zhao yet. Why had he cut rice for that woman… what was he thinking back then?
During the rice cutting, she had only finished a small section of half a mu of paddy. Did she really only do this much in a whole day? She had been at Lotus Village for years, could she really do farm work? Who exactly had been sent down as an educated youth…
Thinking this, Song Jinping paused, frustration rising, not at others, but at how foolish his own actions had been that day.
In the end, he didn’t even eat and, annoyed, closed his long, elegant eyes, forcing himself to sleep.
Love always makes one restless and sleepless.
Bai Xinmei’s mood was relatively good today. Usually, at this time, she could never finish the work assigned to her by midnight. Even though the Qin family would eventually come to help, they always scolded her.
She hated being scolded; she really wasn’t intentionally leaving work unfinished.
Moreover, she knew the Qin family sometimes resented doing this “cleanup” work for her. She had always been aware of it.
Finally, today, a generous fool had helped her. Since Niuniu called him “Daddy,” she might as well let him finish Qin Yuanzheng’s chores for her.
Bai Xinmei returned early today. As dusk fell, she was about to help the Qin family and paused in surprise.
Then, as if realizing something, she exclaimed, “You just came back directly? Waiting for us to do your work? Bai Xinmei, do you think you’re a landlord?”
Li Zhaodi was nearly driven crazy by her sister-in-law. She had known her own uselessness before and at least sat by the field to hand over water or a tool. Today, Bai Xinmei just came back.
“Oldest daughter-in-law, quiet! All you do is talk! Landlord? We’re just ordinary farmers.”
Old man Qin quickly stopped his eldest daughter-in-law from speaking nonsense. Though the revolution was over, they dared not act recklessly.
“You just help her. She’s human, and I, Li Zhaodi, am not? Why’s my life so hard?”
After speaking, Li Zhaodi sat on the ground and wailed, half of it fake, no tears came, but she felt it was unfair.
Actually, Bai Xinmei usually humored her, knowing she couldn’t do farm work and that her in-laws favored her. She wasn’t thick-skinned or foolish; she thought it natural. Sister-in-law and mother-in-law relationships needed management like a business.
Inside and outside, Li Zhaodi handled most chores, carrying pig feed, loosening soil, harvesting rice. Bai Xinmei often received good things and would share, so their interactions remained polite.
Today, something had triggered her again. But occasional outbursts were normal.
“The third son is dead. You think it’s hard for her to stay? Just her. I’ll tell you, I, Li Zhaodi, can do it too. When Yuangang dies, I’ll stay widowed for him my whole life.”
Hearing this, Qin Yuangang felt both touched and creeped out…
Bai Xinmei almost laughed aloud. His eldest daughter-in-law was really something.
Old Madam Qin’s face turned sour. “Your husband is alive and well, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Her youngest son, who made her proud, was dead; the second son was crippled, leaving only the eldest healthy.
This eldest daughter-in-law never spoke properly. Old Madam Qin intended to slap Li Zhaodi, to teach her a lesson.
[Amazing! If a salesperson had this NPC’s mouth, they could bankrupt a real estate company!]
[What else to say? A true talent. The streamer getting along with her is impressive. Send a rose, 666.]
[Really impressed. “Husband, hurry up and die, I’ll stay widowed for you! Hahaha, such great love!”]
[Even Qin Big Brother is moved, 6, hahaha!]
Seeing the comments, Bai Xinmei couldn’t help but secretly laugh.
Seeing Old Madam Qin approach to hit her, Li Zhaodi didn’t understand why, but she got up and hid behind her husband.
“Ma, why hit me? I didn’t mean to curse him to die, I meant… if he dies in a few days… ah!”
She got slapped by Old Madam Qin.
“I, I meant just in case… I’m willing to stay widowed for him…”
“I’ll beat you to death today! You blockhead!”
Hearing Li Zhaodi’s explanation, Bai Xinmei almost froze. Thousands of words formed on her lips, boiling down to one: amazing! She was articulate.
Qin Yuangang, caught between his mother and wife, had scratches all over, skin torn.
Finally, he persuaded his wife, “Zhaodi, stop talking. What you’re saying isn’t pleasant.”

Finally, Bai Xinmei stepped forward and held back Old Madam Qin. “Mother, my sister-in-law didn’t mean any harm. I’ve already finished today’s work. I just want to go back and rest.”
Already finished today’s work? The Qin family was puzzled. Had the sun risen from the west, or had Yuanzheng returned to life?
Normally, the work barely got done, and if they didn’t help, it would be impossible to finish.
Bai Xinmei didn’t care what they thought. She went back and enjoyed a comfortable sleep.
For a long time after that, she didn’t encounter Song Jinping again. It seemed… he was deliberately avoiding her. The village was so small, how could they possibly not bump into each other?
But Bai Xinmei didn’t think much of it. Since her family’s misfortune, she had felt that everyone else owed her.
Moreover, Qin Yuanzheng had promised her something but never fulfilled it, so she didn’t believe anyone would help her out of pure kindness. Everything was either because they found her attractive and wanted to curry favor, or to make up for past wrongs.
As the New Year approached, the Qin family was in high spirits. Old Man Qin was about to take meat vouchers and pastry coupons to the town’s supply and marketing cooperative to buy New Year goods. The village fish ponds were about to yield a big harvest, so after a year of hard work, they could finally enjoy a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner.
Early in the morning, Li Zhaodi hummed a tune as she got up, rearranged the firewood under the eaves, and checked the chickens and ducks again to see if any had laid eggs.
She was in a good mood today, not wanting to scold her daughter or pick on her sister-in-law, and not speaking ill of her mother-in-law.
Bai Xinmei also woke early, but the first thing she did was sit by the window and start combing her hair in front of the dressing mirror with the pair of mandarin ducks carved into it. Qin Yuanzheng had bought it for her when he was alive… her husband… had been dead for three years.
She looked into the mirror at the woman with snowy skin, red lips, graceful charm, slightly raised phoenix eyes, and eyes that sparkled like a new moon. The villagers said women like her were restless and mischievous, a fox spirit reincarnated, always scheming to seduce.
But when she was fourteen and the eldest Miss Bai in Fengcheng, everyone said she was born noble, destined to be a wealthy lady… she knew these people were flattering her parents.
Yet her parents were criticized and died in struggle sessions. Their household had always treated servants with kindness, the most generous in all of Fengcheng, but her parents suffered the worst fate.
After Qin Yuanzheng brought her back from the Bai family, he too died shortly after… Could she really be the so-called jinx widow of the village?
Ridiculous. Bai Xinmei didn’t believe it. Her mother had said she was the most precious jewel of the Bai family. Qin Yuanzheng’s death was simply because he couldn’t bear to take on the blessing of marrying her.
She had already been widowed for three years, fulfilling all her duties. At twenty-one, she wasn’t going to stay widowed for life. She would find another man, for herself and for Niuniu, to live a better life.
Bai Xinmei then braided her hair into a beautiful plait, tied it with a cherry-red ribbon, leaving a few stray strands at her temples. She lightly darkened her brows with charcoal, giving her a simple and fresh look, not overly glamorous.
“Sister-in-law, you look… really beautiful today. Are you looking for a second chance at love?”
Stepping out of the house, Bai Xinmei met Li Zhaodi, who was stunned at her well-groomed appearance. Stammering, she complimented her and, before Bai Xinmei could feel pleased, added the question about a “second spring.”
Bai Xinmei thought: …Should I say my sister-in-law has sharp eyes, or that she’s blunt and speaks without thinking?
Actually, Li Zhaodi was just thinking that since the third son’s death, this sister-in-law hadn’t bothered to dress up. Today, suddenly looking so handsome, could it be that she had someone in mind?
Li Zhaodi, as a modern woman, found the idea of a widow remarrying… what was the word the educated youths used… enlightening!
“Ahem, sister-in-law, shall we go? Have the coupons been taken care of?”
Bai Xinmei coughed awkwardly. Though she was ambitious about finding another man, she didn’t need to announce it so loudly in the Qin household.
Walking along the road, Li Zhaodi chattered about buying dozens of pounds of meat to feast that evening. Bai Xinmei thought about the four meat vouchers her father-in-law had given, would that even buy ten pounds? Where would Li Zhaodi eat dozens of pounds of meat?
Suddenly, their gaze fell ahead. Two young people, a boy and a girl, rode bicycles, elegant 28-inch frames. The boy was handsome and masculine, the girl beautiful, surpassing the village beauty standard.
The young girl looked back just in time and saw Bai Xinmei, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.
“Isn’t that Wang Lan and Hao Jianguo from the neighboring Shizi Gou? Wow, they even have bicycles, and we have to rely on our legs. If only the third son were here…”
Lan Hua, Wang Lanhua of Shizi Gou, was the female lead Wang Changlan’s name before going to the city to do business.
[Wow, the streamer’s competitor has appeared.]
[The reincarnated woman is set on winning little Song’s heart.]
[Tsk tsk, Lan Hua is beautiful, knows business, virtuous and considerate, and can deal with scumbags, can our streamer compete?]
[Can a man like two women at once? Then the streamer technically completed her mission.]
[No way! No harem allowed. If he likes both, then neither is his true love.]
Bai Xinmei curved her lips. Wang Changlan was an impressive woman, but the outcome was still uncertain. In this live-stream game, she was playing for keeps. She could not lose, and would not lose!