After finishing her bath and getting dressed, Yun Qinghuan opened the door. As expected, she didn’t see An’an in the courtyard. However, occasional excited shouts from the little guy outside indicated that he was having a great time playing with Bai Naihan.
Standing in the room, Yun Qinghuan faced a dilemma with the large tub of bathwater. She walked over and attempted to lift it, but she couldn’t budge it.
Just at that moment, Liu Yuzhi came over carrying a foot-washing basin. Seeing Yun Qinghuan about to pour the bathwater, she quickly said, “Qinghuan, leave it to me.”
She emptied the foot-washing water into the vegetable garden, rinsed the basin, and then came over.
Although Yun Qinghuan wanted to help carry the water together, Liu Yuzhi, despite being able to move, was a bit unsteady due to her age. She exerted effort, and her face turned red.
Seeing her struggling, Yun Qinghuan felt a bit guilty. After all, the water was not light, weighing at least a hundred pounds.
Instead, they decided to use a shoulder pole together. Even though Liu Yuzhi didn’t want her to exert herself, Yun Qinghuan insisted, “Mom, I can’t let you do everything. Don’t tire yourself out; we’ll regret it later.”
Unable to resist her, Liu Yuzhi agreed to help her carry the water. She smiled, “Don’t worry. Even if it’s for you, An’an, and Naihan, I’ll support myself and won’t collapse. You are all filial children, just like Wensong.”
Mentioning Bai Wensong, she sighed and didn’t say anything further.
Carrying the water together did make things much easier. Pouring it into the ditch in the vegetable garden also served the dual purpose of watering the plants.
“Earlier, when you and An’an were bathing, the hot water in the pot was almost used up. I’ve boiled another pot, feel free to use it when washing your hair,” Liu Yuzhi said, stifling a yawn.
Being busy these days, she couldn’t help but feel exceptionally tired. Especially in this era where there weren’t many entertainment options, many in the village went to sleep as soon as it got dark to save kerosene.
“Mom, if you’re tired, go rest,” Yun Qinghuan, feeling a bit sorry for her, suggested. She wasn’t a child anymore and didn’t want her mother to accompany her for such trivial matters.
Liu Yuzhi patted her mouth and gave in, “Alright, I’ll go rest. You should sleep early too. Before sleeping, make sure to take the medicine. I just brewed a small bowl. Take it and have a good sleep. You’ll definitely feel much better tomorrow.”
“Also, after washing your hair, make sure to dry it thoroughly to avoid catching a cold. As for An’an, if he’s playing with his uncle, don’t worry about him. Sleep in your own bed. He has a place to sleep.”
Though the weather was relatively warm now, the night breeze was a bit chilly. Wet hair could easily lead to a headache.
Feeling warm inside, Yun Qinghuan appreciated Liu Yuzhi’s unconditional care. Despite being accustomed to relationships built on interests, she found Liu Yuzhi’s genuine concern deeply touching.
She always knew true feelings existed in the world, but her solitary nature made her feel undeserving of such happiness. Little did she expect that crossing over would introduce her to such wonderful people in the Bai family.
Even though Yun Qinghuan knew that Liu Yuzhi’s warmth was originally intended for the host, at this moment, it was she who received that warmth.
But when she heard about having to drink bitter traditional Chinese medicine, the smile on her face froze for a moment.
Liu Yuzhi, noticing the change, secretly handed her a package, “After taking the medicine, quickly eat this. It will sweeten your mouth.”
Once she entered the side room on the west, Yun Qinghuan unwrapped the yellow-paper-wrapped object Liu Yuzhi gave her. To her surprise, it was a piece of peach crisp with sesame sprinkled on top. She didn’t know how long Liu Yuzhi had kept it, as the peach crisp was a bit moist and not as crispy, breaking into uneven pieces and not looking very appealing.
She took a piece, lowered her head, and chewed. “Really sweet.”
After uttering these words, she wrapped the remaining peach crisp in paper, unwilling to finish it all at once.
She hurried to the kitchen, downing the medicine in one gulp, and then went to wash her hair.
After washing her hair, An’an was still playing outside, the sound of his laughter full of joy.
Yun Qinghuan took a nap in the afternoon, so now, she was not feeling very sleepy. She slowly dried her hair with a towel, then lay on the bed, thinking vaguely.
In the evening, Liu Yuzhi told her about those matters, and Yun Qinghuan listened attentively. Even though she had only interacted with the Bai family for a short time, her heart was already wavering.
Yun Qinghuan wasn’t sure if she could bear to watch Liu Yuzhi succumb to illness, Bai Naihan meet an untimely death, and Bai Jin’an become a major antagonist, suffering countless instances of abuse in various stories.
She feared that she wouldn’t be able to stand it.
If something truly happened to the Bai family, even if she wanted to leave through the college entrance exam, she would be unsettled.
Yun Qinghuan had a bit of a headache.
In this world, the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination would appear in October 1977, and the highly anticipated grand exam would take place again in December.
The significance of this exam was self-evident. Almost all the talents who made achievements in various fields in the decades to come emerged from this college entrance exam. Furthermore, in the future, people would attach more and more importance to academic qualifications. Therefore, the best and quickest way for Yun Qinghuan to escape this impoverished environment was to aim for the college entrance exam in 1977.
It was currently spring in 1975, and there were approximately two and a half years until the college entrance exam in 1977.
Although Yun Qinghuan had excelled academically in the modern era and entered a C9 university with high scores, it had been a long time since she left the campus, and she had returned much of her acquired knowledge to her teachers. Moreover, the knowledge of this era was undoubtedly different from her era. She didn’t underestimate the high school students of this era; the college entrance exam was a challenging hurdle, and she would certainly need to prepare well.
However, during the two years spent in the Bai family, she felt that she would inevitably become more compassionate.
Forget it, let’s take it one step at a time. At worst, she would treat Liu Yuzhi like her own mother, take good care of her, prevent her from falling ill, and pay attention to Bai Naihan’s health at critical times.
As for Bai Jin’an, she would ensure that he stayed away from the male lead when there was no protagonist’s halo around…
Thinking like this, drowsiness surged again. In a half-asleep state, the door creaked open, and An’an stealthily walked over, nestling into her arms.
The little guy thought he was being very quiet, smiling with pursed lips in self-satisfaction. In reality, Yun Qinghuan noticed everything and couldn’t help but smile too. She turned around, pulled the freshly bathed little bundle into her arms, and he fell asleep. However, in the later part of the night, the child suddenly started sobbing and crying…
∞
Translator Note
Next release
– Dec. 25 (7am)
(There’ll be extra chapters for Christmas, stay tuned!)
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- “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the offspring of a donkey.” — Zechariah 9:9
