Chapter 144: 146: Rule Yourself

Now, Tang Yuxin finally understands why people once said that Zhang Xiangcao was the village belle. She didn’t believe it back then. But when this woman blossomed into a woman of flesh and blood and gained a soul, the transformation in Zhang Xiangcao was earth-shattering.

She is really a beautiful woman, and she has a gentle temperament because of her worry-free life. However, the pain she suffered in the past makes her eyes seem kind, making people like her and not wanting to hurt her.

A woman’s appearance is indeed important.

So being beautiful indeed means having an advantage.

Tang Yuxin picked up her bowl. What they were eating at home was white rice, and all the vegetables were from their own garden. There were dishes like tomato and eggs, stir-fried peppers, stir-fried small greens, and a soup made with vegetables and tofu.

The food that Zhang Xiangcao prepared was delicious. Even though they were simple home-cooked meals, she poured her heart into each one. They didn’t lack money now, so there was always meat in every meal. Little wonder, even Sisi, the young girl, was gaining weight.

The Tang family’s life improved after Zhang Xiangcao married into the family. Every family member gained weight.

“Your father and I saved some for you, you eat first. We don’t want you to go hungry.”

Zhang Xiangcao touched Tang Yuxin’s head, pushed some food towards her, then served Sisi some in a small bowl. Sisi might have experienced hunger at a young age, so even now when they had better times, Sisi knew how hard it was to get food. She carefully spooned rice into her mouth, not wasting a single grain.

Sisi probably noticed her sister looking at her, she raised her face, grinned at Tang Yuxin. Sisi’s chubby little face looked like her mom’s – she’s going to be a beautiful girl when she grows up.

Tang Yuxin could not help but pinch Sisi’s small face. “Should we consider sending Sisi to the nursery?” She thought of the newly opened nursery in the village. Most children of her age were there. It’s ten dollars a month. They don’t expect her to learn much, but at least she would have some peers to play with.

Tang Yuxin felt, “Sisi should go. She has few playmates, always staying here, I’m worried that she might become introverted.”

“When your uncle comes back, I’ll discuss it with him.”

Zhang Xiangcao lovingly touched her daughter’s face. Sisi smiled at her mother, then continued eating her rice with her small spoon. Sisi’s tiny figure was so lovable and pitiful that people couldn’t help feeling for her.

Suddenly, Tang Yuxin felt a slight bitterness in her heart. The sourness that welled up in her nose reached her eyes. She blinked hard, forcing back the wetness in her eyes.

Sisi is much happier than she was in her previous life. Even though their lives were hard, Sisi has a mother who truly loves her.

Even if Zhang Xiangcao does not eat, she makes sure that her daughter is full. But she, Tang Yuxin, was murdered by her own mother in the end, and even after her death, her mother continued to play with the lives of others for money.

Having such a mother was the biggest failure of her life.

She could not choose her parents, or her birth, but this time, she will choose her own path.

This life, she will not hand her fate to others.

She will take charge of her own life.

She lowered her head again and started eating. The rice was fragrant, and each grain was clean and loose. This was far tastier than what her father made.

Women are more skillful with their hands. She feels she could do better than her father.

However, she was too young, and Zhinian didn’t let her cook. She was too small to even handle the pot. So, she wanted to wait until she was older to take over cooking at home. She just didn’t expect Zhang Xiangcao to appear and leave her no place to show her abilities.

When she got home from school, it was somewhat late because she was on duty. It was almost dark.

Zhang Xiangcao was busy in the kitchen, and Tang Zhijun was holding Sisi. Sisi was enthusiastically telling her father a little story she’d heard somewhere, possibly with some additions of her own. Though her words were sometimes stuttered and unclear, her father listened with rapture.

“Xinxin, you’re back.”

Seeing Tang Yuxin, Tang Zhijun hurriedly greeted her, “Why are you back so late?”

“Yes, I was on duty,” Tang Yuxin stowed her schoolbag. There was no homework to do in the evening. She finished all her homework in school. After all, as an adult, even after years of not holding a pen, she should be able to handle elementary school homework.

At night, she studied the medical books that Chen Zhong had given her. She had experience – after all, she had been a doctor for ten years. So coupling theory with practice, she understood the content easily.

After dinner.

Tang Yuxin was lying on her small bed, flipping through those ancient books. Thanks to Chen Zhong teaching her the Chen family’s annotations from childhood, or else she wouldn’t be able to read the twisted characters in these books.

Then, she opened her eyes, rubbed them, and looked at the electronic clock on the side.

It was already eleven o’clock, she had fallen asleep reading the books.

She put the book under her pillow, pulled the blanket over herself, and prepared to sleep. They didn’t have a computer, but they did have a TV. However, at night, there were no interesting programs. Most people went to bed early around nine-thirty due to lack of anything entertaining to do.

Such a lifestyle, coupled with a pollution-free environment, eating vegetables grown by themselves, drinking water from the well.

No wonder people from this generation often live long lives. It’s hard to say about the future though.

As she was sleepily napping, a noise echoed from outside.

She opened her eyes and sat up.

“What’s the matter?” She yawned, ready to snuggle back under the blanket and continue sleeping.

But unexpectedly, the crying voice of her uncle came in.

“Brother, look at Xiangcao, she was fine in the morning, how could she be in such pain now?”