No wonder. The original Lin Fang disliked Yan Ping and would oppose her in everything, never giving her a kind look, let alone a compliment. Even the current Lin Fang still didn’t like Yan Ping, but she was no longer that ignorant little girl who didn’t understand anything. She knew that if she clashed head-on with Yan Ping, she would likely be the one to suffer. It wasn’t that she hadn’t known this before—it was just that her childish temper had been too strong, and she couldn’t control herself.
Yan Ping, on the other hand, thought Lin Fang was nothing but a useless burden—someone who couldn’t do anything and was always spending money. A half-dead invalid who might not even live much longer, yet instead of staying quietly at home, she insisted on going to school—and not just any school, but the most expensive experimental class. Because of her, Yan Ping couldn’t live a good life, so she hated Lin Fang and wished she would die sooner. The only reason she didn’t dare do anything to Lin Fang was her fear of Lin Yong. At most, she could occasionally bully her a little.
However, this time, Lin Fang’s words were sincere. Yan Ping’s hands were indeed skillful. But this sudden change was so unexpected that even the two old foxes in the family hadn’t adjusted to it, let alone Yan Ping.
Lin Fang then made a suggestion to Yan Ping: “Sister-in-law, since your hands are so nimble, why not have Second Brother bring in some defective clothes for you to alter and sell? It’s not like you can work in the fields during winter anyway. You might as well make some extra money from the price difference.”
“Who says I’m idle? I still have to take care of Yuanyuan!” Yan Ping snapped, taking little Yuanyuan from Lin Yong’s arms and storming out of the room back to her own. Lin Fang sighed inwardly. Her goodwill had been mistaken for malice. But thinking about it, it was understandable. Even though the family had split up, every time Lin Fang fell ill, her eldest brother would inevitably take out money for her treatment. Yan Ping was afraid that the money she worked so hard to earn would end up being spent on Lin Fang.
Dong Huixin went into the inner room and brought out Lin Fang’s padded coat, draping it over her shoulders with deep concern. “Fang, you must be tired. Go lie down for a while. I’ll make you some noodle soup and call you when it’s ready. A nice, hot bowl will do you good.”
“Yes, yes, go rest. I’ll knead the dough right away.” Being a man, Lin Yuanmin was stronger than Dong Huixin, and the dough he kneaded had more elasticity, making it chewier and tastier. So whenever Lin Fang was home, Lin Yuanmin would eagerly take on the task of kneading. The rest, however, was Dong Huixin’s domain. Even though the seasonings used were just simple household staples, the dishes Lin Yuanmin made never tasted as good as Dong Huixin’s.
Lin Fang didn’t feel the slightest bit tired at the moment. She shook her head with a smile. “Mom, just hearing you say that makes my mouth water. I’m not tired—I’ll read for a bit first.” She wanted to check which grade she was in now. Judging by the situation, it seemed to be the first year of high school, but with something as unpredictable as reincarnation, who knew if some things had changed?
As usual, the moment Lin Fang mentioned reading or doing homework, Lin Yuanmin immediately objected. “Haven’t you had enough of reading at school? You’re home now—go lie down and take a nap. Too much reading will ruin your eyes.”
Lin Yong found it amusing. “Who was it that said in the hospital that if you slept any more, you’d have to repeat a grade? Now you’re telling her not to read. Dad, which of your words are actually sincere?”
Lin Yuanmin laughed. “Every word I say is sincere.”
Leaving her father and brother to their banter, Lin Fang went into the inner room.
The inner room was simply furnished. The southern half had a kang (a heated brick bed), while the other half had a cabinet desk against the wall with two armchairs on either side. The only other thing was a stove connected to the kang. Her schoolbag lay on the kang, right where she slept—the warmest spot. Taking out her textbooks and flipping through them, Lin Fang felt relieved. At the very least, she could confirm that the timeline after her reincarnation hadn’t shifted—she was still in her first year of high school.
As she flipped through the pages, Lin Fang gradually sank into memories.
Lin Fang’s health was poor, and she often missed classes, yet her grades had always been among the top in her class. Struggling through elementary and middle school, she managed to keep up academically. But during the high school entrance exam, at the critical moment, her body failed her. During the physics exam, as she wrote, her vision began to blur. She couldn’t tell whether the symbols for current inflow and outflow were dots or crosses. Eventually, she couldn’t even see the words clearly. Helpless, she raised her hand and withdrew from the exam.
When the results came out, Lin Fang’s physics score was only 40. Her total score fell 1.5 points short of the cutoff for the preschool teacher training school she had applied to. When filling out her application, she had been single-mindedly focused on getting into that school, so she hadn’t listed any high schools as backups. Otherwise, with her score, she could have gotten into the county’s second-tier high school. Left with no choice, she had to repeat the year.
A few days before the next year’s high school entrance exam, fearing a repeat of her previous episode, her family and teachers ordered Lin Fang to rest instead of cramming like her classmates. Even so, something went wrong during the exam. Her score fell 0.5 points short of the provincial key school—the county’s top high school—so she had to settle for the second-tier one.
Yet, what should have been three years of high school stretched into five for Lin Fang. It wasn’t because of her grades but because of her health.
Lin Fang had attended elementary and middle school in her village. Her home was right at the school gate, and the teachers knew her condition. They didn’t enforce the same strictness with her as they did with other students. She could come and go as she pleased. If she had dropped out one day, no one would have found it strange. So Lin Fang had lived quite freely during those years. But high school was different.
The county’s second-tier high school was ten miles from home, so she had to board there. Boarding meant rules. Though the teachers were considerate of her situation, it wasn’t like being at home. At the very least, she had to take care of herself, follow classroom discipline, and adhere to the school’s schedule. The pace of learning was also much more intense.
The pressure of high school caused Lin Fang’s health to deteriorate further. Her episodes became more frequent, each requiring a leave of absence. Eventually, even the principal intervened, suggesting she drop out. But Lin Fang refused. She loved learning, loved reading all kinds of books. Her family respected her wishes and wrote a guarantee to the school: if Lin Fang were to die on campus due to her illness, they would not hold the school responsible. They even took the guarantee to a notary office for official certification. Only then did the school relent.
In truth, her family had no choice. For Lin Fang, education was a lifeline—a spiritual anchor. If she couldn’t even study, it would mean waiting at home for death. That would have been too cruel.
In fits and starts, it took Lin Fang five years to complete three years of high school. By then, even she herself thought that the college entrance exam would mark the end of her academic journey. Yet against all odds, she was admitted to university—a top-tier one at that.
After careful consideration, her family decided to support her university education. Lin Tuo, who had monopolized the village store, reluctantly mortgaged it and used all the money to send Lin Fang to college. He even accompanied her for four years, taking care of her daily needs. To avoid exhausting their funds, he also took on odd jobs until Lin Fang graduated and found work.
Ah, back then, she had been so immature, thinking it was only natural for her family to indulge and accompany her. When things didn’t go her way, she would throw tantrums. Looking back now, she realized how much trouble she had caused them. Since fate had given her a second chance, she was determined to change all that.
“Oh, you child! Why won’t you listen? Your father told you to sleep, and here you are secretly reading!”
Her mother’s voice interrupted her reminiscence. Hearing her nagging, Lin Fang felt a warmth in her heart. She packed her textbooks into her bag, stood up, and hugged her mother’s arm, acting coy. “Mom, Sleeping Beauty could sleep because she was beautiful. I’m so ugly, yet I’ve been sleeping for over ten days straight. If I sleep any more, I’ll be punished by heaven.”
Dong Huixin pretended to spit in superstition. “Pah! Don’t talk nonsense! My Fang is blessed by heaven.”
Then she paused, staring at Lin Fang with wide eyes until Lin Fang began to wonder if something was wrong with her. After checking herself over, she teased her mother, “What? Has your daughter become so pretty you don’t recognize her?”
“Fang, what’s going on? Ever since you recovered this time, you’ve seemed different. Is something wrong with your body?” Dong Huixin’s lips trembled as she spoke, her eyes reddening.
Lin Fang’s heart clenched. She had been careless—her changes were too obvious. Her mother wasn’t suspecting her of being some supernatural entity but likely thought this was a final rally before death. Heart aching, she put on a reproachful expression. “Mom, what are you thinking? I’m perfectly fine. It’s just that during these ten-plus days, I had many dreams—all about me being unfilial and punished by heaven. So after waking up, I wanted to be better to you all. Why do you always think the worst of me?”
Dong Huixin wasn’t convinced. “Don’t lie to me. Are you really okay?”
“Really, I’m fine. Or do you want something to be wrong with me?” Lin Fang was adept at playing the unreasonable card.
“Heh, as long as you’re fine, that’s all that matters. Oh! I’d better go check if your father’s done kneading the dough. Even if you’re fine, you shouldn’t go hungry.”
Tears streaming down her smiling face, Dong Huixin hurried back to the outer room.
Lin Fang took out her textbooks again and continued flipping through them. The material she had once learned now felt both familiar and strange. She needed to get back into the groove quickly. Even if she wouldn’t devote herself entirely to studying in the future, she couldn’t afford to fall behind.
The noodle soup was simple—just inch-wide strips of dough floating in boiling water with a few drops of oil and some shredded scallions. Compared to the meals she’d had in her other life’s Lin family, this was barely a step above peasant fare. Yet Lin Fang ate it with relish.
After finishing one bowl, she had another half. Just as she was about to serve herself another half-bowl, Lin Yuanmin stopped her. “Fang, no more. You’ve already eaten half a bowl more than usual. If you’re still hungry, wait until your stomach settles before eating more, okay?”
Lin Fang had never had a big appetite, and the doctor had specifically warned her not to overeat, as it would put strain on her heart and could lead to trouble. She had forgotten in her enjoyment, but her father’s reminder made her put down the bowl. “Oh, heh. Dad, it’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve had home-cooked food. I couldn’t help myself. I won’t eat any more.”
Dong Huixin scolded lightly, “Silly child, it’s only been ten-some days in the hospital. It hasn’t been that long.”
“Heh heh heh.” Lin Fang could only laugh sheepishly, unsure how to explain.
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