Chapter 2: The Past

Lin Qiu entered with a bowl of Coarse Rice Porridge in her left hand and a plate of pickles in her right.

She immediately noticed Lin Xia's unusually fierce gaze and quickly walked over to the edge of the kang, setting down the bowl and plate.

With a concerned expression, she asked, "Sis! What's wrong with you? That look just now was really scary!"

Lin Xia regained her usual expression, exhaled, and smiled slightly, "It's nothing! Xiaoqiu, have you eaten?"

Embarrassed, Xiaoqiu rubbed her hands together, "I've eaten, sis, you eat!"

Seeing her gesture, Lin Xia knew for sure that she hadn't eaten—this bowl of Coarse Rice Porridge was probably something she couldn't bear to eat herself and had saved it specially for her!

The corners of her eyes grew warm, she took a breath, holding back the tears that were about to flow, vowing that she also wouldn't cry easily in the future!

She needed to be strong, to try her hardest no matter how tough or tiring, to ensure her siblings had a good life—not just enough to eat and warm clothes, but also more money than they could spend!

Lin Xia sniffed and clasolped Xiaoqiu's hand, "Xiaoqiu, let's eat together!"

If she really could start over and return to this moment, how could she not know the true nature of her stepmother, Qian Chunli? Her own children made trouble every day, but when it came to her and her siblings, weren't they always schemed against, barely getting enough food?

However, there were exceptions, like when dad came home from the unit; she acted completely differently towards them.

Xiaoqiu was clearly also hungry as they shared the bowl of watery Coarse Rice Porridge, taking turns, until it was finished.

With food in her stomach, Lin Xia felt energized. She stopped Xiaoqiu, who was about to take the bowl to the kitchen. "Xiaoqiu, what are Qian Chunli and her three up to?"

She knew that those three must not be at home; otherwise, there would have been noise the moment she woke up. How could it be so quiet?

Xiaoqiu disdainfully curled her lip, "They dressed up early this morning and slipped off to her sister's house to give a wedding gift! Sis! It really makes me angry! How can Dad be so biased? He's not blind; he can see what we're wearing!

How he treated our mom and how he treats us, always yelling and scolding. You see how he treats those Qians and their brood, almost better than he treats his own kids!"

Lin Xia bit back the words that rushed to her lips, thinking of just how biased her father, Lin Aiguo, was.

Lin Aiguo worked at the lumberyard, a permanent worker. In the future, when it was time to take over, it should have been the eldest brother's turn, but it was Lin Qiang who took over!

If it hadn't been for Lin Qiang taking over, how could the eldest brother have ended up dead so early from an accident at the plywood factory?

At that moment, Lin Xia thought of her eldest brother!

She excitedly grasped Xiaoqiu's hand, her voice trembling a bit as she asked, "Where's the eldest brother?"

"Big brother went to work! When he left early, he was worried about you. He said he'd come back at noon from work, and if you were still not better, he would take you to the hospital." Xiaoqiu whispered into her ear, "Big brother has secretly saved some money!"

Lin Xia felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Great! That was wonderful! Her eldest brother was still alive and well!

Heaven had granted her a second life, and not only did she need to make something of herself, but she also wanted her elder brother to live a long life and let her younger brothers and sisters have a good life too.

In her past life, someone introduced a suitor to Xiaoqiu because his family offered two hundred more in the dowry, and Lin Aiguo insisted on marrying her off. And then there was the younger brother, Lin Dong, who really studied well, but after junior high, he wasn't allowed to continue, all because they wanted Lin Dong to work and contribute to the family!

What kind of days did the siblings finally end up living? As for Lin Yu and Lin Qiang, the sister and brother, the lives they led were probably worlds apart from theirs!

"Alas, sister, look how our granny has changed! She used to be so harsh to our mom, scolding her at will, but now in front of Ms. Qian, she doesn't even dare to fart! It really shows that she picks on the weak but fears the strong."

Lin Qiu was truly holding back a lot of frustration; it was rare to hear such words from her.

Lin Xia immediately thought of her grandmother, an old lady whom people loathed enough to grind their teeth. Her mom, Yu Wanhua, was from the south, and had followed relatives to Spring City for work opportunities in her early days.

Later on, through someone's introduction, she married Lin Aiguo, but sadly the differences between the north and the south were too great, whether it was the language, lifestyle habits, or customs. Plus, Yu Wanhua having a submissive personality, how could she stand a chance against her fierce mother-in-law and the indifferent Lin Aiguo? She had no choice but to endure, so the kind of life she led at home was imaginable.

All the dirty, hard, and tiring jobs were done by her, and yet she still didn't fare well: she ate poorly and was often scolded and beaten!

Lin Xia remembered clearly that her mother had once resisted, when she was bullied harshly and finally resolutely decided to divorce Lin Aiguo. Knowing she couldn't take her son with her, as he belonged to the Lin family, she negotiated with Lin Aiguo about taking herself and Lin Qiu back to her southern hometown to live.

But Lin Aiguo and his mother, side by side, obstructed them uncompromisingly, and at last her mother left crying.

But she only went back for three months, because she worried about the children, fearing they wouldn't do well without a mother. Therefore, she came back!

The days that followed, needless to say, were even more miserable. Lin Xia had thought in her previous life that if her mother had stayed in the southern hometown, totally hardened her heart, and not returned to Spring City because of her children's connection,

would she not have become overworked, eventually falling gravely ill and dying?

Lin Qiu watched her sister's face changing constantly, one moment angry, the next sad. Not knowing why, she always felt that since her sister woke up from the illness, she was completely different from before!

She timidly called out, "Sister! Do you still feel unwell?"

"Much better, Xiaoqiu! Don't worry, I'm tough enough to handle distress. A fever sweats out soon!"

Lin Xia quickly comforted her sister, although she was still feeling temporarily confused, not knowing how to make their future life better.

But she believed that as long as she was not afraid to endure hardships and was determined, in the early 1980s, at the beginning of the reform and opening up, she would definitely find a way out!

Isn't there an old saying, "Heaven won't starve a blind sparrow!"

While Xiaoqiu went to the kitchen to return a bowl, Lin Xia bowed her head and recollected the past.

Her home in Spring City was situated in the Lesser Khingan Range, which depends on the mountains for livelihood, so the factories around were all related to the lumber industry, like lumberyards and wood processing factories. But uncontrolled logging eventually became unsustainable.

Originally, she worked in a wood processing factory, not as a worker but as a youth, although not earning much, at least she wasn't starving.

However, after stopping the logging completely, the factory went on a long break, and there were already many whispers that the unit might close down.

Actually, without others saying anything, they had already privately seen that closure was inevitable, just a matter of time!

Lin Xia thought, then so should she knowingly follow the same old path, relying on that meager monthly salary to live?

If so, how could she possibly improve life for her brother and sister just with that small salary?

But at this time, in her small county town, what could she do to make money?