this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
They arrived at the hospital.
Before getting out of the car, the man spoke in a deep voice, “Duan Cheng.”
Duan Cheng helped deliver the patient to the emergency room and then hastily departed.
Xia Xiaomeng had just paid when her brother, Xia Dahai, rushed out. “Xiaomeng, Mom’s awake, and she’s been looking for you.”
Without any hesitation, Xia Xiaomeng ran into the hospital room and saw her mother about to get out of bed. She quickly stopped her and urged her to lie back down.
“Xiaomeng, you scared me to death,” Li Guihua said, clutching her daughter’s hand while crying.
Xia Xiaomeng held her mother tightly, choking back tears. “Mom, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault for making you worry.”
Li Guihua embraced her daughter tightly, fearing she would disappear again. “If you didn’t want to go to the countryside, you could have told me. You don’t need to scare me by jumping into the river.”
Xia Xiaomeng wiped away her tears and sat up. “Mom, I really didn’t want to jump into the river. I was deceived by Xia Xiaohua.”
Looking into her mother’s shocked eyes, Xia Xiaomeng recounted the whole story.
Two days ago, she and her cousin Xia Xiaohua had both received notices to go to the countryside. However, they were assigned to different places. Xia Xiaohua was sent to a remote location in the far northwest, the most harsh and barren part of the country. Xia Xiaomeng was assigned to Lianhua Commune, which, while not great, was much closer to home.
堂妹: younger cousin sister that shares the same surname (father’s side)
However, despite this, she was still not very pleased with her assignment. She couldn’t understand why her mother, who had always spoiled her, would send her to the countryside to endure hardship.
Sensing her unhappiness, Xia Xiaohua suggested that she jump into the river to scare her mother. Xia Xiaohua also assured her that she would rescue her promptly.
In her previous life, she had actually been stupid enough to agree to such a plan. She had jumped into the river, but Xia Xiaohua had walked away and left her without looking back.
Li Guihua couldn’t believe it. “Xiaohua? But she’s been so good to you, why would she do this to you?”
“Mom’s right. Why would she treat you this way? I’m going to find her and ask her.”
Xia Dahai was already gearing up to go and confront her.
“Eldest brother, is it really appropriate for you to go right now in the middle of the night?” Xia Xiaomeng pulled her brother back.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this matter myself. Right now, the most important thing is Mom’s health.”
Xia Dahai nodded and instructed Xia Xiaomeng to stay with their mother while he went home to take care of their younger siblings.
After seeing off her brother, Xia Xiaomeng sat down by her mother’s bedside.
Li Guihua looked worried as she held her daughter’s hand and said, “Xiaomeng, I just remembered something. After you fainted, I was originally planning to go to the county hospital. But on the way, I met Xiaohua.”
She continued, “She said there was no one at the county hospital today, and that’s when I thought about going to the neighbouring county.”
Li Guihua was troubled and asked, “Do you think Xiaohua deliberately led me there?”
Xia Xiaomeng shook her head. “I don’t think Xia Xiaohua would have known about Wu Bilian and that man’s affair. The reason why she asked you not to go to the county hospital is probably because she wanted to delay my treatment.”
This statement sent shivers down Li Guihua’s spine. She couldn’t believe that the child who she had watched grow up could be so ruthless.
“Mom, did you recognize the man who knocked you unconscious? If Wu Bilian’s scandal has been discovered by you, she definitely won’t let it go. Only by finding that man can we make some plans in advance.”
Li Guihua thought for a moment and said, “I only know that he’s not very tall and is a bit chubby, but I didn’t get a clear look at his face. Oh, and I remember he seemed to be wearing a watch.”
A watch? Not many people could afford to wear a watch these days, especially in a small county like Anhe. With this clue, Xia Xiaomeng had a better idea of what she was dealing with.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
After getting her mother settled, Xia Xiaomeng lay down on a nearby bed. She felt uncomfortable from being sticky with sweat. She missed her own hot tub so much, but it’s a pity that in this era, there were no public bathhouses, let alone hot tubs.
Suddenly, she felt a dizzy sensation. When she opened her eyes again, she found a massive hot tub in front of her. Wasn’t this the bathroom from the villa in her previous life? Could it be that her villa had come with her?
Confused, Xia Xiaomeng explored the villa and found everything to be the same as in her previous life. Her antiques, calligraphy, luxury cars, and branded watches were all there, but it was just a pity that she couldn’t possibly take them out at a time like this.
She went to the warehouse outside the villa and upon opening the door, saw piles of supplies. There were whole bags of rice, grains and oils, as well as various fruits and vegetables. Not only that, there were also a variety of seasonings, medicines, clothing, and tools. It could be said that there was everything you could possibly need.
Having grown accustomed to a life of hardship in her previous life, she often hoarded items in this storage space and always stocked up from time to time. Seeing all of this, Xia Xiaomeng felt overjoyed.
At that moment, she noticed an old-fashioned box. When she opened it, she found a pile of grain and meat stamps.
Her eyes lit up. These were the keepsakes she had intentionally left behind as souvenirs. She never expected to be able to use them one day. However, she would need to figure out a way to use these coupons openly.
After exiting the space, Xia Xiaomeng thought happily that with these treasures, she would certainly be able to provide a better life for her family.
Before she knew it, she had already drifted off to sleep.
The next day, after the doctor had examined Li Guihua and confirmed that she was not seriously ill, Xia Xiaomeng left the hospital with her mother.
As she looked at the apartment building in front of her, Xia Xiaomeng felt like crying. This place was once filled with all her beautiful memories. However, she hadn’t returned since her mother passed away. She was too ashamed to come back after being kicked out of her family home. By the time she decided to return, the building had already been demolished.
The two of them walked to the door, but before they could knock, the door opened. Her younger sister, Xia Xiaozhi, glanced at her timidly before helping their mother inside.
The house was exactly as it used to be; nothing had changed. There was a family portrait hanging on the wall. The photograph was still in black and white, with wavy patterns on the edges. Their young parents sat in the centre, holding their baby brother who was only a month old. She and her sister, Xia Xiaozhi, stood on each side of their parents, while their older brother and not yet married older sister stood behind.
This was their family’s first and last family portrait. Not long after that, their father passed away unexpectedly. Their mother raised the five siblings on her own.
Now, their older sister was married. Their older brother took over their father’s job, working in a lumber factory. Xiaozhi, who was mute and had a timid personality, could only stay at home sewing insoles and similar items as a way of contributing to their family’s income. Xia Xiaomeng was the only one who was idle and depended on them to eat.
Li Guihua, seeing her daughter lost in thought while looking at the photo, said, “These are just old photos. What’s so interesting about them? In the future, when we’re all together, we’ll take another family photo.”
After saying this, she asked Xia Xiaozhi to prepare dinner.
Xia Xiaomeng pulled her sister aside. “Xiaozhi, you go take care of Mom, leave the cooking to me today.”
Xia Xiaozhi couldn’t believe what she was hearing; it was her first time hearing her sister say that.
Li Guihua was also somewhat surprised. “Let Xiaozhi do it; you’ve never been in the kitchen. I’m afraid you’ll accidentally burn down the kitchen.”
Little did she know that Xia Xiaomeng, in this moment, was not only able to cook, but was also a top-notch chef who made it big through her culinary skills.
Xia Xiaomeng gave a look that said, ‘Just wait and see,’ and walked into the kitchen. She put on an apron, cooked a pot of brown rice, and then expertly peeled some potatoes.
In this era, most people ate in the factory canteens, so they didn’t have many ingredients at home. Xia Xiaomeng let Xia Xiaozhi help her to avoid suspicion. She intentionally cut the potato shreds into uneven shreds. Then she lit the fire for the stove, poured in some oil, added green onions and garlic, and quickly stir-fried the potatoes. The kitchen soon filled with a delightful aroma.
Xia Xiaomeng secretly added some oil and chicken essence from her space to the dish. Soon, a plate of golden, glossy, shredded potato stir fry was ready.
footnotes
爆炒土豆丝 shredded potato stir fry
