Chapter 30: The Sister-in-Law Moves In, Say Goodbye to Happiness

With bags of rice and bedding strapped to the luggage rack and bottles of soybean oil and clothing hanging from the handlebars, Liu Weidong could only push his bicycle slowly toward home. Once inside, he resumed his inspection of the furniture left behind by the old man.

Though the wood was darkened by years of soot and smoke, Liu Weidong could tell at a glance that the Eight Immortals table, the chairs, and the kang cabinet were crafted from antique pear wood—if not dating back to the Qing Dynasty, then certainly from the Republican era. In his past life, Liu hadn’t been an antiques collector, but frequent attendance at charity auctions had turned him into an amateur enthusiast through sheer exposure.

The neighborhood didn't have indoor plumbing yet. After asking a neighbor, a woman who worked as a tailor, where to fetch water, Liu made several trips to fill his buckets. He scrubbed the house inside and out until the windows sparkled and the floors shone. Looking at his tidy home, he couldn’t help but sigh at how fleeting time truly was. His previous life felt like a movie that had finished before he even realized it had begun; there were few things he remembered clearly, save for the grief over his late wife and his business.

Since he had been granted a second chance at life, he prayed that fate would be kind and allow him to fully rectify the regrets of his past.

Cooking was not his strong suit, especially using an iron wok on a coal stove. Checking his watch, he saw it was already seven o’clock. He hurried out, not even bothering to take his bike. The Huiyufa steamed bun shop was still open, so he bought two steamers' worth of buns and, passing a local grocery, picked up some fermented bean curd. That would suffice for dinner for him and his wife.

He stayed home until eight-thirty before heading toward the First High School. Looking at the brilliantly lit school building, a sense of overwhelming happiness surged within him. "Oh, for a million mansions to shelter all the shivering souls of the world," he mused—to have established a home in Binjiang only a month after his rebirth gave him a sense of accomplishment that felt far more meaningful than anything he had achieved in his previous life. The reason was simple: there was now a woman of the house waiting for him.

When school let out and Lou Yanru and her younger sister appeared, Lou Yanru was stunned to see Liu Weidong without his bicycle.

"What happened? Did you lose your new bike already?"

Liu waved his hand quickly. "No, it's safe. I didn't need to ride home today."

Lou Yanru was puzzled, but a look of pleasant surprise soon dawned on her face. Her sister, Lou Yanhua, however, looked completely bewildered. "Sis, are you heading back to Daqingshan? It’s so late, there are no buses left. How will you get back?"

"You’ve misunderstood, Yanhua. Didn't your brother-in-law mention he was going to buy a house in the city? I didn't expect him to actually do it..."

"You really bought one? You didn't buy my sister a coal shed to live in, did you?"

"Yanhua, why don't you come home with us and see for yourself? I bought buns from Huiyufa; we can have dinner, and then I'll take you home."

With its blue-brick gatehouse and black-lacquered doors, the house looked impressive. The moment Liu Weidong opened the gate, the sisters’ expressions couldn't have been more different.

As Lou Yan had walked toward the East Market, she had been quite anxious, but upon seeing such a proper courtyard and house, her face lit up with pure joy. Lou Yanhua, meanwhile, kept her mouth agape from the moment they entered the yard until they stepped inside the house.

Once indoors, Liu handed the purchase agreement and the property transfer application to Lou Yanru. Seeing her name on the application, Lou Yanru’s eyes turned red.

"Brother-in-law, are you for real? You really bought a house? And two large rooms at that? You’re so wealthy, why do you dress so shabbily?"

Liu Weidong laughed. "The money is for your sister to spend. I’m a grown man; who am I trying to impress? Besides, I put the house in her name so that when she gets into college, she won't have to register her residency back at her parents' house."

"What about you?" Lou Yanhua asked quickly.

As Liu tied on an apron, he replied, "Transferring rural residency is a hassle. My registration will stay in the countryside for now, but I’ll be in the city anyway—I still need to tutor your sister before the college entrance exams."

The buns were brought out, still steaming. Liu pointed to the military-issue bedding on the kang. "It was a rush, so I went to the military supply station and grabbed two sets of bedding. We can make new quilts when we have more time. We’ll build our little home bit by bit; as long as I’m here, we won't lack for anything."

Watching Liu busy himself with chores, Lou Yanru’s happiness was overflowing.

"No wonder you won't divorce him," Lou Yanhua whispered to her sister when Liu was out of earshot. "He’s truly good to you, it’s just a pity about his rural residency."

"I don't care about that," Lou Yanru replied. "I was a rural resident myself when I married him. He’s no worse than any city man; why should I look down on him just because of his residency?"

"That’s not what I meant, but Mom..."

Before she could finish, Liu walked back into the room after washing the dishes. "Yanhua, if you aren't staying for tutoring, we should take you home now. It’s getting late, and your mother will be worried."

To his surprise, Lou Yanhua pouted. "I already promised Mom I’d study here with my sister. I want to see if you’re as impressive as my sister claims."

Liu Weidong wore a resigned expression. His sister-in-law was a bit willful—likely because she hadn't endured the hardships Lou Yanru had—and as the youngest daughter, she was clearly spoiled by her mother, Song Qian.

It was likely Song Qian’s idea for her to stay and study. After all, it was hard for anyone to believe that a rural man who hadn't finished middle school could tutor someone for high school curriculum. Although both sisters were in the same study group, Lou Yanhua’s foundation was clearly weaker than Lou Yanru’s. When he taught the same material, the gap in their understanding was vast, and Liu had to give Lou Yanhua extra attention.

Watching her younger sister sit there in shock, completely dumbfounded, Lou Yanru couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Yanhua, you can’t even understand what your brother-in-law is explaining, yet you dare doubt his ability? There’s less than a month left. Even if the cultural score requirement for the art exam is lower, you still need to reach it to get into college."

"My god, brother-in-law, were you a tailor in your past life? You’re so talented. Are you really a countryman? You seem just like a teacher from the First High School, and you know every subject!"

"Don't get distracted. These classical texts are mandatory. Go to the small room and memorize them. Since you’re likely to score better in the humanities, focus there. If that fails, I can teach you a way to gain extra points, but not now—if I tell you now, you’ll stop studying altogether."

Lou Yanhua pouted and headed to the west room. Lou Yanru asked in a low voice, "Are you just tricking her with that 'extra points' thing to give her some confidence?"

"Why would I lie to her? She’s taking the art exam; I really do have a way to help her get those points."

Lou Yanru was baffled, but she shook her head and asked no more.

With only two sets of bedding, Liu gave one to his sister-in-law, heated the kang in the west room, and fetched water for the sisters to wash their feet.

"Brother-in-law, do you serve my sister like this at home, too? Washing her feet every day?"

Liu winced, thinking of how, in the past, Lou Yanru had served him, and how he had even scolded her when he’d had too much to drink.

"Yes," Lou Yanru chimed in. "That's why I’d never dream of divorcing him. Look at the bicycle and the Plum watch he bought me, and now the house is in my name. Where else would I find a man like this?"

Lou Yanhua curled her lip and stayed silent. Lou Yanru had said it intentionally, hoping her sister would put in a good word for Liu to their mother.

Lou Yanhua insisted on sleeping with her sister, so Liu had no choice but to retreat to the west room alone. Lying on the kang, listening to the sisters whispering in the east room, Liu let out a long, weary sigh. If his sister-in-law was going to stay here until the college entrance exams, she was essentially a massive, 200-watt lightbulb. His happy life had vanished into thin air so quickly that he began to suspect Lou Yanhua had been sent by Song Qian specifically to torture him.