I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 35: Budding

Yuan Xiu and her sister-in-law Chunmei stayed in the tailor shop for more than half an hour.

Taking measurements and deciding on styles, Yuan Xiu was kept in a whirl by the orders of her sisters-in-law, who would tell her to raise her arms one moment and stretch her legs the next.

Even measuring her waist gets her teased; "I could pinch Xiao Yuan's waist with both hands."

"Her breasts are big and perky. Is Xiao Yuan wearing one of those underwire bras sold in department stores?"

After the design was finalized, Yuan Xiu quickly pulled Chunmei away.

The sisters-in-law can be quite risqué when they joke around, just like Sister Xiulan.

"Look at you, you're even shy now."

Seeing Yuan Xiu blush, Chunmei teased her.

"Why are you so shy? But it's okay, it'll be fine after you have a baby. I'm looking forward to eating your red eggs."

When the topic of children came up, Yuan Xiu didn't know how to respond and could only lower her head shyly.

She probably won't be able to eat those red eggs.

……

When Jiang Zhou returned, Yuan Xiu had just brought the clothes that had been drying all day into the house.

She piled the clothes on the bed and stood by the bed, putting them into the wardrobe one by one.

Jiang Zhou walked into the bedroom. "Why are all the clothes out here?"

Seeing him return, Yuan Xiu smiled and put the military uniform in her hand into the wardrobe. "The weather is nice today, so I took it out to air in the sun."

Jiang Zhou hung up his military cap, unbuttoned his military jacket, left the front open, and picked up the clothes from the bed and folded them.

His skill in folding clothes was just as good as his skill in folding quilts. They were perfectly square, the quilts were like tofu blocks, and the clothes were like tofu slices. Yuan Xiu was ashamed of her own skill.

"By the way, I bought several kinds of fabrics at the service store today and had a few clothes made at the tailor shop."

Jiang Zhou took over folding the clothes, and Yuan Xiu took them from him and put them into the wardrobe.

Jiang Zhou nodded. "Okay."

"I also bought face cream, which cost quite a bit of money and cloth coupons."

"Okay, buy what you need, just don't spend it recklessly."

Yuan Xiu smiled slightly.

If Chunmei hadn't mentioned beforehand that he had asked her to go with him to get clothes made, she would have thought he didn't know and that she was reporting to him because she had spent money.

Jiang Zhou put all the clothes into the closet, and his gaze fell on the open book on the desk, but it wasn't his.

"Did you go to the library today?"

Yuan Xiu nodded and showed him the two books she had borrowed. The one she was reading today was a novel called "Song of Youth." She read it slowly and had only read about ten pages so far.

"A barefoot doctor's manual?" Jiang Zhou glanced at her. "Want to be a doctor?"

Yuan Xiu waved her hand, shaking her head as she laughed, "How could that be? I was just looking around. The knowledge here is quite useful and can be applied in daily life. It's never a bad thing to know more."

She's just a junior high school graduate, she's never even been to a proper medical school, and she's never learned from any experienced doctors. In her two lifetimes combined, she's only read a few books, and her knowledge is so haphazard that she's never even entered the door of medicine. What kind of doctor could she be? Even in the countryside, no one would dare let her treat patients.

If I said it out loud, people would laugh at me.

Jiang Zhou said, "If you really want to be a doctor, it's not impossible. If you spend time studying hard, you'll achieve your goal someday."

Yuan Xiu didn't take his words to heart. For her, the profession of doctor, even being a barefoot doctor in the countryside, was something she had never dared to dream of.

When she arrived here, her biggest wish was to have a job by virtue of her status as a military wife.

She also knew that the policy would change next year, and she would be able to take the college entrance exam.

She had considered whether she, who had never attended high school, should take the college entrance exam.

However, the knowledge in textbooks has been lost for too many years, not just three years in this life, but thirty years in two lifetimes combined.

She had long since forgotten everything she learned in her textbooks.

In addition, during the time she was in school, the political movement was quite intense, so students didn't study seriously and teachers didn't teach seriously either. Therefore, students in those years didn't learn much knowledge.

Yuan Xiu felt that she was probably not even as good as a primary school student now.

How dare she so brazenly say that she's going to take the college entrance exam?

Jiang Zhou placed the book "Song of Youth" in Yuan Xiu's hands. "Do you know why it's called 'Song of Youth'?"

Yuan Xiu shook her head.

"Because its main idea is that young people can realize their life's value only by striving for the ideals they uphold, and only then can youth truly shine."

Jiang Zhou looked at her and said softly, "This book is very good. You can read it carefully and attentively."

Yuan Xiu looked down at the book in her hand, then looked up at Jiang Zhou and nodded seriously.

"I will."

She felt that Jiang Zhou wanted her to learn the spirit contained in this book.

He seemed to be able to see through the thoughts hidden deep within one's heart.

……

It took Yuan Xiu three days to finish reading the book.

After reading it, a faint impulse welled up in her heart. In this second chance at life, is the only way to get away from the Yuan family, find a job to support herself, and take a different path from her previous life?

What is the value of youth?

It shouldn't be about going with the flow, but about finding the path worth fighting for your whole life, moving forward, and singing your praises!

Where should she strive for this path?

What path should she take to be worthy of the second chance God gave her in life?

Yuan Xiu seemed to understand Jiang Zhou's true purpose in having her read the book carefully.

"Is Xiao Yuan home?"

There was a knock at the door, and Yuan Xiu got up to open it.

Standing outside the door were Wu Yufen and Yuan Juan.

Yuan Xiu reached out to close the door.

"Xiao Yuan." Wu Yufen reached out and stopped the door. "Don't rush to close the door. Yuan Juan came here today to apologize to you."

She seemed to think she had done something really good and meaningful, with a smile on her face like a kindergarten teacher mediating a conflict between children, as if the 'children' in front of her would listen to her and shake hands in reconciliation the next moment.

After Wu Yufen finished speaking, she turned and winked at Yuan Juan.

Yuan Juan immediately stepped forward. "Sister, I'm sorry. I know I didn't do much, but I hurt the friendship between us sisters that we've had for so many years. I also know you haven't forgiven me yet. For the sake of us men being comrades-in-arms, let's make up..."

Are you out of your mind?

Yuan Xiu interrupted her, directly retorting, "Don't try to make yourself look good. What kind of bullshit feelings could I possibly have with you? After what your whole family has done, you still have the nerve to talk to me about feelings? You're heartless beasts! Would you talk about feelings with beasts? You know I haven't forgiven you, so don't shamelessly come crawling back. Every time you come crawling back, I'll curse you! If you want to be cursed, you're welcome!"

Yuan Juan felt a lump in her throat. She had witnessed Yuan Xiu cursing before, but she was so flustered back then that she hadn't paid attention. Now, however, she finally understood what she was hearing.

Her parents also said that Yuan Xiu was honest and wouldn't say a word even if they beat her, and even if they found out later, they couldn't do anything about it.

She's nothing like what her parents said she was. She's clearly sharp-tongued and just like a shrew who argues with people at the village entrance!

"you!"

Yuan Xiu glared at her, "What do you mean, 'you'?! You know you're no good, right?! I'm glad you realize that! If you know you're no good, why don't you hide? Don't come out here and embarrass yourself!"

Yuan Juan's finger was trembling as she pointed at Yuan Xiu. She didn't know how to respond to Yuan Xiu's insults.

Wu Yufen was also stunned; Xiao Yuan's resentment towards her cousin was far too deep.

No, we have to mend their relationship!