"I will never leave you again, never!"
Chen Yang ran back with all his might, eager to see the woman who had appeared in his dreams countless times.
"Chen Yang, work isn't over yet. This is a crucial time. If the village Party secretary catches you, he'll add it to your record, and you won't be able to go back."
Zheng Weiguo looked at Chen Yang, who had suddenly run off, with disappointment. This kid usually relied on his wife to earn work points.
He only worked in the fields sporadically, three days on and two days off. It was fine before, but now that the policy to return to the city was in place, the opportunity to go back rested entirely with the village Party secretary. If he gave them a reason to hold him back, he wouldn't be able to return.
"If I can't go back, then I won't go back! I'll die before I go back to the city!"
Chen Yang shouted, running home without looking back. Zheng Weiguo and Liu Maosheng, who had just bandaged his wound, were both sent-down youth from the same batch as him.
If it were before, he would have been grateful to these people who were actively helping him return to the city. But now, with his rebirth, Chen Yang would never listen to a word they said again.
He would never abandon his wife and children to return to the city. He would never let the tragedy of his wife falling ill and dying happen again!
His daughter, he wanted her to be the happiest princess in the world!
With his rebirth, he would change everything!
...
"Thump, thump, thump."
Passing through fields, the small village was already close. As he neared the mud-brick courtyard that had appeared in his dreams countless times, Chen Yang's heart felt as though it would leap out of his throat. He was afraid it was all a dream.
"Creak."
Just as the sky was about to darken, Chen Yang gritted his teeth and pushed open the covered bamboo fence gate. The courtyard was all too familiar.
The stone grinding mill casually left in the corner of the yard, the adobe house with half its plaster peeled off, and through the small, broken window, he could vaguely see the figure he longed for.
Except there was no kerosene lamp lit!
The sky wasn't completely dark yet, but even a sliver of light wouldn't tempt her to light a kerosene lamp.
As if sensing movement in the yard, the woman turned to look at Chen Yang. Their eyes met.
It was her, it was really her!
The moment he looked at her, tears streamed down Chen Yang's face uncontrollably. He lunged forward and rushed into the house.
He fiercely embraced the woman in the house with all his might. At this moment, it felt as though he used all the strength in his body. SuDan Novel Network.
In this life, he would never let go again.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
"Chen Yang, what are you doing? It's still daytime, and Yan Yan is right here."
But before Chen Yang could say anything, Shen Xue struggled fiercely to break free from his embrace, her voice full of exasperation.
Women of this era were very conservative. Even between husband and wife, they wouldn't embrace and kiss in the open, let alone with their child present.
Hearing Shen Xue's voice, Chen Yang finally noticed a plump baby with wide, confused eyes staring at them.
Looking at the baby's bright, questioning eyes, even he felt a blush creep up his neck.
"Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing? You're not playing with Yan Yan. Smelly Daddy."
The baby flapped her little legs and scrambled to Chen Yang's side, tugging at his pants with her small hands.
Hearing the word "Daddy," Chen Yang's heart felt as though it was melting.
In his past life, due to his wife's death, his daughter Chen Mengyan had become estranged from him, even changing her name to Shen Mengyan and cutting off all contact.
Even when she lived in a small thirty-odd square meter apartment with her husband's family, she refused to accept a single cent of his aid.
This was also a lifelong regret for him.
Looking at the plump baby in front of him, Chen Yang picked her up, holding Shen Xue with his other arm.
"Daddy's precious little darling, I would never abandon you. Come, give Daddy a kiss."
Chen Yang leaned his face towards her. The baby, unfazed by his sweaty body, planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
"Go on, go wash up. You smell of sweat."
"Smelly Daddy, so smelly. Yan Yan won't kiss anymore."
Shen Xue, unconcerned with Chen Yang's reluctance, took their daughter from his arms. Little Meng Yan also stuck out her tongue in playful cooperation.
Chen Yang scratched his head. This dreamlike happiness made him feel almost suffocated.
"What are you writing? It's so dark, why aren't you lighting a lamp?"
Chen Yang glanced at the small table behind Shen Xue. He didn't want to leave the woman in front of him for a second.
Only after experiencing it did he know how much this woman loved him!
For his future, she was willing to live a widow's life, divorce him, and beg the village Party secretary to let him return to the city.
Raising their child alone, even selling her blood, even suffering from illness, she never contacted him again.
It was just that he had been foolish and irresponsible, abandoning them for his so-called "dream of college."
He knew this woman was stubborn, like a mule. Once she set her mind on something, even eight horses couldn't pull her back.
But today, he wouldn't allow what happened before to happen again.
"It's nothing. Don't mind me. What's wrong with your hand? Why is it all bloody?"
As if her secret had been discovered, Shen Xue quickly crumpled the letter on the table into a ball and hid it behind her back.
"I accidentally cut myself. I've already tied it with a towel. It's fine."
Chen Yang waved his hand. He didn't force Shen Xue to tell him, but he knew better than anyone what she was holding.
It was a divorce letter!
In his past life, this foolish woman had written it herself, signed it, and then asked him to sign it before sending it to the village Party secretary.
If it weren't for her earnest pleas, as a married sent-down youth, he wouldn't have qualified to return to the city!
Although Chen Yang desperately wanted to tear up the divorce letter written by this foolish woman, he didn't do so directly.
He knew she was set in her ways.
He would use his actions to show her that he could have a bright future without returning to the city, and he would do it while leading her and their child to prosperity!
They were never his burden, but his most precious, most treasured wealth in this life.
What about returning to the city, what about city dwellers, what about the privilege of working for the state, he cared nothing for it.
"Sit down properly. You've bled so much, and you say you're fine. I'll go get water to wash it for you and bandage the wound."
Shen Xue immediately tried to put down the child and fetch water, but Chen Yang held her back.
"I'll do it myself. You rest."
"I'm a man. Don't you listen to me either?"
As if he knew what Shen Xue was about to say, before she could speak, Chen Yang insisted on her sitting on the edge of the bed and then went out with the basin.
Watching Chen Yang clumsily build a fire, fetch water, and heat it in the yard, Shen Xue tightly hugged the plump baby in her arms.
It was as if she was making a difficult decision.
"Mommy, it's cold. Don't cry, don't cry..."
It wasn't until a tender child's voice spoke, and she looked at her daughter waving her little hands to wipe her tears, that Shen Xue snapped back to attention.
"Mommy isn't crying, the wind just got into my eyes."
"Are you hungry? Mommy will go cook for you."
...