Su Li closed her eyes again in the darkness. With a sigh, she slowly fumbled her way onto the bed.
Now that Little Tang Mo was saved, her greatest wish had been fulfilled. The biggest crisis was over, and it was time to think about the future.
She couldn't waste this new life. School... she absolutely had to go. She believed that knowledge could change one's destiny. In her past life and this one, she had always wanted to go to school. Her grades had actually been quite good. Although the only reason she was allowed to attend middle school was to cook for her older brother, her grades were even better than his.
If her mother hadn't stopped her, she could have gone all the way to high school, or even taken the college entrance exams!
In this life, she would go to school no matter what. She would study for as long as she possibly could.
Then, she had to make money. You couldn't do anything without money, so earning it was the most urgent task. Once she had money and an education, she could do what she really wanted and fulfill her dreams.
Her dreams were still a long way off, so she wouldn't dwell on them for now. First, she would focus on her immediate plans and solve the problems right in front of her.
Besides school and making money, the most important thing right now was getting a divorce. A divorce from Tang Yuanxiao.
Her relationship with Tang Yuanxiao was a complete trainwreck. He didn't want to marry her, and she didn't want to be his wife. Even though the very idea of divorce was shocking in this day and age, she was determined to go through with it.
After all, their relationship was completely platonic; they were husband and wife in name only. She figured that if she was firm in her resolve, Tang Yuanxiao wouldn't disagree.
Even though she hated him, she had to admit he was a man of decent character.
Now, she had to start planning everything. She would use this time to strategize so she could leave Xinghua Village and the Tang Family as soon as possible.
She felt guilty about Little Tang Mo, but having saved him in this life, she considered their karmic ties settled. They were not destined to have a mother-son relationship, so she would have to let down the boy who called her 'Mama'. For as long as she was his mother, she would take good care of him, but it was best not to cultivate any deeper feelings.
Su Li raised a hand and tapped her forehead. Her emotions had been running too high today. In the future, she had to be rational with Little Tang Mo! 'That's right, be rational. Treat him rationally. I'm destined to leave, so it's not good to develop too many feelings. It'll just hurt the child's heart. From now on, I should keep some distance from him.'
'Even if... even if I can't help but care for him, I can't show it. This is for his own good, and for mine. It's not like I can take him with me when I get divorced... A stepmother...'
Su Li sighed softly in the darkness, her decision made.
After thinking about Little Tang Mo, Su Li's thoughts turned to Mrs. Tang and the villagers. The hatred she felt for them was overwhelming, but she didn't want this new life to be controlled by it, to spend her entire existence consumed by hatred and revenge.
'This second life is a gift from the heavens. I have to cherish it. I have to live a wonderful life for myself... From now on, if they don't cause any trouble, I'll leave them alone. But if they try to pull something, then they shouldn't blame me for being ruthless!'
In the darkness, Su Li's eyes were filled with determination. 'In this life, I will repay every debt of hatred and every act of kindness. I will live freely, settling all scores, and make a decent life for myself!'
That night, with her greatest worry resolved and her goals set, Su Li slept more soundly than ever. The aches and pains in her body didn't bother her in the slightest.
The next day, she was woken by the piercing sunlight. When she opened her eyes, it took her a moment to get her bearings.
As she slowly turned her head and saw the great earthen wall, saw the old straw mat nailed to it, she gradually processed the fact that she had been reborn.
Su Li raised her hand to look at it, then let out a slow breath and smiled like a fool.
'It wasn't a dream. I've really been reborn. This is great.'
Su Li touched the old straw mat and looked around the room.
From Su Li's current perspective, this side room was in terrible shape. It had great earthen walls and an old wooden door. Forget tiles, there wasn't even any concrete. The walls were made of earth, and the layer of plaster on them was also mud.
This mud was a special type of clay, mixed with pine needles and applied in a layer to prevent clumps of dirt from flaking off.
The floor was also packed earth. It had been hammered down over several days to make it solid and was quite flat. Although there were occasional cracks in the corners and some uneven spots, it was clean and firm.
This was Tang Yuanxiao and Su Li's marital room. To avoid the room Tang Yuanxiao had shared with his previous wife, they had specifically moved from a bedroom in the main house to this side room. It had been fixed up nicely beforehand and was considered one of the best rooms in the village.
A window had also been added to let in more light. There was no glass, but the paper covering the lattice was stretched tight and had no holes.
In the room was a wooden-frame bed built by a carpenter and a wooden chest. The chest was used for storing clothes, serving as a wardrobe, and could also hold valuables. It was lacquered and looked quite new.
This wooden chest was part of Su Li's dowry. The night before her wedding, she had stood before this very chest as her uncles and other relatives from her mother's side gave her dowry money, placing it inside. For each gift she received, she had to kowtow once.
This was a local custom. The next day, the chest was brought to the Tang Family as part of her dowry, and the money inside was considered her personal savings.
Su Li stroked the wooden chest, a nostalgic look on her face. Just as she was about to get up, she heard soft voices from outside the door.
"Momo, is your mother awake yet?" That was Mrs. Tang.
"No," replied Tang Mo.
"Grandma is in a hurry and has to go. When your mother gets up, tell her that I've left breakfast on the stove for her."
"Okay, Grandma, you should go."
After Mrs. Tang left, it fell silent outside again.
Su Li lay there for a moment, listening intently. Once she was sure Tang Mo had left too, she slowly got up.
But when she opened the door, she found Little Tang Mo standing in the courtyard. He seemed to have been staring at her room the whole time, because the moment she opened the door, his eyes lit up and he immediately ran toward her.
He opened his mouth and softly called out, "Mama," then hesitated, standing rooted to the spot.
Su Li froze for a second before greeting him, "Morning." Her tone was lukewarm and detached.
She thought her attitude was perfectly fine, but Little Tang Mo clearly disagreed.
Compared to Su Li's attitude yesterday, her tone now was far too cold!
The sparkle in Little Tang Mo's eyes quickly dimmed, and he started twisting his fingers, falling silent.
He was instantly reminded of how Su Li used to treat him. Thinking back on yesterday, it now felt like a dream.
"Grandma made breakfast. It's on the stove," he said in a low voice before pressing his lips together tightly.
No matter how smart a child is, they can't hide their feelings. His dejection and sadness were obvious at a glance.
Su Li put a hand to her forehead. 'Why do I suddenly feel like I've committed some unforgivable crime?' It was so awkward.
She wanted to say something but didn't know how. For a moment, the two of them—mother and son—just stared at each other.
In the end, Little Tang Mo was the first to break. He gave Su Li a look, as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it, and finally scampered off on his short legs.
Su Li pursed her lips. 'Was he scared off by my glare?'
'Good. If he's scared of me, maybe he'll stop calling me Mama. Auntie or Big Sister would be much better.'
Mrs. Tang had woken up early to make breakfast. She'd made rice porridge, a rare treat, with a few pieces of sweet potato mixed in. It was thin, but it was still the best meal the family could afford.
Su Li didn't stand on ceremony. She stood right there by the stove and drank two bowls. Just as she set the bowl down, she heard someone calling from the courtyard.
"Su Li, are you there? We came to see how you're doing."
Su Li went outside and saw several married women and young ladies in the courtyard. They were the wives of the villagers from last night, likely visiting out of guilt. To her surprise, Qin Shanshan was with them.
"Please, come in and have a seat," Su Li said, gesturing to a wooden bench under the eaves.
But none of them moved. They just stared at her in utter shock. "You..." "Su Li, you..."
The others hesitated, words caught in their throats. But Qin Shanshan gasped, then suddenly pointed a trembling finger at Su Li and blurted out, "Su Li, yesterday, were you... ra—"
She got the first syllable out before she seemed to realize what she was saying and quickly changed her question. "—did something bad happen to you?"
The women who had come with her turned pale.