Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 336 Mom, I'm here!

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law wept silently, and only suppressed sobs and the sound of the wind passing through the courtyard could be heard in the small courtyard.

After a long while, Li Xiulan stopped crying.

She wiped her face vigorously, forced a smile, and reassured her mother-in-law, "Mom, you really don't need to worry. My job at the factory is doing alright, and the vegetables Dad grows and the dried fruit I make can all be sold for money. If we're frugal, we can definitely afford to send Ling'er to school! There's really hope for the future!"

She stood up and casually brushed the dust off her apron: "Please sit for a while. I'll put away the rest of the dried fruit so it doesn't get wet from the dew."

Looking at her daughter-in-law's forced smile and her tired but upright back as she turned away, Xu Hua could only sigh helplessly and sadly, and nod.

She knew that on this matter, her daughter-in-law was so stubborn that not even nine oxen could pull her back.

Li Xiulan walked back to the center of the courtyard and, taking advantage of the last bit of daylight, quickly tidied up the dried fruit in the winnowing basket.

Those orange-red and golden-yellow colors were, in her eyes, the light of hope.

She had only one thought in her mind: work a little harder, save a little more! Then her daughter could focus on her studies at school, without having to do odd jobs, and could enjoy life like other girls, buying new clothes and whatever she wanted to eat...

Thinking of his daughter, a strong sense of longing instantly welled up in his heart, washing away the sorrow he had just felt.

Ling'er, are you doing well in Jinling? Are you getting used to being so far from home? Are you enjoying the food in the cafeteria? Are your classmates easy to get along with? Have you lost weight again? ...

For the past month, her daughter's phone calls to let her know she's safe and sound have always said "Everything's fine, everything's fine." But how can a mother truly let go? She's her own flesh and blood, her greatest hope for surviving in this difficult world.

In the stillness of the night, she would often touch her daughter's empty little bed, thinking of the warmth of her daughter nestled in her arms when she was little, and how she held back her tears before leaving... That longing clung to her like vines, making it even harder for her to fall asleep than the day's work.

A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles; this worry has permeated every corner of her life.

As Li Xiulan held a piece of golden apricot between her fingers, her thoughts had already flown to Jinling, a thousand miles away, repeatedly sketching her daughter's image—

"Mother!"

A crisp, slightly urgent voice, like a pebble thrown into calm water, suddenly rang out at the entrance of the courtyard.

Li Xiulan's hand trembled violently, and the apricot nearly fell off.

Was she hallucinating again?

There have been far too many of these "auditory hallucinations" in the past month.

Her daughter's voice seemed to be right next to her ear, but every time she looked up with hope, the doorway was always empty.

My daughter clearly said on the phone the day before yesterday that she wouldn't be coming home for National Day...

She shook her head with a wry smile, just about to attribute it to another delusional feeling of longing—

"mom!"

The sound was clearer, carrying the slight panting of someone who had been running.

Li Xiulan's heart skipped a beat. She almost held her breath and abruptly raised her head to look in the direction of the sound.

In the slanting rays of the setting sun, that slender, familiar figure stood right there in front of the mottled wooden door!

Xian Zuling carried a small backpack, her face flushed with the excitement of her journey, and her eyes sparkling as she looked at her.

"Ling'er?" Li Xiulan exclaimed in surprise, dropping the winnowing basket in her hand with a "thud" to the ground, scattering a few candied fruits without her noticing.

The overwhelming surprise instantly broke down all her defenses, and she opened her arms wide.

The fledglings returning to their nests after offering sacrifices to the ancestral statues flew over and plunged into their mother's warm and familiar embrace, tightly hugging her waist and burying their faces in the sun-kissed and fruit-scented fabric.

Only in her mother's arms could she let down her guard and reveal the tenderness and grievances that belonged to a young girl.

His shoulder twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Ling'er...is it really you? Didn't you say..." Li Xiulan hugged her daughter tightly, feeling her real, warm body. She suppressed the soreness in her nose, her voice trembling slightly, and gently combed her daughter's slightly damp hair with her fingers.

Xian Zuling looked up, her face still flushed from running, and quickly explained, "Mom, I... I wasn't planning on coming back. It was my boss..."

She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully: "He just happened to be planning to come visit us. Knowing I'm from around here, he... he wanted me to be his tour guide. We just had dinner at Old Zhou's Hunan Cuisine near my house. He said he had some things to take care of, so he told me to come back on my own first and that he'd call me later."

During the phone call the day before yesterday, she really didn't know how to describe Ye Fan's identity to her mother.

Classmate? Creditor? Employer? None of these seem quite accurate.

At this moment, the title "boss" seems to be closer to the complicated and somewhat contractual relationship between them—he provides her with food and lodging, she owes him money, and he even said he would hire her as his secretary.

"You silly child! You didn't even tell me you were coming back, making your mother..." Li Xiulan felt both heartache and joy, and gently tapped her daughter's forehead in reproach.

Taking advantage of this extremely close distance, she carefully examined her daughter's face and figure—her previously somewhat sunken cheeks had become fuller, radiating a healthy blush.

His previously somewhat thin frame seemed to have become a little more muscular.

Most importantly, the timidity and sallow complexion that lingered between his brows when he left home has been replaced by a more relaxed and vibrant look.

After not seeing her daughter for a while, the changes were so clearly visible that Li Xiulan finally felt much more at ease, and a smile appeared on her face: "Hmm, she looks a little plumper, and her complexion is better! That's wonderful!"

Xian Zuling felt a little embarrassed by her mother's gaze, and turned to see her grandmother, Xu Hua, sitting on the bamboo chair, her eyes already brimming with tears of emotion.

She immediately let go of her mother and rushed over like a happy little bird: "Grandma! I'm back!"

"Oh! My dear Ling'er! It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!" Xu Hua stretched out her thin but strong hand and hugged her beloved granddaughter tightly. Her wrinkled face was pressed tightly against the top of her granddaughter's soft hair, and she could no longer hold back her turbid tears.

Holding this vibrant life in my arms and feeling its energetic spirit, it felt as if most of the pain and worries of the past few days had been dispelled, and I felt refreshed.

"Let Grandma take a good look... Hmm! You've grown strong! That's good, that's good!" She stroked her granddaughter's back again and again with her rough hands.

The grandfather and grandson embraced each other tightly, as if trying to melt away the longing they had felt after being separated for more than a month in this hug.

It wasn't until Li Xiulan smiled and gently reminded her, "Ling'er, Grandma shouldn't get too excited. Let Grandma calm down."

Xianzu Lingcai reluctantly let go of his embrace, but still nestled beside his grandmother, holding her hand.