After sending the supplies requested by Xiang Qianlan, Lin Xi went to pour two glasses of cold boiled water and added a few drops of the genetic repair solution into them.
Chi Xiangping, ever the busybody, had already managed to pick a handful of vegetables from the nearby garden in the short time since they returned. She had gathered some baby bok choy: "You love this vegetable, so I planted it early. It’s tender now—we’ll cook it tonight with cured pork broth."
Lin Xi’s family raised two pigs each year. One was sold at year-end to the butcher for some New Year’s money, while the other was slaughtered and turned into cured meat. After smoking the meat, Chi Xiangping would call the postman to send portions to families who had been kind to Lin Xi, following the addresses Lin Xi provided. The rest, Chi Xiangping couldn’t bear to eat or drink herself—she saved it all for Lin Xi, waiting for her to come home.
The cured pork ribs had been washed by Chi Xiangping late last night. Before they left in the morning, she placed them on the tripod over the fire pit, so they’d be perfectly tender by dinnertime.
Lin Xi was long accustomed to her grandmother’s meticulous care. She walked over, linking arms with Chi Xiangping: "Come on, Grandma, let’s go repay the debts."
Earlier in the city, Lin Xi had exchanged over ten thousand yuan at the bank. After settling in last night, if they didn’t repay the money tonight, neither of them would likely sleep well.
Chi Xiangping agreed softly, but as they stepped out, she murmured to Lin Xi, "Xiao Xi, sometimes I think… your grandfather and I really failed you. Look at other girls your age—they’re still carefree, playing around, while you’ve had to shoulder the family’s burdens."
With age came overthinking, and Chi Xiangping was no exception. Over the years, she had often cursed herself for being useless, a burden to Lin Xi. She even wondered if it would’ve been better not to save her husband when he was hit by that car. At least then, Xiao Xi wouldn’t have suffered so much.
Take Shen Mingbao, for example—she traveled abroad every year, visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Europe—places Chi Xiangping had never even heard of. The photos she brought back were as glamorous as those of celebrities on TV. Meanwhile, their Xiao Xi had been working to pay off debts since she was just a child.
Guilt and the desire to make amends kept Chi Xiangping pushing forward. No matter how big or small the illness, she never delayed treatment, afraid it might worsen and add to Lin Xi’s burdens. She never rested either—sewing, farming, growing vegetables—anything to earn a little extra.
Yunnan’s winters were cold, especially after sunset. Lin Xi tucked her hands into her coat pockets and said, "Grandma, don’t talk like that. If it weren’t for you and Grandpa raising me, who knows if I’d even have finished school? Isn’t there a saying? ‘You raised me young; I’ll care for you old.’"
Lin Xi had never resented her family’s circumstances. As she often said, her grandparents had given her the best they could with all they had. If she’d gone with her mother instead, life might’ve been far worse.
Chi Xiangping patted Lin Xi’s hand and said no more. Like every year when Lin Xi returned, they set out to repay their debts, house by house.
When Lin Xi’s grandfather had his accident, the entire village—even the lifelong bachelor Old Laitou—had pitched in, some giving tens of thousands, others a few hundred or thousand. Back then, every penny was needed, and Lin Xi accepted it all.
Each year upon returning, they would visit every household, repaying smaller debts in full and chipping away at larger ones.
This year, they could finally clear everything. In Yunnan’s villages, evenings were often spent gathered at someone’s home, chatting over sunflower seeds and peanuts.
Lin Xi and Chi Xiangping headed straight to Da Mingbao’s house. A massive TV in the courtyard played a classic war drama, and their arrival was met with warm welcomes.
Da Mingbao had been gaming with Wang Peng indoors but tossed her phone aside and rushed out: "Xiao Lin Xi! Come inside!"
Aunt Xianghua, Shen Mingbao’s mother, poured tea for Chi Xiangping and pressed a handful of melon seeds into Lin Xi’s palm. "Go on, play with the youngsters."
The youngest in the courtyard were elders in their forties—hardly Lin Xi’s crowd. Worse, she dreaded their inevitable questions: What young person returning home escaped being grilled about their love life?
Lin Xi darted off, leaving behind a chorus of praise from Chi Xiangping’s old friends, all marveling at her filial piety and capability. Her grandmother beamed, wrinkles deepening with pride.
Twenty-two years ago, Chi Xiangping had lost face because of Lin Xi’s father. But as Lin Xi grew more accomplished, every shred of dignity had been reclaimed.
Lin Xi entered Da Mingbao’s room. It was a common Chinese phenomenon—those who made money outside would build palatial homes upon returning. Da Mingbao’s father had been a long-haul trucker, and by the time Lin Xi was old enough to understand, they’d opened a small shop.
Back then, their five-and-a-half-story house was the village’s tallest and grandest. The first floor hosted guests amid solid rosewood furniture, while the third belonged solely to Da Mingbao.
From the foyer onward, the space drowned in pastel purple. On a plush lavender European-style sofa, a lanky young man around 1.7 meters tall was passionately debating.
Spotting them, he greeted Lin Xi first, then barked at Da Mingbao: "Hurry back to the game! Your AFK is turning our lead into a loss. They’re flaming us!"
Da Mingbao chuckled, grabbing her phone while calling to Lin Xi, "Xiao Lin Xi, have some fruit or candy. Let me teach these noobs a lesson, then we’ll talk."
Lin Xi had no time for gaming, but Da Mingbao and Wang Peng played daily. During past visits, Da Mingbao had lamented Lin Xi’s absence from their matches.
Settling into a single-seat sofa, Lin Xi checked her group chat—a habit now.
The group was quiet, everyone busy. Just as she was about to close the app, Xu Huanhuan posted:
[Ancient World Xu Huanhuan: Finally get why Qianlan beat up her husband and mother-in-law. SO SATISFYING!!!]
The triple exclamation marks radiated glee. Lin Xi’s interest sparked instantly.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: Huanhuan-jie, you did it too?]
Xu Huanhuan’s hands were still trembling with excitement. She dismissed her attendants and typed in the group chat: [Ancient World Xu Huanhuan: I hit him. Remember how I stopped the subsidies to the Marquis’s household? Lately, the old marquis hasn’t had enough money to buy his precious calligraphy and paintings. The marchioness can no longer splurge on jewelry, and my arrogant, domineering sister-in-law can’t afford the latest brocade dresses.]
[Even that useless, good-for-nothing marquis—who I can’t stand the sight of anymore—couldn’t even produce a single gold hairpin to please his concubines. Life’s gotten so hard that the marquis felt humiliated and came to vent his frustration at me.]
[He spouted nonsense about me mismanaging the household finances and embezzling funds. At that moment, I wondered what it would feel like to slap my own husband—and then I did it.]
[Honestly, it felt amazing.] Xu Huanhuan had never hit anyone before in her life, and the moment her palm connected, the rush was indescribable.
[1960s Boxer Xiang Qianlan: Let me teach you a trick. If you don’t have enough strength, aim for his nose or chin. One hit, and he’ll be down.]
Xu Huanhuan replied with an agreement and called her servants to start packing. Soon enough, her in-laws and the whole family would come barging in, and she was ready for a showdown before moving to her estate in the southern part of the city.
Ever since joining the chat group and reconnecting with people from her homeland, Xu Huanhuan had grown increasingly bored with these people. Given how things were going, she wouldn’t lack for conversation partners in this lifetime—why waste time entangled with these idiots?
Meanwhile, in the modern world, Lin Xi was unaware of the drama unfolding in the ancient setting, as Da Mingbao and Wang Peng had just finished a round of gaming. Her participation had turned the tide of their losing streak, leaving Da Mingbao in high spirits.
“Lin Xi, you should start gaming too. The three of us could dominate the King’s Canyon—how cool would that be?”
Looking at Da Mingbao’s carefree expression, Lin Xi felt a pang of envy. She wanted to live more lightly from now on, doing the kinds of things kids her age enjoyed.
“Sure,” she said. “Once I get a new phone in a couple of days, I’ll download it. You’ll have to carry me, though.”
Her second-hand 64GB iPhone was an older model. While it worked fine for basic use, gaming might be too much for it. Upgrading her tech was already on her to-do list.
“No problem,” Wang Peng chimed in.
The three of them sipped on wild tea Da Mingbao’s grandmother had gathered from the mountains in spring, chatting idly. Eventually, the topic shifted to Wang Peng’s current job.
“Wang Peng, a friend of mine wants to buy medicine in bulk. What’s the process for that?”
Wang Peng peeled an orange. “Just go to a pharmacy. If they don’t have it in stock, try a few more. What kind of medicine does your friend need? If it’s prescription, they’ll need a doctor’s note.”
Lin Xi raised an eyebrow, surprised at how straightforward it was. Then she smacked her forehead—she’d overcomplicated things. With pharmacies everywhere, all she had to do was visit a few to gather what Lin Duxi needed.
“Makes sense. I’ll let my friend know.”
Wang Peng nodded and moved on to other topics. Soon, Chi Xiangping’s voice called from downstairs. Lin Xi answered and headed down.
After distributing payments in the courtyard, Lin Xi and Chi Xiangping made several more stops before finally returning home at nine.
The first thing Chi Xiangping did was light incense for Lin Xi’s grandfather, informing him that the family’s debts had been cleared. As the smoke curled upward, the portrait on the table showed a kind-faced old man. Seeing him, Lin Xi remembered being carried, led, and guided by him through so many moments in life.
Her eyes welled up. In the quiet of the night, she missed him terribly.
Sleep didn’t come easily. The next morning, she woke before dawn, the occasional distant crow of a rooster breaking the silence.
After a sip of water, she checked her phone—only to find a new member had joined the group.
[System Notification: Concubine Ming from the Palace Intrigue World has joined the chat.]
