I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 44: You Need a Reason to Hit Her

"Aren't you going to ask me why I hit Yuan Juan?" Jiang Zhou taught Yuan Xiu to ride a bicycle for half an hour, and after that, Yuan Xiu asked him.

"What reason do you need to hit her?" These words were spoken casually.

Yuan Xiu felt that, in Jiang Zhou's eyes, her hitting Yuan Juan seemed to have no reason at all.

"Be careful next time you hit her, don't hurt yourself."

She would definitely have been injured if he hadn't returned in time.

Yuan Xiu smiled and nodded.

She picked up the letter she had casually placed on the table. There was a footprint on the envelope, which must have been Yuan Juan's.

She tore open the seal and took out two pieces of paper folded together.

The elderly couple only attended a literacy board class and didn't know many characters. Judging from the handwriting on the letter, it was undoubtedly written by Yuan Xinmin on their behalf.

Yuan Xiu took a minute to read the letter.

The letter didn't insult her, but in Yuan Xiu's opinion, it was even more upsetting than insults.

The letter only briefly touched upon the fact that Yuan Juan had impersonated her to get married.

Regarding what Yuan Xinmin had done, the letter simply stated: "Your uncle knows he was wrong."

To mention it briefly.

Then the whole thing was just advice for her.

I advised her to be more magnanimous and for her family not to be so petty.

They advised her to write a letter to the commune, saying that she had known about the impersonation all along and that she had consented to it herself.

We advised her to take the house back and not rent it to the brigade.

The letter also asked Yuan Xiu if anyone was gossiping about her.

She said that the man was lying to her, that he didn't want the Yuan family to prosper, and that he was jealous that the Yuan family received government stipends.

Then came some perfunctory greetings.

Yuan Xiu was certain that these words were spoken by the elderly couple, and even if Yuan Xinmin had his own agenda, it didn't mean that they didn't think the same way.

The elderly couple were always on the same page as their son.

Yuan Xiu had no hope that they would say anything nice.

But after seeing what was in my heart, the resentment in my heart still kept rising.

Just as I expected.

Just as she thought.

They really... didn't love her.

While Yuan Xiu was reading the letter, Jiang Zhou went into the bedroom. When he came out, he looked up and was stunned for a moment.

Although her face was expressionless and her eyes were calm, Jiang Zhou could sense the sorrow in her heart.

She seemed shrouded in shadow, and even the sunlight streaming in through the window couldn't dispel the gloom in her heart.

He didn't like seeing her like this.

Jiang Zhou walked over, held out his hand, and asked, "May I take a look?"

Yuan Xiu looked up at him, stiffly tugged at the corners of her mouth, and said, "Okay."

If Jiang Zhou doesn't bring up divorce, they'll likely spend their lives together. It's good for him to see the true colors of the Yuan family.

To prevent the elderly couple from taking advantage of him in the future.

Jiang Zhou finished reading the letter. "Should we burn it?"

Yuan Xiu took the letter from his hand. "Why burn it? Keep it."

Just in case it comes in handy later.

Jiang Zhou nodded. "If you don't want to deal with them, then ignore them. Logically speaking, with your children still alive, their problems shouldn't concern you."

Yuan Xiu: "Aren't you afraid people will gossip about you?"

Jiang Zhou scoffed: "I'm not afraid."

Jiang Zhou has never been one to follow the rules. He doesn't care what others say.

Yuan Xiu didn't use an envelope; it had Yuan Juan's footprints on it. She found a book and tucked the letter inside.

The shoes she had made were still under the cabinet in the bedroom. She reached over and took them out.

"I...I made a pair of shoes, would you like to try them on?"

Jiang Zhou's gaze fell on the pair of black cloth shoes with multi-layered soles she was holding. "Made for me?"

Yuan Xiu nodded. "Such big feet couldn't possibly be mine."

Jiang Zhou plopped down on the stool. "I'll give it a try."

His voice was filled with excitement, which Yuan Xiu could hear.

Yuan Xiu handed him the shoes, saying, "I noticed you didn't have any cloth shoes, so I made you a pair. Don't let their appearance fool you; they're definitely more comfortable than canvas shoes. You can wear them at home all the time."

Jiang Zhou put the shoes on, stood up and walked around. His eyes lit up. "They're really comfortable! And they fit perfectly. Did you make these shoes to look like the ones I wanted?"

"right."

Jiang Zhou subconsciously pictured Yuan Xiu holding his shoe in one hand, her other hand outstretched, gesturing across the sole of the shoe—one palm, two palms…

Just imagining this scene warmed Jiang Zhou's heart.

"No one has ever made shoes for me before."

That's the truth. His mother doesn't even know how to cook, let alone make shoes.

The shoes he wore from childhood to adulthood were either bought or issued by the military.

"If you like wearing it, I'll make more for you in the future."

Yuan Xiu was initially worried that he wouldn't like it, mainly because she was afraid he wouldn't appreciate it. After all, any one of his pairs of shoes was worth more than a pair of cloth shoes.

"Okay." Jiang Zhou didn't stand on ceremony with her.

We're opening the bathhouse today.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Sister-in-law Guiying came to invite Yuan Xiu to take a bath.

The two families went together.

Yuan Xiu met Guiying's sister-in-law's father-in-law, who had difficulty walking, for the first time.

He didn't look particularly old, probably only in his sixties.

His black hair was streaked with a few white hairs. He rarely went out, but his face was not pale; instead, it had a rosy glow. He had a small goatee on his chin.

He looks like a doctor.

Yuan Xiu later learned that Doctor Liu was already seventy years old.

"My husband told me that you bought a sewing machine and a bicycle?"

Jiang Zhou and Instructor Liu, who was carrying his father on his back, walked behind. Yuan Xiu and Sister-in-law Guiying walked together. The Liu family's children had long since disappeared.

"Yes," Yuan Xiu said.

Sister-in-law Guiying laughed and said, "Your Battalion Commander Jiang is really capable. He got these two tickets without making a sound. I was just thinking about when to buy a sewing machine. The kids at home are very resilient, and their clothes wear out in just a few days. If we buy a sewing machine, I won't have to mend them by hand."

"If you need it, sister-in-law, just come to our house," Yuan Xiu invited.

"That would be great..."

Behind them, Jiang Zhou was also chatting with Dr. Liu.

"...You look to be in better spirits than any of us."

Dr. Liu curled his lip and said, "You young people don't understand what health preservation is at all. I've told you, but you don't listen. When you get sick, all you know is to take Western medicine pills, which only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. If you want your body to get better, you have to regulate it from the inside."

"Yes, I won't argue with that; you're the expert."

"What kind of expert is he? He can't even cure his own leg." Old Dr. Liu sighed deeply as he leaned on his son's back.

Instructor Liu said, "You still bring this up? If you hadn't insisted on going to the hospital back then, would your leg be like this? It was a comminuted fracture, and you were still drinking that dark, bitter medicine residue. You were so stubborn!"

The elderly Dr. Liu, having been humiliated by his son, angrily slapped him on the shoulder and yelled, "Shut up!"

Instructor Liu muttered, "They won't let me say it anymore..."