Gu’er glanced inside the box. There were still over twenty popsicles left. She planned to head back after selling them.
"Hey, popsicle seller, over here."
A woman’s voice called out to Gu’er.
"Coming!"
Gu’er answered and pushed her cart toward the voice.
Two won stood before her: one middle-aged, the other young.
The middle-aged woman looked vaguely familiar, but Gu’er didn’t recognize her. She might have seen her sowhere, but she couldn’t recall where.
The young woman, on the other hand, looked extrely familiar. Gu’er was certain she’d t her before, but for the mont, she couldn’t rember her na.
"Zhou Gu’er?!"
When the middle-aged woman got a clear look at Gu’er’s face, she suddenly spat her na through clenched teeth.
Gu’er froze. ’She knows , so she must be an acquaintance. But where have I seen her before?’
"You know , ma’am? I thought you looked familiar too. You are...?"
Gu’er asked with a smile.
"You shaless hussy! How dare you show your face in the city? Tell , what are you doing here? Are you trying to find my Liu Yuan again?"
The woman was none other than Liu Yuan’s mother, Wu Dahua.
As it happened, Wu Dahua was out with this young woman today. The girl had been introduced as a potential match for her son, Liu Yuan, and Wu Dahua was quite taken with her. She was good-looking, well-spoken, and a factory worker—Wu Dahua was especially pleased. She had brought the girl shopping, intending to buy her sothing, but the young woman refused, saying there was no need to spend money frivolously. This made Wu Dahua incredibly happy, as she saw her as a frugal girl who would know how to manage a household.
Seeing that it was a hot day, and hearing soone shout about popsicles just as they walked by, she had called out to buy two. She never expected to run into Gu’er.
From Wu Dahua’s outburst, Gu’er imdiately understood. This was Liu Yuan’s mother. She looked a little bit like Aunt Wu. ’But I must have t her before,’ Gu’er thought. ’Otherwise, how would she recognize ?’
’I can understand why Wu Dahua doesn’t like ,’ Gu’er mused, ’but I don’t get why she’s cursing . I haven’t been clinging to Liu Yuan. In fact, I rejected him quite clearly. I have no desire to marry him, so what does she an by all this?’
’Liu Yuan is such a good person, such a gentle and handso young man. How could his mother be like this?’
’Forget it. For Liu Yuan’s sake, I’ll just let it go.’
With that thought, Gu’er started to push her cart away. She wouldn’t sell them any popsicles, nor would she say another word. If a fight broke out, it would be embarrassing for everyone.
"You stop right there! How dare you walk away? Take a good look at yourself! Trying to seduce my Liu Yuan? Are you even worthy?!"
But Wu Dahua wasn’t about to let Gu’er go.
Gu’er gripped the cart’s handles tightly. Just as she was about to say sothing, she heard a clear female voice.
"Auntie."
It was the young woman Wu Dahua had brought with her.
"Mingyu, stay out of this. I’m sorry you have to see this embarrassing scene. I’m just so angry. I an, how can soone be so shaless?"
Wu Dahua said huffily to the girl nad Mingyu.
A BUZZ went through Gu’er’s mind.
She looked the other woman up and down. Although she was much younger now, Gu’er was certain it was her.
Mingyu, Mingyu... it’s Huang Mingyu. ’No wonder she looked so familiar, yet I couldn’t recall where I’d seen her.’
’So, so this is Huang Mingyu... Chen Tao’s mother. My daughter’s mother-in-law from my past life.’
"Auntie, don’t stoop to her level. So people have no sha and will do anything. Don’t be angry. If you ruin your health over this, Brother Liu Yuan will be worried sick."
Huang Mingyu consoled her, while secretly sizing up Gu’er. ’So this is the girl Liu Yuan likes? She’s not bad-looking, but she dresses like a country bumpkin. Just a popsicle seller, exposed to the wind and sun all day. I’m a factory worker. How could she possibly compare to ?’
At this thought, Huang Mingyu’s confidence swelled. ’I’m sure I’ll win,’ she thought. ’Liu Yuan will be mine.’
Gu’er, however, didn’t hear their conversation. Her mind was reeling with mories from her past life. The first ti she had t Huang Mingyu, the woman was already middle-aged. That was why the younger Huang Mingyu looked familiar, but she couldn’t place her.
Huang Mingyu’s son, Chen Tao, had dated her daughter, Zhang Juan. When she t Huang Mingyu, the woman had looked down on her, frequently rolling her eyes at her.
Even though it was Huang Mingyu’s family who was gaining a daughter-in-law, they forced Gu’er to pay for a house.
Even her own daughter pressured her. Her daughter felt that Gu’er’s money was her money. She was getting married, so her mother should ensure she did it in style. She never once considered whether Gu’er actually had the money.
She rembered trying to negotiate with Huang Mingyu, asking their family to contribute so money. But what did Huang Mingyu say? She said Gu’er’s daughter was shalessly throwing herself at her son, that she was already living in their house. She wasn’t worried about her son finding a wife, so she refused to buy a house. They could just call off the wedding. After all, her son could still find a respectable maiden, while Gu’er’s daughter was now damaged goods. Who else would have her?
The mory made Gu’er’s heart ache with anger, but she couldn’t say anything to her daughter. Her daughter had never been close to her growing up and had treated her poorly, yet Gu’er didn’t want to hurt her. In the end, she could only work herself to death, selling everything she could, just to make the down paynt for Zhang Juan.
’Huang Mingyu’s husband was nad Chen Shun, not Liu Yuan. I know that much. So why is she with Liu Yuan’s mother now?’
’That’s right, that’s right!’ Gu’er suddenly rembered. A few tis, Huang Mingyu had grumbled to Chen Shun and Chen Tao that if her first husband hadn’t died young, she never would have married a loser like Chen Shun. She would be living a life of luxury now, she’d said.
She seed to recall Huang Mingyu calling her first husband "Yuan-zi."
The color instantly drained from Gu’er’s face. ’Huang Mingyu’s first husband was... Liu Yuan?!’
But that wasn’t what truly shocked and terrified her. What terrified her was knowing Liu Yuan’s fate. According to Huang Mingyu, she had only been married to her first husband for three months when he died in an accident.
’That ans Liu Yuan died. He died young in my last life. If Huang Mingyu really did marry Liu Yuan, then he won’t live for more than another year or two.’
Gu’er felt her heart tremble. She could barely hold on to her bicycle anymore. ’How is that possible? How could Liu Yuan die?’
’Liu Yuan is such a good young man. How could he die?’
She rembered that after her rebirth, Liu Yuan was the first person she’d seen. He was the first one to show her kindness. The boy who blushed when she looked at him while they talked; the boy who brought her water in his tea mug every day; the boy who waited by the side of the road just to see her; the boy who ran all the way to her village to ask if she liked him, if she would co with him to the city.
How could he die?!
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