Chapter 2

It wasn't too late for Cui Yan to be reborn. He hadn't yet fallen victim to the schemes of Cui Runsheng and his family, nor had he been carried into Liu Yanyan's bridal room. There was still time to change everything. As for Qi Bingxue, all Cui Yan could remember was her pair of large, lively phoenix eyes. Other than that, he couldn't recall what she looked like at all. However, considering that this was still a special period in history, he assumed Qi Bingxue must look like an ordinary young woman of the era, with two old-fashioned braided pigtails and a skinny frame like a bamboo stick. Perhaps her facial features had even become gaunt and sunken from being so thin. That was how almost everyone looked during this period. In this lifetime, Cui Yan hoped to get into an even better university than the one he had qualified for in his previous life. Ideally, he wanted to attend Jingbei University in the capital or Shanghai University in Shanghai. Then, while studying at university, he could find himself a local girlfriend. Although the smell of alcohol still filled Cui Yan's nostrils, his mind was becoming increasingly clear. If he was still carried into the bridal room where Qi Bingxue was waiting, that would be fine. However, the policy requiring educated youths to go to the countryside was about to end, and she would soon be able to return to Shanghai. He needed to make things clear to her. She shouldn't feel obligated to marry him simply because he had saved her life. He didn't want such a simple act of kindness to become the reason she sacrificed her future and, in turn, ruined his own prospects. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the room. Cui Yan quickly lay back down, keeping his eyes slightly narrowed. Soon, he saw that it was Cui Runsheng approaching. As it turned out, when Cui Runsheng discovered that he had been reborn, he was absolutely overjoyed. In his previous life, he had mistakenly married Qi Bingxue and never got to enjoy having such an exceptionally beautiful wife. Qi Bingxue had run away the very next day, completely humiliating him in front of the entire village. Unable to bear the shame, he could only vent his frustration by constantly playing cards. As a result, he was reported for gambling and spent several months in jail. That experience left him with a criminal record, making it practically impossible for him to find a wife afterward. He could only drift aimlessly through life until his miserable existence finally came to an end. He couldn't even find a decent job with a slightly better salary. His only option was to work at construction sites, doing the hardest and most exhausting labor for the lowest wages. His older cousin, Cui Yan, on the other hand, had lived a completely different life. Every day, he wore a neat, well-tailored suit and a tie. Cui Runsheng had even caught sight of the solid gold Rolex watch on Cui Yan's wrist. He was clearly the perfect example of a man who had won at life. After marrying Liu Yanyan, Cui Yan's life had indeed seemed to take off as if he had been blessed with extraordinary luck. While everyone else was working in the fields, he was already teaching at an elementary school, enjoying a comfortable job that required no physical labor. Not long after the Reform and Opening-Up policies began, Cui Yan used Liu Yanyan's family connections to start trading daily necessities in Russia. The money he made was enough to make everyone green with envy. Later, he began purchasing goods from Guangdong and transporting them to the county town to sell clothing. He even took over a bankrupt garment factory owned by one of Liu Yanyan's relatives. His business became incredibly successful. Everyone who encountered him would respectfully address him as a wealthy businessman. Whenever Cui Runsheng thought about everything Cui Yan had accomplished and the success he had achieved in his previous life, his heart burned with excitement and anticipation. Fortunately, through his own efforts, he had been given the opportunity to be reborn. And Cui Yan clearly hadn't been reborn like him. He was still lying drunkenly on the bed! His miserable fate from his previous life was finally going to change. He should have been the one to marry Liu Yanyan all along, while his older cousin should have married Qi Bingxue and then been cruelly abandoned by that woman. Everything should return to where it originally belonged. From this moment onward, everything Cui Yan had possessed in his previous life would belong to him! Unable to contain his excitement, Cui Runsheng leaned close to Cui Yan's ear and whispered. “Cousin, Qi Bingxue was originally meant to be your wife. Now, I'm giving her back to you.” “Liu Yanyan will be my wife instead. That means I'll be the winner in life this time!” Cui Yan couldn't help but sneer inwardly. However, he remained silent on the outside, pretending to snore softly. Although Cui Runsheng had indirectly given him the opportunity to be reborn, Cui Yan still remembered the sensation of being struck and thrown into the air by that freight truck. If Heaven hadn't given him another chance at life, he would have genuinely died at the hands of this so-called dear younger cousin. That despicable woman, Liu Yanyan, was nothing more than a woman who had been passed around by countless men. Since Cui Runsheng was so obsessed with her, then let him spend this lifetime entangled with Liu Yanyan! After getting up, Cui Runsheng excitedly rubbed his hands together and helped Cui Yan sit up from the bed. At that moment, his parents also walked over. His uncle, Cui Jun, supported Cui Yan from the other side, while his aunt, You Pingping, stood nearby. “Have you really made up your mind?” “You still have a chance to change your mind.” Cui Jun lowered his voice as he spoke. “If we send your older cousin to the bridal room where Qi Bingxue is waiting, then you'll have no choice but to marry Liu Yanyan. There will be absolutely no opportunity to change your mind afterward.” “I won't regret it! I'm one hundred percent certain that I won't regret this. Don't worry, Dad.” Cui Runsheng felt a surge of excitement in his heart and emphasized his decision once again. “I want to marry Liu Yanyan. That's the woman I want!” You Pingping nodded. Together with her husband, she firmly supported Cui Yan and carried him out of the room. They arrived in front of another newly prepared bridal room and knocked on the door. The door was immediately opened from the inside. Because Cui Yan was being supported by his uncle and aunt, his body was positioned awkwardly. Through his half-open eyes, he could only make out a woman wearing a light-yellow floral blouse made of díquèliáng fabric, along with a pair of crystal sandals that were quite expensive in the 1970s. “Sorry to trouble you, Uncle and Auntie. Is Cui Yan drunk? I don't think I can carry him by myself.” The woman's voice was soft. She spoke Mandarin with a strong Shanghai accent, and her voice sounded particularly gentle and sweet. “Qi Bingxue, move aside a little. Your uncle and I will put him on your bed.” You Pingping said. Cui Yan was carried over and laid down on the bed. He listened as Qi Bingxue spoke with the other two. “Thank you, Uncle and Auntie.” “Then you two enjoy your wedding night. Your uncle and I won't disturb you any longer.” Cui Yan didn't hear Qi Bingxue respond. The surroundings suddenly became completely quiet. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he suddenly felt someone gently wiping his face with a warm towel. He opened his eyes and saw a breathtaking beauty beneath the lamplight. He was instantly captivated. Her perfectly delicate oval face was exquisitely beautiful, with features as picturesque as a painting. Her large phoenix eyes held seventy percent innocence and thirty percent allure. Below her elegant, high nose was a pair of cherry-red lips that needed no lipstick. Even beneath the dim light of the kerosene lamp, her eyes remained exceptionally bright and lively. She hadn't chosen the traditional two braided pigtails. Instead, she had opted for a simpler single braid, with the end tied using a red silk ribbon. There was absolutely none of the rustic appearance Cui Yan had imagined. Instead, she possessed an elegant, refined aura, like a noble flower untouched by the mud surrounding it. For a moment, Cui Yan couldn't help questioning himself. Was this really Qingxi Village? If Qi Bingxue was truly this beautiful, why could he only remember her exceptionally expressive eyes from his previous life, while forgetting everything else about her appearance? Qi Bingxue then spoke softly. “I've already prepared the water. Can you stand up by yourself? You can go over there and wash up. I... I've already finished washing.” Qi Bingxue had very fair skin, but at that moment, her entire face had turned bright red. Out of shyness, she didn't dare look directly at Cui Yan. Cui Yan understood what she was implying. She had already prepared herself for their wedding night. Holding onto the bed frame, Cui Yan slowly stood up. He didn't say anything. Instead, he walked past Qi Bingxue and went around to the side to wash himself. If he hadn't known that the policy requiring educated youths to go to the countryside would soon be abolished, he might have chosen to consummate the marriage with Qi Bingxue. However, news about the cancellation of the countryside assignment policy would arrive very soon. Once the announcement spread, educated youths throughout the entire country would become restless with excitement. Cui Yan wasn't the kind of man who would use a wedding night to keep Qi Bingxue by his side and make her his wife. After all, he had already been given a second chance at life. Did he really think he would have trouble finding a wife? The life Cui Runsheng envied so much in his previous life was actually a successful career Cui Yan had built despite constantly being held back by Liu Yanyan and her family. Although his assets were still limited at the moment, he had no intention of using the wedding night as a way to tie a woman down and make her stay. After a quick wash, he returned and sat down on the edge of the bed. By then, Qi Bingxue was already lying beneath the covers. She had undone her braid, allowing her thick, long hair to spread across the pillowcase decorated with the red double happiness symbol. Her small, delicate oval face was still slightly flushed. She remained too shy to meet Cui Yan's eyes, gently turning her head to the other side. Her entire body was tucked beneath the quilt, leaving only her breathtakingly beautiful face exposed.