My Happy Daily Life After Being Reborn
Chapter 81 - 11 Farewell_2

Chapter 81: Chapter 11 Farewell_2

Lin Xiaoguai didn’t approve of Shen Xiu’s ostentatious behavior, but she knew that young people had this mindset, and she herself had favored such displays in her youth, albeit in a more subtle way. Therefore, she didn’t stop her.

Moreover, she saw that Ji Hongfen carried herself with an easygoing and candid charm and was likely not the kind to feel envious over such a trifle. Even if she had been narrow-minded, the envy destined to come from owning such items as Shen Xiu’s would’ve surfaced sooner or later.

At that moment, Ji Hongfen truly was dumbstruck as she admired the exquisitely beautiful quilt cover, exclaiming with a face full of admiration, "How beautiful!"

As she said this, her gaze towards Lin Xiaoguai was filled with respect, "Sister Lin, this is embroidery, right?" Originally, she intended to call her Sister-in-law Lin, but seeing her serene and untroubled demeanor, she felt the title wasn’t quite appropriate.

Lin Xiaoguai nodded slightly, sighing helplessly, "This was actually a birthday present for Xiuxiu last year. She insisted on bringing it here, and we couldn’t persuade her otherwise." She preferred not to be so showy and had prepared another set with a simpler design—blue bedcovers with a small floral pattern. But Xiuxiu hadn’t wanted to use the butterfly-patterned bedcovers until now. With her recent admission to a junior college, she felt its significance was great, so she decided to bring it for use. Seeing Xiuxiu so eagerly insisting, Lin Xiaoguai tried to dissuade her twice to no avail and so didn’t persist.

Yet, while Lin Xiaoguai was content with satisfying Xiuxiu’s vanity, she did not want her to be seen as a rich brat by her dormitory roommates and be ostracized or isolated.

She didn’t expect Xiuxiu to be highly skilled in social interactions.

Ji Hongfen was smart, and she instantly understood the implicit message in Lin Xiaoguai’s words, turning to Shen Xiu and saying, "Your sister-in-law is really good to you."

Her words were indeed sincere; she had an older brother who was already married, and her sister-in-law treated her fairly well. However, whenever her parents spent a little extra on her, she could tell her sister-in-law disapproved, even without her saying anything. Initially, Ji Hongfen tried to compensate secretly, but over time, seeing that her sister-in-law was unchanged, she too lost interest and let things be, as her brother was fond of her.

Seeing Lin Xiaoguai going to such lengths to make quilt covers and building connections for Shen Xiu, Ji Hongfen couldn’t help feeling a little envious.

At the mention, Shen Xiu’s cheeks flushed with a mixture of pride and shyness. She had always felt that her brother marrying Lin Xiaoguai was the luckiest thing that had happened to her in her life, but she was too shy to express her feelings. Now that Ji Hongfen had brought it up, it was as if a private secret had been uncovered, leaving her feeling both proud and bashfully exposed.

Lin Xiaoguai didn’t notice Shen Xiu’s slight mood, and as she packed the butterfly-pattern quilt cover into the luggage, she advised, "The bedsheet of this quilt set is a bit large, remember to tuck it under your mattress when you use it." The quilt and pillow covers were fine, but the bedsheet, made to fit their home bed, was somewhat larger. However, it wasn’t a concern, as it was common for many students to bring bedsheets from home for school use—they weren’t typically made to size.

"And there’s this." Lin Xiaoguai pulled out a prepared brown, petite, women’s leather wallet and handed it to Shen Xiu, "There’s some pocket money prepared for you inside. Keep it safe and don’t lose it."

She hadn’t originally planned to prepare pocket money for Shen Xiu, but Shen Chi, that man, simply had no concept of providing spending money for his sister. Moreover, Shi Xiu was introverted and never asked her brother for money; she usually earned her small spending money on her own. But as it became a habit to give her pocket money, Shen Xiu’s daily expenses also shifted to being provided by Lin Xiaoguai.

"Mm." Shen Xiu nodded, but didn’t open the wallet to look inside.

"If it’s not enough, call me," Lin Xiaoguai paused and then added, "I haven’t had the chance to make your cotton-padded jacket yet. Once I get to Shanghai, I’ll make it and send it to you."

Shen Xiu nodded repeatedly, her eyes welling up with tears.

"All your commonly used items are packed in your luggage. If you’re missing anything, write or call me, and I’ll send it to you," Lin Xiaoguai instructed softly.

"I understand, sister-in-law. You, my brother, and Little Niangao take care too," Shen Xiu said with a choked voice.

Shen Chi had been silent throughout, but as they finished talking, he stretched out a hand to ruffle Shen Xiu’s hair and said, "Let’s go have a meal."

"Mm." Shen Xiu nodded and locked her luggage away in a cabinet.

Lin Xiaoguai turned to Ji Hongfen, "Ji Hongfen, why don’t you join us?"

"No, thank you," Ji Hongfen declined with a shake of her head, "My family is in the provincial capital. I just came to tidy up a bit, so I still need to go back home for dinner."

At that time, going out for meals was a common occurrence, and since Shen Xiu’s family was about to dine and part ways, it was clear that Ji Hongfen’s presence was not appropriate.

Lin Xiaoguai didn’t insist further but only invited Ji Hongfen to head downstairs with them. This time, Ji Hongfen didn’t refuse.

The two groups split at the school gate. Shen Chi took his family to a small restaurant, where they ordered two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one vegetarian soup.

The meal was eaten in silence, with only the occasional sounds from Little Niangao punctuating the quiet.

"Let’s go back. We’ll come to see you when we have the chance, and you can visit us in Shanghai during your holidays," Shen Chi said as he saw them off.

He watched as Shen Xiu’s retreating figure turned back three steps at a time, and then he drew Lin Xiaoguai close by the shoulder, "Let’s head to the station."

The journey from the provincial capital to Shanghai was a mere one and a half hours, and the couple had now arrived at the city they would call home for the next two years.

Lin Xiaoguai looked at the bustling, yet not as busy as remembered, streets and buildings with a faint expression, her heart wrestling with complex emotions.

Shanghai had been the place where she had spent the majority of her previous life, and her affection for it was profound.

Now, as she stood there, she was prepared to say goodbye.

As if saying farewell to her previous self. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, I invite you to vote for it with a recommendation or monthly ticket at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)