CH 6

Before the sun could even rise, the sound of dressing and washing reached Yu Xiao’s ears. Perhaps because it was his first night after being reborn, but he inevitably suffered from insomnia. As soon as he heard the sound, he knew that it was his mother who got up early in the morning. However, the sun still hasn’t risen, wasn’t it a little early for her to get up at this time?

Yu Xiao subconsciously narrowed his eyes to look at the alarm clock sitting at the bedside. With the help of the faint light coming from the crack of the door, he saw the time displayed on it, which is 4:30. According to his memory, his mother would work at the factory at 7:30 in the morning, and there were still three hours left.

Yu Xiao was perplexed for a while. His mind became active and his sleepiness drifted away, so he just lifted up the quilt and got up to change clothes. He subconsciously trembled; the difference in temperature between morning and night was not small. It was especially cold at this time of early in the morning.

He changed his clothes in a quick manner and lightly opened the door. But no matter how lightly he opened the door, a sound still rang amidst the quietness of the morning. It alerted Mother Yu who was washing rice and chopping vegetables in the kitchen. She turned her head and saw Yu Xiao who just closed the door.

Mother Yu quickly put down the things in her hands and wiped her hands with a rag. She walked to his direction and asked worriedly: “Xiaoxiao, what’s wrong? Did I wake you up because of my movements? Why did you get up? It’s very cold right now, don’t you feel cold wearing these thin clothes? Quickly go back to your room, it’s warm there.”

“Mom, no, you didn’t wake me up. I just couldn’t sleep anymore.” Yu Xiao enjoyed his mother’s nagging as he knew that this was his mother’s love for him. “By the way, mom, why did you get up so early? Isn’t your work still at half past seven? Why are you cooking early in the morning?”

Mother Yu touched Yu Xiao’s hand and felt its warm temperature, and was relieved. “No, I’ll prepare these meals first and stew them, you should also get up and eat by then. I have to go to your grandfather’s house to make breakfast. Didn’t your aunt just get pregnant? Your grandma wanted to cook something good for her but decided to let me cook because she felt that I cook better.”

Mother Yu quickened the movements of her hand while talking. Seeing this, Yu Xiao immediately offered help. “Mom, let me help you.”

“No, no, I can handle it myself.” Mother Yu shook her head and refused.

“Then, I’ll help you light the fire.” Yu Xiao opened his mouth and walked directly behind the stove. He picked up the waste paper on the ground, clamped it by his knees, and got the matchbox to light up the paper to be used as a fire for the stove. When the fire started to get stronger and huge, he knew that he had successfully started the fire.

Mother Yu saw her son’s skillful movements and felt a little unbelievable. “Xiaoxiao, since when did you learn to make fire?” It was known that she didn’t allow her son to enter the kitchen as she wanted him to focus on his studies. It was her who did the housework and cooking by herself.

Yu Xiao’s eyes darkened. He said with a smile: “I learned all this from you, mom. You are not allowed to reprimand me!”

“You child!” Mother didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She said, “Okay, in the future, you don’t have to learn these things. You only need to study hard so you can be admitted to a university in the future.”

Yu Xiao straightened out his chest and said with confidence, “Mom, don’t worry. Your son, I, will definitely be admitted to a famous university! But of course, I still have to learn these housework!”

“Why do you want to learn these things?” Mother Yu was baffled.

Knowing that he couldn’t say the reason that he did it because he wants to take some of his mother’s burden as his mother would probably never agree, Yu Xiao could only tell a small lie. “Mom, did you know? I heard from my classmates that some schools in other places require students to live in school. Your son is preparing in advance, am I good?”

Mother Yu was a little puzzled when she heard his response. “There are such schools? Then we don’t have to go to a school like that.”

Taking a quick look at the stove hole, Yu Xiao added some dry firewood in it. “Mom, think about it. If I’m admitted to university in the future, going to another city is unavoidable. After all, there is no university in our prefecture-level city. I have to move to another place alone. Naturally, I can’t live without knowing how to do household chores like washing clothes and cooking by myself. It’s good to learn it while I’m still young.”

Mother Yu wanted to retort, ‘I can follow along. Go to another city and take care of him’, but stopped after thinking for a while. If she really did that, she felt that she was harming her son instead. She loves her son very much, but also knows the limit of when she can love him. If she really followed him at that time, perhaps her son wouldn’t be able to live independently. In the end, she closed her mouth, but relief was written on her eyes.

When Yu Xiao saw his mother’s expression and knew that she finally agreed to his decision. He secretly made up his mind in his heart: In the future, he will work harder. His mother is already tired after working at the factory all day long. He shouldn’t let his mother worry about the trivial things at home.

When she was done making breakfast, Mother Yu untied her apron and looked at Yu Xiao. “Xiaoxiao, eat first if you are hungry. Mom will go next door to cook at your grandma’s place first.”

“Mom, have you eaten?”

“Do you want to eat first before going out? It’s only five o’clock now, there’s still time.” Yu Xiao glanced at the clock hanging in the hall.

“It’s alright, mom is not hungry anyway. I’ll just eat after coming back from your grandma’s house.” After she said that, Mother Yu directly walked out of the house. Yu Xiao looked at his mother’s departing figure and frowned visibly. Although the things that happened at this time were already blurred in his memory, he still vaguely remembers some things.

His aunt is his grandmother’s third child and judging from his mother’s words, it should be at this time when his aunt just got divorced. His aunt’s husband cheated outside of marriage and directly wrote a letter of divorce before running away with his mistress and all the family assets abroad. His aunt then came back with a ball in her belly and a few worn-out clothes.

It was only later that he learned that his aunt and that man hadn’t registered for marriage or anything at all. They just live together because they like each other. So at that time, the letter of divorce the man wrote should be a letter of explanation for his aunt.

His aunt was known as a vulgar woman in their village before she got married. It was also because of this reason why she was still not married in her twenties. After all, the average age of a person when they got married in their village was seventeen or eighteen, so his aunt who was not married at her age was a strange existence in the village. But his grandma still loves his aunt the most despite coming home pregnant.

He still remembered that his aunt gave birth to a son. His grandma was really afraid of hurting this grandson, and spoiled him whenever she had the chance.

It was still fresh in his memory when his mother brought back a peach once in his previous life. He was so happy that he couldn’t bear to eat it. It was a pity that before he could take a bite, his grandma saw it and immediately grabbed the peach before scolding him severely for not knowing how to take care of his younger brother, saying that the peach should be given to his younger brother. It was laughable and ridiculous at the same time as his cousin at that time was only half a year old. How could a child at his age eat peaches?

Such things happen many times, but this event was clearly imprinted in his mind. This also led for the peaches to become his favorite fruit in the future.

When he thought of his grandma, he felt deeply worthless for his mother’s efforts. It was clear that his mother was a hardworking and filial daughter-in-law to her parents-in-law. Everyone in the village would say that she was a good person but it seemed that his grandma’s family only saw bad things in his mother. They were constantly finding fault and deliberately embarrassing his mother.

He was young and ignorant in his previous life but he won’t be in this life. Now that he was given a chance to live again, he won’t let those people like his grandma bully his mother.

Yu Xiao turned to look at his parent’s bedroom and heard the particularly loud snoring sound as well as inaudible cursing from time to time. He looked down at his tiny hand. Sure enough, he had to grow faster.

With these thoughts in his mind, he walked to the washstand beside him and started to wash his hands lightly. He had no choice. If that man woke up because of his loud movements, it was certain that he would hit his mother again to vent his anger.

After finishing washing his hands, Yu Xiao glanced at the time and turned to his bedroom to read for a while. Although the soul was already thirty years old, it was still better to be prepared and see if he can remember things that happened in this time.

He walked into his bedroom and turned on the lights. Yu Xiao took out the books in his school bag and found that he was now a fifth grade student. As soon as he opened the assignment book, he knew that his academic performance when he was a child was not very good, but is it so bad like this?

Yu Xiao looked at the bright red cross on his assignment book and had the urge to cover his face. Sure enough, changing this black history should be implemented quickly.

Yu Xiao confessed that he was indeed not so ‘smart’ when he was a child and began to seriously look at the lesson books. Although the content is very simple, he still recited some places that needed to be recited. Time passed quickly while he was reading a book.

“Xiaoxiao, are you studying? Have you eaten?” Mother Yu didn’t come back until the time ticked off at seven o’clock. When she entered the room, she was greeted by the sight of her son reading a book. A pleased smile appeared on her face.

Yu Xiao came back to his senses and put down the book. He replied with a smile: “Mom, if you didn’t call me, I would have forgotten about it.”

“You,” Mother Yu tapped the tip of his nose. “Okay, come out and let’s eat breakfast. After that, Mom will send you to school.”

Yu Xiao quickly packed his schoolbag before walking out of the bedroom. He picked up the bowl and the chopsticks on the table and said while eating, “Sure enough, the food mom cooked is the best!”

“If it’s delicious, then eat more. I packed a lunch box for you and put it into your school bag. Remember to eat it at noon, okay?” Mother Yu proceeded to take Yu Xiao’s school bag and told him about the lunch box inside of it.

“Okay, mom.” Yu Xiao swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded, “Mom, you come to eat too.”

“Alright, I’ll come right away.” After cleaning up, Mother Yu sat down at the dining table and began to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, he was sent to school by Mother Yu despite his protests. Looking at the strange yet familiar school in front of him, Yu Xiao’s heart was full of emotion: He will go elementary school again. But this time, he will definitely have a different future!