"You're nearly seventy already, you have had your time. Does it matter if you die early or late? Why waste your hard-earned money on medical treatment?”
“Leave me your money instead, as I haven't married yet. Go peacefully into the night! Don't worry, I will always remember your kindness."
Lying on her home bed, barely breathing, Qiao Yunfan heard her nephew rummaging monotonously through her belongings. Searching for cash, bankbooks, jewelry, and all kinds of household appliances - anything of value was promptly swept away by her nephew and his lackeys.
Before she could die, her savings had already been depleted by her nephew.
Qiao Yunfan found it laughable, the so-called "remembering her kindness" phrase was merely an excuse to rob her belongings, transferring all her assets, including her house in the village...
She left this world with regretful tears.
Before she could breathe her last, her nephew grabbed her collar and tossed her out like garbage.
Trying to hold onto her nephew's cuff, Qiao Yunfan managed to say weakly, "water... I need water...".
With a disgusted look on his face, her nephew flung her hand aside and barked, "What water? Old hag, don't die inside the house, bad luck! I plan to sell this house in the future. If you're gonna die, do it outside!"
As night fell, it was freezing cold outside, and Qiao Yunfan lay on the ground, chilled to the bone.
Her illness was treatable, and the doctors assured her multiple times that with proper treatment, she could live for several more years.
But her nephew wouldn't listen. That morning, he forcefully took her from the hospital, dumped her on the wooden bed at home, ordered people to move her things, and then threw her into the yard, left her to die.
Qiao Yunfan was indeed unfortunate. Throughout her youth, she supported her mother and helped her brother's family.
She regretted being so naive—she allowed herself to be coaxed by their sweet promises to buy houses and cars for her brother, nephews, and nieces. Even wrote up a will, to leave all her property to her brother and nephew after her death.
Her brother assured her repeatedly, promising his son would take good care of her in her old ages.
Unbeknownst to her, snow began to fall from the sky. She struggled in despair for a while, until at last, she was no longer cold. The sounds in her ears gradually faded, and she seemed to see her late husband, Wei Yianqing, coming to take her home!
"Yianqing... I miss you so much."
"If only there were such a thing as a regret pill in life, that would be great."
Qiao Yunfan slowly closed her eyes, and she was quickly covered by the heavy snow.
---
She didn't know how much time had passed, but when Qiao Yunfan woke up again, she was in her husband Wei Yianqing's old house. She thought it was her nephew who had found his conscience and carried her back.
Her mouth was dry and her throat was so thirsty it seemed like it was about to smoke. She got out of bed for a drink of water.
After drinking water, she suddenly realized that she could actually get out of bed?
Wasn't she so ill that she couldn't even get out of bed?
Qiao Yunfan widened her eyes in surprise. When she looked up, she looked directly into the mirror on the wardrobe.
The reflection in the mirror showed her dressed in a white blouse with floral patterns, paired with black pants. Her adorable face didn't show a hint of haggardness.
Upon seeing the "double happiness" character affixed on the window, to her astonishment, it seemed as though she had returned forty-eight years to the past, back when she was just twenty years old and newly married.
In disbelief, she touched her own face, thinking, so there really is a regret pill one can take in life!
Heaven had quite a favor on her.
Just as she was overjoyed, the door was suddenly flung open. Wei Yianqing, with a stern face, reminded her, "Wash your hands and come for dinner."
Leaving these words behind, he promptly shut the door and left.
Qiao Yunfan, seeing her once-deceased husband, burst into tears of joy!
Thinking back, the person she had wronged the most in her previous life was Wei Yanching.
Wei Yanching had been a soldier for many years. Their marriage was not a product of love, but was arranged by a matchmaker.
The Old Qiao family was notoriously sexist, preferring boys over girls. To put it bluntly, as long as the betrothal gifts were enough, anyone could marry Qiao Yunfan–the highest bidder wins.
As for Wei Yanching, because he was usually in the military and had taken in a deceased comrade's child, raising him as his own son, there weren't many women in the village willing to marry him.
By the time Qiao Yunfan married into the Wei family, the two parties hadn't even met face to face. Merely because her mother had received a hundred yuan in betrothal gifts, Qiao Yunfan wasn't even allowed to say no.
Forced into marriage, she was naturally resentful and found everything about her husband, Wei Yanching, disagreeable. She resented him for being an uncultured and crude soldier, lacking refinement and sophistication.
But what she resented the most was him leaving her with the burdens of household chores when he left for the barracks, especially with the additional responsibility of his adopted son!
Living in the Wei household, Qiao Yunfan often behaved imperiously around, she always had the final say with no one daring to contradict her.
Moreover, she continuously moved objects from the Wei residence to her maternal home, doing this several times a month.
In a few years, during a military operation, Wei Yanching unfortunately lost his life. In his will, he made it clear that all the compensation money should go to Qiao Yunfan, as a way to make up for her lost youth.
It was this compensation money that Qiao Yunfan used to open a restaurant. She even managed to expand the business, owning branches all over the country...
This man had sincerely treated her well.
Looking around the room, she thought to herself, initially, she too had a considerate husband and a warm home, but her stubbornness had ruined it all!
Given a second chance at life, she swore that she would live well with Wei Yanching, repaying his kindness!