At the entrance, there was a storefront. The door was locked, and the previous owner's elderly mother used to sell some sewing needles and shoe soles here to maintain a livelihood.
When the owner gave him the keys, he handed over the keys to the storefront along with them.
Lin Wan sat on the courtyard's gate for a long time in her memories before realizing she was out looking for food.
She thought for a moment, lowered her head to touch her clothes pockets, and indeed found more than ten yuan inside.
Lin Wan took the money and went outside, looking at the low houses, dilapidated storefront, and narrow street, as if she had indeed returned to the past with a sense of nostalgia.
Following her memories, Lin Wan went to the only breakfast stall nearby, bought two buns, and drank a bowl of porridge there.
There were many people having breakfast, and this was the only shop in the whole town. Although every household wasn't wealthy, they didn't mind spending a little for breakfast, with business booming and forming a long queue. Though not expensive, little changes add up, and even inconspicuous money accumulating could be considerable.
But Lin Wan didn't pay much attention and returned to her rented home in a daze, just waiting for the Black and White Impermanence to come for her.
The whole day was spent lying on the bed like a walking corpse, reminiscing about the past.
Han Yi said he didn't divorce her, didn't divorce her. All his life, Han Yi waited for her, and she repented her whole life.
If you think about it, it's all her fault for not recognizing people clearly. How did she end up with someone like Li Liang, completely unaware that Ye Qing was stirring trouble behind the scenes? The day before, the three of them watched a movie together, but later, when they came out, she didn't see Ye Qing at all. Li Liang coaxed her, saying Ye Qing couldn't endure and went to nearby accommodation to rest. In the middle of the night, Lin Wan actually believed Li Liang's words and let him take her over there.
Whenever Lin Wan thought about this, her heart ached so much she wanted to end her own life. How could she live for so many years and still be so foolish?
Feeling hurt and regretful, Lin Wan didn't even go out for lunch.
Because she drank too much water, Lin Wan kept running to the bathroom.
In the evening, when every household was about to close, Lin Wan went out again, buying a few buns to bring home.
While walking on the road, Lin Wan's mind suddenly flashed, and a realization appeared in her mind. She froze for a moment, raised her head to look at the incredibly real street, and lowered her head to look at her injured arm.
She hurried home, filled a basin with water, and looked at her reflection.
This was clearly the appearance of her sixteen-year-old self.
She felt pain, hunger, the ache in her heart, and the urge to go to the bathroom. This sensation was too real, so had she not died but instead returned to the past?
Or had she had a long dream, dreaming of the future? And now awoken?
No matter which it was, she could now assert she was truly just sixteen. Nothing was too late. Her life was long; she must not live as cluelessly as before.
If this were true, then this time she had to live well, find Han Yi, and indeed find Han Yi, marry him this time and live a good life with him.
After her excitement, Lin Wan noticed another problem. She wouldn't meet Han Yi for another two years, so how would she go to that city if she didn't attend school? How would she meet him?
If going to that city, it would surely cost a lot of money, Lin Wan thought of this, looked at the money in her hand, feeling a bit helpless. She currently had no money.
After feeling discouraged for a while, Lin Wan suddenly lit up; she returned to this era, knowing many things about the future, also aware that money was easy to earn now. Even setting up a stall, selling tea could make quite a bit of money. Looking at the twenty yuan in her hand, Lin Wan smiled, it was enough, enough to use this money to earn more.
This time, she wanted to contribute to her family, not let Mom and Brother suffer so much, and bring her family good days. She also needed to save money to go to S City and find Han Yi.
Confirming the situation, Lin Wan was excited all night, getting up early the next day, full of spirit.
First, she applied ointment on her wounds, then removed her bandage to check her injuries.
Her wounds had started scabbing, were not serious, but there was a cut on her arm that was red and swollen due to the heat, not scabbed.
After applying ointment, Lin Wan didn't re-wrap it with gauze.
She went out to wash her face and visited the kitchen.
The pot and pans were all available; she just needed to buy some oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, and flour.
Her money was scarce; she couldn't sit by doing nothing. Since God gave her a chance, she couldn't let her family down.
Thinking of the street's only breakfast store, Lin Wan's eyes brightened.
She needed to make money, let Brother go to college, let Mom live a good life, and find Han Yi, living well with him.
Thinking about the beautiful future, Lin Wan was full of spirit. She first cleaned the pots and pans in the kitchen.
Then went out to the wet market to buy some vegetables, rice, oil, and salt. The greens weren't very expensive; some were homegrown and sold over when they couldn't finish eating. Priced cheaply, Lin Wan bought some potatoes at three cents a pound.
These items cost in total two yuan and fifty cents, counted her money, leaving her with fifteen yuan.
She planned to do business, looked at the market, and found today was a market day. She lived next to the wet market, which was actually farm-produced vegetables and grains being sold for household supplements.
A small street market could form here mainly because several small workshops were in the town, brewing wine, making small foods, and a candy workshop.
Each workshop had at least a dozen people, some fewer with seven or eight. Lin Wan inquired; two of them didn't provide meals.
Here, there wasn't even a restaurant to eat lunch.
The town she came to wasn't far from her home, half a day's walk. This small town had market days every other day, yesterday wasn't one, today was quite lively.
She had only more than ten yuan left, apart from knowing how to make some food, nothing else was practical.
She decided to make something simple. She could make egg pancakes and stuffed flatbread with vegetables, simple yet cheap.
Decided quickly, Lin Wan again went to the street to buy flour, eggs, oil, and soybean sauce, spending three yuan. Mainly because eggs were too expensive. Fortunately, these were farm products, didn't require food tickets.
Lin Wan thought for a long time; making these northern snacks like Shao Er Kuai was intriguing. Even if not well made, there'd be curious buyers wanting to try. After returning, she first opened the entrance's storefront, tidying up inside, only a small cart inside, nothing else.
But Lin Wan was very satisfied with it; having a small cart she could pull out to the market.
Lin Wan spent five yuan to custom-order a wooden frame-like small table and two stove bricks to place on the cart, with two coal stoves inside and a flat-bottomed pan.
The ordered wooden rack would be ready the next day. Busy all morning, Lin Wan found she hadn't eaten since morning.
Glancing outside, market attendees had gradually returned home; it must be around one or two o'clock.
At noon, using memories from her previous life, she tried making two egg pancakes, spread some sauce on them, placed some pickles, and sandwiched a piece of green vegetable. The taste was indeed good.
After eating, Lin Wan went out and strolled, found a place selling coal, and bought two yuan of coal balls, only enough for over ten coal balls.
However, they were essential; saving wasn't possible.
The only way to save was with the advertisement board. Lin Wan found a small wooden board in the courtyard.
Using wood ash burnt from the stove, she wrote the words egg pancake and stuffed flatbreads on it.
Waiting for the wooden rack to be done tomorrow.
July's weather was quite hot, after catching the mosquitoes in the net, Lin Wan carefully treated her wounds. Slept soundly.
The next morning, Lin Wan stayed home and scalded several small pots and bowls in the kitchen.
In the afternoon, she pushed the cart to the carpenter's, fetched the pancake-rack and two stove bricks back.
After returning, she locked the door, hung her self-made sign on the wooden rack.
Fearing coal consumption, Lin Wan dared not ignite them today. After dinner, Lin Wan mixed a small basin of dough, in the kitchen, baked ten plus flatbreads as reserves for tomorrow.
Additionally, kneaded half a basin of leavened dough for tomorrow's use.
After completing these, Lin Wan, joy-filled, wiped her body, washed her hair, and went to bed.
Days passed; the scars shedding slowly. Nights lightly itchy, wanting to scratch them.
Enduring a night, before dawn the next day, Lin Wan took out her only set of unpatched clothes, a short-sleeve floral shirt, and dark baggy pants.