Ding!
"The Blissful and Happy Family System is currently binding, please wait!"
On hearing the system's voice, Isabella wept with joy.
Her face was already streaked with tears as she covered it with an old-fashioned quilt, sobbing violently.
She had truly returned.
Returned to 1975, when she was only 22.
In her past life, she had lofty ambitions. She believed that marrying a soldier meant enjoying a rich, pampered life and becoming an officer’s wife.
She behaved recklessly, not leading a steady life and despising her in-laws, her husband, and her son.
After getting pregnant, when she couldn't follow the army, she grew restless. Not only did she quarrel with her in-laws, but she was also constantly complaining about her son.
Later, she even started to flirt with educated youth, foolishly dreaming that one day she could live in the big city relying on them.
She duped her husband out of hundreds of yuan and spiralled away all the money in the house, eventually making her wish come true by going to the big city.
Yet, this was the start of her nightmare.
She was almost sold to an old man in a remote mountainous area from which there was no escape, to bear his children!
She nearly ended up in some construction sites on the South Coast, being forced to sell her body!
Constantly on the run, and even begging.
In the end, she froze to death on a day when the snow was falling heavily.
After her death, her soul lingered, filled with regret.
Watching her unattractive body being carried back to her hometown by that man, watching him give up his military career to become a farmer.
Her son gradually stopped obeying, becoming a thug, seeking revenge on society, and finally, his young life was ended by a bullet.
Before his death, a police officer asked him if he regretted anything.
He casually shrugged and said, "I was born without a mother's guidance, without a decent home. I couldn't bear the sight of all the happy families around me. What is there to regret?"
That man, struck by the double blow of his wife and son's death, succumbed to lung cancer in his early forties.
Isabella no longer dared to reflect on the sights she witnessed as a soul after her death.
Fortunately, on the way to the underworld, she heard a strange voice.
The voice said that her fate didn't have to turn out this way, is she truly regretful?
Of course, she regretted it, but sadly, there's no such thing as a remedy for regret in this world.
However, to her surprise, the voice told her that if she was genuinely repentant and could withstand the torture of the soul forty-nine times to cleanse her impurity, then she would have the chance to be reborn.
Without hesitation, Isabella agreed - she wanted to be reborn!
She wanted to turn over a new leaf, she wanted to love her husband and son sincerely and manage her family well!
During the torture, Isabella couldn't hold on for a time, but she persevered through sheer will. The moment the final torture ended, she passed out.
To her surprise, she woke up to the sight of mud-brick walls, a huge floral quilt, and an enamel cup etched with the words 'Serve the People' on the table.
"Successful binding with the Blissful Family System. It's hoped, comrade Isabella, that you cherish this opportunity and establish a harmonious home."
On hearing the system's voice, Isabella removed the quilt, wiped her tears, and showed a disbelieving expression.
"System, I will indeed treasure this opportunity! But I never thought that reincarnation would come with a system, too. Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. This is what we are supposed to do. You have no idea how many people in the future are not willing to step into the institution of marriage. A happy home is rare... Now, enough said, we hope you'll alter your disposition and manage well!"
"I will, I surely will!"
After Isabella pledged, the system "dinged" again, and a cold mechanical voice came through.
"Function Mode One Activated!"
"This function is Task Exchange. Please explore it on your own, comrade Isabella. If tasks are completed successfully, you will receive rewards."
Isabella was once again overwhelmed with surprise. She must have accumulated a lot of virtue in her previous life, otherwise, how could she stumble upon such a lucky surprise?
She sat up, fondly touching the slightly hardened floral quilt, before turning her head to inspect the familiar room.
After a while, she realized that she was at her parent's home.
In her previous life, because of her deep desire to eat white rice, she struggled to buy a pound of rice from the black market but ended up arguing with her mother-in-law out of concern.
Out of spite, she had returned home.
Alas! In her previous life, her temper was indeed unbearable! How could anyone put up with that?
Before she could react, the voice of her mother, Emma Thomas came from outside the door.
"Alex, why are you not up today? Mother has made steamed egg custard for you, get up quickly to eat. Mother has to go to work."
Hearing the tender voice of Emma Thomas, Isabella couldn't help but shed tears again.
In her past life, after her death, her parents almost cried their eyes out.
In this life, she must be good and filial to her kind parents.
It's not just her parents but also her loving brothers.
"Alex?" Emma Thomas waited a bit too long, she had to shout again at the door.
Isabella cleared her throat, not letting Emma Thomas hear her choked-up voice.
"Mother, I'm getting up."
"Good, remember to eat the egg custard."
Isabella got up, washed up, went to the stove, and brought out breakfast.
A bowl of golden egg custard, plus 2 corn dough biscuits, and a small bowl of pickles.
This treatment, if it's other families, which sister-in-law could tolerate?
Yet, in her past life, Isabella was like this, she returned to her parent's home when she was unhappy, her brothers didn't mind, and even her sisters-in-law didn't dare say much.
How rare eggs were.
The nieces and nephews seldom ate, but she, after coming back, often indulged herself.
Now, she felt guilty. She couldn't possibly eat the egg custard all by herself.
Looking out into the courtyard, a few children were each holding baskets, ready to go out and pick pigweed.
Isabella called out to them.
“Stephen, Ben, Leah, Maria, come over here, to your auntie.”
Stephen and Leah were the son and daughter of her oldest brother, Adams Benjamin; they are 7 and 4 years old, respectively, this year.
Ben and Maria were the daughter and son of her second older brother; they are 5 and 3 years old, respectively this year.
All of the nieces and nephews stopped in their tracks, each glancing at one another.
However, none of them dared to walk up to Isabella, because they were afraid.
In the past, their auntie never paid attention to them. Why was she so cheerfully calling out to them today?
"Come over here, if you don't come over, do you want me to go over there to you?"
Isabella pretended to be impatient as she prompted.
Stephen did act like his older brother, being the first one to walk towards Isabella. It was only then that the others followed.
"Auntie, we're here." Stephen stood slightly further away as he said.
Isabella looked at the children, noticing their unease around her.
Thoughts of her son, Dabao, surfaced in her mind.
A bitter feeling flashed in her heart. Isabella said with a smile, "Come, let Auntie feed you two bites of egg custard."
The four children licked their lips and subconsciously swallowed their slobber while staring at the bowl in Isabella's hand.
After a while, the youngest, Maria, ambled over, licking his lip. "Auntie, do we also get to eat egg custard? Mom said it's for you to eat and later..."
"Good boy, Auntie will feed you." Isabella saw Maria's mouth already open, so she directly fed him a mouthful.
After he had finished eating, even Leah couldn't resist coming over, and Isabella subsequently fed her two bites.
In no time at all, Ben was also fed two bites.
For the last of it, Isabella handed the bowl to Stephen, "Stephen, you eat the last two bites. Now that all your brothers and sisters have eaten, you need to hurry and finish eating. Auntie has to go now."
Afraid of delaying Auntie's matters, Stephen quickly finished eating.
Isabella took the bowl back and made a gesture for them to leave. "Alright, you guys can go now."
The four obediently picked up their baskets and went up the mountain to fetch pigweed.
Watching the children, Isabella yearned even more to see her darling son.
It seemed that in the afternoon, her mother-in-law, Zoe Adez, would probably bring Dabao to pick her up and take her home.
In her past life, the events that had transpired today had left a scar. In this life, she resolved not to let it happen again!
