"My good daughter, what's wrong? Haven't seen your dad for so long, missing him, are you? Crying as soon as you see me." He said, reaching out to hold her.
Feeling the warmth from her father, she was reminded of his death in that other life. Lying cold on the floor, she tightly held his hand, trying to warm his body, but could only watch as he stiffened and became cold. The helplessness and despair of that moment were indescribable. She reflexively clung to him as she had then, but this time she felt warmth. She secretly vowed to never let such an accident happen to her father again.
After a while, she realized it was almost New Year. The construction site had closed for the holidays. To see his two daughters sooner, her father had walked all the way back from the city. It had taken him a full seven hours, and it was now late at night. After a simple wash, he lay down on the bed. Wu Caiwei, however, remained restless, filled with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction from her father's love.
The next day, her father took the entire family to the market to buy New Year goods. The place was packed, bustling with activity, far more so than in later generations. In the future, everyone would flock to the cities, leaving small towns sparsely populated, even during the New Year. Although resources were scarce now, and she had seen these things countless times before, it all felt new and exciting to Wu Caiwei. This time, she held her father's hand tightly, observing everyone from a child's perspective. Though their faces showed hardship and their lives were difficult, with the New Year approaching, they temporarily forgot their troubles, their faces beaming with smiles. Despite their poverty, their sense of happiness was palpable.
Thus, days turned into years. In the blink of an eye, Wu Caiwei turned twelve. This year, she was about to start junior high school and would have to board away from home. She remembered being extremely rebellious during her junior high years, her academic performance plummeting. She couldn't even get into high school, and back then, it was possible to buy one's way in. Her father spent a considerable sum to get her into an ordinary high school.
At the time, many thought her father had wasted his money. Her grades were poor, and even if she got into high school, she wouldn't be able to keep up. This time, she was determined not to let her father hang his head in front of other parents. With the memories of her past life, Wu Caiwei advised her father to buy up a lot of unwanted land around town before the real estate market boomed. Her father initially disagreed, thinking the land useless. "Who would live there?" he'd asked. "Even though it's close to the street, people in the countryside have fields and land. Growing some vegetables and rice is enough to live on. What's so good about living on the street?"
Wu Caiwei knew that trying to explain the true reasons would be futile. But when she said she wanted to go to school on the street and wanted a shorter walk home, her loving father thought it over and indeed bought some. When buying the land, she wheedled her way into going along. Her father had planned to buy just one plot. What she said then was, "I want to build a big garden, and when we have money, we'll build a big villa." Although her father smiled and said he might not live to see that day, he indulged her wishes and bought the land.
Three years passed in a flash. The land had appreciated to tens of thousands of yuan per plot. Wu Caiwei also successfully passed the entrance exam for the best high school in the county, becoming the pride of everyone. Seeing the envious glances, her father walked taller, almost floating, a smile gracing his face daily. Wu Caiwei felt all her efforts were worthwhile.
However, in the quiet of the night, she couldn't help but think of Li Shengxu, feeling that even if she had returned, she probably wouldn't be able to marry anyone in this lifetime, for her heart already belonged to someone.
Having gotten into the best high school in the county, she didn't stay at the school dormitories as she had in her past life. Instead, she moved into a house her father had just bought, directly opposite the school. When houses in town were at their peak, she had persuaded her father to sell them and move to the county seat.
Her father still grumbled, thinking that besides being closer for the children's schooling, the house was uncomfortable to live in. Everything above and below was someone else's. But Wu Caiwei knew that in a few short years, this house, which cost tens of thousands of yuan, would be worth hundreds of thousands, and her father would be overjoyed.
Although she had returned early and couldn't make her family instantly rich, this money would mean her father would have far fewer worries. Even if they sold the house and returned to live in the countryside, this money would be enough for her and her sister's education. Once she started working, she was confident she could take care of her parents.
Time flew by, and she graduated from high school, entering her ideal university. After graduation, her classmates either went abroad for further studies or continued their academic careers. Of course, she was no exception. She made a choice that others couldn't understand: to pursue a master's degree at her alma mater. Everyone looked at her with surprise, unable to comprehend why the usually top-performing student in class would make such a decision. Only Wu Caiwei knew that she cherished this second chance at life and the memories she held. Her father had passed away during the summer after her university graduation. The thought of the horrific scene of that time made her unable to sleep. The reason she chose to stay at her alma mater for her master's was that it was easier to get in. Another reason was that it was close to home, allowing her to visit her parents anytime.
Although her father didn't fully support her choice, he believed that with their daughter attending such a prestigious university for her master's, her future would be bright. He felt content.
This summer was exceptionally leisurely. She spent her days accompanying her father. As the time of her father's death in her past life drew closer, her heart grew heavier. She frequently cautioned her father not to go out.
Although her father couldn't understand why she was so serious, after so many years, he had grown accustomed to her taking charge of everything. He nodded unconsciously. Wu Caiwei had only gone to the kitchen to cook. When she returned, she found her father had gone out. Her heart sank, and she quickly chased after him.
She ran to the roadside and saw two cars stopped not far away, with a crowd gathered around. She immediately felt dizzy, as if she were back in that same scene from her past life. Her legs grew weak, and she hesitated to move forward.
Soon, the police arrived, and everyone dispersed. Wu Caiwei focused her gaze, and the next moment, she straightened her back and ran quickly forward. Looking at the person lying on the ground, she couldn't help but smile. Then, feeling somewhat immoral, she quickly left, unable to suppress a burst of laughter. The person lying on the ground was not her father at all. Perhaps her father had already returned home. She rushed back home and found her father walking back and forth inside. She tightly embraced him. It turned out he had only gone to pick up a delivery.
The day passed peacefully, and Wu Caiwei's heart settled. As the summer break ended, she returned to her alma mater to begin her master's studies. Looking at the new students in her class, she froze. The person opposite her also showed a look of surprise. The woman opposite her often appeared in her dreams. Each time, she could only see her figure but couldn't hear her words. She never expected her to become her classmate. Yes, this person was Li Shengxu from modern times, but unfortunately, he only had the memories of this lifetime. However, he felt an unusual sense of closeness towards the woman opposite him.