Reborn to Bury You

In the late 1970s, along with the news that the educated youth were returning to the city came my husband’s ashes. Comrade Xiuqin, logically speaking, you should go back to the city. But your motherinlaw is now all alone—surely you ought to take on the responsibility of caring for her. In my previous life, after much deliberation, I agreed to it. Only after tending to my motherinlaw until her passing did I realize my husband hadn’t really died at all—he had simply gone to the city with the village chief’s daughter to settle down and start a family. So this time, I personally arranged for my husband’s household registration to be canceled—since he was going to fake his death anyway, why not make it as real as possible? Comrade Xiuqin, what’s wrong? How could this have happened? He was perfectly fine when he left; who would’ve imagined that this parting would turn out to be our final goodbye? Xiuqin, I know it’s hard for you to accept. I watched Xiao He grow up, and I’m deeply saddened by his accident too. You need to pull yourself together. The village will arrange for someone to help you handle Xiao He’s funeral arrangements. I just want to see him one last time—just one more look. Xiao He’s body has already been cremated. I’ve chosen a blessed burial site for him, so he can finally rest in peace. My son… Xiuqin, now that Xiao He is gone, you don’t have to worry about an old, dying wife like me anymore. You should return to the big city and enjoy your life—your mother shouldn’t hold you back. Comrade Xiuqin, Although, strictly speaking, you should go back to school to further your studies, with Xiao He’s untimely death leaving only his widowed mother behind, you must shoulder the heavy responsibility of caring for your motherinlaw.

In my previous life, it was the sameafter my husband died unexpectedly, I gave up a promising opportunity to stay in the village and care for my motherinlaw. The entire village kept praising me as dutiful and righteous, saying that Old He’s family had struck gold by marrying me. My motherinlaw, too, played her part—using a strategy of retreat to advance—and left me feeling deeply guilty, vowing to take good care of her. To look after her, I poured all my energy into managing the family’s dozenplus acres of land on my own. As she fell ill and required longterm medication, I even set up a fish pond in the village to earn some extra income. Before long, my youth was worn away by exhaustion, and illness took its toll. It wasn’t until my motherinlaw passed away peacefully that my husband, dressed in fine clothes, appeared at our doorstep—accompanied by the village chief’s daughter and their two children. Only then did I realize that, in order to run off with the village chief’s daughter, he had colluded with my motherinlaw and others to deceive me. What’s more, the village chief’s daughter had seized my spot as an educated youth returning to the city, enjoying every privilege in town—while I, unable to seek justice from them, collapsed and died suddenly from sheer overwork. After I died, my husband naturally inherited my motherinlaw’s ancestral home, seized the fish pond I’d painstakingly built, and took all my savings. Thinking back, I had spent my entire past life sewing wedding dresses for others—but thankfully, heaven granted me another chance. This time, I’m determined to make everyone pay. “I know what you’re thinking—I can’t bear leaving Mom behind either.” “Let’s handle Little He’s funeral first, so she can rest in peace.” “All right, everyone head home and get ready. Let’s call people over to help with Little He’s arrangements.” “Okay, okay, okay.” Once I saw the village chief and his group leave, I hurried back inside, found the household registration book, and rushed to the police station. “Comrade, my husband has passed away. I’m here to cancel his household registration.” Since that scoundrel is going to die anyway, let him go out with a bang.