Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets-Chapter 3 Call Him Dad

"Xiao Jun, your sister is just worried that your dad might be hungry and afraid the food will get cold." Zhang Hualian's smile has been perpetual since hearing Tang Yue's words.

Originally, Zhang Hualian was planning to let the siblings eat first and wait for Tang Zhengde to come back and eat together.

But Tang Yue said, "He's working hard outside too. It's important for the whole family to wait and eat together."

The whole family!

Each time Zhang Hualian thought of Tang Yue's words, her mood felt lifted.

When Tang Yue was three, Zhang Hualian married Tang Zhengde. The following year, when Tang Yue was four, she gave birth to Tang Jun. Although Tang Yue was young and might not have understood things, she somehow always rejected Tang Zhengde.

Not until Tang Yue grew up and realized Tang Zhengde wasn't her biological father did she become even more defiant, never acknowledging him as part of their family. This attitude extended to Tang Jun as well, resulting in a cold front between the siblings, who seemed less like brother and sister and more like enemies.

"Okay." Tang Zhengde smiled broadly, showing concern. "Xiao Yue, you haven't fully recovered, you shouldn't go hungry. Have your meal, and if you're feeling unwell, tell mom."

Tang Zhengde's words conveyed both appeasement and caution.

Tang Yue looked at Tang Zhengde with the perspective of someone who's been through it, thinking, 'This is not how a stepfather act; he is being treated like a living ancestor!'

Tang Yue moved her lips, suddenly recalling the past life incident where Tang Zhengde died after being struck by a tree while earning money for her high school fees. Before his death, he had entrusted Zhang Hualian to ensure that Tang Yue could attend high school and college.

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At that time, Tang Yue had already acknowledged Tang Zhengde in her heart. But over the past twenty-plus years, though she had called him "Dad" many times in front of his tombstone, she found it hard to utter it now in person.

It wasn't that she was unwilling, but rather she was embarrassed.

"Sit down and eat. Don't worry about the school fees; I'll figure something out," Tang Zhengde said reassuringly, thinking that Tang Yue was worried about not being able to continue her studies.

Tang Yue blurted out, "Dad."

After this "Dad" was uttered, she felt relieved and found it easier to say. "Dad, you've worked hard all day, have your meal. If there's not enough money for school, I can wait a year to attend. It's no big deal."

"You, you, called... me... Dad?" Tang Zhengde felt like he was walking on clouds, grinning from ear to ear and looking at Zhang Hualian as if he was hard of hearing and hadn't heard clearly. "Hualian, did Xiao Yue just call me Dad? Did I hear that wrong?"

"You didn't hear it wrong, Xiao Yue really called you," Zhang Hualian said reassuringly as she looked proudly at her daughter. "Zhengde, you treat Xiao Yue like your own daughter, and it's only right for her to call you Dad. Our Xiao Yue has finally grown up and become sensible."

Zhang Hualian felt that today was the happiest day in many years.

"Dad, just eat, okay? It's just a word 'Dad'. What's the big deal? I call you Dad every day anyway," Tang Jun said unhappily as he sat down at the dining table without any pretense, gobbling down his food as he spoke. "You treat her even better than you treat me, your own son. Even a stone from a latrine pit would eventually get warm and fragrant."

"Get out of here, who's a stone from a latrine pit." Zhang Hualian scolded, glaring at Tang Jun. "Do you have to talk like that about your own sister?"

"Humph." Tang Jun just buried his head in his meal, completely ignoring what Zhang Hualian said.

"Let's eat, let's eat." Tang Zhengde felt a surge of strength throughout his body, thinking that all the hardships of the day were worth it!

Tang Yue could only eat less than half a bowl of rice before she couldn't eat any more.

Tang Zhengde kept putting food on Tang Yue's plate, which garnered countless eye rolls from Tang Jun.

In the end, it was only when Tang Yue said she was full and that taking more would be wasteful that they stopped.

"Xiao Yue, just stay home and prepare for your reviews, just focus on preparing for the start of high school," Tang Zhengde promised repeatedly, asserting that he would definitely send Tang Yue to high school.

With mixed emotions, Tang Yue returned to her room, lying on the bed that felt both familiar and foreign. Her thoughts slowly started to drift.

Since she had truly been reborn, there was no reason to continue suffering like before. She wanted to save Mr. Tang, to prevent him from working at the logging site. That way, if an accident occurred at the site, Mr. Tang would be unharmed!

Xiao Jun, her younger brother, was about to start junior high. Tang Jun's grades were below average, and if he didn't start tutoring now, they would only get worse in junior high. By then, Tang Jun might end up mixing with some of the village kids and go astray; pulling him back then wouldn't be easy.

And then there was her mother, who was only 35, yet looked older than forty-year-olds, her sun-tanned, rough skin causing a pang of sadness.

Surrounded by mountains, their village was relatively cool even in June, and their rooms were never stifling.

Birds chirped on branches, and from the kitchen behind, the sound of Zhang Hualian cooking breakfast drifted. Tang Yue was startled for a moment before realizing that she had indeed been reborn and was no longer the old woman lying in the hospital waiting to die.

She quickly got up and moved to her small desk, picked up the old mirror, and inspected her reflection again and again. In the mirror, she looked young and tender as a budding flower, her face full of collagen. She had inherited Zhang Hualian's good looks and was very attractive.

Brushing her neat fringe, her apricot eyes were innocent and bright, illuminating her gaze. At this moment, she was not aged by endless chores and labor; her skin was fair, her eyebrows naturally delicate even without grooming.

In a word, she had beautiful brows and apricot eyes.

It's a pity that she usually hid her lovely brows with blunt bangs, and her resentment towards her mother and dissatisfaction with the Tang family made her seem harsh and unapproachable.

From now on, she wouldn't allow herself to live as lowly and ignorantly as she had in her previous life.

"Tang Yue, it's time to eat," Tang Jun's voice called from outside.

"Really don't know what she's dawdling for, it's so late and she still isn't up. I have to wake her up, and I'm four years younger," Tang Jun's mumbling hadn't finished when a loud smack came his way, saying, "Xiao Jun, how could you talk about your sister like that!"

"Don't be disrespectful, call her Sister, do you hear me!" Tang Zhengde sternly reprimanded his own son.

"I don't even know who the real child of this family is," Tang Jun grumbled internally but did not talk back.

These kinds of incidents had happened countless times since they were children.

Tang Yue tied her long hair into a high ponytail, which made her look more youthful and vibrant compared to her usual two braids. The moment she stepped out of the room, her whole face, because of the ponytail, along with the smile on her face and the sparkle in her eyes, seemed to shine as brightly as the sunlight outside.

"Dad, are you going to work at the logging site again today? Be careful of snakes and bugs in this summer heat," Tang Yue sweetly admonished, regardless of Mr. Tang practically splitting his lips with a grin, saying, "Xiao Jun, don't go out to play today. Do some homework at home in the morning, and practice calligraphy in the afternoon. Look at your handwriting, it's really ugly."