Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

Under the dim light, Su Fengnan took a closer look at the room. It was no more than twenty square meters in size. Instead of a wall, there were four mottled wooden doors at the entrance. This was originally a shop front, but it had been transformed into a home. Usually, only one of the doors was open for entry and exit.

To the left of the entrance is a wooden staircase leading to a cramped attic bedroom. Next to the staircase is an L-shaped makeshift kitchen counter; the gas stove and gas cylinder look quite old. A humming exhaust fan is embedded in a small, double-leaf window on the wall. To the right, against the wall, stand two old wooden cabinets; one is crammed with pots, pans, and vegetables, while the other is piled with miscellaneous household items. In the center of the room sits a square table and several wooden chairs; each piece of furniture silently tells a story of time's passage.

Seeing her parents living in such a cramped and simple rented room, Su Fengnan felt a lump in her throat and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. In her past life, she was too foolish and selfish, thinking that dropping out of school to work would save money for her family. Little did she know that this foolish behavior would not only ruin her own future but also betray her parents' hard work.

Now that God has given her a second chance at life, she vows never to repeat her mistakes and to do everything in her power to give her parents a better life!

Just as Su Fengnan was lost in her turbulent thoughts, a dull creak came from the doorway, and it was slowly pushed open. She snapped back to reality and quickly got up to greet it.

"Dad, you're back."

Su Guoyuan pushed open the door and entered, immediately seeing his graceful eldest daughter standing before him. His face, which had been slightly haggard due to illness, immediately lit up with a smile: "Xiao Nan, when did you arrive? Have you eaten?"

"I've already eaten. Dad, Mom specially saved some food for you. Sit down quickly, I'll heat it up for you."

Su Fengnan worked quickly and efficiently, bringing the steaming hot meal to the table in just a few minutes. While Su Guoyuan ate, the mother and her two daughters sat around him, chatting casually. Su Fengnan kept her father company, adding rice to his bowl and handing him water. Watching him eat two large bowls in one go, she felt both gratified and happy; it seemed her father's health was indeed improving.

Su Guoyuan is thirty-nine years old this year, in the prime of his life. Although he has been plagued by illness for the past two years, constantly taking medication, and has become much thinner, his fundamental features are still there; his thin face still has distinct and strong features. Su Fengnan perfectly inherited her father's genes, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a high nose bridge, but her features are sweeter and softer, lacking some of the sharp angles of a girl. From a young age, wherever she went, acquaintances could immediately recognize her as Su Guoyuan's daughter, practically a "miniature version" of him, and she was often mistaken for a tomboy.

After dinner, Su Guoyuan chatted with his two daughters about their studies. He knew the hardships of working away from home, and his words were full of encouragement, hoping that his daughters could study hard and suffer less in the future.

"Dad, I'm preparing to take the entrance exam for Peking University. I will give it my all this year in my senior year of high school," Su Fengnan suddenly said, her tone firm.

Upon hearing this, Su Guoyuan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his face filled with disbelief. That was one of the top universities in the country!

After a long pause, he came to his senses and said earnestly, "Xiao Nan, your parents will support whichever university you want to apply to. But Peking University is not easy to get into. It's good to have ambition, but don't just talk big. Be down-to-earth."

Knowing her father didn't believe her, Su Fengnan explained in detail her study plan and changes over the past month. Su Guoyuan pondered for a moment, looking at his daughter's determined eyes, and finally chose to support her. Clearly, hearing about his eldest daughter's ambition, his eyes lit up. He knew that his eldest daughter resembled him the most, both in appearance and temperament, so he had always been the strictest with Xiaonan.

"Xiang, Xiaonan's vocal lessons are canceled. Save the tuition and use it to enroll her in academic tutoring classes," Su Guoyuan said to his wife. "Xiang" was Wen Xiaofen's nickname, which Su Fengnan had heard since childhood.

My parents have a good relationship. Although they sometimes have disagreements, for them, who live at the bottom of society, these arguments are precisely the most authentic and lively part of life.

"Okay, next semester is your senior year of high school. Xiaonan, tell Mom in advance which subject you want to take and how much the tuition is, and I'll send the money back then," Wen Xiaofen replied gently.

Su Fengnan was thinking that once she received her royalties, she wouldn't need to use her family's money anymore. However, since she hadn't received them yet, she decided not to mention it for now. She obediently agreed and then changed the subject, asking about the details of her father's illness.

This time, she finally figured out what really happened in that absurd misdiagnosis.

It turned out that during the factory's unified physical examination, Su Guoyuan was mistakenly identified as "Shu Guoyuan," who worked at another factory with the same name. The person responsible for switching the examination forms was a relative of Shu Guoyuan who worked at the hospital. This unexpected mistake delayed the real patient, Shu Guoyuan, from receiving proper treatment, while Su Fengnan's father mistakenly took many inappropriate medications, which damaged his health.

It wasn't until recently, when the Shu family came to their door to tell them the truth, that Su's parents went to a large hospital for a second examination and were diagnosed with kidney stones. They are currently undergoing treatment with traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and medication.

Upon learning the truth, Su Fengnan finally felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. She had originally planned to take her father to a major hospital for a follow-up examination, but now it seemed much easier.

"So, has Dad's condition improved now?" Su Fengnan asked with concern.

"I've been doing acupuncture and taking medicine for over half a month now, and the pain has definitely lessened during this time," Su Guoyuan reassured him.

"Dad, I'll go with you to your acupuncture session tomorrow."

"Okay, whatever you say."

......

At 5:30 in the morning, just as a thin layer of dawn was breaking over the sky, Su Fengnan tiptoed into her bedroom, careful not to make a sound that might disturb her sleeping parents and younger sister. Like a nimble cat, she crept downstairs in the dark, did a few simple stretches in the open space on the first floor to loosen her muscles, and then turned to get busy at the kitchen counter.

She rummaged through the ingredients on the cabinet, quickly cooked a pot of golden millet porridge, boiled some cold noodles, mixed them with her homemade seasoning, and also stir-fried a plate of tender yellow eggs and two plates of refreshing vegetables.

As soon as the food was served, her parents got up from bed because of the aroma, but Su Fengxia stayed in bed, reluctant to leave.

Looking at the steaming breakfast on the table, Su Guoyuan and Wen Xiaofen felt a warm glow in their hearts. Su Fengnan had already boiled water for washing their faces, mixed it with warm water, and let it cool in the basin. "Dad, Mom, the water is just right. Wash your faces first, and eat breakfast while it's hot."

Wen Xiaofen responded, but her gaze fell on her eldest daughter, who was engrossed in washing the clay pot. She couldn't help but ask curiously, "Xiaonan, what are you washing the clay pot for so early in the morning?"

"I'm brewing Chinese medicine. I got the medicine from my hometown, but I hadn't had a chance to drink it yet, so I brought it over. Now's the perfect time to brew it."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xiaofen's heart tightened, and she quickly went to her side and asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Su Fengnan leaned close to her mother's ear and whispered two words: "Gynecology."

Wen Xiaofen instantly understood. Of course she remembered that her daughter would turn pale with pain every time she had her period, and that she had taken a lot of traditional Chinese medicine to regulate her body during junior high school, but the effect was never very obvious.

"Where is the medicine?" she asked with concern.

"Here..." Su Fengnan pointed to the herbal medicine packet soaking in the stainless steel basin next to the kitchen counter.

Wen Xiaofen instructed, "This medicine shouldn't be boiled in too much at once; just enough for two days is enough. The weather is hot, and we don't have a refrigerator at home, so it will spoil easily if left for too long."

"Mom, I know. Go wash your face and eat breakfast, it won't taste good if it gets cold."