Chapter 1:

Yu Xiang’an found herself in a dream where she couldn’t see her own reflection. Hiding in the shadows, rage simmered in her chest as the voices from behind the wall echoed in her ears.

A familiar female voice: “Boyang-ge, I didn’t get my period this month. I must be pregnant with your child. What should we do?”

The man’s voice was first shocked, then delighted: “If you’re pregnant, we’ll have the baby.”

The woman’s voice grew uneasy: “But our families are already discussing the dowry and betrothal gifts for you and my sister. How can we have this baby?”

The man chuckled reassuringly: “Don’t worry, I’ve already thought it through. Aren’t you all about to graduate? I have a relative in charge of assigning people to the countryside. I’ll ask him to help—put her name on the list and send her far away. Once she’s sent down, the marriage between us will naturally fall through. Then I’ll propose to you openly. When the baby comes, we’ll just say it was premature. No one will suspect a thing.”

The woman laughed cheerfully: “Boyang-ge, you’re the best.”

From these words and the genuine fury and sorrow “she” felt, Yu Xiang’an could piece together enough key details. She must be the “older sister” in this scenario.

Yu Xiang’an: Ugh!

Scumbag and homewrecker!

Why am I having such a dream?

The dream continued. “She” stumbled home in a daze, a heavy rain pouring down, yet she didn’t bother to seek shelter, letting herself get soaked all the way back.

This “home” was shabby—mud-brick walls, gray tiled roofs, exuding an unmistakable sense of the era.

When “she” returned, her family had to remind her to change out of her wet clothes. She collapsed onto the bed and soon developed a high fever.

Tossing and turning in delirium, her mind replayed the heartbreaking scene over and over.

Someone must have noticed her fever and given her medicine. The fever subsided briefly before spiking again.

During this feverish haze, Yu Xiang’an “dreamed” of the betrayed older sister’s life over the past decade.

Then Yu Xiang’an woke up.

She lifted her hand and stared at her bony fingers. Her blood ran cold as three questions flooded her mind:

Who am I?

Where am I?

What am I doing?

Her mind was blank. Wasn’t this just a dream?

How had it become reality?

Yu Xiang’an tried to sort through her thoughts. After graduating from university, she had opened her own private kitchen. Less than a month into business, she had gone to the market for fresh ingredients. On her way back, she had glanced up just in time to see a horrifying sight—a little girl with pigtails crouched on the ground, playing with a doll, while above her, a heavy billboard swayed precariously, about to fall.

Without a second thought, Yu Xiang’an had sprinted forward, hoping to pull the girl to safety before the billboard crashed down.

But she hadn’t noticed that someone else had seen the same scene from the other side of the corner. They had both made the same split-second decision—and tragedy struck.

If not for the other person, they might have made it out in time. But because of the blind corner, they collided head-on, losing those critical seconds. The billboard came crashing down on them.

Yu Xiang’an remembered only a sharp pain in her head before everything went black.

Now, she touched her head—no pain, just the lingering dizziness from the fever. A suspicion formed in her mind: she had died in that moment and somehow woken up in the body of another Yu Xiang’an, a girl from the 1970s.

Had anyone called an ambulance? She must not have made it. What about the child and that young man?

Sigh. She had tried to do a good deed. Maybe this was karma’s way of rewarding her?

Losing her life to save another, only to be granted a second chance in this bizarre way.

She wondered about that young man—he had seemed around her age. If something had happened to him, it would be such a waste. At least the little girl they’d shielded was probably unharmed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach.

“Gurgle—”

Yu Xiang’an was starving, a gnawing, desperate hunger.

Just thinking about food made her mouth water.

Steamed rice, chicken legs, braised pork, roasted duck, grilled chicken…

The more she imagined, the hungrier she got.

Her face fell. She glanced around the room, familiar yet strange from the original owner’s memories.

The room was small, with mud-brick walls covered in old newspapers. The furnishings were sparse—just a bed, a rickety cabinet, and a low stool.

One side of the cabinet held textbooks, topped with a red-bound “Little Red Book” (useful for quoting at times). The other side held clothes. There was no food—not even a snack to tide her over. Maybe she could go to the kitchen?

She remembered there were still some sweet potatoes in the corner.

But… this body had likely succumbed to the fever. Weak and drained, she didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed.

As her stomach growled louder, she couldn’t tell if her weakness was from the fever or sheer hunger.

Just then, footsteps approached.

“Fifth Sister, are you feeling better?” Her six-year-old brother, Yu Xiangju, came running in with a bowl of water.

“Mhm.” Yu Xiang’an exhaled softly and sat up, dizzy. The world spun in colorful blotches. Steadying herself, she looked at Yu Xiangju—the youngest in the family, with a round, sun-tanned face that marked him as an outdoorsy troublemaker. If nothing went wrong, he’d be her little brother from now on.

She took the bowl and sipped. Warm water soothed her empty stomach.

She drank slowly, unsure if the fever would return. Medical care in this era… the thought alone was unsettling.

Her voice hoarse, she asked, “Xiao Ju, is there any food?”

“Fifth Sister, wait! There’s food saved for you. I’ll go get it.” He took the bowl and dashed out.

Soon, he returned with a piece of candy. “I saved this from my birthday. Eat it, and you’ll get better.”

It was the cheapest kind of hard candy, something she’d never have touched before. But now, her mouth watered uncontrollably. “…Thank you, Xiao Ju.”

“Fifth Sister, this’ll tide you over. The food’s gone cold—I’ll heat it up. It won’t take long.” He put on a grown-up air, forcing himself to look away from the candy before hurrying out.

Candy was precious. He’d gotten a few pieces for his birthday and had saved this last one for months, unable to bring himself to eat it.

But now, he’d given it to her.

Touched, Yu Xiang’an unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. Sweetness exploded on her tongue—sugar for quick energy. She felt slightly revived.

She checked her forehead again—no fever. Relieved, she stared blankly at the ceiling.

She’d never imagined being this hungry, her stomach screaming in protest, as if she’d starve to death if this went on.

One chicken, two chickens, three chickens… Finally, Yu Xiangju returned. His voice was music to her ears: “Fifth Sister, eat up! I warmed it for you.”

Without another word, she grabbed the bowl and devoured the food.

Yu Xiangju was startled. “Fifth Sister, slow down! You’ll choke!”

The family didn’t have much grain left, but sweet potatoes were plentiful. Though they lived in town without land, her grandfather and uncles worked in the production team and had private plots—sweet potatoes, high-yield and hardy, were their staple.

Yu Xiang’an was eating sweet potatoes stewed with wild greens, barely any salt. It tasted awful, but she wasn’t in a position to complain. Filling her stomach was all that mattered.

She cleaned the bowl but was only half-full. Luckily, dinner wasn’t far off.

Yu Xiangju asked, “Fifth Sister, are you feeling better?”

She nodded. “Yes, much better.”

The fever was gone, her stomach was no longer empty, and some strength was returning.

Yu Xiangju nodded like a little adult. “Good. Get well soon.”

Yu Xiang’an couldn’t help but smile.

Not long after, Ding Minxiu returned from school. She set down her book bag and came to check on Yu Xiang’an, her tone caring: “Are you feeling better? The teacher said if you’re still unwell tomorrow, you don’t have to come to school.”

The moment she spoke, Yu Xiang’an stiffened. It was her—the sister who’d gotten pregnant with her future brother-in-law!

Ding Minxiu had no idea Yu Xiang’an had overheard her and Zhou Boyang yesterday and acted as if nothing was wrong.

Yu Xiang’an studied her. Fair-skinned, with two braids resting on her shoulders, she looked innocent and harmless—nothing like someone who’d secretly schemed with her sister’s fiancé.

If the original Yu Xiang’an hadn’t stumbled upon their conversation, she’d have been blindsided when the rural assignment list came out.

“Mhm, better.” A surge of anger rose—swift and fierce. Probably the original owner’s lingering emotions.

Ding Minxiu sighed in relief, playing the concerned sister. “That’s good. But your voice is still hoarse—take it easy. I’ll go make dinner. Rest well.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded, her feelings complicated. The original owner was eighteen, Ding Minxiu a few months younger. At eighteen, Ding Minxiu had already pulled off such a “masterstroke.” What had Yu Xiang’an been doing at eighteen?

She thought back. At eighteen, she’d been rebellious, trying to convince her parents to let her skip college and study cooking instead. Ding Minxiu’s eighteen? A pristine white lotus in full bloom.

What should she do now?

She needed a plan—fast. Zhou Boyang, the scumbag fiancé, was out of the question. But the rural assignment couldn’t be delayed. If her name got added to the list, she’d be sent to the countryside!

She’d never farmed before. She had to find a way to stay in the city. Under current policies, only one child from large families could remain urban. Their eldest brother had taken that spot—everyone else had to find their own path. A formal job would let her stay.

In this era, jobs were iron rice bowls—coveted, hereditary, rarely given to outsiders.

How could she land one?