Chapter 1

Early July 1959, Sanchuan City, Changde County.

The scorching sun baked the earth, and waves of heat filled the air. Even in the afternoon, the oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.

At this time of day, anyone venturing outside would naturally gravitate toward the cool shade of trees. Finding refuge under the shade, even for a moment, was a blessing.

A father and daughter, hurriedly carrying large bundles of luggage, had just stepped into the mechanical factory’s residential compound when a group of older women spotted them.

The women, who had been gossiping about their neighbors just moments ago, seamlessly shifted their attention to the pair.

“Old Du is back, isn’t that Da Meng?”

“Da Meng, you’re back…”

“Da Meng has graduated from vocational school now.”

“Look at her—after studying away for a few years, she’s grown into such a beauty. Just look at that fair complexion!”

…

The “Old Du” they were referring to was Du Weihai, a fourth-level worker at the mechanical factory with a salary of 52 yuan and 8 cents. Today, he had taken half a day off to pick up his daughter. Without lifting his head, he let out a brief “Hmm” and strode ahead.

The “Da Meng” they mentioned was Du Yimeng, who had just returned. Her long, jet-black hair was braided into two plaits. With delicate features, fair skin, and clear, spirited eyes, she exuded a natural grace.

She wore a white shirt and black pants, paired with black cloth shoes. In this era of scarcity, such an outfit was already considered luxurious.

It was worth noting that while others wore clothes patched over and over, Du Weihai’s clothes, though free of patches, had frayed collars. Even so, it was the most presentable attire he owned.

Du Yimeng sweetly greeted every one of the older women, then quickly followed her father. However, after walking only about ten meters, the women had already shifted their conversation.

“Old Du’s family has finally made it through…”

“Made it through? Da Meng is already twenty years old. She’s about to get married soon. Honestly, girls shouldn’t study so much. It’s a waste.”

“Exactly! Raising a daughter isn’t about nurturing talent for your own family—it’s just for someone else’s benefit.”

“Right? Who knows what Old Du was thinking…”

“Da Meng’s marriage prospects don’t look too good. Old Du has four sons—that’s a bottomless pit…”

…

Hearing this, Du Weihai’s lips twitched. Every time someone mentioned his four sons, it felt like the most venomous remark in the world.

When his first child was born—a daughter—he thought having a son next would complete the family. That’s why he named his eldest daughter Yimeng, hoping for his dream to come true. And it did—the second child was indeed a boy.

But what followed was like a nightmare. The third, fourth, and fifth children were all boys. Finally, Du Weihai secretly went to the hospital to get a vasectomy. Otherwise, who knew how many more sons he might have had?

People often said having many sons and grandsons was a blessing. But did they want this “blessing”?

He certainly didn’t. Raising half-grown boys who ate endlessly and with food rations decreasing—he was so stressed that white hairs kept sprouting.

A few steps behind, Du Yimeng also twitched her lips. She had been so polite and sweet, yet she couldn’t escape being the subject of gossip.

Couldn’t these women wait until they were farther away to talk about her family? Or at least lower their voices a bit?

In her previous life, she had succumbed to cancer after battling it for years, her life ending at the prime age of thirty.

In the late stages of cancer, the torment from the illness made her life a living hell. When death finally came, she felt no fear and faced it calmly—for her, it was a form of release.

Her only regret was letting down her parents, forcing them to endure the grief of losing a child. At least she had an older brother. Her death would also free her parents from the burden of spending every last penny on her treatments.

Her brother could finally date and live his life without her as a burden. She thought her death meant disappearing forever. Yet, when she opened her eyes again, she had become the eldest daughter of the Du family in the 1950s.

At the time, the original owner of the body was 17 years old and about to take her high school entrance exams. She was a sensible girl who, to ease her family’s burden and secure her future, aimed to get into a vocational school.

The reason the original owner was 17 and just taking her exams was that she had started school late. That year, her mother had given birth to the fifth child. To help out with the newborn and lighten her family’s financial stress, she had voluntarily postponed her education.

It was worth noting that vocational schools at that time had stricter admission standards than high schools. Determined, the original owner studied tirelessly, day and night. Unfortunately, poor nutrition combined with catching a severe cold after being drenched in rain caused her to collapse right before the exams.

Then, she arrived. She and the original owner shared the same name, Du Yimeng. For reasons unknown, she had traveled through time and taken over the original owner’s body. From that moment, she became the original owner, and the original owner’s family became her own.

Whether it was fate or luck, she discovered she had brought along an achievement system. As long as she made contributions or achieved certain milestones, the system would reward her with money, ration coupons, supplies, and attribute points.

The more attribute points she accumulated, the higher her skill level in scientific research would become.

Her “newcomer gift pack” included an infinite space with a preservation function. Three years ago, when she got into a vocational school, the system gave her a batch of rewards: attribute points, money, and supplies. From then on, she fell in love with learning.

The Du family sent her some money and ration coupons, but six months later, she declined them, claiming she had found a part-time job and could support herself.

Of course, she didn’t blatantly spend the system-provided money or coupons. Instead, she frequently submitted articles to newspapers, earning modest fees of a few yuan per article. This not only explained her income source but also slightly improved her quality of life—a win-win.

At the time, Du Weihai was still a third-level worker earning 45.2 yuan a month. Not only did he have to support the entire family, but he also had to send 5 yuan each month to Du’s elderly parents in the countryside.

Du’s mother, Wang Yanhong, didn’t have a job and could only make ends meet by assembling matchboxes, earning five or six yuan per month.

In the three years since her arrival, she had only received two rewards from the system. It wasn’t because she wasn’t trying hard enough but because others were working even harder. In this era, everyone was competing fiercely. She, afraid of overworking herself to death, couldn’t keep up.

Getting a second chance at life felt like a gift from the heavens. She didn’t want to waste it by ruining her health.

When you wake up one morning and realize you’re the only one left in the dormitory, or when you see dimly lit streetlights at night and people studying tirelessly beneath them, you’ll understand what true competition looks like.

As for ideas like reselling goods on the black market, they were purely the stuff of fiction. In reality, getting caught meant losing everything and being sent to a labor reform camp.

In her past life, she had been an ordinary university graduate. Her only standout skill was her proficiency in English. Unfortunately, the current era was during the “honeymoon period” between China and the Soviet Union, and the foreign language everyone studied was Russian.

Because of this, she had no choice but to work even harder and carve out a new path for herself.