Chapter 1: Reborn

Thirsty.

So thirsty.

Her throat felt as if it was burning.

“The Gu family’s daughter-in-law has woken up.”

Her fingers seemed to be pinched by someone—it was small and soft.

Suddenly, many memories flooded in their head—leaving her dizzy.

A plump middle-aged woman shouted for a doctor in the hospital room.

Su Nianmei found the sounds somewhat annoying; her eyes, which were about to open, quickly closed again.

She took a moment to sort through the memories in her mind and chose to remain still—continued to pretend she was asleep.

She felt truly unfortunate.

She had diligently saved a few thousand yuan to go on a trip, only to encounter a major earthquake that hadn’t been seen in decades as soon as she arrived at her destination.

Now, by some twist of fate, she transmigrated.

Su Nianmei recalled her brief 28 years of life and felt a pang of regret.

From childhood to adulthood, she had been a model student, smoothly entering university and passing the civil service exam.

She thought she would lead a simple, ordinary life, but heaven played a big joke on her.

She had transmigrated!

It wasn’t a dream! It was actually real!

Her worldview, which she had upheld for twenty-eight years, was crumbling.

However, since she was already here, she might as well adapt. She reconsidered the life experiences of the original owner of this body, wishing instead that she could sleep indefinitely.

The original owner also shared the surname Su with the given name Nianmei.

At the tender age of 18, she was in her youth, living with an 80-year-old grandmother above her, alongside two irresponsible parents, and below her were a pair of bothersome younger siblings.

As the eldest child in the family, Su Nianmei had been entrusted with significant responsibilities from a young age.

All the dirty and exhausting chores fell to her, leaving her perpetually hungry and cold—a true Cinderella figure.

When she reached marriageable age, her own parents accepted twenty yuan as a bride price to marry her off to the eldest son of the lame Liu family from the neighboring village.

Speaking of the eldest son of the Gu family, he was quite a character. He joined the army at sixteen and, coming from a poor rural background, managed to rise to the position of battalion commander by the age of 28.

The original Su Nianmei had cheerfully thought that marrying him would mean a good life.

Little did she know that she discovered he had a five-year-old son after marrying into the army.

Faced with the shattering of her romantic illusions, the docile Su Nianmei, who had been as gentle as a little lamb for eighteen years, finally exploded.

She spent her days stirring up trouble, crying, throwing tantrums, and even threatening to hang herself.

After smashing her head against the corner of a table, she eventually wore herself out and died.

Meanwhile, the male lead, Gu Xichao, had gone on a mission on the day she arrived and had yet to return, so he was completely unaware of these events.

Su Nianmei racked her brain to recall Gu Xichao’s appearance.

Perhaps due to the original owner’s fear of him, all she could conjure up was his silhouette, and he seemed somewhat strong, with a broad back and shoulders—a sturdy man.

Su Nianmei frowned.

What a mess!

A clear voice interrupted her thoughts. “Mom, Mom’s eyebrows just moved!”

As the summoned doctor prepared to reach out to assess the situation, the patient in the hospital bed slowly began to open her eyes.

Only then did Su Nianmei start to survey her surroundings.

It was better than she had expected; the walls were painted green and white, with dark cement flooring.

The small room barely accommodated two beds, and two adults stood before her.

No, it was actually two adults and one child.

At the foot of her bed stood a small figure dressed in thin, coarse cloth, clutching the corner of the blanket tightly and looking at her shyly.

Seeing Su Nianmei, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhao Family, awake but silent, Ma Fang observed her curiously.

Big Sister Fang wanted to ask Su Nianmei how she was feeling but hesitated to speak. Her round, big eyes kept darting between Su Nianmei and the surroundings.

Su Nianmei cleared her throat and spoke, “Big Sister Fang, I really appreciate your help.” Her voice was hoarse as she spoke.

Big Sister Fang unconsciously rubbed her hands together, her big eyes no longer wandering aimlessly but fixated on Su Nianmei—she smiled at her, making the flesh on her body jiggle slightly.

It seemed she hadn’t expected Su Nianmei to thank her. “It’s nothing, nothing at all. Little sister, as long as you’re okay.”

Su Nianmei wasn’t surprised by Big Sister Fang’s reaction.

Although the original owner had been meek at home, she had developed a rather fierce reputation during her time with the army.

Su Nianmei felt a bit embarrassed to describe herself as a shrew and only honest people like Big Sister Fang were willing to take her to the hospital.

She felt grateful to Big Sister Fang. Without her, she might have already met Lord Yama.

After confirming with the doctor that there was nothing seriously wrong, she prepared to be discharged.

However, Big Sister Fang stopped her, insisting that she rest a little longer in the hospital and have lunch before leaving.

Su Nianmei raised her legs and realized she didn’t have much strength, so she obediently lay back down to give herself time to adjust to this new body.

Once Ma Fang and the doctor left, the ward was left with just her and the little bun. Although it was a two-person room, the hospital had few patients recently, so it had become a single room.

Only then did Su Nianmei begin to examine her little stepson.

At five years old, he was still quite small, with a heart-shaped face and peach blossom eyes, and his ordinary hairstyle made him look particularly adorable.

His gray, thin clothing hung loosely on him as if he had stolen and worn adult clothes.

Su Nianmei called, waving him over. “Baby.”

When Gu Xiaobao walked over, he swayed slightly.

Su Nianmei felt a pang of heartache; such a small child already appeared somewhat malnourished.

When the little bun reached her side, Su Nianmei reached out to stroke his head, but he instinctively leaned back—avoiding her hand.

Watching her hand hang awkwardly in the air, Su Nianmei awkwardly pulled it back.

She noticed several red marks on Gu Xiaobao’s body and recalled that the original owner occasionally vented her frustrations by pinching him.

Su Nianmei rubbed her temples—feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Seeing his mother rubbing her head, Gu Xiaobao hurriedly ran up to her, his short arms stretching to reach her temples.

His army-green shoes had holes revealing his toes, and he almost toppled over as he leaned closer to Su Nianmei.

Su Nianmei seized the moment and picked Gu Xiaobao up, holding him in her arms and allowing him to rub her temples.

At first, his body stiffened.

She leaned closer to Gu Xiaobao’s ear, gently patting his back, and gradually, the little bun relaxed, softening and snuggling against her.

Su Nianmei thought to herself, “I’m sorry, baby. I promise I’ll treat you well from now on.”

At the corner stood a tall and robust figure clad in military green, standing straight with a military cap perfectly perched on his head.

When Gu Xichao returned, he had heard that his wife was lying in the hospital—unsure of what had happened, he rushed over without any hesitation.

As he stood in front of the ward, he inexplicably paused, taking in the scene before him.

Su Nianmei looked up just in time to see a man staring at her from the doorway, dressed impeccably in military attire.

His phoenix-like eyes were particularly captivating, and his straight nose and slightly upturned lips added to his charm.

Long fingers rested against the doorframe, half-knocking.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Gu Xiaobao quickly wriggled out of Su Nianmei’s embrace and ran to cling to the man’s leg, calling out sweetly, “Dad!”

Su Nianmei was also momentarily stunned and instinctively echoed: “Dad.”