Chapter 1

After the busy farming season, the Xiangyang Brigade hosted its first movie screening.

Stepmother Lu Jiaojiao snuck into a haystack with Yin Zhihe in the dark, and Lu Baiwei suddenly realized—she, too, had been reborn. 

— 

“Quick, come and see! Lu Jiaojiao and that Yin boy are hiding in the haystack!” 

“That haystack’s shaking so much—it’s wild…” 

At the Xiangyang Brigade’s threshing ground, someone shouted, and the moviegoers surged in the dark toward the small forest and the haystack. Within moments, half the threshing ground was empty. 

Lu Baiwei, freshly reborn, stood there, completely dazed. 

In her previous life, after the farming season, the brigade’s first movie screening was just as lively. The protagonist of the scandal was still her stepsister, Lu Jiaojiao. But back then, it wasn’t a haystack; it was the tool shed by the threshing ground, filled with drying mats and sieves. 

And the male lead of that farce? Not Yin Zhihe, but He Ting, a young educated man who was supposed to have a childhood marriage agreement with her. 

Lu Baiwei’s grandfather, once a battlefield doctor, had saved He Ting’s grandfather’s life. The two families had arranged a childhood engagement. When He Ting came to Xiangyang Brigade as an educated youth, he brought with him the token exchanged by their elders. 

What should have been her engagement became a fiasco as Lu Jiaojiao cried and insisted on marrying He Ting instead. After being caught together in the tool shed, He Ting, with a darkened expression, was forced to marry Lu Jiaojiao. 

Meanwhile, under her stepmother’s arrangement, Lu Baiwei married Yin Zhihe, a poor young man from the brigade. 

In her previous life, Lu Jiaojiao’s marriage to He Ting brought her a brief period of glory. He Ting, an educated youth from the capital, was handsome, came from a good family, and received money and food supplies from home every month. 

But the good times didn’t last. 

The He family fell into ruin. 

The entire He family was sent to a farm for re-education, and He Ting’s nephew and niece were sent to Xiangyang Brigade to live with him. Without the He family’s financial support, life became difficult. He Ting also had to raise his brother’s two children, which infuriated Lu Jiaojiao. 

She frequently scolded, mistreated, and even physically abused the children. When she wasn’t causing drama, she threatened to leave and return to her parents. 

Then disaster struck. 

A landslide triggered by a torrential downpour injured He Ting, who was protecting the brigade’s property. Though his life was saved, he was left with a permanent limp. 

With He Ting disabled and two children to care for, Lu Jiaojiao finally had enough. She abandoned the mess and ran away with a truck driver. 

As for Lu Baiwei, though her life with Yin Zhihe began in hardship, they soon saw better days. With the restoration of college entrance exams, land allocation, and the economic reforms, Yin Zhihe’s resourcefulness shone. 

First, they started a small food business together. After discovering a knack for trade, they began buying clothes wholesale from the south and reselling them. 

When funds were tight, they uncovered gold and antiques buried by the Yin family’s ancestors. 

As it turned out, before liberation, the Yin family had been the wealthiest landlords in the area. 

With the treasure as startup capital, Yin Zhihe expanded their business, opening multiple clothing factories and riding the wave of economic reform to make a fortune. 

And that wasn’t all. 

When Yin Zhihe transitioned from clothing to real estate development, his uncle, who had moved to Hong Kong during turbulent times, returned with a significant investment and helped him inherit a billion-dollar estate in Hong Kong. 

Lu Baiwei became a wealthy socialite, even appearing on television for interviews. 

Meanwhile, Lu Jiaojiao resurfaced in the news. 

Police had rescued a group of women and children from human traffickers in a remote mountainous area. Among them was Lu Jiaojiao. 

The truck driver she had run off with turned out to be a trafficker who sold her to a distant mountain village. 

What happened to Lu Jiaojiao after that, Lu Baiwei didn’t know. 

Before accompanying Yin Zhihe to Hong Kong to inherit his fortune, she had fallen gravely ill. When she awoke, she found herself reborn, back to the year she was 18 and about to get married. 

And just as she regained her senses, her stepsister, Lu Jiaojiao, delivered quite the surprise. 

Was Lu Jiaojiao reborn too? 

“Baiwei, Lu Jiaojiao was causing such a scene before, insisting on marrying He Ting. Everyone in Xiangyang Brigade knew about it. She even claimed He Ting would be hers sooner or later and planned to ‘seal the deal’ with him during tonight’s movie screening. So why is she suddenly sneaking off with Yin Zhihe instead?” 

“She’s always competing with you. Do you think it’s because Yin Zhihe’s sisters pooled together 188 yuan for his bride price and even bought him a Plum Blossom watch? Those watches are worth over 100 yuan!” 

“Lu Jiaojiao is shameless! Running off to hide in a haystack with Yin Zhihe—she has no shame!” 

“I won’t stand for this! Come on, Baiwei, let’s go teach that disgraceful tramp a lesson!” 

Before Lu Baiwei could stop her, her cousin Tang Yunling grabbed her and stormed off. 

But before they reached the haystack, the crowd had already dragged Lu Jiaojiao and Yin Zhihe out, tied with ropes, and escorted them toward the brigade office. 

Yin Zhihe, shirtless and disheveled, lowered his head in guilt when he saw Lu Baiwei. 

Lu Jiaojiao, her clothes torn and revealing her pale arms and collarbone, showed no sign of shame. 

Instead, she smirked at Lu Baiwei, a victorious glint in her eyes. 

“Sis, you’re not mad, are you? Zhihe and I are truly in love.” 

Lu Jiaojiao leaned closer to Yin Zhihe, declaring her claim. 

The young men in the crowd whistled and jeered. 

“Oh, so sneaking into a haystack means true love, huh?” 

“Lu Jiaojiao, how about you and I sneak into one next time?

“Come on, squeeze in with me too, squeeze in…”

The brigade’s threshing ground was showing a movie, and people had gathered in a crowd.

The young men in the brigade started making a ruckus, while the older women and young wives were disgusted. They spat at Lu Jiaojiao with disdain, even threatening to report Yin Zhihe to the commune for indecent behavior.

“A young girl, so shameless and improper, sneaking into a haystack before marriage to fool around!”

“Ugh! The brigade’s good morals are being ruined by someone like this.”

“Lu Jiaojiao, Yin Zhihe is still discussing marriage with your sister, and you’re here spouting nonsense about true love!”

“Enough talking. Tie her up and take her to the brigade office for ideological reeducation, then hand her over to the commune to be charged with indecent behavior.”

“What for? Is it a crime for me and Yin Zhihe to be dating?”

“This is the new society! We advocate free love now. Yin Zhihe and I will just get a marriage certificate. What gives you the right to drag me to the commune?”

“Brother Zhihe, say something!”

Even after being tied up, Lu Jiaojiao was still defiant, coquettishly calling out to Yin Zhihe.

A dejected Yin Zhihe stammered nervously, “Don’t, don’t report this to the commune. I’ll get a marriage certificate with Lu Jiaojiao…”

The Xiangyang Brigade had a reputation for a strong moral atmosphere.

Lu Jiaojiao sneaking into a haystack with Yin Zhihe was utterly shameful, enraging Lu Jianguo and his wife. Liu Chunhua scolded Lu Jiaojiao furiously.

She jabbed her finger at Lu Jiaojiao’s forehead, saying, “Lu Jiaojiao, what’s wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?”

“The Yin family is dirt poor, yet you reject a perfectly good match like He Ting. You’re going to drive me mad!”

“He Ting is an educated youth from the capital. His family sends him money and food every month. You’ll regret this so much you’ll want to bang your head against the wall…”