1972, Yangcheng Port.

The sky was adorned with streaks of dark ink, spreading outwards, casting vast shadows over the earth. Occasional flashes of lightning cut through the sky.

Far out at sea, a torrential downpour poured down, while the sky near the port remained cloudy but dry. The sea breeze whipped up waves, crashing against the shore and tossing paperboard and bamboo baskets, which piled up in front of the residential buildings.

“Fat pig! Big fat pig! Stupid pig! You ate the candy she gave you, now you’re a pig too!” A boy, around seven or eight years old, clutched a piece of blue candy wrapper tightly in his hand. His wide, bulging eyes were mostly white, his cheeks puffed out, and thick lips spat out the cruel words.

The six or seven-year-old girl beside him shrank back, and a young woman stepped forward, standing in front of her. She then slipped three large white rabbit milk candies into the girl’s hand.

The woman wore a coral-colored shirt and deep blue cross-back overalls. Beside her stood a large brown suitcase, packed so full that a massive blue backpack was almost bursting from the zipper, appearing overly bulky.

The body that Qin Yao now inhabited was that of an 18-year-old girl, standing at 165 cm (5’5″) and weighing a hefty 140 lbs. Her figure was curvy, but calling her a “fat pig” was a bit much. At that time, “pigs” were much thinner.

Her features were stunning: fair skin, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, a pointed chin, and a slender oval face. She had the classic hourglass figure—ample chest, waist, and hips. Even though she was overweight, she was still a remarkably attractive plus-sized beauty.

Yes, Qin Yao had transmigrated. From her 24-year-old self in 2024, she had become 18-year-old Qin Yao in 1972. She had regressed by six years.

Her original appearance resembled her current one to some extent, though Qin Yao had never been this heavy before. Because of this, she knew that once this body slimmed down, she would undoubtedly become an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Qin Yao had transmigrated into a 1970s island compound novel.

Before her transmigration, Qin Yao had completed her master’s degree and become an editor at a publishing house. Her friend, a fellow editor, worked at an online novel website and had sent her a book a few days ago, saying, “Qin Yao, there’s a supporting character in this novel whose name is just like yours.”

Qin Yao casually flipped through it, and the story was about the heroine Bai Qiuling, who had been reborn and held onto her husband’s leg tightly, moving to an island with him, and the daily struggles of raising children. The Qin Yao in the book wasn’t an important character. Her best friend, Chen Baozhen, however, was a key supporting character in the early parts of the novel, often compared with the heroine.

Chen Baozhen and Bai Qiuling were neighbors, moving into the compound around the same time, and were often used as a contrast. Bai Qiuling was skilled in both housework and cooking, had a harmonious marriage, and was loved by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. On the other hand, Chen Baozhen, though coming from a good family, was spoiled, with a bad temper. Her post-marriage life was chaotic, with an awful best friend, a terrible sister-in-law, and a horrible mother-in-law. This constant strife led to her eventual divorce, a stark contrast to Bai Qiuling’s life.

Qin Yao was the “best friend” of Chen Baozhen.

Chen Baozhen came from a good family. Both of her parents were cadres. Qin Yao, on the other hand, was an ordinary girl from a crowded alley. She was the youngest in her family, with four older brothers. The entire family of nine squeezed into a cramped 20 to 30-square-meter courtyard house. As her brothers began to marry and have children, the family ran out of space. With her third brother already sent down to the countryside as an educated youth, there was no need for Qin Yao to go, but her second sister-in-law had her own plans. She used rumors to threaten Qin Yao that she will go to the countryside as an educated youth as well. Naturally, Qin Yao was reluctant to go and began trying to find a potential marriage partner.

As long as you are married, you don’t have to go to the countryside.

Her best friend, Chen Baozhen traveled thousands of miles south to marry an officer on an island. The officer had a square face, a dignified appearance, and looked incredibly handsome in his uniform. Their wedding photos made many young girls envious. Qin Yao also had an idea and intended to use her best friend’s relationship to marry a handsome and promising officer.

Qin Yao was beautiful, but also a bit overweight. Those who liked her thought she was pretty, while those who didn’t call her a chubby woman. This led her to develop a personality that was both confident and self-conscious at the same time.

Chen Baozhen was delicate and often spoke without thinking, which made her offend many people in their community. When you added Qin Yao to the mix, who was equally tactless and often said inappropriate things, the two became notorious.

Although Qin Yao was pretty, she started a relationship with an older regiment commander. However, she was completely infatuated, following her childhood crush who had suddenly transferred to a naval hospital as a military doctor. Qin Yao juggled both the regiment commander and her crush, but in the end, it backfired and became a huge joke. She ended up returning to Beijing in disgrace.

….

——She and her best friend Chen Baozhen are the “clowns” who add spice to the book.

Now Qin Yao has become this “jumping clown”.

She found herself in the 1970s, and while she didn’t want to be a “clown”,  she knew she had to survive in this era. Returning to Beijing was out of the question. The city was crowded, with her nine-member family living in a cramped space. The thought of living like this again, in a small “cramped” home, made her unwilling to go back.

At the moment, Qin Yao had two options:

One was to get married.

Second was to find a job.

The second option is the best choice for Qin Yao.

She was only eighteen, and marriage was not on her mind. She thought that if she could hold off until 1977, when she would be 23, she could still apply for university.

However, finding a job was extremely difficult. The job market was overcrowded, and if that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be a push to send young people to the countryside. The city simply had no job openings for them.

But there was hope on the islands. Qin Yao thought that if she visited her best friend on the island, she might be able to find a job there. This could allow her to stay, and after four or five years, she could leave.

Of course, she could also get married and find a partner, but that was her last resort.

Qin Yao didn’t want to settle. She didn’t believe in love, family, or friendship. All she wanted was to live a peaceful life, alone, in this world.

“Is the candy delicious? Call me sister and I’ll give you some jerky.” This trip, Qin Yao’s luggage was heavy with various snacks, like candy, cookies, and dried meat.

When she arrived at the port today, the weather was bad, and the boat hadn’t set off yet. Qin Yao was worried about her heavy luggage. It was tiring to carry it back and forth.

She didn’t want to throw her luggage away, though. On her way to the guesthouse, she met a little girl and gave her two pieces of white rabbit milk candy.

A boy saw this and tried to snatch the candy from the girl. He didn’t succeed but grabbed the candy wrappers. Then he turned to Qin Yao and asked for some candy. When she refused, he began cursing her, calling her a “pig woman.”

The child didn’t know better; he just thought Qin Yao was fair-skinned and plump, calling her a “fat pig.”

Hearing these words, Qin Yao smiled, eating one of the candies and then taking out some fragrant dried pork to give to the little girl.

She taunted the boy, saying, “No candy for you, poor thing. Go home and beg for some.”

The boy, saliva dripping from his mouth, stomped his foot, clenched his fists, and cursed louder, “Pig woman, stinky pig woman, dead fat pig, die, whole family—”

His insults grew more vulgar, and he even tried to spit at Qin Yao. She dodged, irritated, and was about to teach him a lesson.

“Pig—” he started to shout again, but suddenly, something hit his mouth. It was a piece of chalk.

He coughed and spat out the chalk, looking confused. Before he could speak, another piece of chalk flew into his mouth, making him choke and silent.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s pretty accurate,” she thought. She glanced back and saw a young man not far away.

The young man was tall and slim, with a handsome face. He looked quite young, dressed in a white shirt and gray pants, carrying a shoulder bag, and standing casually. In his hand, he held a box of chalk. Next to him was a small blackboard used by street vendors to list prices. The wind had picked up, and the vendor was packing up.

“Hey! That’s my chalk.”

“Sorry, I borrowed it,” the young man said nonchalantly, returning the chalk to the vendor.

The boy ran off, and Qin Yao patted the little girl’s shoulder before walking over to the young man. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

As she got closer, Qin Yao noticed that the young man was tall, around 6 feet tall, and had a slender, well-built frame. He didn’t stand very straight, slightly hunched, yet his posture was relaxed, fitting well with the beach vibe.

The weather was still bad, with dark clouds overhead. As Qin Yao looked up at him, a ray of light broke through the clouds behind him, illuminating half his face.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but think, “Wow.”

The young man had a perfect “top-tier” appearance—handsome, but in a way that wasn’t overly flirtatious. His eyes were almond-shaped, and though they had a hint of charm, they were innocent. Beneath his right eye was a small tear mole, barely noticeable.

His chin curved inward, giving him a humble, gentle look. Despite the harsh sea breeze, which tousled his shirt and revealed a toned, sun-kissed abdomen, he still looked striking.

Qin Yao’s heart raced. This guy was tall, slender, and built—an ideal “little wolfdog” type.

There were many naturally handsome men in the 1970s. You could find one just walking down the street.

If the chances of picking up a handsome guy were this high, Qin Yao had originally leaned toward Option Two, but now she felt that Option One wasn’t so bad either.

“Little brother—what’s your name?” Qin Yao couldn’t help but tease him. The young man in front of her reminded her of a freshman from her first year in university, and she had already graduated with a master’s degree.

“Gu Cheng.”

“Oh, I’m Qin Yao. You can call me Sister Qin or Sister Yaoyao.”

Gu Cheng didn’t reply. He simply glanced at Qin Yao indifferently. He was actually 28 years old, though his records stated he was 30. Qin Yao was clearly younger than him, but since they were strangers, there was no need for any explanation.

He had gone to Guicheng last month for anti-espionage training and had just returned from a conference in Yangcheng a few days ago. Now, he was on his way to Qiongzhou Island with classified documents, but due to bad weather, all ships had been delayed. To him, it felt like an unplanned holiday, and he had no intention of making any trouble.

The sight of Qin Yao made him feel a strange sense of wariness. She looked too unique—he had never seen anyone who was so pale, plump, and beautiful at the same time.

“I’m leaving,” he said and turned to walk away.

“Wait—You have a ticket too. Are you going to the island as well? Let me see your ticket.” Qin Yao grabbed his arm, acting as if she knew him well, and checked his ticket. To her delight, they were on the same ship.

“We’re on the same ship! Let’s go together!” she exclaimed.

Having a handsome guy to travel with would certainly make the journey less boring.

Qin Yao liked to tease handsome guys, though she knew it was all just a game. For people like her, born in the 00s, there was no real concept of love anymore—especially with handsome guys. Her high school heartthrob had slept with several girls after turning 18, changing girlfriends like he changed clothes.

Handsome guys were a rare commodity, and the more attractive they were, the more girls would flock to them. Qin Yao, with her striking beauty, had many wealthy and influential men chasing her, but she preferred those with good looks.

Unfortunately, good-looking men were often prone to cheating. Qin Yao’s ex-boyfriend, a talented literature student with looks and charm, had once written countless love poems to her during his pursuit. After two years, he finally won her over, but within just three months of dating, he cheated on her with her best friend simply because she refused to sleep with him.

…Plastic love, plastic friends.

Men liked her for her appearance and figure, while women who wanted to be her best friends would pretend to be supportive, but secretly criticized her for being a flirt.

After graduation, Qin Yao realized that there was no such thing as genuine affection in the world—love, friendship, and even family were just illusions, all tied to personal interests. Her parents were fully focused on her younger brother, not because he was exceptional, but simply because of his gender.

[View Favorability?]

Qin Yao clicked “Yes.” After transmigrating, she gained a useless golden finger—a favorability system that allowed her to check how others felt about her. She could check up to ten times a day, but only after physical contact.

It was a completely useless feature.

What good was knowing someone’s favorability if it didn’t change anything?

[He has 0 favorability towards you (You are strangers)]

Qin Yao stared at the young man’s face. 0 favorability? Was it really that low? That young girl just now had a favorability of 30 towards her.

Hmph, men.

Qin Yao, feeling embarrassed, lowered her voice, “Fate brought us together, little brother. I have too much luggage. Could you help me take it back to the guesthouse?”

Gu Cheng: “…”