Chapter 3: The Jade Pendant Space Has Arrived

Jiang Nian had just put the money away when she saw Zhoudie enter the room.

“Anian, are you mad at me?”

Jiang Nian remained calm. “There’s nothing to be mad about. No one said you had to go to the countryside. It’s just that Dad is stubborn, and he doesn’t have any bad intentions. After I leave, he’ll probably be sarcastic for a while. You and Mom should be patient and take care of him.”

Everyone has selfish desires. The original owner was closer to Zhu Xianglan, but Zhu Xianglan chose Zhoudie, which hurt the original owner’s feelings.

Otherwise, her last wish wouldn’t have been just to take care of Jiang Qinghe.

Jiang Nian wasn’t worried about them not taking good care of Jiang Qinghe. The family relied on Jiang Qinghe to support them. If he fell ill, no one would have a good life.

“Okay, you can rest assured about the family. We’ll take good care of Dad.” Zhoudie hesitated before giving her a piece of advice. “A Nian, life in the countryside might be tough, but the country needs development, and it’s inevitable for educated youth to return to the city. If you go to the countryside and persevere for a few years, you might be able to come back. Don’t find a partner or settle down in the countryside.”

She just didn’t want to repeat her previous life, and she didn’t want Jiang Nian to experience the hardships she had in her previous life.

She just hoped that Jiang Nian would take her words to heart, endure a few years in the countryside, and be able to return.

She had her father and brother to help her, which was definitely better than her previous life.

Jiang Nian nodded thoughtfully. She had just experienced the deception of a scumbag, and she currently had no good feelings towards men. She just thought Zhoudie’s words were strange.

Neither of them was the original Jiang Nian and Zhoudie anymore. One was a time traveler from ancient times, and the other was reborn from a previous life. They were both afraid of the other noticing something wrong, so they tried to avoid contact as much as possible.

Jiang Wan Zhou returned to his small family after work and only then heard from his wife that his sister had signed up to go to the countryside. He was instantly furious and stormed over here with a dark face.

Jiang Qinghe was still sulking in his study when Jiang Wan Zhou barged in and started scolding him. “Old man, are you senile? My little sister is young and easily fooled by that mother and daughter. You’re so old, can’t you tell who’s your own and who’s not? What were you thinking? You let your own daughter go to the countryside. Your conscience has been eaten by dogs. Do you have any respect for Mom who gave birth to you and your children and died for you?”

Jiang Wan Zhou’s barrage of accusations made Jiang Qinghe’s face turn black.

But he was indeed guilty about his daughter’s matter, and he was full of regret.

At that time, he was like he had lost his mind and was dragged by that girl to the Youth League office to sign up. When he returned, he regretted it. He rushed to the Youth League office only to find out that they had already submitted the application for going to the countryside.

Actually, it wasn’t like that. It was just that the national policy encouraged people to go to the countryside, and many people knew that life in the countryside was hard, so they didn’t want to go. Of course, they wouldn’t give those who had already signed up a chance to withdraw.

“You stinky boy, you only know how to blame me. If you have the guts, blame your sister.” Jiang Qinghe told him what happened, without any concealment.

He also felt that Zhu Xianglan must have secretly fed his daughter some kind of mind-control potion, making her determined to go to the countryside.

Jiang Wan Zhou actually went.

But unlike when he faced Jiang Qinghe, he was a gentle and considerate good brother in front of Jiang Nian.

This made Jiang Nian even more confused about the original owner.

Jiang Qinghe was the deputy director of the garment factory, and he was a daughter-lover. The original owner wasn’t rich, but she had a carefree life, a good brother, and a stepmother and stepsister who, while seemingly selfish, were still human. She actually died of worry… what a strange person!

“Jiang Nian, I’m talking to you. Can you hear me?” Jiang Wan Zhou was exasperated.

Jiang Nian calmly nodded. “I heard you, but the application has already been submitted, and there’s probably no way to change it. So, brother, instead of lecturing me here, why don’t you take good care of me while I’m still at home for a few days?”

This made Jiang Wan Zhou even more furious. He was an impatient person and kept pacing back and forth in the room.

For the sake of his concern for her, Jiang Nian decided to endure his annoying behavior.

After a long time, Jiang Wan Zhou calmed down and sat on the edge of Jiang Nian’s bed.

“Forget it, there’s no point in persuading you. Fortunately, I asked Dad, and the place you’re going to isn’t too far. After a while, let Dad think of a way to see if he can bring you back.”

As he spoke, he took out a blood-red jade pendant from his pocket. It was shaped like a leaf, and something seemed to be flowing inside.

At a glance, Jiang Nian could tell it was a good thing.

Jiang Wan Zhou’s eyes were filled with nostalgia and reluctance as he handed the pendant to Jiang Nian. “This is something Mom left behind. I’ve always kept it with me, and it feels like Mom is still with us. This time you’re going to the countryside, and I can’t go with you, so let this pendant accompany you. When you miss me, take it out and look at it.”

Jiang Wan Zhou’s voice was a little choked, which was very inconsistent with his tall stature.

Jiang Nian was already a few years old when she was born, and she was old enough to remember things. So even though Zhoudie was only born a short time before she came, he still knew that Jiang Nian was his real sister.

Unlike the original owner’s dependence on Zhu Xianglan, Jiang Wan Zhou didn’t like the mother and daughter. In his eyes, Zhu Xianglan was just someone who breastfed his sister.

Jiang Wan Zhou had contributed a lot to Jiang Qinghe’s decision to get a vasectomy.

It was unavoidable. Everyone has selfish desires, and even children understand. Zhu Xianglan didn’t have Jiang Qinghe’s child, so she had no confidence. If she had given birth to Jiang Qinghe’s child, Jiang Qinghe would have softened towards her for the sake of the child, and then they wouldn’t have had a good life.

Jiang Wan Zhou didn’t feel that his family had done anything wrong to Zhu Xianglan.

Her marriage to the old man was a transaction from the beginning. Jiang Qinghe had said from the start that he married her to breastfeed his sister, and Zhu Xianglan’s situation at the time also required someone to support her and her daughter. It was simply a matter of mutual benefit.

In comparison, they had gotten the better end of the deal.

After all, the sister only needed to breastfeed for a while, and Jiang Qinghe had supported them until Zhoudie became an adult. Over the years, their living expenses and education, even if they couldn’t compare to Jiang Nian, weren’t bad.

It was because the Jiang family was well-off. If it were an ordinary family, even their own children would have trouble eating and dressing well, let alone a brought-along burden.

Jiang Nian didn’t know about the twists and turns in Jiang Wan Zhou’s mind. She carefully dealt with him and sent him away, finally achieving peace and quiet.

She looked at the pendant in her hand, feeling like there was something inside. As she looked at it, she became entranced.

When she came back to her senses, she realized that the pendant was gone, and in the place of her palm, there was a blood-red leaf, like a birthmark, firmly embedded in the flesh of her palm.

She wasn’t afraid, just amazed.

She scratched the spot with her finger, and the blood-red leaf seemed to come alive under her skin, moving slightly.

A dizzying sensation came over her, and the scene before her suddenly changed. She found herself in a place that was all too familiar.