Chapter 1

Qiao Yu was a millennial who passed away at the age of thirty.

She had no chance to date, marry, or have children. After years of hard work, she finally carved out a career for herself, but just as she was ready to expand her future plans, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Having been an orphan, she believed that one should leave the world as they came—taking nothing with them. She donated all her accumulated wealth and left without regret, like a cloud disappearing into the sky.

Perhaps her good deeds moved the heavens. Thanks to her donation of billions and the good karma it brought, she was given a second chance at life.

Now, she has one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.

The good news: She’s 18 again, young and full of life.
The bad news: She’s already married and has kids.

To be precise, her new body’s husband passed away less than a month ago, and the two children are not biologically hers.

This story begins with the original owner’s biological parents.

The original owner grew up neglected by her parents, working harder than anyone else. She woke up earlier than the chickens, slept later than the dogs, ate worse than the pigs, and worked more than the oxen. At sixteen, she was sold off to a widower whose wife had died in childbirth.

The widower had two sons: the eldest was three, and the younger was still an infant. The original owner was married off to take care of the children.

Her first husband deeply loved his late wife. After seeing the original owner’s kind heart and timid nature, he kept her in the household, initially treating her like a younger sister.

In two years of marriage, he never touched her. Instead, he helped share household chores and took care of the children. When her greedy maternal family came to cause trouble, he taught her to stand up for herself. He even helped her learn to read and write, enabling her to earn a primary school diploma.

Gradually, feelings grew between them, and her husband promised to hold a proper wedding for her when she turned 18.

But fate had other plans.

Before that day came, the famine hit. Their village, located near mountains and rivers, managed to avoid starvation in the first year, but by the second year, they were eating earthworms ground into powder to stave off hunger.

With the family’s food supply dwindling, her husband joined a hunting party to search for food. Unfortunately, while saving someone, he lost his life.

He left behind two sons and the original owner.

Though the village secured compensation for her, her eldest brother-in-law, who had already split from the family, took it all. The original owner tried to resist, but hunger had weakened her. While protecting the children, she hit her head and passed out.

When she woke up, her home was even emptier. She fought for justice at the village council and the commune, but her health deteriorated further. That same evening, she fainted from hunger, and a fire broke out, engulfing her home. She died in the blaze.

This is when Qiao Yu transmigrated into her body.

She arrived at a critical moment, unable to even cry for help due to smoke inhalation. Someone with strong arms carried her out, holding her by the waist while carrying the two-year-old, Xiao Yong, with his other arm.

As for the elder son, Da Wei, he had woken up, realized he couldn’t carry both his stepmother and his younger brother, and ran to the village to get help.

When Qiao Yu regained consciousness, she was in the village chief’s home.

The situation escalated into a scandal because a widow and a man had physical contact. The gossip? Likely spread by her sister-in-law, who wanted her to remarry so she could “legitimately” claim the late husband’s compensation.

Her rescuer, Zhou Ze’an, was a soldier. His rank? She didn’t know. Out of responsibility or under pressure from the rumors, he proposed marriage.

From him, she learned that he was raising three children of fallen comrades.

“I can’t have my own children, so please promise to take good care of these three. That’s my only request.”

She was puzzled—why couldn’t he have children? Was he physically impaired?

Counting her two stepchildren, he would now be responsible for five kids. To ensure he wouldn’t take on even more, she asked, “Will you adopt any more of your comrades’ children?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“My salary and allowances can only support five.”

She was taken aback by his honesty. In an era where most men were domineering and pretentious, Zhou Ze’an’s straightforwardness was rare and refreshing.

Qiao Yu had no other options.

Her late husband’s compensation was still in dispute, her house had burned down, and justice was yet to be served. How could she support two children on her own?

Yes, the original owner had loved her late husband. He had helped her rediscover her confidence as a woman and guided her out of despair. Even after his death, she had resolved to raise his two children, no matter the cost.

The original owner’s dying wish was for Da Wei and Xiao Yong to grow up well.

Having taken over her body, Qiao Yu felt a duty to fulfill that wish.

Life might be easier if she were selfish, but basic decency demanded otherwise. If even she gave up on those two children, who else would stand by them?

Stand by and watch them march to their deaths?

Besides, the man before her wasn’t bad-looking. Perhaps, just maybe, he could become her support. Even if not, she could still use his name to her advantage, leveraging his reputation to reclaim her late husband’s compensation.

No matter how she looked at it, it was better than fighting alone.

And so, she and Zhou Ze’an quickly reached an agreement.

Zhou Ze’an, indeed, had a striking appearance. His sharp features, deep-set eyes, straight posture, and air of refinement made him stand out. Even the crease in his army-green trousers was perfectly straight, running neatly down to the side of his liberation shoes, exuding meticulous discipline.

In just a few exchanges, she could tell he was a man who valued responsibility above all else.

A responsible man could provide a woman with a sense of security, and she was no exception.

Being a realist, she knew emotions weren’t something she could rely on. A marriage built on mutual respect and responsibility was more likely to last, especially in the turbulent times to come. Moreover, military marriages were the most stable during such uncertain periods.

If he eventually found true love and she had achieved independence, she could leave with her two children and move on, treating this man as nothing more than a stepping stone.

She had calculated everything.

What she didn’t expect was that the day after agreeing to the marriage, her spatial ability also transmigrated with her.