Chapter 4 : Forgot to take clothes

The team usually harvested rice in early July.

In her previous life, Li Xueqiu had known in advance about the heavy rains and flash floods that were about to strike. However, she didn’t warn the team leader to harvest the rice early.  

Instead, after the floodwaters destroyed the rice fields and left the team members devastated, she stepped forward with a savior-like attitude, announcing that she had discovered the old landlord’s granary.  

When the team learned she had found such a large stash of food, they were ecstatic.  

But how could such a massive stockpile have gone unnoticed for over 20 years? The landlord’s house had been thoroughly searched multiple times during that period.  

And what kind of food could stay fresh for more than two decades?  

Yet, the team members, desperate and starving, didn’t question any of this. All they cared about was that Li Xueqiu had found food and saved their lives.  

This incredible favor left them eternally grateful. They wouldn’t even consider letting her go, let alone suspect her.  

Recalling these strange events from her previous life, Su Ranran couldn’t help but feel that no matter how outrageous Li Xueqiu’s actions were, others always seemed to turn a blind eye.  

Lost in thought, Su Ranran absently opened her closet to find clothes. There wasn’t much to choose from, given the scarcity of supplies in this era. Even though she had come from the city, she owned only a few sets of clothes.  

She had just removed the topmost set when she heard a knock on the door.  

“The water is ready in the shower room.”  

Hearing this, Su Ranran quickly responded and closed the cabinet door.  

The shower room was in the corner of the yard and made of stone.  

For the team, such a shower room was already considered a luxury. Most families only had makeshift spaces surrounded by wooden boards for bathing. Less well-off families simply washed themselves inside their homes, without much concern for privacy.  

As for toilets? They weren’t even a consideration, people used the fields or woods instead.  

When the educated youth first arrived in the countryside, they were horrified by the lack of basic amenities. Some even cried when they realized there wasn’t a toilet.  

Eventually, the team leader organized the construction of two simple rooms with wooden walls as a temporary solution.  

Even though Su Ranran had been afraid of Shen He in her previous life, she had always been satisfied with the living conditions at his house. The shower room’s stone-paved floor, for instance, meant it didn’t turn muddy or slippery after a bath. Inside the shower room, a large bucket of water awaited her.  

Looking at the nearly overflowing bucket, Su Ranran’s expression became complex.  

Thinking back to the brief time they had spent together in her past life, she realized how accommodating he had always been.  

She couldn’t understand why he would risk his life for her after knowing her for such a short time. But his deep affection had shocked her to her core.  

It was so profound that she found herself unable to accept anyone else’s kindness for the rest of her previous life.  

The water in the bucket was just the right temperature, offering perfect relief in the sweltering summer heat. After washing her hair and bathing, Su Ranran felt refreshed, as if she had shed a layer of fatigue.  

But as she prepared to get dressed, she froze in place. She stared at the two lonely pieces of clothing on the stool, her expression turning blank.  

After flipping them over several times in disbelief, she confirmed her mistake: she had forgotten to bring her underwear.  

Su Ranran: …  

Hearing the steady rhythm of chopping wood outside, Su Ranran’s face flushed.  

Even though she had decided to live well with him in this life, the thought of calling him for help in such a situation still made her embarrassed, it had been decades, after all.  

But she couldn’t go out like this.  

Biting her lip, she hesitated before finally calling out.  

“Shen He…”  

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet as soon as she called his name, the chopping sound stopped.  

Moments later, she heard the sound of steady, deliberate footsteps approaching the door. After a moment, the footsteps stopped a few steps away from the shower room.  

“What’s wrong?”  

Hearing the deep, magnetic voice that was unmistakably his, Su Ranran’s face grew warmer. Covering herself instinctively with her hands, she whispered shyly, “I forgot to bring my… underwear.”  

The words had barely left her mouth when the silence outside seemed to stretch unnaturally long. Already flustered, Su Ranran felt her face heat up so much that it could probably fry an egg. Just as she started to wonder if her voice had been too soft for him to hear, the man’s voice came through again, steady and calm.  

“Wait.”  

With that, his footsteps moved back toward the room.  

Relieved that she didn’t have to repeat the embarrassing words, Su Ranran let out a small sigh.  

As she waited, her eyes drifted to her wrist out of curiosity. She had noticed while bathing that the vibrant red mole was gone. Yet, she could still clearly sense the existence of the mysterious space.  

Unfortunately, the space only seemed to contain plants and food. If it also included daily necessities, she wouldn’t find herself in such an awkward situation. But this thought was fleeting. She quickly chastised herself for being greedy.  

Having a second chance at life and gaining access to such a miraculous space was already an incredible blessing.  

She shouldn’t ask for more.  

Before she realized it, there was a knock on the door.  

Outside, Shen He stood holding two small pieces of fabric in his large hands, waiting patiently for her to open the door.  

His wheat-colored face betrayed no emotion, but a closer look would reveal the slight redness at the tips of his ears.  

The shower room, built from stone without clay, didn’t have any large gaps to see through. But it couldn’t entirely block out the unique fragrance that lingered from her presence.  

Even the faintest movements she made inside could be clearly heard through the wall.  

As her footsteps approached, the faint fragrance grew stronger.  

With a soft “click,” the door opened just a crack.  

A slender, fair hand stretched out from behind the door.  

Inside, Su Ranran clutched the doorframe with one hand while stretching out the other. Her flushed face and racing heart betrayed her unease.  

Though they had shared a life together in the past, decades had passed since then. She was still inexperienced, and her memories of him made him feel both familiar and unfamiliar.  

Thankfully, he didn’t leave her waiting. As soon as she extended her hand, she felt the light fabric placed in her palm.  

Suppressing her embarrassment, she grabbed the underwear in a hurry. But whether she moved too quickly or Shen He moved too slowly, her hand accidentally caught his larger one before he could withdraw it. The rough texture of his palm, combined with its surprising warmth, sent a jolt through her.  

Panicked, Su Ranran retracted her hand as if she had been burned.  

But just as she grasped the clothing, his deep, slightly hoarse voice came again from outside.  

“You missed one.”  

Startled, Su Ranran glanced up.  

On his broad, wheat-colored hand lay another delicate piece of fabric, light and almost weightless.  

Her entire body turned crimson, from head to toe, as if she had been dunked into boiling water. She now resembled a thoroughly cooked shrimp!