Chapter 5

The breakfast at the canteen was quite hearty, with steamed buns, mantou, noodles, and millet porridge. Su Ting had a typical southern palate—she didn’t like noodles and couldn’t swallow the bland, tasteless mantou.

She bought herself a vegetable bun and paired it with millet porridge.

He Yan, on the other hand, had a northern palate and loved wheat-based foods. Su Ting ordered a bowl of noodles for him, topped with a three-delicacy sauce, and he ate with great satisfaction.

As they were having breakfast, a woman sat down beside Su Ting. She looked up at her, and her brows furrowed unconsciously.

The woman’s name was Yu Hongzhi. In the original story, she was not an important character. In fact, the male protagonist’s childhood experiences were mostly glossed over.

However, in the life of the original body, Yu Hongzhi had left a deep and lasting mark.

Yu Hongzhi was born into a family that valued sons over daughters. She grew up being called a “worthless girl.” but instead of feeling defeated by this, she eventually became someone who strongly favored boys over girls after getting married and having children of her own.

Yet, after marriage, she gave birth to four daughters in succession.

Because of this, Yu Hongzhi often felt dissatisfied with life.

Most people, when faced with an unsatisfactory life, would at most suffer alone without affecting others. But Yu Hongzhi was not like that. If she was unhappy, she had to make others even more miserable than herself.

In other words, she had an innate ability to stir up trouble and loved provoking conflicts.

So, when the original body first followed the military to the island, Yu Hongzhi set her sights on her and frequently made remarks about how difficult it was to be a stepmother.

At first, the original body didn’t take it too seriously. She liked He Dongchuan, and her kindness toward He Yan was simply an extension of that affection—she had never even considered the idea of being a good stepmother.

But when Yu Hongzhi saw that her initial attempts at provocation didn’t work and noticed that the relationship between the original body and He Dongchuan was lukewarm, she changed her strategy. She started saying that He Dongchuan must have a “white moonlight” in his heart and that this “white moonlight” was none other than He Yan’s mother.

At that time, the original body was already doubting her life because of He Dongchuan’s indifference. These words hit her right where it hurt, causing her great distress. She started finding various reasons to argue with him.

The more they argued, the worse their relationship became. The more they fought, the more resentment she harbored.

So, after He Dongchuan passed away, she vented all her hatred and resentment onto He Yan.

This was the explanation provided in the personal side story after the original body was imprisoned, detailing her emotional journey. Su Ting didn’t know how much of it was true, but one thing was certain—there was definitely something wrong with Yu Hongzhi.

In the novel, the reason the original body offended He Yan so deeply, squandering what could have been a good situation, was largely due to Yu Hongzhi’s influence.

Yu Hongzhi was unaware that Su Ting’s body now housed a different soul. As soon as she sat down, she spoke in an affectionate tone: “Why are you having breakfast with him at the canteen today?” She glanced at He Yan’s bowl. “He’s eating quite well.”

Although Su Ting didn’t like noodles, she had to admit that they were a good choice. The thin noodles, made from high-quality wheat flour, were firm and chewy when cooked. Topped with the rich three-delicacy sauce, they looked very appetizing.

Yu Hongzhi, however, wasn’t as willing to spend on food.

Even though she had sent her three younger daughters back to her hometown, leaving only her eldest with her, her in-laws wouldn’t raise the children for free. On top of that, among her siblings and their families, only her husband was successful. The amount of money he sent home every month was considerable.

So when Yu Hongzhi came to the canteen for breakfast, she usually ate coarse-grain mantou with pickled vegetables. Seeing Su Ting and He Yan eating so well made her feel uneasy.

However, Su Ting did not share the original body’s blind trust in her. She replied coldly: “We’re family. What’s wrong with eating together?”

Hearing the unfriendliness in her tone, Yu Hongzhi was momentarily stunned. She glanced at He Yan before lowering her voice: “Did you forget what I told you a few days ago?”

Su Ting simply nodded. “Mm, I forgot. Why don’t you repeat it?”

It was the peak breakfast hour, with people coming and going all around them. Naturally, Yu Hongzhi couldn’t repeat her provocative words in public. She frowned, staring at Su Ting.

In the past, Su Ting had always responded to her instigations with an indifferent attitude. But Yu Hongzhi knew people well—she could tell that beneath Su Ting’s calm surface, there had always been hesitation and inner turmoil.

After all, if Su Ting had been completely unaffected by her words, she could have simply ignored her, just as she was doing now.

But before, she hadn’t.

Yu Hongzhi tried to find the reason for Su Ting’s sudden change in attitude.

But Su Ting refused to cooperate. She turned away, continued eating, and even reminded He Yan: “Hurry up and eat.”

He Yan made a sound of acknowledgment and quietly focused on his noodles.

By the time they finished their meal, Yu Hongzhi still hadn’t figured it out. Su Ting didn’t speak to her again and simply called He Yan to leave.

Outside the canteen, there was a row of sinks for everyone to wash their dishes.

Su Ting and He Yan each washed their own—one bending over, the other raising his hands. The sink was a little too high for He Yan, but Su Ting noticed and made no move to help him.

The past two days, she had taken the initiative to wash the dishes because He Yan had bought food and brought it home. That was called division of labor.

Now that she had come out to buy food herself, she had no intention of helping He Yan with such tasks. Besides, he could still wash his bowl by raising his hands.

Although Su Ting was willing to treat He Yan well to achieve her goal of safely reaching the end of the story, she didn’t plan to handle everything for him like a real mother would.

The most she was willing to do was to coexist peacefully with He Yan.

Once He Dongchuan passed away, if Father He and Mother He were willing to raise him, she would let them take He Yan back. If they, like in the original story, passed away one after another, and if her financial situation allowed it, she would also be willing to support He Yan’s education and help him attend university.

Of course, if she could prevent He Dongchuan’s death and extend Father He and Mother He’s lives, she was also willing to try.

Su Ting felt that if she succeeded, her interactions with He Yan in the future would probably be even fewer.

If He Dongchuan survived, she definitely wouldn’t spend her life with him.

The original body had known full well that He Dongchuan didn’t love her, yet she had still schemed to marry him. Even after their marriage, when love turned into hatred, she refused to let go, determined to spend a lifetime locked in mutual torment.

Su Ting couldn’t understand this mindset. In her view, if two people were compatible, they should stay together; if they weren’t, they should separate. There was no way she would entangle herself with a man who didn’t love her for a lifetime.

Besides, by then, the Cultural Revolution would be coming to an end, and the country would reinstate the college entrance exams. She could easily use the excuse of going to university to divorce He Dongchuan and part on good terms.

He Yan had no idea what Su Ting was thinking—his mind was still on Yu Hongzhi.

Because he was highly sensitive to emotions, he had noticed Yu Hongzhi’s unfriendly gaze toward him the moment she sat down. He had also noticed the verbal exchange between her and Su Ting.

But what concerned him the most was their conversation.

They seemed to be very familiar with each other.

Watching the running water flow from the faucet into his aluminum meal container, then overflow into the sink, Su Ting couldn’t help but speak up. “Are you still not done washing your bowl?”

“Huh?” He Yan looked up.

Su Ting lifted her chin and said: “You’ve almost used up a whole dime’s worth of water.”

He Yan quickly reacted, hurriedly turning off the faucet. Then he heard Su Ting ask: “What were you thinking about so deeply?”

He Yan pressed his lips together, hesitated for a moment, and then asked: “You don’t like that Aunt from earlier?”

“You could tell?”

He Yan thought it would be strange if he couldn’t tell, so he nodded. “Mm.”

Su Ting took the cleaned meal container from his hands and gave it a few shakes before asking: “Do you know what that woman wanted to say to me just now?”

“What?”

After shaking off the water, Su Ting placed the lid back on and lowered her gaze to the little one in front of her. “She wanted to tell me that your existence would affect my future children’s interests and that I should get rid of you.”

He Yan’s face showed shock and disbelief. “G-Get rid of me how?”

“There are plenty of ways. For example, taking you kids outside and abandoning you, or starving you to death.” Su Ting glanced at Yu Hongzhi, who was walking over from the canteen entrance, then lowered her voice. “So, if she ever talks to you, don’t believe a word she says. Understand?”

People like Yu Hongzhi, at their core, simply couldn’t stand seeing others doing better than them. Now that Su Ting wasn’t falling for her manipulations, it was only a matter of time before she tried sowing discord between her and He Yan instead.

Su Ting didn’t expect He Yan to treat her like a real mother and be filial to her in the future, but at the very least, she couldn’t let things turn out like in the original story—where he gave her a pair of silver bracelets as a parting gift.

She needed to put an end to that possibility from the very beginning.

That was why she was deliberately scaring He Yan now. It was better to instill a sense of caution in him early on than to let him fall for a trap later.

So, when Yu Hongzhi finally made up her mind to continue getting close to Su Ting and walked over, the first thing she saw was He Yan looking at her with an expression of anger and fear, as if asking: “How could you be this evil?”

Yu Hongzhi: “…”

…

On their way back, as they passed by the playground near the entrance of the military compound, they saw two military wives playing with their children. Su Ting slightly changed her direction and walked over.

The original body hadn’t been in the military compound for long and wasn’t the sociable type, so she was still a stranger among the military wives.

But there were only so many residents in the compound. They saw each other every day, whether they wanted to or not. The military wives all knew each other, and even if they hadn’t met Su Ting before, by process of elimination, they could easily figure out whose wife she was and what her name was.

Since they were neighbors and would inevitably interact in the future, the two military wives naturally accepted her presence. They greeted her warmly and asked if she had eaten breakfast.

“I just finished eating and came from the canteen. There’s no one at home, so I’d be bored if I went back. I saw you two here and thought I’d come over to chat for a bit.” Su Ting replied, returning the courtesy by asking: “Have you eaten?”

The short-haired military wife, named Qiao Yan, said: “I already ate before coming out. I have to go help out at the canteen at ten, so this is the only time I can bring my child out to play.”

Su Ting followed up naturally: “You work at the canteen?”

Qiao Yan straightened her back with a proud expression. “Yes! I just got the job at the end of last year.”

Her pride was understandable. In this era, getting a job was no easy feat. Especially in the countryside, even the position of a scorekeeper—a role without an actual salary—was highly sought after.

She had managed to secure a job thanks to her good fortune in marrying a capable husband who was able to apply for her to accompany him in the military.

Being a military spouse meant she could register as part of the collective household, and the units around the base could arrange jobs for them.

Of course, these jobs weren’t handed out freely. One had to wait—wait for a vacancy, and even then, the selection depended on personal ability, personality, and suitability for the role.

Her position as a kitchen assistant at the canteen had been won over many other military wives.

Noticing Qiao Yan’s pride, Su Ting played along and put on an envious expression before asking: “How long have you been following the military?”

“A year and a half.”

“You’ve only been here a year and a half, and they already assigned you a job?”

Qiao Yan lifted her chin. “Of course. The reason I was able to get assigned a job so quickly was because I got lucky. Right before the end of last year, there was a vacancy at the canteen, and my cooking skills were decent, so I was selected.”

Chen Shaomei, the military wife in a floral shirt, chimed in: “Yeah, not many people have luck like Sister Qiao.”

Catching the implied meaning in her words, Su Ting asked: “How long have you been following the military, Sister Chen?”

“Almost two years now.”

Su Ting quickly asked: “And no job has been arranged for you?”

Chen Shaomei gave a bitter smile. “There were no vacancies.”

After listening to Qiao Yan and Chen Shaomei’s explanation, Su Ting had a general understanding of the work situation on the island.

Outside the family compound, there were quite a few units, but most were small-scale. Places like the grain station, vegetable station, meat shop, and the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, which could each be run by only a few people.

The only place on the island with a slightly larger workforce was the military primary school, but even there, positions were limited, and now all of them were filled. The original body’s education level wasn’t outstanding, and she hadn’t been following the military for long, so she had no chance of securing a spot.

The more Su Ting listened, the more hopeless she felt.

In truth, she wasn’t that passionate about working. If she hadn’t crossed over, she would have already handed in her resignation letter and started preparing to become a freelancer.

But since she had crossed over, what could she do?

Although He Dongchuan had a high salary and could easily support the family, work was still the backbone of one’s confidence. When you have to rely on someone else for money, it’s always a little awkward, especially for someone like her, with a “plastic” marriage to He Dongchuan.

But in the novel, it seemed like He Dongchuan treated the original body decently. Even though he refused to sleep with her and didn’t love her, he never stopped providing for her living expenses while he was alive. He was the typical “rich husband who doesn’t love coming home” from the era.

Thinking like that, being a “rice bug” didn’t sound so bad, did it?