Chapter 4

In this era, how important was a woman’s chastity?  

Even if Shen Jiaojiao was a delicate flower nurtured in a greenhouse, ignorant of worldly affairs, she couldn’t possibly be so naïve and foolish, could she?  

At first, Xu Mo had assumed that Shen Jiaojiao and Fang Qinghe had conspired together to harm him.  

However, the outcome was beyond his expectations.  

Shen Jiaojiao did not point at him.  

Why was that?  

Shen Jiaojiao knew that her reputation in Yonggan Village was already in ruins.  

She and Fang Qinghe had repeatedly humiliated Xu Mo before today, colluding shamelessly.  

Shen Jiaojiao was actually somewhat relieved that she was a woman; otherwise, given Xu Mo’s temperament, he would have beaten her to death.  

“Xu Mo, I’m sorry.” Shen Jiaojiao suddenly lowered her head and apologized.  

Like a child who had done something wrong, looking pitiful.  

Xu Mo was stunned.  

Shen Jiaojiao had always been arrogant and domineering in front of him.  

When had she ever been this humble?  

“Xu Mo, today was originally a scheme between Fang Qinghe and me. We planned to drug you, I would lose my chastity, Fang Qinghe would then bring people over, and I would accuse you of forcing me.”  

“But I came to my senses later. I realized that Fang Qinghe is just a scumbag, not worth my loyalty. From now on, I will have nothing to do with him.”  

After speaking, Shen Jiaojiao cautiously lifted her gaze to observe Xu Mo’s expression.  

There was no change.  

He probably didn’t believe a single word she said.  

Sigh.  

After all, the things she had done before were indeed outrageously excessive.  

It was normal for him not to believe her.  

But she had to sever ties with Fang Qinghe immediately.  

At the very least, she needed Xu Mo to know she was serious.  

She had to strive to be a good person.  

Shen Jiaojiao once again pushed her luck, reaching out to tug at Xu Mo’s sleeve, her voice soft and pleading: “Please, take me back.”

If she hadn’t known how deeply Xu Mo had once felt for her in the first half of his life, she wouldn’t have dared to cling to him like this.  

When exactly had Xu Mo fallen for her?  

The man pressed his thin lips together tightly. In the end, he still walked up to Shen Jiaojiao, turned his back to her, and crouched down.  

“Get on. I’ll carry you back.”  

Shen Jiaojiao was surprised that Xu Mo would offer to carry her, but she didn’t waste a second climbing onto his broad and sturdy back.  

She was afraid that if she hesitated even for a moment, he would change his mind.  

As soon as she got onto his back, Xu Mo stood up with ease.  

He walked toward the Educated Youth residence.  

However, he deliberately chose paths covered in shade, places where the moonlight couldn’t reach.  

He must have been worried about being seen, afraid of tarnishing her reputation.  

His steps were steady. At the very least, Shen Jiaojiao didn’t feel the slightest jolt.  

She felt as if the man beneath her was a burning flame, radiating a heat so intense it was almost unbearable.  

Her face flushed red.  

She tried her best not to think about what had happened on the bed earlier.  

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The Educated Youth residence was located at the entrance of the village, not far away.  

In just five minutes, they arrived.  

When they reached the large locust tree at the village entrance, Xu Mo finally put her down.  

He turned around, his expression indifferent as he spoke.  

“Shen Jiaojiao, my father is paralyzed in bed and requires expensive medical treatment every month. My family is poor, and we are deep in debt. If you don’t mind, I will marry you. But if you think I am beneath you, then forget I ever said anything. Think carefully about it.”  

After speaking, he stepped past Shen Jiaojiao and continued walking forward.  

Very quickly, his figure disappeared into the moonlight.  

Shen Jiaojiao knew that the reason Xu Mo was saying such words now was because he wanted to take responsibility.  

But at this moment, did he have any feelings for her?  

Regardless of the answer—she wanted to marry him!

Shen Jiaojiao pulled herself out of her thoughts and returned to her bedroom.  

She had a room to herself—one that hadn’t originally existed.  

However, since she wasn’t comfortable sharing a room with others, she had paid out of pocket to have the Captain build an additional room at the edge of the Educated Youth residence.  

Lying on the bed, she finally felt as though her entire body had fallen apart.  

Everywhere hurt, including her ankle.  

Not only was she in pain, but she was also starving.  

Tonight had drained too much of her energy. Now that everything had settled, she felt like she could eat an entire cow.  

She really wanted to eat meat buns.  

Suddenly, her palm grew hot.  

Shen Jiaojiao hurriedly lifted her hand to look.  

A steaming, fragrant meat bun had appeared in her grasp.  

She shot up from the bed in an instant.  

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the scene before her.  

“Where did this come from?”  

As soon as she spoke, a flash of white light engulfed her, and in the next second, she vanished from the room.  

When Shen Jiaojiao opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar setting, momentarily dazed.  

She appeared to be inside a massive kitchen.  

The decor was antique and elegant, resembling an imperial kitchen from a palace.  

The space was at least a hundred square meters, stocked with an abundance of supplies.  

There were fresh vegetables and fruits from all four seasons, as well as rice, flour, and oil—all readily available.  

Various types of meat, including chicken, pork, beef, and lamb, had already been butchered and were neatly arranged on cutting boards.  

There were also live poultry.  

On the stove, a steaming basket released a steady stream of heat.  

Shen Jiaojiao lifted the lid and found plump, white buns inside.  

She glanced down at the bun in her hand, then back at the steaming basket.  

A thought surfaced in her mind.  

She had been reborn, and Heaven’s Will—her “Dad”—had granted her a golden finger.  

This must be her magical space!  

The only cooked food in this kitchen was the meat buns.  

And there were exactly ten in the steaming basket.

Shen Jiaojiao took another bun from the steaming basket. In the blink of an eye, the spot where she had taken it was replenished with a fresh bun.  

In other words, the items in this space were infinitely replenishable, and she didn’t even have to worry about them spoiling.  

With no hesitation, she ate one bun, and almost instantly, a satisfying warmth spread through her stomach, filling her up completely.  

She still had another bun in her hand, but she couldn’t eat anymore, so she placed it back into the steaming basket.  

Outside the kitchen was a small courtyard.  

A pomegranate tree stood in the yard, and not far from it, there was an old well.  

Shen Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up.  

Could it be? Was this the legendary spiritual spring water, a miraculous elixir that could cure ailments, ward off disasters, and enhance beauty?  

She hurried over, drew a bucket of water, and scooped some up with her hands for a sip.  

After a few minutes, sure enough, the pain in her ankle noticeably lessened.  

Hoping to speed up the healing process, she drank a few more mouthfuls.  

For now, only the kitchen and backyard were accessible in this space.  

The rest of the area was shrouded in thick, white mist, blocking her path.  

With a single thought, she willed herself out of the space and instantly returned to her bed.  

She lifted her wrist to check her watch.  

She had entered the space at 11:30, and now that she was back, the time was still 11:30.  

That meant time inside the space was completely frozen.  

And she could enter and exit at will, just by thinking about it.  

Now that she had supplies, she felt much more at ease.  

Thanks to the spiritual spring water, the pain in her ankle had significantly subsided.  

She got out of bed and pulled her suitcase from under it.  

Opening it, she rummaged through and found her wallet.  

Inside, there were only thirty-five yuan and eighty cents left.  

Only now did she feel the real sting of spending money.  

Back home, she had been treated like a little princess, never lacking anything—especially not money.  

Her parents, three older brothers, grandparents, and even her maternal grandparents would always give her pocket money.  

Even after being sent to the countryside, they continued sending her money and ration tickets every month.  

The total amount they sent her each month was no less than a thousand yuan.