---

Chapter 1: Crossing Over

In Qinghe County, the winter chill was gradually becoming more intense.

On the riverside in the city, boatmen were paddling their small boats across the snow-covered river, the snow from the day had already melted. There wasn’t much snow accumulated on the treetops either, but winter had just begun, and it would take some time for the cold to really set in.

Pedestrians walked across the arched short bridge, their shoes and socks already wet. Feeling the cold, they shrunk their necks and quickened their pace.

The sun was gradually setting, which in modern terms might only be around three or four in the afternoon. In this resource-deprived ancient world, families had already started cooking their meals to save oil for lamps.

The scent of food wafted from every direction, and the dock workers unloading cargo couldn’t help but speed up their work, thinking of getting home for a simple meal after earning their day’s pay.

The Lu family, a prominent family in Qinghe County, had its matriarch, Lu Wen, ill for over ten days. It was clear that her life was slipping away, as her breath had become shallow and weak.

The patriarch, still away on business, hadn’t returned yet. The second son, who had been making friends, had been with the old lady for only a few days before he grew impatient and left.

The third son still wasn’t up to much; whenever someone suggested he take care of his mother, he would claim he had a headache from reading, needing others to serve him instead.

The youngest daughter was still young and frail, certainly incapable of serving the elderly or offering medicine.

At this moment, the maid, Chun Tao, carefully approached Lu Wen with a bowl of dark green Chinese medicine.

The elderly nurse, Yan Mama, took the bowl and gently fed Lu Wen a spoonful of the medicine. The other maids, Xia Zhu and Qiu Mai, helped the old lady sit up with cushions, then stepped back.

Lying on the bed was a woman who appeared pale and fragile. Though she was nearly forty, she looked only in her early thirties due to good maintenance. Despite the hardships she had faced, including losing her husband early, her hair was still thick and black, as she hadn’t had to worry much about earning a living.

But lately, due to a prolonged illness, some of her hair had turned white, showing the toll the sickness had taken.

“Madam, drink your medicine,” Yan Mama said softly, holding the bowl near Lu Wen’s lips.

The bitterness of the Chinese medicine made Wen Ruyu furrow her brow. Nevertheless, she obediently swallowed it. Though the medicine was bitter, it had helped, and she was beginning to feel better, so she continued to take it.

In the past few days, she had felt dizzy and disoriented. A foreign set of memories that didn’t belong to Wen Ruyu seemed to flood her mind like seawater soaking into a sponge, filling her thoughts to the brim.

It wasn’t so much that she had fallen ill, but rather that she had experienced the aftereffects of crossing over.

Yes, Wen Ruyu was a time traveler.

Just two or three days ago, she had crossed over from the 21st century into the body of Lu Wen, the elderly matriarch of the Lu family, who was suffering from a persistent fever.

In the modern world, Wen Ruyu had been a 30-year-old woman who had gone through several relationships, both suffering and experiencing love. After several failed relationships, she had figured out what she truly wanted.

By the age of 27 or 28, she realized she was better off living alone, and so she made the decision to embrace single life permanently.

At 30, she had let go of both family and love, gaining time, freedom, and money instead. She had planned to save enough money, pay off her insurance, and then quit her job to travel the world.

However, during a marriage-arranging dinner near the New Year, her elders labeled her as “unsuccessful” and “imperfect” because, despite her career success, she had not yet married at the age of 31.

Frustrated, she left the hotel, drinking beer in the icy snow, when suddenly she was struck by a swerving car, slamming her into a wall.

Before she could feel any pain, she had already passed out, and her last memory was of the driver’s pale face.

In her final moments, Wen Ruyu thought that death had come too suddenly. She hadn’t had the chance to prepare for it. The money she hadn’t yet spent would be left for her parents, who, though they didn’t fully understand her, had raised her with care.

Perhaps they would be heartbroken when they heard the news of her death.

She had done her best to live, and death, while tragic, didn’t seem to bring too much regret. At least, she hadn’t felt much pain.

When she woke up again, she found herself in a new body.

She had become Lu Wen, the 39-year-old widow of the Lu family, mother of three sons and one daughter, and stepmother to another son.

Not only had her age increased by eight or nine years, but she had also become the mother of several children, with her eldest grandchild already two years old.

In an instant, she had gone from being a single woman to someone’s grandmother.

The contrast was overwhelming.

When Wen Ruyu first heard this news, she seriously considered the option of dying and going back. However, after thinking of the scene when she was hit by the car, she realized that even if she did die, she would likely end up with a lifelong disability.

So, it wasn’t such a bad deal after all—just a reduction in life expectancy of eight or nine years, but in return, she was given another chance at life.

Plus, she had no idea how long this body might live; maybe she’d live to a hundred?

For now, she tried to comfort herself, focusing on surviving in this new life.

After finishing the bitter medicine, Chun Tao offered her a preserved plum to ease the taste.

Wen Ruyu didn’t want to just lie in bed, so she sat up, leaning against the headboard and talking to Yan Mama.

“I’m feeling much better today. In a few more days, I’ll be completely recovered.”

The original body had not yet reached forty, so she was unlikely to fall seriously ill. The illness was likely caused by the sharp drop in temperature and the news of her father’s death, which had triggered a cold and emotional distress that worsened her condition.

Her family was far from her, so she couldn’t go back for her father’s funeral, which made her feel unfilial, and the sadness had compounded her illness.

Now that Wen Ruyu, with a more positive mindset, was taking proper care of her health, she was sure to recover soon.

Yan Mama, with an optimistic tone, reassured her: “Madam, you have a blessed fate. A minor illness like this will be easily cured.”

Wen Ruyu smiled, ready to continue talking, when another maid, Qing Xue, arrived with news.

“Madam, Elder Aunt Qian and the Third Young Master have come to inquire about your health. They want to see if you’ve recovered.”

The Lu family had four main maids: Chun Tao, Xia Zhu, Qiu Mai, and Qing Xue. Qing Xue had originally been named Dong Mei, but the matriarch didn’t like that name and renamed her.

There was no second concubine in the family. When Qing Xue mentioned “Elder Aunt Qian,” she was referring to the late matriarch’s husband’s concubine, Aunt Qian.

The original matriarch had four children: the eldest son Lu Songnian, the second son Lu Bainian, the fourth son Lu Jinnian, and the youngest daughter, Lu Mingzhu.

The third son, Lu Ke, was a son of Aunt Qian, a concubine who became pregnant after serving the patriarch one night while he was drunk.

Though the original matriarch had not been happy, she had allowed Aunt Qian to take her place after she became pregnant.

Although the original matriarch had once deeply loved her husband, after the appearance of Aunt Qian, her feelings for him had become strained.

For five years, they only had two children, and eventually, their relationship had become distant, with no more children coming after.

For Wen Ruyu, this part of the original matriarch’s life was merely a spectator’s story—a brief, long drama that she would forget once it was over.

She had no emotional response to it. After all, for a woman in ancient times, marriage meant following her husband’s lead, which many would find tragic.

But for Wen Ruyu, it was just someone else’s life, like watching a long TV series. Once it was over, she would forget it.

When things couldn’t be changed, she didn’t waste time dwelling on them. There was no need to exhaust herself emotionally.

People couldn’t change the world, but they could change themselves.

Now that she understood the relationships between Aunt Qian, the third son, and the original matriarch, she quickly made her decision.

“Let them in,” she said, her expression shifting noticeably. It was clear that she wasn’t fond of the two people outside.

Her attitude mirrored that of the original matriarch, who had always been indifferent to Aunt Qian and her son.

After all, as the legitimate wife, no one would welcome a concubine who suddenly appeared pregnant. Even though the matriarch had always been restrained, she had never treated the concubine and her son with much affection.

This was common in this time: concubines were treated as half-masters, but they were still considered lesser than the legitimate wife. When the husband died, if the concubine had no children, she might be sold off.

---