“I won’t marry Gu Liancheng. Whoever wants to persuade me can marry him themselves!” The girl being pressured had lost her patience, snapping at her own elder sister—who was already married.  

Gu Jiaoxia felt a surge of vindication. “Fine, don’t marry him then. Consider the engagement canceled. From now on, both sides are free to marry whoever they want—no strings attached.”  

“No, that won’t do!” An Qihui was furious at her younger sister’s stubbornness. To leave her sister a way out, she made a demand of the Gu family: “For one year, Gu Liancheng cannot participate in matchmaking or get married. This is the debt your Gu family owes us An sisters.”  

Gu Jiaoxia wanted to strangle her. “Our family has already treated yours more than fairly. It’s your sister who called off the engagement—didn’t you hear her? She already has someone she likes. This time, no matter what, I won’t agree to your unreasonable demand!”  

…  

Jiang Zhen hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on the drama downstairs. She lived upstairs, but the staircase was blocked, forcing her to overhear the gossip. She couldn’t understand why the bride-to-be refused to marry.  

A quick probe into the girl’s memories would reveal the reason, but the girl wouldn’t survive the process. Jiang Zhen’s curiosity wasn’t *that* intense.  

Soon, the crowd ahead parted as a tall man in a crisp military uniform descended the stairs.  

The groom’s boutonniere, once pinned to his chest, was now clutched in his hand. His handsome face showed no hesitation as he tossed the symbolic flower into a nearby trash bin.  

It was *him*—the soldier who had given Jiang Zhen sweet potatoes and water at the foot of the mountain during the bandit suppression, the “Uncle Liancheng” that Gu Pan and Gu Hui often mentioned, the second brother of Head Nurse Gu Jiaoxia. He had just been ruthlessly jilted by his bride.  

Such a good-looking man—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a face to die for, and no lack of capability. Even in the apocalypse, he’d have been a standout. Yet his fiancée had called off the engagement? Clearly, she’d never known real hardship—had no idea how precious a monthly stipend of seventy or eighty yuan could be.  

Since he was the uncle of Gu Pan and Gu Hui, and because of that small kindness on the mountain, Jiang Zhen smiled at him when their eyes met.  

She didn’t get a smile in return. The man’s expression was resolute, his gaze lingering on her for several seconds without looking away.  

Jiang Zhen understood—being jilted was painful. Her smile just now had been inappropriate. Biting her tongue in regret, she quickly ducked into the stairwell, escaping his line of sight.  

Gu Liancheng recognized Jiang Zhen. They’d exchanged a few words at the foot of the mountain during the bandit operation. She’d given her name; he hadn’t.  

After returning, whenever Gu Pan and Gu Hui mentioned their “Aunt Jiang,” they’d occasionally clutch their throats, unable to speak—as if cursed. So he’d studied her a little longer just now.  

He silently repeated her name in his mind several times but felt no discomfort. Just an ordinary person, nothing unusual.  

…  

Jiang Zhen’s dorm was upstairs. The bride was getting married downstairs, so returning home meant passing by her window. Relatives and neighbors crowded the doorway, taking turns lecturing and scolding:  

“If you won’t marry Gu Liancheng, what kind of man *do* you want? Spit it out!”  

“After causing such a scandal, what decent family would want you now? Apologize to Gu Liancheng. Say it was just a fit of anger, that there’s no one else you like. Once he cools off, you can still marry.”  

“No! I said I won’t marry him, and I won’t. If you think he’s so great, marry him yourselves!”  

Jiang Zhen glanced into the room. The girl inside, still protesting, locked eyes with her across the crowd—and shuddered.  

Everything was different now. In her past life, Gu Liancheng had died in the bandit suppression campaign. Out of sympathy, the organization had arranged an administrative job for her at the hospital. But she’d ruined the lives of Gu Liancheng’s older brother’s two children—one ended up in prison, the other became a lovestruck madwoman.  

After being reborn, Gu Liancheng didn’t die. One look at his eyes told her he’d been reborn too. How could she dare marry him? She had to call it off.  

And that Jiang Zhen—in her past life, she’d been part of a major scandal. On her way to find her sister’s husband with two children in tow, she’d been killed by bandits.  

One child had escaped; the other had fallen into the bandits’ hands. Years later, the escaped child returned for revenge, only to discover that the bandits had been hired by her own aunt.  

But now Jiang Zhen was alive. A lot of things were no longer the same. She was scared. She had to cancel the wedding.

…  

The moment Jiang Zhen locked eyes with Gu Liancheng’s ex-fiancée, she knew the girl’s memories were flawed—overlapping. Though she couldn’t see the exact details, the extra memories belonged to a previous timeline.  

In the apocalypse, there had been regression abilities like this. She suspected it might be connected to the recent mirage-induced seismic activity.  

Back home, Jiang Zhao was cooking.  

Jiang Zhen had no talent for cooking, so the older of her two children, Jiang Zhao, handled the chores. The younger, Jiang Tang, helped too, washing vegetables alongside her. Jiang Zhen shared her plan: she intended to attend the matchmaking event jointly organized by the local garrison and the hospital.  

“Mom, are you looking for a new dad?” Jiang Tang asked nervously, afraid a stepfather wouldn’t like her or her brother.  

“Mn. I need to find someone with local residency so we can settle here and get jobs.”

Jiang Zhen’s expression was calm—neither happy nor resistant. It was just about finding a partner to share a life with. If it worked out, great; if not, they could separate. The men here were no match for her one-on-one. If anyone dared to try domestic violence, drunken tantrums, or male chauvinism, they’d be digging their own graves. She wasn’t the least bit worried.  

“If you have any requests for your new dad, speak up. I’ll look for someone who fits your criteria.”  

Jiang Tang nibbled on her finger and said, “Mom, I want a new dad who can cook.”  

“Alright, I’ll ask about that during the matchmaking.” Jiang Zhen turned to the other child. “Jiang Zhao, what do you want in a new dad?”  

Jiang Zhao’s hand holding the spatula trembled slightly. “Mom, I don’t have any demands. Whatever you think is best.”  

He steadied his grip and kept stirring the pan. He needed to be even more capable—to be a useful child to his mother. Maybe then, she wouldn’t abandon him?  

Besides, the old version of his mother had been just as bad at cooking, but her temper had been unpredictable. There was no telling when she’d suddenly fly into a rage.  

But ever since the bandit incident, her temper had softened. For days now, she hadn’t once scolded him harshly. He liked this version of his mother. But… was she still the same person?  

He didn’t dare dwell on it. Nor did he need to. As long as she kept him, that was enough.  

…