Chapter 1: The Plop into the Water

March, 1978, Erhe Village.

Two plops.

“Help… someone… someone fell into the river…”

The aunties washing clothes by the riverbank, seeing someone fall into the water, screamed in panic.

In a daze, Wen Wan felt difficulty breathing, realizing she was underwater. Her survival instinct kicked in, and she thrashed upwards with all her might.

Cui Yulan on the bank cried, “Xiaowan, Xiaowan, hold on…” She shouted while extending a bamboo pole into the water.

“Make way…” Chen Jianbing and Zhou Haoting, hearing the shouts, rushed to the riverbank and jumped into the water.

Wen Wan sensed someone coming to save her, and instinctively clung on, desperate not to die.

“Let go…” Zhou Haoting coldly commanded. He was being held tightly and couldn’t swim upwards.

Hearing this, Wen Wan clung even tighter to her lifeline, refusing to let go.

Zhou Haoting frowned, made a decisive move, and struck Wen Wan’s neck.

Ding Guihua’s eyes lit up, excitedly shouting, “Chen Jianbing, Xiaoling is ahead, she’s about to go under! Save her!”

Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoling in the river heard this, saw Chen Jianbing approaching, and grabbed him tightly. Only when nearing the bank did she timidly open her eyes.

“Jianbing ge, save Xiaowan… Xiaowan is still in the river…” Liu Xiaoling clung to Chen Jianbing’s sleeve, tears rolling down her long lashes.

“Xiaoling, don’t worry,” Chen Jianbing felt the softness of her arm and unconsciously lowered his voice, “Someone’s already gone to save Xiaowan.”

When Wen Wan regained consciousness, waves of unfamiliar yet familiar memories flooded her mind.

She had time-traveled, or rather, transmigrated into a novel, becoming a minor cannon fodder character.

This novel was recommended by a coworker, mentioning a Wen Wan with the same name, but a much weaker personality.

The male lead in the book was Chen Jianbing, the female lead Liu Xiaoling, and the original Wen Wan was a cannon fodder character appearing only in three chapters.

In the original story, the original Wen Wan and Chen Jianbing were childhood betrothed. The female lead, Liu Xiaoling, was a woman who had been reborn from her fifties, jealous of Wen Wan’s good marriage to Chen Jianbing, who later became a bureau chief.

Therefore, after her rebirth, Liu Xiaoling sought opportunities to impress Chen’s mother and gain favor.

When Chen Jianbing returned home, she arranged for someone to invite Wen Wan to the riverbank, plotting to fall in with her, allowing Chen Jianbing to save her, and a local ruffian named Er Laizi to save Wen Wan.

In public, the two young couples embraced, even if it was to save each other, the gossip was unavoidable.

To take responsibility, Chen Jianbing married Liu Xiaoling, and Er Laizi married Wen Wan.

After the wedding, Chen Jianbing took Liu Xiaoling to the army, and Wen Wan disappeared from the story.

Heh, she, Wen Wan, was not the original, and wouldn’t let herself be wronged.

That damned Er Laizi, knocking her unconscious in the river, robbed her of the initiative.

“Damn it… why did Chen Jianbing save the wrong person?” Wen Dafu’s face was dark, his voice full of resentment.

“Wuwuwu… what to do, what about our Xiaowan?” Recalling the afternoon’s events, Cui Yulan couldn’t help but cry.

She knew how much her daughter looked forward to marrying Chen Jianbing, and the wedding was only a few days away. How could this happen?

“Crying, crying…” Wen Dafu glanced into the house, whispering, “What were you doing then?”

“I… I told Chen Jianbing,” Cui Yulan, eyes red, recalled the scene, gnashing her teeth, “It’s all that shameless Liu Xiaoling, clinging to Jianbing.”

“Dad, Mom, I just sent Doctor Duan back. Is little sister awake?” Wen Jianguo asked upon entering.

Cui Yulan wiped her tears, “Not yet, I’ll check on the food.”

She quickly went to the kitchen.

Tian Xiaochao, chopping sweet potatoes in the kitchen, saw Cui Yulan’s swollen eyes, “Mom, I steamed a bowl of egg custard for little sister.”

“Xiaochao, you’re pregnant, steam an extra bowl for yourself,” Cui Yulan sniffed, grabbing the knife, “I’ll chop, you tend the fire.”

Tian Xiaochao didn’t insist and obediently went to tend the fire. Her husband had worked all day, and she needed to prepare the meal quickly.

In the main room.

“Dad, did you ask Mom how little sister fell in?” Wen Jianguo frowned.

Wen Dafu shook his head, “Your mother and the others were washing clothes. When they heard the sound, Xiaowan and the others had already fallen in.”

“Cough…” Wen Wan coughed deliberately inside the house.

Wen Dafu outside the house happily stood up, then stopped at the door, “Yulan, Yulan… our daughter’s awake.”

Wen Wan sat up, “Dad, Mom, Brother.”

“Daughter, it’s all Mom’s fault,” Cui Yulan couldn’t help but cry, hugging Wen Wan, “Mom can’t swim, I couldn’t save you.”

Wen Wan’s body stiffened. It had been a long time since anyone had hugged her so warmly.

She patted Cui Yulan’s back, “Mom, it’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself.” Others had plotted against her, the original Wen Wan couldn’t have prevented it.

“Daughter, how are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” Cui Yulan worriedly asked.

“I’m fine, I’ll be alright after resting,” Wen Wan pretended to be relaxed.

Hearing this, the three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Their daughter had always been delicate, and this afternoon was too dangerous.

“Daughter, weren’t you sewing at home today? How did you end up by the river?” Cui Yulan cautiously asked.

Wen Wan’s eyes narrowed, “Dad, Mom, Liu Xiaoling asked me out today, saying she had something about Chen Jianbing to tell me. She deliberately pushed me into the water.” Wen Wan emphasized the last sentence.

“Xiaowan, Liu Xiaoling said you lost your footing, and she fell in trying to pull you up.”

Wen Jianguo frowned. Xiaowan and Liu Xiaoling’s accounts were completely different.

Cui Yulan was furious, slapping Wen Jianguo on the back twice, “My daughter wouldn’t lie, it must be Liu Xiaoling trying to harm my daughter.”

“Mom, I didn’t say I didn’t believe little sister,” Wen Jianguo winced. His mother hit a little too hard.

Wen Dafu suppressed his anger, “Daughter, how do you want to handle this?” He had heard the villagers’ gossip on the way back, and something felt wrong.

“Dad, we need to discuss this,” A cold glint flashed in Wen Wan’s eyes. It had been years since she’d suffered such a setback.