Chapter 1: The beginning was a bit fierce, and I almost got caught

“Team Leader, Team Leader, right here! I saw that little vixen sneak in!”

“My god, isn’t that the house where Old Fu’s crippled son lives?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, a man and a woman alone, the door tightly shut… just imagining it makes me blush.”

“They’re definitely having an affair, ruining the morals of our brigade! Team Leader, this needs to be severely punished!”

The cacophony of voices grew closer. Ming Le Yao slowly opened her eyes, a splitting headache causing her to collapse again.  As her consciousness cleared, unfamiliar memories flooded her mind.  August 1977, Shangjiaqiao Brigade.  Orphaned Ming Le Yao, shunned by her extended family, had been framed by her cousin and thrown into the room of Fu Wen Cheng, a soldier crippled during a mission…

Before being thrown in, the original Ming Le Yao had been knocked unconscious by her cousin.  The blow had killed her.  The modern-day Ming Le Yao, however, had been visiting a relative for medical treatment when a car accident occurred. A white light enveloped her at the moment of impact, and she awoke here…  She had… time-traveled?

Supporting herself, she surveyed the cramped, dimly lit room, filled with clutter. The single window was tightly shut.  Against the wall was a bed, and a figure was struggling to sit up.  Ming Le Yao, drawing on her innate helpfulness, approached and helped the man up.

“Are you alright?”

“Thank you.”

He seemed oddly calm.  The man’s eyes were downcast; he had a strong, wheat-colored face, a straight nose, deep-set eyes, and a cold aura.  Ming Le Yao’s gaze drifted lower… broad shoulders, narrow waist, firm muscles, defined abs, and a broad chest.  Lower still… his lower body was covered by a thin blanket, but she could see long legs, bruised and purple.  This was certainly an exciting start to her new life.

“Those people will be here any minute! You need to leave!”

“Your leg… it’s poisoned.”

“Who are you?”

Fu Wen Cheng’s deep, dark eyes held suspicion.  Ming Le Yao, unfazed, crossed her arms.  “I’m Ming Le Yao. I’m a doctor. I can cure your leg… for a price.”  She had nothing, and those relatives…  The future looked bleak.

“Open the door! The Team Leader’s here for an inspection!”  The flimsy door rattled violently.

“Let’s deal with this situation first,” she said.  “Then… we shall see.”

She then lay down by the door in a strange position, creating a scene.  The door was kicked open, revealing the Team Leader, onlookers, and Ming Hongdou, her cousin, all eager to witness her “caught in the act.”  They were crammed in the doorway.

“Oh my god, what is this? A man and a woman alone…” Ming Hongdou feigned shock.

“What? What is it?” the Team Leader shouted, trying to push through.

“Everyone, back off!”  Pang Jianyuan roared, his authority instantly silencing the crowd.

“What’s going on? Why a doctor?”

“No way! Fu Wen Cheng is crippled?  He can still… do that?”

“He’s crippled in the legs, not… you know…  He can still…”

“My god, that must’ve taken some effort to injure someone like that!”

“Ming Hongdou, what did you see? Tell us!”

“Oh, I… I’m so ashamed!”

The onlookers were wildly speculating, while the two main characters were several feet apart.  Soon, Meng Chaoqing, the brigade’s only barefoot doctor, arrived.  “Make way!” he called, pushing through the crowd.  “Where’s the patient?”

“Here, here!  What’s wrong with your eyes!”  Pang Jianyuan tripped over Ming Le Yao, discovering her.  “My god, someone’s dead?” He checked her pulse, finding a faint beat.  “Quickly, get someone to call the barefoot doctor!”

Pang Jianyuan gestured to the floor, speechless. Meng Chaoqing looked down and jumped.  “Whoa, this is a serious injury!  A heavy blow to the back of the head, and she’s still alive?”

“Am I a doctor or are you? You ask me!”

“Don’t be so abrupt…” Meng Chaoqing mumbled, putting on gloves. His demeanor changed instantly.  “This wound is consistent with a blunt object, likely a stick.  Judging by the size and location, the attacker was shorter than the victim, and the force suggests a woman.”

Ming Le Yao, lying on the floor, thought, *This is getting ridiculous!*

Ming Hongdou’s expression faltered.  She’d never hit anyone with a stick before.  She’d used more force than intended, fearing she wouldn’t knock her cousin unconscious.  Now, it seemed she’d gone too far.

At that moment, Ming Le Yao dramatically awoke, her eyes wide with confusion.  Upon seeing Ming Hongdou, she screamed.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Oh my god!” Pang Jianyuan jumped back in fright. Meng Chaoqing, even more startled, retreated to Fu Wen Cheng’s bed, muttering, “Pet my hair, it’ll be alright… pet my hair…”

Fu Wen Cheng thought, *Idiot.*

“Ming Hongdou, why did you hit me? I’m your cousin! Why were you so brutal? Was it because Hong Zhiqing confessed his feelings to me? I already rejected him! If you want him, go after him! What kind of power play is this?”

Ming Le Yao’s aggressive accusation stunned everyone, including Meng Chaoqing and Fu Wen Cheng.

“You… you’re lying! You didn’t look back, so you couldn’t have known it was me!”

“Oh, if it wasn’t you, how did you know I didn’t look back?”

“I…” Ming Hongdou froze, her logic failing.

Ming Le Yao continued, “You hit me and left. I crawled to this house for help and fainted.  Is that right, Comrade Fu?”

“Yes, she fainted as soon as she came in,” Fu Wen Cheng confirmed.

“You used everyone to make it seem like I had an affair with Comrade Fu, didn’t you? Did you ask for anyone’s permission?”

The onlookers were speechless.

Pang Jianyuan subtly nodded to Fu Wen Cheng, who confirmed with a slight nod.  He turned to Ming Hongdou.  “Ming Hongdou, what else do you have to say?”

“Team Leader… I… I didn’t…” Ming Hongdou frantically waved her hands, revealing a small peanut-shaped wooden carving tied to her wrist with a red string.

Ming Le Yao noticed it instantly.  She had an identical one, given to her by her grandmother before she passed.  A strong intuition washed over her.

She rushed to Ming Hongdou, grabbing her wrist. Tears welled in her eyes. “I ate leftovers, wore hand-me-downs, woke up earliest, did all the chores, and worked in the fields. I didn’t have parents’ love, but that’s no reason for you to knock me unconscious and ruin my reputation!”

Everyone’s attention was captivated.  Ming Le Yao snatched the carving.  The moment she touched it, a sensation of dizziness washed over her, and she fainted.

In her dream, fragments of the original Ming Le Yao’s memories surfaced.  Her life had been happy until two years ago.  Her parents, having only one daughter, loved her dearly, even sending her to school despite opposition.  She excelled, graduating high school early.  However, their happiness was short-lived.  Her grandmother demanded malted milk and sent her obedient uncle to buy it in the city.  They never returned.

Ming Le Yao’s peaceful life was shattered. The memories abruptly ended, replaced by sharp, bitter insults.

“You useless good-for-nothing! Get up, you lazy thing! What time is it?  Do you think you’re some capitalist’s daughter waiting to be served?”

“Awake?  Get out and work!  Think you can live here for free?  How dare you!”

“Shut up.”

Ming Le Yao didn’t know how she’d gotten back to the Ming family home.  Her head was still a little fuzzy, but the old woman’s incessant nagging grated on her nerves.  She, an heir to a renowned TCM family, had never endured such treatment!

The old woman stared, incredulous at Ming Le Yao’s defiance, momentarily speechless.

“Grandma, she’s still injured. She didn’t mean to oversleep. Once she recovers, she can clean the whole house. Don’t be angry, okay?”

Ming Le Yao, having absorbed the original owner’s memories, recognized the girl with pigtails and a fawning smile beside the old woman – Ming Hongdou’s older sister, Ming Yuehe.  The two sisters were a perfect team: one plotting, the other acting.  They kept the family in constant turmoil.

“Hmph, I’ll let you off today. But get up and work tomorrow!”  The old woman glared at Ming Le Yao before leaving, her threat unmistakable.