Chapter 5: Lying on the Kang and Exploring the Space

Jiang Yunhe didn’t argue with her, because she knew that Sun Meilin didn’t dare not to do it. Jiang Dazhuang wasn’t someone you could reason with—he’d either beat or scold her. Not nice at all.

And to make it worse, he was completely unreasonable.

Over the years, Sun Meilin had always just put up with it. Ever since Jiang Yunhe was five, she’d been forced to tend the fire; by seven, she had to cook. All the household chores were her responsibility.

Whenever Sun Meilin was unhappy, she’d take it out on Jiang Yunhe.

Jiang Yunhe was her punching bag and had never lived a single good day in her life.

But now, it was time to return the favor!

Thinking this, Jiang Yunhe quickly tidied up her room, brought the already sun-dried quilt inside, lay down, and fell asleep.

She needed to rest and gather her energy—she had things to do tonight.

Outside, Sun Meilin was still angrily yelling, gritting her teeth in rage.

Several times, she looked like she wanted to barge in and fight.

But in the end, she had to swallow her anger. That wretched girl had dirt on her. If things escalated, it wouldn’t end well for her.

She needed to come up with a plan…

Lying on the kang, Jiang Yunhe gradually felt like her soul was drifting upward, as if she had floated into the air. Her head felt heavy, her feet light.

A mist appeared before her eyes.

She walked through the fog and arrived at a thatched cottage, surrounded by mountains in the distance. It had the feel of a secluded paradise with overlapping hills.

Wasn’t this the painting Chu Peihan gave her?

Jiang Yunhe found it more and more familiar. When he gave it to her, he’d said he’d take her to live in a place like this someday.

But then… she died.

And now—

This painting had come back with her?

Or maybe… the painting was more than it appeared—perhaps it was the key to her rebirth?

Jiang Yunhe’s mind spun with countless theories. She couldn’t resist opening the door. Even if it was just a dream, she needed to find out what was going on.

The bamboo door creaked open, revealing a courtyard with a stone table beneath a grape trellis. The grapes were large, juicy, and beautiful.

Around the edges were fruit trees—cherries, apples, pomegranates. Two of each kind, neatly spaced, like a lineup of fruit soldiers.

The key thing was—they were all in season!

But it was autumn. Cherries and grapes shouldn’t be ripe now.

Jiang Yunhe was stunned. Ahead, she saw a vegetable patch full of various produce, some seasonal, some out of season. It was more than just a garden—it was practically a fruit-and-vegetable paradise.

“Master, Master, welcome home!”

A voice called out.

Jiang Yunhe turned toward it and saw a red koi leaping from a spiritual spring in the courtyard, energetically splashing its tail to catch her attention. The spring water sparkled with ripples.

She instantly felt fondness and walked over to gently poke it. The red koi happily blew a bubble, and two tiny horns peeked from its head—adorable!

“Master, this is your space! From now on, you can come and go as you please. Do whatever you want, no worries at all!”

“Hmm… so did my body come here, or just my soul?”

“Just your soul! Your body’s still outside, but time inside this space is frozen. From the outside, it just looks like you’re asleep. Totally safe!”

“…?”

Jiang Yunhe was dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected this place to have such capabilities. So, she could do all kinds of things here?

The red koi flipped, making a splash.

“And also, Master can earn virtue points here! One hundred virtue points let you open a door. One thousand points let you access ancient books and learn special skills.”

“What door?” Jiang Yunhe asked, puzzled.

The koi blew another bubble. Suddenly, the previously blurry yard became clear.

Beneath the thatched house was a door—ancient-looking, full of old-world charm.

The koi explained again: “That’s the one! Behind it are all kinds of classics—rituals, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, math, even medicine. All kinds of ancient texts and methods, and some ready-made pills too! Of course, how much you can actually learn depends on your own talent!”

Everyone had different talents, so the results varied.

But since Jiang Yunhe had been chosen as the fated one, she likely had great potential.

She more or less understood now—this was a hidden treasure. She hadn’t expected such a gift after rebirth. She was thrilled.

Especially since the little koi mentioned… medicine.

If she could learn medicine, couldn’t she heal Chu Peihan?!

She could treat him early, without waiting for the mysterious divine doctor. In her past life, Chu Peihan didn’t recover until ten years later.

“How do I earn virtue points?”

“Just do good deeds! As the saying goes, ‘Heaven sees what people do.’ As long as you sincerely do good, Heaven will reward you.”

“Are you trying to sugarcoat it for me?” Jiang Yunhe frowned at the childlike tone. Honestly, this koi was…

Making it sound so easy.

But she wasn’t the kind of person who enjoyed being a goody-two-shoes saint.

She was always about returning favors—an eye for an eye.

The red koi froze mid-bubble, clearly a bit shaken. Was she serious?

Jiang Yunhe continued, “Surely you’re not telling me to just keep doing good things with no standards to measure by? That’d be too unfair.”

“Of course not! Our space is very fair. Helping someone joyfully gets you 10 points. Saving a life? 500 points.”

Great… so it’s still a hassle.

The little koi thought about it and blew a bubble containing detailed information about virtue points.

No need to argue—she could see the specifics for herself.

Jiang Yunhe took the bubble, and as it popped in the air, lines of tiny text appeared. Everything was clearly explained—what kind of deed earned how many virtue points. It was all very thorough.

Soon, she understood the rules and felt a lot better.

Luckily, it wasn’t too strict, and she wouldn’t be doing good deeds for nothing. Otherwise, she really might’ve cried.

But she still had one more question…