1980, Xiaolongwan Village.  

“Qingzhi! Mom is begging you on her knees, alright?”  

“Please, just marry Shen Zhanwu in your sister’s place! Even if he’s disabled now, he’s still a soldier. Your life won’t be hard after marrying him, and your sister will help you out in the future. She won’t let you suffer.”  

Li Qiuhua’s tearful, dramatic performance made it seem like if Ruan Qingzhi dared to refuse, she would smash her head against the wall right then and there.  

Marry in her sister’s place? Shen Zhanwu? Disabled?  

What the hell was going on?  

Hadn’t she died?  

Did arranged marriages exist even in hell?  

Ruan Qingzhi frowned, struggling to shake off her dizziness. Staring blankly at the brand-new yet distinctly vintage furniture in the room, she finally confirmed she wasn’t dreaming.  

She had really traveled through time!!  

From a renowned master of traditional Chinese medicine and an elite special agent to a young village girl in the 1980s who had just drowned herself in a river!  

The original owner shared her name—Ruan Qingzhi.  

In the original owner’s memories, Li Qiuhua had married Ruan Zhiguo, a widower, becoming her stepmother and bringing along her own daughter.  

Half a year ago, Li Qiuhua had arranged a marriage for her daughter, who was in her last year of high school.  

The groom was from Huaishu Village and was currently serving in the military in Shengyang City. He was a bit older—already twenty-eight.  

But the betrothal gifts he offered were substantial.  

A full five hundred yuan!  

Li Qiuhua, blinded by greed, couldn’t wait for the man to return for a meeting and accepted the money to seal the engagement.  

Who could’ve predicted that after waiting half a year, instead of the groom, news arrived that Shen Zhanwu had been injured and left disabled.  

Rumor had it he’d lost a leg.  

The Shen family rushed over overnight, demanding Ruan Miaomiao marry him and join him in the army within two days.  

Now Ruan Miaomiao was panicking, crying and screaming to break off the engagement. She’d rather starve to death than marry a disabled man.  

Li Qiuhua didn’t want her daughter to jump into a pit of fire either.  

But the betrothal money had already been spent on building a house and buying furniture for her son.  

The family had no money left…  

In the end, she set her sights on her stepdaughter, forcing her to marry Shen Zhanwu in Ruan Miaomiao’s place.  

The original owner had already suffered miserably over the years. Faced with being forced to marry a cripple, she’d rather die.  

Early that morning, the original owner had thrown herself into the river.  

Luckily, an old man herding sheep had seen her and pulled her out.  

When she opened her eyes again, it was her—the time traveler—who had taken over.  

Ruan Qingzhi sat cross-legged on the bed, arms folded, and refused outright: “I won’t marry him.”  

“Ruan Qingzhi!!”  

The youngest son of the Ruan family stormed out and sneered, “Don’t push your luck! If it weren’t for my sister not wanting this marriage, how could someone like you ever qualify to marry a soldier? If you don’t have a mirror, at least take a piss and look at yourself! I suggest you take what you’re given and stop acting ungrateful!”  

Ruan Qingzhi glanced at the “Young Master Yaozu” a few times.

She noticed that he looked just like Ruan Zhiguo—small eyes and a ruddy, puffy nose.  

He had just turned fourteen this year and was in the middle of his voice-changing phase, his throat hoarse and shrill, sounding absolutely awful.  

Ruan Qingzhi made a disgusted face and dug at her ears.  

Then—  

She suddenly lifted her foot and kicked out!!  

Oh, you love to run your mouth?  

I’ll fucking kick you to death!  

Ruan Qingzhi had put almost all her strength into that kick, and it landed squarely on the scrawny boy’s chest.  

He nearly lost his breath on the spot!  

Clutching his aching chest, the boy leaned into his mother’s arms and snarled viciously, “You fucking bitch, are you insane?!”  

Ruan Qingzhi planted her hands on her hips and spat at him. “Pah! Your mom’s the insane one!”  

“What the hell are you? Since when do kids get to interrupt when adults are talking? A snot-nosed brat who hasn’t even grown all his hair yet, acting like he’s the head of the household? No matter what, I’m still your half-sister. If you dare disrespect me today, tomorrow you’ll be chopping up our dad!”  

She paused slightly, her icy gaze sweeping over them before continuing, “I said I won’t marry him, and that’s final. If I dared to jump into the river once, I’ll dare to do it again! And before I jump, I’ll make sure the whole village knows it was you who drove me to my death! You’ll never be able to hold your heads up again!”  

Ruan Miaomiao, who had been standing to the side, suddenly screamed hysterically at her, “Fine! You don’t have to marry him! And you don’t have to jump into the river either—I’ll do it myself, alright?!”  

Her eyes were red, tears dripping down her face.  

Ruan Qingzhi crossed her legs and reclined comfortably, raising an eyebrow as she urged, “If you’re gonna jump, hurry up. What’s with the dawdling? Ruan Zhiguo might not be your biological father, but Li Qiuhua is your real mom, right? Can you really bear to watch her kneel and beg me like this?”  

Ruan Miaomiao bit her lip, glaring at the girl on the bed before retorting angrily, “Fine, have it your way!”  

With that, she turned and rushed outside.  

Ruan Zhiguo and Li Qiuhua immediately grabbed her, holding her back desperately.  

Ruan Miaomiao struggled wildly, shouting, “Let me die! Just let me die!”  

Seeing that she couldn’t stop her daughter, Li Qiuhua turned and crawled over to Ruan Qingzhi, dropping to her knees with a thud. Sobbing, she begged, “Qingzhi! Mom is kneeling for you, kowtowing to you—I’m begging you! If you’re willing to marry Shen Zhanwu, I’ll give you my life if that’s what it takes!”  

Ruan Qingzhi scoffed. “Offering me things nobody wants!”  

She sat up properly and said bluntly, “If you want me to marry in her place, fine—but half the betrothal money goes to me!”  

Li Qiuhua’s voice shot up. “What?!”  

“Not willing? Then forget it. Let your precious daughter go marry him.”  

Ruan Qingzhi flopped back down and turned away.  

Seeing her refusal, Ruan Miaomiao started crying again. “Mom, Dad, I’ve failed you! I won’t get the chance to take care of you in this lifetime—maybe in the next!”