Before she knew how much time had passed, Bai Zhizhi suddenly raised her head and looked toward the tightly shut door.  

She heard faint voices outside the room.  

Only then did she realize that, although she had lost her cultivation, her sharp senses remained. Even through the thick walls, she could clearly hear the commotion outside.  

This brought Bai Zhizhi some comfort.  

Suddenly, she heard her own name and focused intently on listening.  

“How could Zhizhi have gone up the mountain alone?” Bai Fumin asked in a deep voice.  

His daughter was always so well-behaved—she usually stayed at home and would never wander off without someone accompanying her.  

Liao Guizhi said angrily, “It’s all because of that Liang Jian! He tricked Zhizhi into going up the mountain. If Aunt Sun hadn’t seen it and told me, who knows how much more suffering Zhizhi would have endured?”  

Bang!  

A loud noise erupted.  

“This is beyond insulting!” Bai Fumin slammed his palm on the table.  

The next second, he was smacked by Liao Guizhi.  

“Keep your voice down! Don’t wake Zhizhi.”  

Bai Fumin immediately lowered his voice. “That Liang Jian is truly despicable!”  

“Exactly! And he calls himself an educated man? Pah! More like the filth in a cesspit!”  

Bai Zhizhi searched her memories and realized this was her second sister-in-law, a bold and straightforward woman just like her mother, Liao Guizhi. Her second brother was completely under his wife’s thumb.  

“At first, he acted all decent, treating our little sister so well. But now? The moment he latched onto someone from the city, he kicked our little sister to the curb. What a shameless scoundrel!” Huang Xiuyun grew angrier the more she spoke.  

Liang Jian hadn’t just deceived Bai Zhizhi—he had played their entire family for fools.  

Because Bai Zhizhi was close to Liang Jian, and because he was good at pretending, he had gained many advantages.  

Not only did he get lighter farm work, but the Bai family also frequently invited him over for meals. Compared to other educated youths sent to the countryside, his life was practically cushy.  

Turns out, it was all a calculated scheme!  

“That damned bastard! No, I’m going to tear him apart!”  

Huang Xiuyun’s eyes blazed with fury as she rolled up her sleeves, ready to go settle the score with Liang Jian.  

Bai Fumin cleared his throat. “Come back.”  

“Dad?” Huang Xiuyun looked at Bai Fumin in disbelief. “You’re just going to let little sister suffer like this? Are you even her father?”  

That was crossing a line.  

Bai Junwu quickly tugged at his wife, who spoke without thinking.  

Huang Xiuyun, still fuming, glared at Bai Junwu—what, was she not allowed to speak the truth?  

Bai Junwu sighed helplessly and rubbed his nose. That wasn’t what he meant.  

If their little sister had been wronged, there was no way their father would ignore it. He must have another plan.  

Liao Guizhi gave them a calm glance and said, “Enough. Listen to what your father has to say.”  

Huang Xiuyun obediently sat back down.  

Bai Fumin tapped the table and said thoughtfully, “There’s no need to rush. We’ll have plenty of time later.”  

Liang Jian was desperate to return to the city, but he had forgotten one thing—his records were still in the village. As long as Bai Fumin refused to release them, no one would dare let him leave.  

Huang Xiuyun slapped her thigh excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.  

She had forgotten—her father-in-law was the Brigade Leader. Dealing with a mere educated youth would be child’s play.  

Inside the room, Bai Zhizhi finally understood. So, her soul fragment hadn’t ended up in the mountains by accident—she had been lured there.  

Liang Jian.

The name wasn’t unfamiliar.  

As Bai Zhizhi recalled the memories she had seen during her soul fusion, she gritted her teeth in hatred, itching to bite someone!  

Perhaps because of the lightning tribulation, while merging with her soul fragment, Bai Zhizhi hadn’t just absorbed the memories of this life—she had also glimpsed the memories of her past life.  

The first half of this soul fragment’s life hadn’t been particularly hard. In fact, as the only girl in the family, she had been doted on.  

Even though her soul was incomplete, leaving her born with a dull mind, the Bai family never gave up on her. Instead, they cherished her even more.  

But the second half of her life… was nothing short of tragic.  

And the one responsible for her misery was none other than Liang Jian.  

Liang Jian was an educated youth sent to the countryside, but he couldn’t adapt to rural life at all—especially the grueling farm work.  

To make things easier for himself, he set his sights on Bai Zhizhi, the beloved youngest daughter of the village chief.  

Under his relentless flattery and sweet talk, Bai Zhizhi fell for him.  

Aside from her family, Liang Jian became the person she was closest to.  

Later, Liang Jian deliberately spread rumors in the village that Bai Fumin intended to marry Bai Zhizhi to him.  

Bai Zhizhi, unaware and unable to clarify, became the subject of gossip.

So, by the time the Bai family found out, it was already too late. No matter how they explained, no one believed them.  

What’s worse, Liang Jian was an excellent actor—he deceived the Bai family so thoroughly that Bai Fumin lowered his guard and tacitly allowed the rumors to stand.  

But Liang Jian wasn’t content to stay in the countryside forever. He wanted to return to the city.  

Finally, after countless schemes, he managed to latch onto the daughter of a steel factory director in the city. Marrying her would guarantee his return to urban life.  

And Bai Zhizhi? She became nothing but a burden.  

In her past life, the same thing had happened—Liang Jian tricked Bai Zhizhi into going up the mountain. By the time Liao Guizhi and the others found her, she had been trapped there for a long time.  

After that, she became even more slow-witted.  

Bai Fumin, who adored his daughter, was furious. For the first time, he used his authority as brigade leader to suppress Liang Jian.  

But Liang Jian’s new connections were powerful. Not only did they secure his return to the city, they also had Bai Fumin removed from his position as brigade leader.  

Even Bai Zhizhi’s eldest brother, who worked in the city, and her younger brother, still in school, were implicated.  

Bai Junwen, the eldest brother, lost his hard-earned city job and had no choice but to return to the countryside with his family.  

The youngest brother, Bai Junyu, was expelled from school.  

With the entire family forced back to the village, crammed together, petty conflicts and endless squabbles became daily life.  

Later, Bai Fumin had no choice but to marry Bai Zhizhi off—to another educated youth, Song Jing’an.  

Though he was also a city-educated youth, Song Jing’an was nothing like Liang Jian.  

Liang Jian’s meekness had been an act, but Song Jing’an was genuine, treating Bai Zhizhi like a beloved younger sister.  

Because of this, after discussing it with Song Jing’an, Bai Fumin felt at ease entrusting his daughter to him.  

As it turned out, Bai Fumin hadn’t misjudged him this time—Song Jing’an was a good husband, taking excellent care of Bai Zhizhi.  

But!!!  

That was only true when Song Jing’an wasn’t plagued by misfortune!  

Bai Zhizhi didn’t get to enjoy much happiness with him. Instead, she spent half her life drifting from place to place, and in the end, she actually starved to death on the streets.  

Recalling everything she had seen in those memories, Bai Zhizhi gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear Liang Jian apart with her bare hands.  

It was all because of him.  

Now she finally understood her second sister-in-law’s rage—she, too, wanted to rush out and beat Liang Jian to a pulp right this second.  

But after focusing for so long and with her emotions running high, exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed her. Before she could react, Bai Zhizhi collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.  

…

On a train from the capital to Yangcheng.  

A young man leaning against his seat suddenly jolted awake, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.  

“Comrade Song, are you alright?” A man and woman sitting across from him looked at him with concern.  

“Lin Bangguo! Wang Ting!”  

Hearing those familiar voices, Song Jing’an raised his head, his eyes burning with such intense hatred that it seemed to pierce straight through them.  

Wang Ting was so frightened by his gaze that she instinctively shrank closer to Lin Bangguo.  

Only when Lin Bangguo nudged her did she force herself to suppress her fear and offer Song Jing’an a handkerchief, saying softly, “Did you have a nightmare, Comrade Song? Look at you, covered in sweat. Here, wipe your face.”  

But her voice trembled uncontrollably.  

Song Jing’an stared at the handkerchief extended toward him for a long moment before refusing it, abruptly closing his eyes instead.  

The rhythmic clatter of the old-fashioned green train filled his ears, each sound clearer and louder than the last.  

All of it led him to one undeniable realization.  

He.  

Had been reborn.  

Reborn on the train to the countryside.  

Reborn before any of it had happened.  

Wang Ting, silently rejected, quickly withdrew her hand and exchanged a glance with Lin Bangguo, both baffled by Song Jing’an’s behavior.  

Truthfully, the three of them had only just met—they were all educated youths heading to the countryside and had struck up a conversation when boarding the train, realizing they were bound for the same place.  

Finding it a rare coincidence, they had quickly grown familiar.  

Who could’ve guessed that Song Jing’an, after closing his eyes to rest for just a short while, would wake up drenched in sweat and glare at them with such terrifying eyes?  

Did he have some kind of illness?  

After a long pause, Song Jing’an finally reopened his eyes. The hatred in them had vanished, replaced by his usual gentle demeanor.  

“My apologies. I just had a nightmare. Did I scare you? I’m truly sorry.”  

Lin Bangguo hurriedly waved his hands. “No, no, it’s fine! As long as you’re alright. We’re all going to the countryside to contribute to the nation—we should help each other out.”  

“Of course. Help each other out,” Song Jing’an replied with a smile.  

But there was no warmth in his eyes—only cold detachment.  

Gazing out the window at the passing scenery, his heart was anything but calm.