Wen Tang snatched the enamel cup and toothbrush from her hand, dashed into the house with quick steps, then hurried back out to tell Chi Yue, “To be precise, we’re going to catch someone in the act!”  

“Come on, today’s the day the female lead falls into the water.”  

Chi Yue’s eyes widened instantly. “Right, I remember now. Your man saves her from the water and even gives her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”  

Wen Tang: “…”  

“Stop talking and hurry up, or we’ll miss the fresh, piping-hot drama.”  

As Chi Yue was dragged along, she still managed to give Wen Tang a thumbs-up. “As expected of my Xiao Yueyue’s woman—when it comes to gossip, you spare no one, not even your own.”  

The two ran all the way, following the book’s plot and the memories of their original selves, and soon arrived at the small river in Xiangxing Village.  

By the time they got there, quite a crowd had already gathered by the riverbank.  

Some were even shouting things like, “Grab her, quick, grab her…”  

Wen Tang and Chi Yue exchanged glances, both seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes: Gu Yanli must already be in the water.  

But when they pushed through the crowd, they saw…  

“Shouldn’t they be in the water?” Wen Tang muttered in confusion.  

The next second, they watched as Luo Tian, the female lead, was fished out of the water, dripping wet, by Gu Yanli using a long pole.  

Luo Tian stood before Gu Yanli, clutching her soaked clothes self-consciously, her face flushed as she stammered, “Th-thank you… for saving me. I…”  

Before she could say more, Gu Yanli had already tossed the pole aside. “No need.”  

He was about to turn and push his bicycle home when he spotted—  

Wen Tang and Chi Yue huddled together, whispering, “Wasn’t she supposed to be unconscious when rescued?”  

“Yeah, she only woke up after mouth-to-mouth. What’s going on here?”  

“Wen Tang?”  

“Huh?” Wen Tang, still muttering, instinctively responded. When she looked up, she saw Gu Yanli staring at her.  

Glancing at the original female lead, Luo Tian, Wen Tang obediently pulled Chi Yue over to him.  

Only when Wen Tang stood before him did Gu Yanli ask, “What are you doing here?”  

“Oh, uh… I woke up early today, and there was no food ready at home, so Xiao Yue and I… came out for a walk. Then we heard someone jumped into the river…”  

Before she could finish, Luo Tian interrupted, “Comrade,” she said, gripping her clothes tightly, her expression serious. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t jump into the river—I accidentally fell in. I came here sincerely to learn and help everyone develop. Why would I jump into the river?”  

Wen Tang: “…”  

“My bad, poor choice of words.”  

She turned back to Gu Yanli. “We heard someone fell into the river, so Xiao Yue and I came to see.”  

Gu Yanli nodded. “Let’s go back. We still have to visit your family after breakfast.”  

“Mm.”  

Even after Gu Yanli and the others left, Luo Tian, still soaked, remained standing there, clutching her clothes and staring at their retreating figures.  

Her lips parted several times as if she wanted to say something, but she pressed them tightly together instead.  

She had wanted to ask Gu Yanli to borrow his coat to cover herself.  

Drenched as she was, walking back to the educated youth dormitory in such a state would be humiliating.  

Gu Yanli was tall, and his coat would have been enough to shield her from the worst of her embarrassment.  

But who knew he’d turn around and call over a girl—who, judging by the looks of it, was his wife?  

So Luo Tian had no choice but to swallow her words.  

After Gu Yanli and the others left, a woman in the crowd couldn’t help but say, “Hurry back, Comrade Luo. You’re soaked through—you’ll catch a cold.”  

Once one person spoke up, another chimed in, “Yeah, the countryside isn’t like the city. It’s not easy to see a doctor here.”  

Of course, there were also leering gazes mixed in the crowd.

Luo Tian nodded awkwardly and hurried back to the educated youth dormitory.  

Wen Tang and Chi Yue followed Gu Yanli back to the Gu family home.  

While Gu Yanli went to put away his things, Wen Tang muttered again, “No mouth-to-mouth, no unconsciousness—did our transmigration cause a butterfly effect?”  

Chi Yue nodded. “Probably.”  

“And I remember another detail from the book: your man saw Luo Tian being stared at because she was soaked, so he took off his jacket and gave it to her. Later, Luo Tian returned the jacket, and that’s how she started interacting with the Gu family.”  

Wen Tang nodded. “Right, right! I remember that too.”  

“So the plot changed because we transmigrated?” Wen Tang asked.  

Chi Yue nodded. “Seems that way so far.”  

Before they could whisper further, Gu Jinfeng came out of the kitchen. “Where did you two run off to earlier? Come on, breakfast is ready.”  

“Oh, coming.”  

At the breakfast table, Gu Jinfeng asked again, “Where did you two go earlier? I stepped out and didn’t see you anywhere.”  

“Someone fell into the river, so we went to check it out,” Wen Tang said.  

“Fell into the river?” Gu Jinfeng perked up with interest. “Who was it? Someone we know? Someone from our brigade?”  

Wen Tang shook her head. “Don’t know them, but probably not from our brigade. Must be one of the educated youths.”  

Hearing it was an educated youth, Gu Jinfeng scoffed. “Probably couldn’t handle the hardship and can’t go back to the city, so they decided life wasn’t worth living!”  

Wen Tang quickly waved her hands. “Eldest Sister, you can say that in front of me, but don’t say it outside, or that educated youth might come looking for you.”  

Gu Jinfeng: “…”  

“L-looking for me? For what?”  

Chi Yue explained, “Earlier, Wen Tang accidentally said we went to see someone jump into the river, and that educated youth scolded her, saying Wen Tang was wrong—that she came here sincerely to help develop the countryside.”  

Gu Jinfeng: “…”  

“With the little work those female educated youths do, what countryside are they developing?” Gu Jinfeng couldn’t help but grumble.  

Amid the grumbling, the family finished breakfast.  

After the meal, Zhong Meixian and Gu Jinfeng urged their daughters-in-law:  

“Xiao Yue, it’s getting late. Take the things I prepared for you and go back with Jingshen. Come back early after lunch.”  

Zhong Meixian also said, “You go with Yanli. Let him take you there and back early.”  

Gu Yanli had gone out earlier and bought two bottles of liquor and two large cans of fruit preserves. These, along with the brown sugar and fried dough sticks Zhong Meixian had prepared, were placed in a basket and covered with a red cloth. He had Wen Tang sit on the back of the bicycle and hold it.  

Lin Jingshen, unaware that his uncle had secretly gone shopping, just dumbly carried the brown sugar and fried dough sticks his uncle had prepared, ready to take his wife home.  

Both baskets were covered with red cloth.  

But Chi Yue peeked inside hers and asked, “Mom, I saw Grandma also prepared liquor and preserves!”  

When Gu Yanli had returned from the river with his bicycle, those items had been hanging from the handlebars—Chi Yue had seen them.  

Gu Jinfeng looked at Zhong Meixian.  

Zhong Meixian immediately shook her head and pointed at Gu Yanli. “He bought those himself.”  

Chi Yue then turned to Lin Jingshen.  

Wen Tang had already settled onto the bicycle’s rear seat. Before leaving, she couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire for her best friend:  

“Men—you really have to keep them in line. Beat them when necessary, scold them when needed. One day without discipline, and they’ll tear the roof off.”