Under the pretext of repairing the road, only that one body was excavated. Once the road was fixed, Gu Liancheng received a notification: the higher-ups had ultimately decided to cremate the remains. The ashes would be handed over to Jiang Zhao and Jiang Tang when the time was right in the future.  

Upon hearing this news, Gu Liancheng was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. He had assumed the organization would summon Jiang Zhen for questioning, but the authorities had considered the situation more thoroughly.  

Xiao Jianzhou said, “Jiang Zhen did indeed have a twin sister named Jiang Zhen (same pronunciation, different character). She went missing when her parents saw the mirage. Based on the clues we have, experts speculate that by then, Jiang Zhen was no longer in our world. This time, due to a twist of fate, she returned through the mirage. The sisters never got the chance to reunite before her older sister was killed by bandits. Sigh… the only silver lining is that the two children were saved.”  

There were some questions Gu Liancheng shouldn’t have asked, but he was worried about potential risks and wanted to clarify on Jiang Zhen’s behalf.  

“Does the organization not want to ask Jiang Zhen about the world she came from?”  

Xiao Jianzhou chuckled. “You’re letting your concern cloud your judgment. Since arriving here, she’s treated even raw sweet potatoes and plain boiled water as rare delicacies. That suggests the world she came from was extremely harsh—perhaps even worse than the darkest days before liberation. Growing up in such an environment, her vigilance is extraordinarily high. To her, we might seem simple and kind. She’s like a retired hunter hiding among sheep, blending in and pretending to be one of them.”  

“But if you approached her now and said, *I know who you are*, what do you think she’d do?”  

Gu Liancheng replied, “If it were me, I’d flee immediately and find a place I deemed safe, disappearing into the crowd.”  

Xiao Jianzhou nodded. “Exactly. Liberation is still fresh—bandits remain in the mountains, and the borders aren’t entirely secure. Escaping wouldn’t be hard for her. If she crossed into another country, the loss would be significant. Alternatively, if we detained and interrogated her now, she’d instantly see us as enemies. How credible would her words be? We’d have no way to verify their truth. Both paths lead to dead ends.”  

Gu Liancheng shuddered at the thought. Jiang Zhen was nominally his wife, and he felt the weight of responsibility. “What does the organization need me to do?”  

Xiao Jianzhou told him not to overthink it. “Just live normally. Let Jiang Zhen feel like she’s part of the family. Help her develop attachments to this world, a sense of belonging and trust. Once she does, she’ll open up to us on her own.”  

Gu Liancheng understood. “I know what to do now.”  

…

Gu Liancheng left early in the morning and hadn’t returned, sending word that he was busy repairing the road. His absence worked out perfectly—Jiang Zhen closed the courtyard gate and took the four children into her space.  

The post-apocalyptic world was barren, with seeds being delicate and hard to preserve, leaving little to plant. The space had remained empty until now. After arriving here, it adapted well. The two chicklings Gu Pan had brought in for temporary care on the day they met had already grown to half a pound each.  

Unfortunately, the little girl had been tricked by the chick seller—they were both roosters and wouldn’t lay eggs. Gu Pan stomped her feet in frustration. “I said I wanted hens! I even paid two extra cents!”  

Jiang Zhen consoled her, “It’s fine. We can eat them for meat.”  

Jiang Zhao, ever the pragmatist, suggested, “Mom, with so much empty land, why don’t we buy some hen chicks?”  

Raising chickens and ducks could get smelly, and Jiang Zhen didn’t want the space to reek. “We can’t have too many. Just a few Luhua hens for eggs. But the little pond—we can raise more fish fry there.”  

Gu Hui excitedly ran a lap around the open field. “Auntie, let’s plant some vegetables!”  

“Sure. We’ll also plant some fruit trees so we’ll have endless fruit.”  

Vegetables were a must, but it was winter, and seeds and saplings were hard to come by. They’d have to wait until spring. Still, they could plan ahead—till the soil and start with winter-hardy greens. That way, if anyone questioned them, they could claim they’d bought them outside.  

When she asked the kids, they said that during winter here, they usually ate cabbage, leeks, and radishes, but mostly potatoes and sweet potatoes—from autumn all the way until spring.  

Jiang Zhao sensed something odd. His mother had never farmed before, but why would she need to ask children about such basic knowledge?  

He quickly added, “Mom, the weather outside isn’t suitable for planting anything now, so seeds are hard to find.”  

Gu Hui raised his hand. “Auntie’s family saves a lot of seeds every year. We can ask for some.”  

Jiang Zhen smacked her forehead. “Right! We’ll say we’re saving them for spring planting, then secretly grow them in the space.”

The climate inside the space was always optimal for planting, no matter the season. The environment was so comfortable that everyone took off their padded jackets. It wasn’t until knocking sounded at the door outside that they reluctantly left the space, immediately shivering and wrapping themselves tightly in their coats again.  

“I wish we could just stay inside the space forever,” Gu Pan sniffled, stomping her feet against the cold.  

Jiang Tang nodded vigorously in agreement. It would be even better if they could sleep in the space—unfortunately, Mom said its level wasn’t high enough yet.  

The knocking grew more urgent. Jiang Zhen teased the kids, “Guess who it is?”  

“Uncle!”  

“Auntie!”  

“That annoying jerk next door!”  

Jiang Zhen opened the gate to find Gu Jiaoxia, the children’s eldest aunt, standing there with some cabbage, vermicelli, and rice.  

…

Cabbage, vermicelli, and rice were all rare and precious goods. Since Gu Jiaoxia had brought them over, her own family would have to go without. Jiang Zhen felt a twinge of guilt—she hadn’t treated others with complete sincerity, yet Gu Liancheng’s sister had shown her nothing but genuine kindness.  

Gu Jiaoxia had heard unsettling news that morning and rushed over in concern. “Qi Junshan’s uncle’s family was killed by bandits. Didn’t you hear any commotion next door early this morning?”  

Jiang Zhen: *…* “There was some noise, but that house is always making a fuss—either the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are fighting or the couple is arguing. I had no idea it was something so serious. How do they know it was bandits?”  

Gu Jiaoxia clutched her cup of hot tea, still shaken. “Even their two-year-old child was killed. It had to be bandits. The question is, how did they provoke them?”  

Jiang Zhen thought that conclusion was too hasty. But if the deaths were recent, she might be able to extract some memories from the corpses’ brains!  

She immediately said, “Eldest Sister, could you watch the kids for me for half a day? I need to find Gu Liancheng and make sure he comes home tonight. After such a horrific crime, I don’t dare stay alone with four children.”  

“Right, right—that’s exactly what I was thinking. Go quickly. Oh, will you be back for lunch?”  

“No, you go ahead and eat with the kids.”  

The four children came running out of the kitchen, clutching cooking utensils. “Mom, where are you going?”  

“Auntie, aren’t you taking us with you?”  

Jiang Zhen waved them off. “Stay home. I’ve got grown-up business to handle.”  

…

Gu Jiaoxia truly admired Jiang Zhen’s proactive nature. Her brother, on the other hand—running off to repair roads the day after his wedding and staying away for over ten days! At least Jiang Zhen hadn’t gotten angry and was still cheerful about it.  

If not for the road repairs, those ten days could’ve been spent building their relationship. Thankfully, the road was finally fixed, and now with the incident next door, no matter how busy Gu Liancheng was, he’d surely come home tonight.  

While the adults handled their business, the children had their own priorities. Gu Pan piped up, “Auntie, I want vegetable seeds—and four hen chicks. They *have* to be hens.”  

Gu Jiaoxia laughed. “What do you need seeds for now? Wait until spring.”  

“No! I’m afraid you’ll forget. I want them now. Can we go to your house to get them after lunch?”  

“Fine. But when spring comes, don’t forget to plant them.”

…

The road had been repaired, and Jiang Zhen quickly found Gu Liancheng. “I want to see the bodies of Qi Junshan’s uncle’s family.”

“Why would you want to see that?” The corpses were gruesome. The case had been handed over to the police, but since it involved Qi Junshan, the military had access to the records. She *could* go, but why would she want to look at cold, lifeless bodies?  

Jiang Zhen said, “I can communicate with the dead.”  

Gu Liancheng: *…* “Why didn’t you mention this before?”  

Jiang Zhen grinned. “These days, everyone’s all about science and smashing the ‘Four Olds.’ How could I dare bring it up? After surviving the earthquake last time, I realized I could see the final moments of the dead. Honestly, I don’t even know how it works. If Qi Junshan weren’t such a huge threat—and if the victims weren’t his relatives—I wouldn’t even be telling you this.”  

Gu Liancheng was suddenly grateful for the higher-ups’ decision. If they’d dragged Jiang Zhen in to identify the body when it was first unearthed, she never would’ve revealed such an unbelievable (yet real) ability.  

She would’ve spun some lie, gained their trust, secured a bit of freedom—and then vanished without a trace.  

Thankfully, they hadn’t done that. Just as predicted, Jiang Zhen was slowly testing the waters by revealing small things. Now was not the time to scare her off.  

Gu Liancheng said, “I believe you, but the higher-ups might not. Should I just report that you can ‘talk to corpses’ outright?”  

“Just say it.” Jiang Zhen shrugged. “Whether they believe me or not, one test will prove it. As long as this ability serves justice, it has value. But let me ask—you’re not going to lock me up for experiments, are you?”  

“Absolutely not,” Gu Liancheng promised.  

That put Jiang Zhen at ease.  

…

Soon, Jiang Zhen stood before the bodies—Qi Junshan’s uncle, aunt, cousin, her husband, and their two-year-old child. The killers were truly depraved.  

In the autopsy room, Jiang Zhen witnessed the final memories of all five victims.  

The uncle and aunt had invited Qi Junshan over for drinks. “Junshan, that murder-and-robbery business of yours—back before Liberation, the world was dark. But now, the skies have cleared. Your aunt and I can’t be part of it anymore.” 

Qi Junshan sipped his liquor and smiled coldly. “Uncle, Aunt, when you begged me in tears, saying you couldn’t survive and asked me to help you get rich, that’s not what you said.”  

“That was a dog-eat-dog world—nothing like now. Back in our hometown, land reform gave us several acres. We’ve got a house in the city too. Your brother-in-law’s an outsider, a teacher. If we raise the kids well, our family could become scholars. Who doesn’t want a better future? You’re married now—have a child soon and live an honest life.” 

Qi Junshan went home and discussed it with his mother. “Uncle wants to go straight—that’s practically betrayal. My brothers will think I betrayed them. If that happens, we’ll be the ones slaughtered. I can’t wash away my past, but my brother knows nothing. Mom, what should we do?”

…

In the end, Qi Junshan sold out his uncle. He didn’t do the killing himself—others carried it out.  

Leaving the autopsy room, Jiang Zhen addressed the waiting officers: “It really was bandits. I saw a face—someone who drank at Qi’s house during the wedding. If you track him, you might find their hideout.”

“Fantastic.”

Even Xiao Jianzhou couldn’t hide his excitement. During the last bandit suppression, the numbers hadn’t matched their intel—they’d suspected some were hiding in another mountain. Without wiping them out, Fancheng would never know peace.  

Xiao Jianzhou said, “Comrade Jiang Zhen, once we eliminate the bandits, we’ll commend you for your contribution.”

Jiang Zhen mused silently. They weren’t even shocked by her bizarre ability—just grateful and ready to send her home to live normally. They must already know I’m not ordinary. Maybe they dug up ‘Jiang Zhen’s’ body during the road repairs and chose to cover it up.

They’d extended goodwill, and Jiang Zhen wasn’t one to reject kindness. She smiled. “No need for thanks. Next time you need me, just call.”