Chapter 1

“There’s blood! So much blood—won’t she die from this?!”

“I-I didn’t kill her! It wasn’t me—she lost her balance on her own. It’s not my fault.”

“So, what do we do now? Should we send her to the hospital?”

“Send her to the hospital? Let her die; she had it coming.”

“Today’s just our unlucky day. Let’s leave them for now. What a bad stroke of luck.”

A group of young people cursed and ran off. Inside the dilapidated room, a young girl lay unconscious on the floor, her forehead covered in blood, which streamed down her face from the wound.

“Sister, wake up. Don’t sleep! I’m so scared by myself. Please open your eyes and look at me. I don’t want you to die. Wuwu…”

Jiang Suihan felt herself engulfed in darkness, groggy and drifting in a long dream, like watching a silent movie. She saw “herself” living out her life.

Once carefree and happy, her life was turned upside down overnight. Her father was dismissed from his job, and her family was forced to move from their home into a small, rundown house.

But they weren’t spared by those who sought to harm the Jiang family. Her father had his leg broken and was forced to clean the streets every day despite his worsening condition. Less than two months later, he passed away, leaving her and her younger brother to rely on each other.

The siblings struggled to survive, barely getting enough to eat or wear, and faced constant bullying. Just when she felt utterly hopeless, her aunt introduced her to a man, promising that he came from a well-off family and that marrying him would lead to a better life.

After much hesitation, not wanting her brother to continue living in fear, she agreed.

Unfortunately, she underestimated human nature. The man, who seemed kind at first, soon revealed his true nature after marriage, subjecting her to frequent domestic abuse, leaving her covered in bruises and wounds.

Unable to endure the abuse any longer, she tried to fight back but was strangled to death by the man. To cover up his crime, he dumped her body in the river in the dead of night, making it look like an accidental drowning.

After her death, her brother, having lost his usefulness, was cast out. How could a child survive alone in the world? A few days later, a malnourished little boy was found dead beneath a bridge.

The events in the dream were so enraging that Jiang Suihan woke up trembling with anger.

She vaguely heard someone crying near her, the sound incessantly buzzing like an annoying fly, causing her a headache. Groggily, she opened her eyes and said, “Stop crying.”

She thought her voice was strong, but it was actually weak and hoarse.

Jiang Leyun, half-buried under the blanket, was crying deeply and hadn’t noticed that his sister had awakened.

In less than half a year, their father had died, and now their only remaining family member was lying in the hospital, uncertain of her fate.

As a child not yet seven, Jiang Leyun felt like the sky was falling. He cried while praying for his sister to wake up soon and not leave him alone.

Jiang Suihan felt a severe headache and was a bit nauseous. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the child’s head and raised her voice, “Stop crying.”

Hearing his sister’s voice, Jiang Leyun was stunned, as if someone had grabbed his throat. He abruptly looked up and locked eyes with Jiang Suihan.

The little guy, with eyes wide and full of joy, pouted and then burst into tears, crying heartbreakingly and making anyone who heard it want to cry too.

He threw himself onto Jiang Suihan, his eyes red and swollen, grinning happily, “Sister, you’re finally awake! I thought the doctors were lying to me. I was so afraid you wouldn’t wake up like Dad did. I’m so glad!”

The doctor had said Jiang Suihan had a severe head injury with a large wound that needed rest, and she might wake up by evening if her condition improved.

However, Jiang Leyun was still terrified. With their father gone and now his sister in trouble, he, a seven-year-old child, had managed as best he could.

Jiang Suihan felt her head throbbing more intensely, suppressing the itch in her throat as she said sternly, “Stop crying. Go get me a glass of water.”

Her raspy voice made her uncomfortable, like nails scratching on cardboard—so unpleasant.

She hadn’t had any water all day, and her lips were chapped.

Jiang Leyun, a well-behaved younger brother, quickly wiped his tears and said, “Okay, you be good. I’ll be right back.”

With that, he grabbed a enamel cup from the table and rushed out of the room.

Jiang Suihan lay in bed, frowning deeply.

She recalled her previous life’s memories. To be precise, she was transmigrated from her original world. Before this, she was an ordinary girl with a happy, worry-free life. Now, after waking up from an injury, she discovered this strange experience and suspected the Mengpo soup had been diluted with water.

If she had remembered the events of her previous life sooner, many things could have been avoided. The Jiang family might not have ended up in their current situation. However, now is not the time to dwell on the past; there is an urgent matter that needs addressing.

In the dream, ‘Jiang Suihan’ had a miserable life. A well-meaning girl was deceived by those around her. She thought that marriage would bring stability, but she ended up falling from one danger into another, ultimately dying an untimely death. Even her beloved younger brother did not meet a better fate.

Though she is not the ‘Jiang Suihan’ in the dream, she can still feel the despair that ‘she’ experienced.

Jiang Suihan is unsure of the meaning of this dream. Is it a sign from the heavens, a warning to help her avoid future misfortunes, or is there something else she needs to be aware of?

She can’t figure it out.

If she wants to verify whether the events in the dream are true, it’s actually quite simple. If she remembers correctly, the day after her injury, her aunt came to visit her and constantly brainwashed her with suggestions. She urged her to marry, both for her own sake and for her brother’s, as it was her best option.

She won’t be as foolish as the ‘she’ in the dream, blindly trusting the so-called good advice from relatives. Relying on others’ kindness is the least reliable.

The ten-year activity has just started, with another seven or eight years to go before it ends.

Given the current situation of the Jiang family and their awkward positions, finding a way to survive here is a tricky problem. Similar incidents, like what happened this morning, will only become more frequent and potentially more severe in the future.

She must prepare in advance to avoid being left helpless when the time comes.

Finding a job is out of the question: no connections, no money, and an awkward identity. The only option left is to register with the Youth League Office and go to the countryside, which is a last resort.

Having grown up in the city, she has no experience with farming. It’s not that she’s afraid of farm work. She’s worried that her small frame might not be able to support herself, let alone her brother.

Additionally, if she goes to the countryside as an Educated Youth member, whether she can take her brother with her is another issue. Household registration is very strict these days, and population movement is not easy.

Jiang Suihan feels her current situation is dire, and the more she thinks about it, the more her head aches. She touches the jade pendant around her neck and thinks to herself that it’s a good thing it wasn’t stolen by those people. Otherwise, the blood she shed would have been in vain.

A group of young people had barged in this morning, smashing and searching the house without a word. They didn’t find what they were looking for and noticed the jade pendant around her neck.

The pendant was of good quality, and she had worn it since childhood. One of them tried to snatch it, but she refused and resisted. During the struggle, she was pushed and fell to the ground, hitting her head on a stone, causing it to bleed.

The young people, all students and quite young, were frightened when they saw the injury and, in a panic, ran away without helping.

Jiang Suihan looked down at the jade pendant, pondering. In novels she had read before, the protagonist often had extraordinary luck, like finding a jade pendant that, after a drop of blood, revealed a personal space with spiritual springs, orchards, and invisibility features. The protagonist would then use this space to advance, defeating villains and achieving success and happiness.

She wondered if this jade pendant had similar properties. Maybe she should try the blood test when she gets back?

She might just have the protagonist’s fate.

**