Chapter 1

July 6, 1973

The sweltering summer heat waves rolled through Xifeng City’s steel plant residential compound, sweeping past the rows of blue brick apartment blocks with a faint breeze. Sweat trickled down everyone’s faces as they fanned themselves incessantly with palm-leaf fans.

This year, the oppressive summer wasn’t the only thing making people restless and irritable—the recently enacted policy of mandatory rural labor for urban youth had parents across the city in a panic. Any unmarried young men and women over the age of sixteen without jobs were required to go to the countryside, leaving many parents scrambling for ways to secure jobs or arrange marriages for their children to spare them from this fate.

Lin Xiang sat in the living room, nibbling on a piece of hoarded sponge cake while listening to the chatter of a few women outside. They fanned themselves as they discussed the policy, voicing their worries about their children being sent to the countryside. They shared their plans for securing jobs or arranging matches, leaving Lin Xiang with a sense of melancholy. She couldn’t help but compare these concerned parents with her own and feel the stark difference.

In the 1970s, desserts were rare and precious. Although the sponge cake didn’t compare to the refined pastries of later times in terms of taste and texture, it was better than nothing. During these years of scarcity, even a small sweet treat was a luxury.

Yes, the Lin Xiang sitting in the steel plant residential compound’s living room had transmigrated.

In the 21st century, Lin Xiang had been an orphan, growing up in an orphanage. She had studied diligently and graduated from university, working hard for years after. By day, she worked a regular job, and in her spare time, she created and edited food videos as a side hustle to earn extra income. She had saved enough to buy a house, quit her job in the big city, and returned to a small coastal town to purchase a seaside property, planning to enjoy a relaxed “retirement” life.

Having grown up without a home, Lin Xiang loved the sea and had always dreamed of owning her own spacious house, free from the cramped collective dormitory of the orphanage. She bought a sea-view house just a few kilometers from the shore, where she could open the window and see the vast blue ocean. But before she could even move in after finishing the renovations, she suddenly died and found herself transmigrated into a cannon-fodder supporting character in a period novel.

She barely knew the plot of the novel—only that a friend had mentioned a pitiful supporting character who shared her name. The character’s storyline wasn’t extensive, and Lin Xiang had only skimmed the parts related to her.

The original Lin Xiang’s father, Lin Guangming, had been a farmhand for a landlord. During the 1952 land reform, he rose by actively participating in overthrowing the landlord and later moved to the city, securing a job as an apprentice in the steel plant. He married and had a daughter, but his wife died when their daughter was just two years old. A year later, Lin Guangming remarried, bringing in a widow with a daughter of her own. The family later grew with the birth of a son.

In this restructured family, the original Lin Xiang never truly bonded with her father, stepmother, stepsister, or her stepmother’s beloved son. Despite her hard work and obedience, her stepmother always kept her at arm’s length, prioritizing her own children. Once her stepmother took over household finances, any good things were reserved for her biological daughter and son, leaving the original Lin Xiang weak and pitiable.

Her stepmother was skilled at putting on a facade, fooling Lin Guangming and the neighbors into believing there was harmony in the household.

The saying “a stepmother often leads to a stepfather” rang true. When Xifeng City implemented its mandatory rural labor policy for unmarried youth aged sixteen and above, the original Lin Xiang was tricked into giving up her steel plant job to her brother.

The original Lin Xiang had graduated from high school with excellent grades and secured a coveted job as a formal worker at the steel plant. With this job, she was exempt from the rural labor policy. However, her father and stepmother couldn’t bear to send Lin Jianxin, the family’s only son with only a primary school education and no job prospects, to the countryside. They coerced the original Lin Xiang into giving up her job, appealing to her sense of duty as an elder sister.

With her brother spared, the original Lin Xiang was forced to go to the countryside. To make matters worse, her malicious stepmother schemed to marry her off to the factory director’s lazy and abusive son in exchange for benefits.

Deprived of her job and married to an abusive man, the original Lin Xiang’s life was a nightmare. She was beaten frequently, neglected by her own family, and ultimately died on the night of her 25th birthday.

After reading this tragic summary from a few hundred-word screenshot, Lin Xiang was furious. “This is outright bullying!”

Little did she expect, that very night, she would transmigrate into the story.

It was a direct transmigration, too.

The original Lin Xiang, torn between her reluctance to go to the countryside and her inability to voice her true feelings, fell ill from stress and fear, dying in a feverish haze. This gave Lin Xiang her opportunity to take over.

Fortunately, the original Lin Xiang had been shy and avoided people. Having been sick for a few days, Lin Xiang managed to pass off the transition and quickly got her bearings.

Now, her job at the steel plant was still hers, as the original hadn’t yet handed it over to her brother. This was a small blessing.

Assessing her situation, Lin Xiang initially planned to cling to her steel plant job. After all, it was a precious iron rice bowl that could carry her safely into the economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s.

But when she returned to work today after canceling her sick leave, she was shocked. Her job was in the factory’s workshop, a high-temperature environment where women worked ten-hour shifts. Under the scorching summer sun, with no cooling measures in place, the job felt like one of the ten tortures of hell.

Having worked hard in her previous life and saved enough to retire early in a seaside town, Lin Xiang now found herself on the verge of tears at the thought of enduring such harsh labor again.

Still, the workshop job was highly coveted in this era, as it exempted her from being sent to the countryside. That was why her father and stepmother were so eager for her to relinquish it.

The original Lin Xiang had been docile and gullible, but Lin Xiang wasn’t so easily fooled.

“Lin Xiang! How dare you steal my sponge cake!”

Lost in thought about her future, Lin Xiang was jolted back to reality by an obnoxious shout.

The person who barged in was none other than Lin Jianxin, the precious son of Lin Xiang’s father and stepmother after their remarriage.

The Lin family members weren’t bad-looking. Though Lin Jianxin wasn’t particularly handsome, his features were well-proportioned, inheriting his father’s square face and bold facial features. However, his petty and selfish nature made it clear he was far from a good person—even unwilling to share a single piece of sponge cake with his elder sister.

Lin Xiang’s stepmother, Qiu Aiying, outwardly treated her stepdaughter with care and concern, but in reality, she hid all the good things for her own two children. Over time, Lin Jianxin developed the belief that Lin Xiang wasn’t entitled to enjoy anything good; those were meant for him.

Lin Xiang paid no attention to the annoying Lin Jianxin. She leisurely popped the last piece of sponge cake into her mouth, savoring the rare soft and sweet taste. The rich eggy flavor filled her senses—a luxury far better than the daily meals of cabbage and sweet potatoes.

“Mom! Mom, look at her!” Lin Jianxin, sixteen years old and right at the age for forced rural resettlement, was still a mama’s boy who loved tattling whenever things didn’t go his way.

A middle-aged woman stepped into the room behind him, her almond-shaped eyes angled upward, glaring sharply. When she noticed that Lin Xiang had taken the sponge cake, her face darkened. “Xiangxiang, where did you get that…”

“Mom, wasn’t it you who bought it for me?” Lin Xiang smiled sweetly at her stepmother, her expression calm. “I was sick a few days ago. You must have bought the sponge cake to help me recover, right?”

“I…” Qiu Aiying found herself choked by Lin Xiang’s words, unable to respond for a moment. After all, she always pretended to be a caring stepmother. Besides, at this critical time, a piece of sponge cake was trivial. She had more important matters at hand. “Yes, of course, I was thinking about your health. You need to recover.”

“Mom, that sponge cake was meant for me!” Lin Jianxin, spoiled and domineering at home, was used to bullying Lin Xiang and couldn’t handle the change.

“Enough,” Qiu Aiying whispered to her son. “I’ll make you some braised pork tomorrow. Now go play outside.”

The promise of braised pork lit up Lin Jianxin’s eyes, and he immediately dropped the issue. He skipped off to find his friends in the courtyard.

Unlike her brother, Lin Chuchu, Lin Xiang’s stepsister, wasn’t so easily pacified. She couldn’t stand seeing Lin Xiang enjoy the sponge cake. Such a luxury shouldn’t belong to her. Just as she was about to mock her, she froze mid-sentence. Her eyes widened in shock. “You… You look so much prettier! Mom, look at her!”

Lin Xiang’s appearance resembled the original host’s by about 80 to 90 percent. However, the original Lin Xiang, living in the 1970s, suffered from malnutrition due to the lack of food and clothing. Despite her father being a third-level worker in the steel factory with a monthly salary of 66 yuan, the original host didn’t benefit at all. Meat was a rare treat once a year, leaving her malnourished. Combined with her lack of confidence and years of suppression, she carried a defeated and gloomy demeanor.

Even so, the neighbors in the steel factory compound had acknowledged that Lin Xiang was a budding beauty, which spoke volumes about her potential looks.

Now, with the modern Lin Xiang inhabiting this body—someone who had meticulously maintained her appearance in her previous life—her fair, jade-like oval face, crescent-shaped brows, and limpid almond eyes exuded a radiant charm. Her small, delicate nose and rosy lips added to her allure. Even the small portion of her forearm peeking out from her coarse clothes looked smooth and fair.

Lin Xiang had been careless that day, forgetting to fully mask herself and mimic the original host’s timid demeanor. It didn’t take long for Lin Chuchu, who always envied her, to notice the difference.

Lin Chuchu, who had inherited Qiu Aiying’s looks, was also a little beauty. However, her naturally darker skin and less refined features made her pale in comparison to Lin Xiang.

“Mom, look at her!” Lin Chuchu couldn’t contain her jealousy, immediately pointing out the change.

Qiu Aiying, hearing her daughter, suspiciously scrutinized Lin Xiang. Normally, she barely gave her stepdaughter a second glance. Now, taking a closer look, she couldn’t deny that Lin Xiang seemed different.

The same features, the same figure—so why did she seem so changed?

Lin Xiang appeared fairer than before. She had always been pale, supposedly taking after her late mother. Qiu Aiying had overheard her husband’s coworkers mention that his deceased wife had been exceptionally beautiful, which explained why their daughter was also attractive.

But now Lin Xiang seemed even fairer. Her skin had a delicate translucence, a rosy undertone. Her eyes and lips looked the same as before, but somehow her features appeared more refined, especially those almond-shaped eyes, which seemed almost enchanting.

“You…” Qiu Aiying struggled to figure out what was different.

“I was sick recently, sweating with a fever, and I’ve been staying indoors, not going out much. Does that make me look healthier now?” Lin Xiang lowered her gaze slightly, avoiding direct eye contact and using this excuse to brush off their suspicions.

Fortunately, no matter how doubtful Qiu Aiying and Lin Chuchu were, they could never fathom the extraordinary truth of a soul swap. They simply accepted her explanation that the illness had made her look better.

This minor episode wasn’t what truly mattered. Qiu Aiying sat down at the table and smiled at Lin Xiang, ready to bring up her main agenda.

Qiu Aiying had a decent appearance—when she was young, she was a proper-looking woman. Back then, it had taken considerable effort to marry Lin Guangming as her second husband, and her good looks had played a big role. However, over the years, indulging in her position as the one in charge of managing the household and finances, she’d been sneaking treats here and there. The once slender beauty had grown plumper. Moreover, as the saying goes, the face reflects the heart, and her scheming nature had lent her features a sharp and mean edge.

Her smile now was anything but kind-hearted.

Lin Xiang remembered the storyline mentioned in the book: Qiu Aiying would hide any good things she bought for herself. The original Lin Xiang had been meek and submissive, but today, Lin Xiang decided to test her luck. She searched and managed to find a sponge cake wrapped in a handkerchief, hidden deep in the living room cabinet.

“No matter who suffers, I won’t let myself suffer.” That had been Qiu Aiying’s life motto. She’d endured too much in her previous life, never truly enjoying anything, and in the end, she had nothing to show for it. This time, she decided to live well and indulge herself. Without hesitation, Lin Xiang ate two of the three sponge cakes and left one. Carefully folding the handkerchief back around the remaining cake, she looked at Qiu Aiying’s pained and resentful expression and said crisply, “Mom, I’m not fully recovered yet. I’ll save this piece for tonight.”

Suppressing her anger, Qiu Aiying replied, “Fine, keep it.” She bit her lip, glancing at her husband, Lin Guangming, who had just come home from work. For now, she didn’t want to argue with her stepdaughter. After all, if things worked out as planned, she’d have enough money to buy a whole box of sponge cakes—far more than these few pieces. “Your dad has something to discuss with you.”

Lin Guangming had just returned from the factory. As a third-level machinist at the steelworks, he had a respectable position and a high salary, making him the undisputed authority in the family. His square face, thick, slanted eyebrows, and deep, dark eyes exuded a natural sense of intimidation, further enhanced by his tall and imposing stature.

Seeing his daughter resting at home after her recent illness, Lin Guangming frowned deeply. As soon as he entered, he said, “Xiangxiang, now that you’re feeling better, you need to give your job to your brother. I’ll arrange a good marriage for you later, so you won’t have to go to the countryside.”

A good marriage? Lin Xiang thought of the original storyline, where she was married off to the factory director’s son. How was that a good outcome?

In this era, staying single wasn’t realistic—especially since she was already nineteen, an age that wasn’t considered young anymore. But rather than letting her scheming father and stepmother manipulate her, she decided to take control of her own fate.

The original Lin Xiang had never interacted with any male colleagues or had any romantic interests. She started considering that she might need to arrange a marriage for herself—a marriage she could control. Then, deep in the original Lin Xiang’s memories, she recalled something: a childhood betrothal!

But now wasn’t the time to think about that. Facing her father, Lin Xiang decided to test him, wondering if he had even a shred of conscience. “Dad, can’t you get Jianxin a job? I worked hard to earn this position, and I want to keep it.”

A loud bang instantly shattered the tense atmosphere in the small living room!

Lin Guangming’s face darkened like a storm cloud, and his deep-set eyes burned with fury. He couldn’t tolerate even a hint of disobedience from his children. His large, powerful hand slammed down on the square table, the sound like a blade striking the floor. His voice was as cutting as his expression: “Are you trying to rebel? How dare you disobey me? Your job must go to your brother!”

The next second, it seemed as if he was about to raise his hand to strike her.