Xu Suining recognized the girl who had just barged in. More precisely, the original host did. Her name was Feng Shunhua.

She was the younger sister of the political commissar’s wife and had come from the countryside less than two months ago. Because of her cheerful personality and hardworking nature, the residents of the compound all liked her.

As soon as Xu Suining saw Feng Shunhua, she realized something far more alarming.

She had transmigrated into a novel set in the 1970s, one she had read during college. The title was Reborn in the Seventies: Spoiled by My Divorced Military Husband.

The male lead was Huo Qingshan, and the female lead was none other than the reborn Feng Shunhua. As for her? She was the male lead’s first wife who died young.

The novel barely mentioned this original wife. It simply stated that she was weak and frail, died during childbirth, and left behind a newborn.

Huo Qingshan, being extremely busy and inexperienced with childcare, hadn’t known how to raise a baby. It was Feng Shunhua who stepped in, taking care of the child and raising it until it was fair and chubby. Huo Qingshan had been moved by her efforts, and with the political commissar and his wife acting as matchmakers, they eventually got married.

Xu Suining touched her belly, her expression uneasy. If this really was the world of that book, did she have to die after giving birth just to make room for the heroine?

Why should she? She wanted to live too.

If it came to it, she could just get a divorce. Dying wasn’t the only option.

While she was thinking back over the plot, Feng Shunhua had already walked up and asked cheerfully, “Sister-in-law, are you alright? Everyone in the compound was worried sick when you disappeared. We were afraid something bad had happened to you.”

Xu Suining snapped out of her thoughts and smiled faintly at her. “What bad thing could’ve happened?”

Just from that one response, Xu Suining could tell that Feng Shunhua wasn’t as innocent as she seemed.

Feng Shunhua blinked innocently. “Well… you left so suddenly. People in the compound were saying you ran off with someone. But I knew you weren’t that kind of person.”

Xu Suining looked up at her, noting how she stood slightly taller. The contempt in Feng Shunhua’s gaze wasn’t even hidden.

She smiled. “Who said that? Tell me, and I’ll go confront her.”

She wasn’t about to foolishly defend herself. Since she was claiming memory loss, she wouldn’t admit to anything. Let them try to produce evidence if they could.

Feng Shunhua paused. She had seen Xu Suining before in the compound—always frail, aloof, and ignoring everyone. But now, she seems quick and sharp.

In her previous life, her sister had offered to set her up with Huo Qingshan. At the time, she was eighteen. Huo Qingshan was already twenty-eight and had a newborn.

The army was stationed in a remote mountain area. Military wives had to grow their own food and work the land.

She hadn’t wanted that life. She had dreamed of marrying a city worker and living off rationed food in the city.

Finally, she married a meat factory worker and ate rationed food, but ended up cooking and cleaning for her husband’s whole family. After giving birth to a daughter, her in-laws looked down on her even more, and her husband rarely came home.

One year during New Year’s dinner with her sister’s family, her brother-in-law casually mentioned that Huo Qingshan had become a senior official, someone they could only catch a glimpse of on television.

Her sister sighed. “If Shunhua had married Qingshan back then, her life would be so much better now.”

A few more years passed. When mass layoffs hit, her husband lost his job and turned violent. She was only in her early forties when she was diagnosed with cancer, and she died at home because they couldn’t afford treatment.

Perhaps heaven had pitied her, because she was reborn.

Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t ideal. Huo Qingshan was already married, and his wife was newly pregnant.

But she couldn’t wait. She insisted on coming to help her sister care for the baby, just to stay close to Huo Qingshan and make a good impression.

Once Xu Suining died, she’d be able to marry him and enjoy the life of an officer’s wife.

So when she heard that Xu Suining had run off while pregnant and that Huo Qingshan had gone after her, she was thrilled. Maybe now he wouldn’t want her anymore. If they got rid of the baby and divorced, she wouldn’t even have to be a stepmother.

After hearing from her sister and brother-in-law that Huo Qingshan had found Xu Suining and was at the city hospital, she lied to her sister and rushed to the city early that morning to see how things would unfold.

But what she walked into was a scene of Xu Suining standing by while Huo Qingshan packed up their things.

They didn’t seem to have argued. Had Xu Suining not run away after all?

Xu Suining saw that Feng Shunhua was spacing out again and asked, “So who said it? I’ll go find her.”

Feng Shunhua quickly shook her head. “Forget it, Sister-in-law. There were a lot of people talking. I just overheard something in passing. I don’t remember who said it.”

Xu Suining smiled and looked over at Huo Qingshan. He had already packed up the bedding and stored the washbasin and food containers in the mesh bag. She called out brightly, “Qingshan, Shunhua was really worried about me. She came all this way to check on me. Let’s take her back with us.”

Huo Qingshan was again surprised. Xu Suining had never spoken to him so directly.

If she needed something before, she’d just let out a flat ‘hey’ and never called him by name.

It really did seem like she had lost her memory.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

Feng Shunhua noticed that since she arrived, Huo Qingshan hadn’t looked at her or spoken to her. Suppressing her disappointment, she walked over with a smile. “Brother Huo, let me help you carry something.”

Huo Qingshan stepped aside. “No need. Let’s go.”

Her hand landed in empty air. She felt a bit embarrassed and realized she might have been too eager.

When she looked up, she saw Xu Suining watching her with a meaningful smile.

The driver and car were waiting at the hospital entrance.

As soon as the driver saw Huo Qingshan come out with luggage, he rushed over and took it, placing it in the trunk.

Xu Suining got into the back seat on her own. Once she was seated, she turned to Feng Shunhua with a smile. “Get in.”

For a moment, Feng Shunhua felt like she was the guest, and Xu Suining was the hostess.

She hated that feeling. She was the one who should be getting in and out of cars.

Without a word, she got in.

After Huo Qingshan entered the car, he said to the driver, Li Zhiguo, “Stop by the supply and marketing cooperative on the way.”

Li Zhiguo acknowledged the instruction, and the car pulled away smoothly from the hospital.

Xu Suining looked at Huo Qingshan in the front seat, silent as usual, and at Feng Shunhua beside her, who looked clearly upset. She turned away and quietly enjoyed the view of the 1970s streetscape.

The city wasn’t large. There were still many single-story buildings, and the walls along the roads were painted with black slogans.

The car stopped in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, and Huo Qingshan got out and went inside.

Feng Shunhua stared at his back. Broad shoulders, straight posture, long legs. How had she ever thought this man was too dark or too old?

Soon, Huo Qingshan came out carrying a mesh bag. Inside were rare items: malted milk powder, baby formula, and several packs of sponge cake.

Feng Shunhua felt another wave of envy. Were these things for Xu Suining?

Ordinary families wouldn’t buy such items. Even if someone was sick, they wouldn’t splurge like this.

When Huo Qingshan got back in the car, Feng Shunhua couldn’t hold it in and muttered, “Sister-in-law, do you even know that Brother Huo is still injured…”