[Host, wake up quickly! The matchmaker sent by Sheng Zexi is here. If you don’t wake up now, she’ll leave. How else are you going to marry Sheng Zexi and have babies with him?]

Gu Jianing felt as if her entire body was freezing, as though she had fallen into an icy abyss. Even her soul was trembling.

Her head throbbed painfully, and memories of her long and tragic past life flooded her mind relentlessly.

Falling for a scumbag, being used, missing out on someone who truly loved her, infertility, the destruction of her family, and dying in a fire.

Hatred and regret surged within her, but her eyelids felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open them.

A mechanical voice in her head urgently urged her to wake up, while various chaotic noises surrounded her, creating a clamorous atmosphere.

“Little sister, wake up. If you can wake up, I’ll give you anything you want, even the job.”

“Why did the Gu family’s daughter jump into the river? In this freezing winter, even if she didn’t drown, she’d freeze to death. What a tragedy.”

“What else could it be? It’s definitely because of that Wen Zhiqing. Everyone in Huaihua Village knows how much trouble Gu Jianing has caused over him.”

At that moment, a woman wearing a red flower on her head and holding a red handkerchief, dressed like a matchmaker, squeezed her way through the crowd.

She first glanced at the unconscious Gu Jianing, pondered for a moment, and then asked, “Sister, it seems you know the inside story. Tell me about it.”

The woman who had been talking animatedly earlier, upon seeing the unfamiliar matchmaker, immediately realized something.

Noticing the eager looks from the crowd, she proudly said, “Of course I know. I live right next to the Gu family.”

She lowered her voice slightly, “Yesterday, the eldest son of the Gu family passed the exam to become a worker at the steel factory. Gu Jianing wanted him to give the job to Wen Zhiqing, but her sister-in-law refused. So, Gu Jianing jumped into the river.”

“Oh, so that’s what happened.”

“The Gu family has always doted on Gu Jianing. Look at how guilty and heartbroken the eldest son is. Once Gu Jianing wakes up, that job will definitely be given away.”

“So, does Gu Jianing like that Wen Zhiqing?” the matchmaker asked.

“Of course she does. Everyone in Huaihua Village knows that.”

The matchmaker stopped asking questions. Thinking of her purpose for coming today, she couldn’t help but sigh.

This flower already has an owner. It seems this matter won’t work out.

Just as she turned to leave, a cold hand suddenly gripped her ankle tightly, startling her.

She turned around and saw that Gu Jianing, who had been unconscious, had somehow opened her eyes.

“Little sister, you’re awake!”

“Finally, she’s awake! That’s great!”

The matchmaker looked at the young girl in front of her. Drenched, wrapped in her elder brother’s cotton-padded jacket, her hair disheveled, and her face pale, she looked utterly disheveled. Yet, she was still stunningly beautiful—an oval face, willow-like eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, both delicate and charming. At this moment, her almond eyes glistened with tears, making anyone who saw her feel an overwhelming sense of pity.

To be honest, she had arranged many marriages and seen many city girls, but she had never seen anyone as beautiful as this.

No wonder Sheng Zexi, an officer from the military region in the northwest, had traveled thousands of miles to come here and ask her to be a matchmaker.

With looks like this, what young man wouldn’t be moved?

The matchmaker looked up and saw the girl’s moist almond eyes, which seemed to carry a stubborn determination.

“Did… did Sheng Zexi send you to my house?” The girl’s voice was weak, yet sweet, as if laced with honey.

“Does he want to meet me?”

After saying this, she took a deep breath, as if those two sentences had drained all her strength.

“Yes,” the matchmaker nodded, surprised that the girl knew Sheng Zexi had sent her to propose a match.

“If that’s the case, I agree.”

“Little sister, forget about meeting anyone for now. Big brother will take you home.” Gu Yunting scooped her up in his arms, pushed through the crowd, and hurried home with quick steps.

His handsome face was tense, and he muttered anxiously, trying to comfort Gu Jianing.

“Little sister, let’s go home first to take a bath and change your clothes. We can talk about anything later.”

“As long as you don’t do anything foolish, big brother can give up the job.”

“You can give it to Wen Zhiqing, Zhang Zhiqing, or anyone you want.”

“…”

Gu Jianing, held in her brother’s arms, took in his panic and concern. Silent tears streamed down her face. In her past life, after she jumped into the river, her brother had compromised and given the job to Wen Zhiqing. This had planted the seeds of conflict between her brother and sister-in-law for the rest of their lives. It seemed that from that moment on, her brother’s luck had run out. Despite his intelligence and business acumen, everything he did ended in failure. He lived a mediocre life, and he and his wife became a resentful couple.

On the way home, the rest of the Gu family, who had heard the news, rushed over from the fields, the village committee, and their homes.

“Hurry, take her home.”

As soon as they entered the house, the matriarch, Yao Chunhua, forced herself to stay calm. She opened Gu Jianing’s wardrobe, took out clothes and a towel, and said, “Eldest son, put Ning on her bed. I’ll change her clothes. You go boil some water. She’ll need to take a bath later.”

Old Man Gu glanced at his daughter, who was awake but drenched and disheveled, then quickly turned and walked out. “I’ll go get Old Zhang.”

Old Zhang was the village doctor of Huaihua Village. Those who fell into the river were always at risk of developing a high fever.

Sister-in-law Yang Manman looked at her pale, wet, and fragile sister-in-law. Although she knew the reason Gu Jianing had jumped into the river, she couldn’t ignore her conscience. She stomped her foot and said, “Mother, I’ll go make some ginger tea to warm her up.”

The second brother, Gu Yunnan, took out the hen they had planned to slaughter a few days later and killed it.

The third brother, Gu Yunzhou, looked at his sister’s closed door. Seeing that he couldn’t help much, he turned and walked out, clenching his fists. His sister had jumped into the river because of that Wen Zhiqing. That guy needed to be taught a lesson.

Gu Jianing was pressed by her mother to change out of her wet clothes, dry her body, and put on dry clothes. She then drank the ginger tea her sister-in-law brought her.

“In the middle of winter, the river water is cold enough to kill. Only a fool like you would jump into it.”

“Drink the ginger tea quickly to ward off the cold. Once the water boils, take a hot bath. Your second brother has killed the chicken. Later, you’ll have a bowl of chicken soup. Why hasn’t your father brought Old Zhang yet?” Yao Chunhua’s rough hand touched Gu Jianing’s forehead. “I’m afraid she’ll develop a high fever.”

“He’s here, he’s here.” As if hearing his wife’s urging, Old Man Gu rushed in with Old Zhang.

Old Zhang took Gu Jianing’s pulse and prescribed some herbal medicine before leaving.

Yang Manman said, “I’ll go boil the medicine.”

The eldest brother brought in a bucket of hot water, pulled out a large wooden tub, poured the water in, and added some cold water. “Take a hot bath first.”

After Gu Jianing finished her bath, her mother wrapped her in a blanket. Her second brother, Gu Yunnan, brought in a steaming bowl of chicken soup.

The rising steam from the chicken soup blurred Gu Jianing’s vision. She remembered that at this time, her second sister-in-law was in confinement, and the chicken was supposed to be for her. But now…

Gu Jianing looked up and gazed at her family, who were filled with worry and concern, without a trace of blame for her. At this moment, the emotions she had suppressed from her past and present life surged like a tidal wave. She hugged her mother and wailed, “Father, Mother, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault…”