Gu Chengze’s confusion lasted only for a few seconds. Since there was no one else around, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to that night. 

That night, when he was carrying Tang Momo down the mountain, a lightning bolt almost struck him down. Were his recent unusual symptoms related to that lightning? Thinking about this, his brows furrowed even more tightly. 

“Xiao Gu, what’s wrong?” Seeing Gu Chengze stop, Zhang Xiaoli asked cautiously. 

Indeed, Xiao Gu came back to meet his match; she had invited him to come over after seeing him delivering eggs to her family. She had gotten excited and invited him, but she forgot about this matter. He wouldn’t think that she had ulterior motives, would he? 

Realizing this, Zhang Xiaoli wanted to explain. She opened her mouth but didn’t know how to start. Explaining might only make things worse. 

Before they could enter the inner room, the two little ones had already run out, their faces full of excitement. “Mother, why aren’t you coming in?” 

Although the two little ones spoke to Zhang Xiaoli, their eyes were fixed on Gu Chengze, their gazes filled with admiration 

“I’ll be right there. Xiao Gu, if you have anything else to do, I won’t keep you.” Zhang Xiaoli felt much more relaxed now that Tang Momo had finally woken up. 

She was careless just now. Although Xiao Gu was Momo’s benefactor and it’s only normal that they express their utmost gratitude, she should be more careful about what other people would say. 

Gu Chengze, who was a little lost for a moment, quickly understood what Zhang Xiaoli meant. Yes, he and Tang Momo were both adults, so they should avoid any misunderstandings. He nodded to Zhang Xiaoli, then rubbed Tang Jianping’s head and said in a gentle tone, “If you need any help, you can come to my house to find me.” 

Tang Jianping’s eyes lit up when he heard this. “Really?” 

Gu Chengze’s lips curved into a relaxed smile, and he said with a tone full of assurance, “Of course it’s true.” 

Tang Momo frowned when she heard the conversation outside. She thought she would be able to see the real face of the male protagonist today. 

Her consciousness was a little fuzzy on the day that she was trapped in the mountain, and what she remembered most clearly was his military uniform, but his face was vague. 

“Momo, what are you thinking about? Aren’t you hungry? Hurry up and eat this.” Zhang Xiaoli handed over a bowl of steamed egg custard. 

The two eggs were exchanged with Sister He from next door. Thinking of the ten eggs Gu Chengze had brought earlier, Zhang Xiaoli sighed. Now they owed him another favor. 

Tang Momo glanced at the eggs in the bowl. She knew that eggs were still very precious in this era. 

Although the two little ones were standing far away, their eyes would glance at her from time to time. Tang Momo thought of the children in the future, and her heart suddenly softened. She waved to them, “Come here, come to your sister.” 

Looking at the spoon handed over by Tang Momo, the two little ones hurriedly shook their heads. “Sister, you eat.” 

“You help your sister taste whether it is salty or not,” Tang Momo said without giving them a chance to react. She fed each of them a spoonful of egg custard and then cast her eyes on Tang Jianan next to her. 

Meeting her gaze, Tang Jianan hurriedly took a step back and waved at her. 

Tang Momo was amused by his actions and then she casually said, “Mother, who were you talking to outside just now?” 

“I ran into Xiao Gu on the way here. He happened to come to the health clinic too, so we chatted for a bit. Once you’re better, we need to go thank him properly.” After all, it was a life-saving grace, and they had to show their gratitude. 

“Mm, I’ll listen to you.” Tang Momo said and lowered her head to continue eating the egg custard in her hand. 

“Once you’re done eating, let Doctor Lin take a look. If everything is fine, we’ll head back home.” Zhang Xiaoli hadn’t been working for over a day and couldn’t afford to delay any longer in the afternoon. 

Tang Momo stared at her bowl and felt that she was unusually calm. Despite such a major event as time-traveling, she hadn’t fallen apart. 

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. What else could she do if she didn’t calm down? After reading so many similar novels, how many people actually get to go back? 

She doesn’t know if the current situation is that this body and her original body have swapped or something worse. Fortunately, she didn’t have anyone or anything she was particularly concerned about in the future, so she told herself to make the best of it. 

More importantly, she knew that the current hardship was only temporary, and it would only get better in the future. Thinking of this, Tang Momo couldn’t help but let out a sigh. 

*** 

Originally, she thought that the health clinic was shabby enough, but when she followed them back home, Tang Momo found that the conditions at the health clinic were considered good. 

Because of Tang Dajun’s early death, Zhang Xiaoli and her four children were not in a good situation in the Tang family. 

In the first year after Tang Dajun’s death, when distributing food, Tang Erjun and Tang Sanjun changed their residence to the backyard and claim that the grain points earned by their household were too few. 

Zhang Xiaoli agreed to the move, thinking that their household did earn fewer points. 

In the second year, they even said that they wanted to separate the household. Thinking of the hardships of the past two years, Zhang Xiaoli couldn’t help but sigh. 

The memories of the original owner in Tang Momo’s mind slowly returned. The original owner was only sixteen years old this year, but what she had experienced could be described in one word: miserable. 

As the first grandchild of the Old Tang family, she was disliked by Tang Zhaosheng and Chen Lanying simply because she was not a son. Fortunately, her parents didn’t dislike her for being a girl. 

It is said that children from poor families grow up early. As the eldest daughter, she not only has to help take care of her younger brothers and sisters but also has to share the housework at home. Originally, such a daily routine was considered normal in the brigade. 

But Tang Dajun’s early death made their lives even more difficult. Her Second Aunt and Third Aunt even said that they were a burden every day and dragged down the entire old Tang family. 

The original owner had a strong sense of pride and couldn’t stand seeing her family being criticized, so she often went up the mountain to pick mushrooms and wild vegetables when she was not working. If she was lucky, she could get some good things to exchange for a lot of food. 

This time she went up the mountain to pick mushrooms, but she didn’t expect to encounter heavy rain. In a hurry, she fell into a trap. When she woke up, she had become another Tang Momo. 

“Sister, you go in and lie down first. Don’t worry about going to work. I’m here.” Tang Jianan patted his chest to reassure her. 

“Jianan is right. You should stay indoors for the next two days and don’t worry about things at home.” This incident also scared Zhang Xiaoli. If anything happened to Momo, how would she face Dajun in the afterlife? 

Tang Momo nodded and responded softly. She needed to understand her current situation clearly before making other plans. 

*** 

After leaving the health clinic, Gu Chengze was greeted by many people along the way. 

Everyone knew he had returned to find a match, so families with daughters were very warm towards him. 

Such enthusiasm overwhelmed Gu Chengze, and he quickened his pace. He hadn’t heard that sound again, so it must have been a mistake. With this thought, his mood lightened. 

Gu Chengze opened the courtyard door to find Zhao Xiuli holding a basin and preparing to wash the clothes by the river. 

Gu Chengze took the basin from her hands. “Grandma, stay at home. I’ll do the washing.” 

Zhao Xiuli gripped the basin tightly: “What, do you think I’m not washing them well enough?” 

“Grandma, you’re older, and it’s not safe for you to go to the river. Just leave this to me.” Gu Chengze stood his ground, silently expressing his intention to Zhao Xiuli. 

“Did you visit the Tang family’s girl just now?” Zhao Xiuli saw him change ten eggs next door. 

Everyone in the Qingshui Brigade knew about the Tang family’s situation, and Gu Chengze was no exception. 

Remembering what happened earlier, Gu Chengze responded with a soft “yes.” 

“They didn’t say anything, did they?” Zhao Xiuli was sympathetic towards Zhang Xiaoli but remained cautious. 

Gu Chengze carried Tang Momo down from the mountain. They were unmarried, and if Tang’s family had the idea of making Gu Chengze responsible, it would be troublesome. 

She had seen such ungratefulness before in her long life. 

Though Gu Chengze had returned to find a match, it was different from being forced into marriage. 

Gu Chengze looked puzzled. “Are you referring to them expressing their thanks?” 

Seeing his confusion, Zhao Xiuli sighed in relief and then recalled the important matter at hand. “You should pay more attention to finding a partner. If you have someone you like, let me know, and I’ll arrange the proposal directly.” 

Gu Chengze had no concept of what Zhao Xiuli meant by liking someone. He came back to look for a partner because it was her request. 

She had raised him since he was young, and Gu Chengze didn’t want to disappoint her. So, when she wrote to ask him to come back and look for a partner, he did. 

Seeing Gu Chengze silence, Zhao Xiuli sighed. “I’m not forcing you to marry. There’s plenty of time ahead. I just want someone who understands and cares for you to be around so I can be at ease.” 

Zhao Xiuli looked at Gu Chengze’s tall figure and sighed again. Since her unfortunate daughter passed away, this child had become increasingly indifferent, which worried her. 

“Grandma, I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll marry when I find the right match.” Gu Chengze spoke gently to reassure Zhao Xiuli. 

Hearing this, Zhao Xiuli stopped speaking and thought about finding him a considerate girl. 

*** 

After an afternoon, Tang Momo had managed to get a clear picture of her situation. With their family of five in dire straits, the immediate task was to improve their living conditions. She had no time to feel sad; what she needed was to pull herself together. 

Seeing that their sister suddenly jumped up from the bed, Tang Jianping and Tang Yangyang next to them were frightened. 

The two were twins; not only did they have the same expressions on their faces, but they even said the same words: “What should I do, my eldest sister is having a fever and has convulsions.”  

“What are you talking about? I’m fine, I just got up a little too quickly.” Tang Momo pretended to be unhappy and glared at the two little ones. 

“Hehe, I knew my eldest sister was fine.” Tang Yangyang handed the shoes to Tang Momo with a well-behaved face. 

“It’s almost time to get off work. You guys light the pot for me; I’ll go cook.” Zhang Xiaoli and Tang Jianan both went to work, and she couldn’t wait for them to come back to cook. 

According to the original owner’s memory, and with the help of the two little ones, Tang Momo successfully prepared dinner. 

When it was dark, the workers left work one after another. There were voices coming from the front yard. Tang Momo, who had sharp ears, occasionally heard them mention her name. Thinking of her relationship with them, she knew what they would say without guessing. 

The return of Zhang Xiaoli and Tang Jianan interrupted Tang Momo’s thoughts. Seeing them come back, the two little ones had already rushed to the kitchen to get the bowls. 

After dinner, Zhang Xiaoli told them that she would go to the city tomorrow and asked them to stay at home. 

Zhang Xiaoli was afraid that Tang Momo would go to work tomorrow, so she said, “Momo, come with me.” 

Tang Momo didn’t expect such a quick opportunity to go to the city and agreed immediately. 

The next day, before dawn, Tang Momo was awakened by Zhang Xiaoli. Tang Yangyang was sleeping sweetly with her arms around her. She quietly got out of bed and yawned at the dim sky outside. 

They were lucky today; the tractor of the commune was going to the city to do some work, so they didn’t have to walk. 

Tang Momo followed Zhang Xiaoli to the village entrance, where a graceful young girl standing next to the tractor greeted Zhang Xiaoli. “Aunt Zhang, are you going to the city too?” 
 

Before Zhang Xiaoli could answer, a male voice called from behind, “Xiaoyun, stop dawdling and get up here.” 

Tang Momo, still a little sleepy, came to her senses immediately. Xiaoyun, could it be Xu Xiaoyun?