Chapter 11

This jade pendant had been given to Shu Yue by her grandfather before she was sent down to the countryside. He explained that it originally belonged to Shu Yue’s mother. After her mother passed away, he kept it instead of handing it over to Shu Yue — because it was his way of holding onto a memory of his daughter.

When trouble hit the family and he feared he might never see his granddaughter again, he finally passed the pendant to Shu Yue, entrusting her with this last keepsake of her mother.

It was her mother’s relic, and Shu Yue had always treasured it. In her previous life, she naively gave the pendant to Cheng Hui, that ungrateful little snake, thinking it would be passed down within the family. She never imagined that Cheng Hui wasn’t even her real child.

But ironically, it was also because of Cheng Hui that Shu Yue learned the pendant was actually a magical space. Before her death, Cheng Hui gloated, holding the pendant in hand:

“Do you even know what this is? It’s a treasure! Inside is a private space — you can grow food, live there, and best of all, it’s full of gold, silver, and jewels. There’s even a spiritual spring — all priceless things! Maybe it’s something your dead mother left you. Too bad you never figured it out and just handed it to me. You really are the perfect foster mother. If you hadn’t kept pushing me so hard all these years, maybe I wouldn’t have been so ruthless. After all, without you, I wouldn’t be living so comfortably now.

But every night when I dream, I see you holding that bamboo switch, forcing me to study, read, and memorize the newspaper. All nightmares. Just seeing your face reminds me of those days. I couldn’t stand it — I had to make you disappear forever, so I could finally sleep in peace. In the end, you only have yourself to blame… why did you have to keep forcing me?”

Those words stabbed Shu Yue’s heart like a knife. Even now, remembering them filled her with rage. If murder weren’t a crime, she would have strangled the newborn Cheng Hui on the spot — a child born rotten to the core. She wasn’t even her real mother, yet Shu Yue had raised her, given her the best education and living conditions. Cheng Hui felt no gratitude, only poisoned the entire family.

Shaking off those bitter memories, Shu Yue entered the living quarters of the pendant’s inner space. It was a standard one-bedroom apartment — a bedroom, plus a kitchen, living room, and bathroom — fully furnished and ready to move into.

When she opened the storeroom, she froze in shock.

From outside, the three small houses didn’t look big, but the moment she stepped inside, she realized the space was vast. Dozens of shelves stretched neatly in rows: the front stocked with rice, flour, grains, and oil; the middle filled with daily necessities — cloth, basins, kettles, shoes, hats — everything imaginable; and the back crammed with antiques and paintings. In one corner stood several large wooden chests. Every time she opened one, she was stunned anew.

Two boxes were filled with gold and silver jewelry, exquisitely crafted. Another held jade and emerald pieces — dozens of bracelets alone, all with exceptional luster and clarity. Even though Shu Yue was no expert, she could tell these items were priceless.

The remaining five chests were full of gold ingots — so dazzling they nearly blinded her.

With treasures like these, it was no wonder that in her past life Cheng Hui managed to cozy up to high society. With such resources as a steppingstone, no door would remain closed.

If the storeroom amazed Shu Yue, the study nearly dropped her jaw to the floor. She thought the storeroom was large — but the study was endless. Shelves upon shelves of books filled the room. The most magical thing was that when she casually opened a book and read a page, the content imprinted itself in her mind instantly — as if she now possessed a photographic memory.

After touring all three rooms, Shu Yue couldn’t suppress her excitement. Her smile kept widening no matter how she tried to contain it. With this space, no matter where she lived in the future, she would never have to worry about survival again.

She plucked two tomatoes from the garden, wiped them casually, and took big bites — sweet and juicy. Sitting on the grass, her mind raced with plans.

Even without the space, she wouldn’t have had to worry much about her livelihood. Before she went to the countryside, her grandfather had already made arrangements. An old friend of his sent her money every month. The village chief would collect the remittance slips for her to keep things discreet — they didn’t want anyone to know she had financial support or powerful connections. Her uncle had also helped the chief with a major issue and held leverage over him, so there was no risk of the chief withholding the money.

At twenty yuan a month, Shu Yue could live comfortably in the village. But she had hardly spent any of it in her past life — it wasn’t easy to go out shopping, and everyone in the village knew her family background. If she bought too much, people would grow jealous or even report her. To avoid drawing attention, she saved every cent and only occasionally asked the village chief’s wife to bring back small necessities.

Now, with the pendant’s space, she was completely free from worry.

Thinking back on her previous life, Shu Yue recalled how her so-called husband, Cheng Jingchuan, disappeared right after they registered their marriage certificate. Whatever his reasons, any man who could abandon his wife like that wasn’t worth keeping. In her past life, she never expected anything from him.

After three bitter years in the countryside, her grandfather’s family was finally cleared of false charges. They immediately sent her uncle to bring her home.

When she left, she only took Cheng Hui with her. The Cheng family, seeing her depart, suddenly tried to speak kindly — talking about “family ties” and “supporting each other.” Lies fit only to fool children. Shu Yue had long since seen the Cheng family’s true, disgusting nature. She walked away without looking back, not even leaving them an address — and never saw them again.

Now, with a second chance at life, Shu Yue had protected her son and gained this miraculous space. All she needed to do was wait for her grandfather’s family to be vindicated, and her days would finally improve.

But this time, she wouldn’t live as muddleheadedly as before. Before her grandfather’s case was overturned, she intended to formally end her marriage with Cheng Jingchuan. After all, he felt only hatred and disgust toward her. Divorce would be the best ending for both.