Chapter 4

“Cough… cough…”

Su Wanwan slowly opened her eyes. Her throat burned as if it had been scraped by a knife. She sat up with effort and glanced around.

Old newspapers were pasted on the walls. An enamel mug sat on the cupboard, next to a kerosene lamp. A military canteen hung on the wall—it had been given to her by her eldest brother.

Her heart sank. Ever since she had crossed into this world, her parents must have no idea where she had gone.

She had secretly liked Xie Beishen for four years. Who else could be as steadfast as her? On the very first day she reported to his company for work, she ended up here instead.

If she had known this would happen, she would never have held back—she would have confessed earlier.

Just as she was about to get out of bed to see what she looked like now, sharp pain throbbed from her ankle. She looked down and saw it swollen. No wonder it hurt so much.

At that moment, her mother walked in carrying a bowl. Seeing her daughter awake, she hurriedly called out, “Husband, our daughter’s awake!”

Her father and second brother came in right after.

Su Wanwan felt a guilty pang. She wasn’t the real Su Wanwan—the original girl was a timid, obedient daughter, a quiet and gentle soul.

Her differences would surely be noticed sooner or later. When that time came, what would she do?

By her guess, it should be working hours already. With a raspy voice, she asked, “Why aren’t you at work?”

“You nearly had something terrible happen. How could we go work with peace of mind?” her mother said worriedly.

Su Heng pointed to the bowl on the table. “Drink the medicine first, then tell us who tried to harm you.”

Su Wanwan knew this body was too weak to resist. She obediently picked up the bowl and drank the bitter liquid. A frown twisted her brow immediately. It was so bitter. Medicine in the modern world was never this awful.

Without hesitation, Su Heng peeled a piece of candy and pressed it to her lips. “Eat this, it won’t taste so bad.”

She accepted it quietly. She couldn’t risk showing anything strange. The original girl had always been obedient, especially to her second brother.

“Thank you, Second Brother.”

Her father’s face darkened, his brows drawn tight. “Tell me. Who bullied you?”

Chewing on the candy, Su Wanwan’s mind raced frantically, searching for the right story.

If she told them about the original girl secretly dating Ma Zhiming for half a month, would they beat her? That mess wasn’t hers, and she had no intention of taking the blame. No—she would deny it to the end. After all, the original girl had kept it a secret. Nobody knew.

Thinking quickly, she mimicked the original’s timid tone:

“Father, Mother… it was Ma Zhiming. Last night he gave me a bottle of soda. After I drank it, my body grew unbearably hot, my head dizzy. He dragged me into the cornfield, saying he wanted to sleep with me, saying he’d marry me. He even said if I married him, Father, you’d have to assign him lighter work, and give him the quota to return to the city.”

“My body was drugged, but my mind was still clear. When he stepped on a corn stalk, I used the chance to run. I didn’t dare run home, he would’ve caught me. The drug made me feel awful, so I thought of the mountain pool—Second Brother took me there once. The water was icy cold and helped clear the effects of the drug. I don’t know how long I soaked, but once the strange feeling faded, I came back. On the way, I met Second Brother. If you hadn’t taught me to protect myself since childhood, I might already be dead in that cornfield today.”

“Bang!”

Her father’s palm slammed against the cupboard, rage boiling over. “That beast! Worse than an animal!”

Su Heng’s eyes burned with fury, his fists clenched. “I’ll go find him right now—”

“Stop right there!” Father barked. “If you confront him openly, what about your sister’s reputation?”

Su Wanwan nodded quickly. Her second brother was too impulsive. If he stormed off now, her reputation in the village would be ruined. She might even be forced to marry Ma Zhiming.

Su Heng halted, gritting his teeth. “Then what do we do?”

Mother spat angrily, “Hand him to the police!”

“No,” Father said firmly. “The village will gossip about our daughter no matter what. And what if that bastard denies it? What if he accuses her of seducing him? Such things have happened before.”

After a moment’s thought, he told his son, “Eat breakfast and go to work. I’ll handle this. No one bullies my daughter and walks away unscathed. But don’t be stupid enough to pick a fight openly. Use your brain, don’t be reckless.”

Su Wanwan nodded, quickly adding to support him: “That’s right, Second Brother. If he turns it around on me, I’d have to marry him for real. Isn’t that exactly what he wants?”

Su Heng’s expression stayed cold, his anger simmering. “And you—why are you so greedy? Next time you eat something from someone else again, I’ll beat you till you can’t sit down.”

Su Wanwan: “!!!”

That wasn’t even her! Why should she take the blame? Still, she pouted and said softly, “I know. It won’t happen again.”

Her father instructed, “If anyone asks, just say you sprained your ankle. Eat, then head to work. Don’t let anyone notice anything strange.”

Then he looked at her again. “Take care of your injury. As for that boy—he’ll wish he were dead. He wants an easy job? Dream on. The labor farm suits him better.”

Su Wanwan’s eyes lit up. “Yes. Send him to the labor farm.”

In the novel she knew, her father, mother, and second brother all died in that farm. She had to find a way to send Ma Zhiming there instead.

She suddenly remembered her second brother’s tragic ending, and added quickly, “I’ve also seen Ma Zhiming and Liu Caixia tangled together before. Neither of them are good people.”

Father nodded, deep in thought.

Mother’s voice dripped with disdain. “That Liu Caixia’s full of schemes. Half the young men in the village fight to do work for her.”

Su Heng shook his head. “I don’t think she’s that type. Isn’t it just that the villagers think she’s pretty and keep throwing themselves at her?”

Mother gave her son a suspicious look. “You’d better not get involved with that educated youth girl. She’s trouble.”

Alarm bells rang in Su Wanwan’s head.

Oh no. Don’t tell me Second Brother is already connected to Liu Caixia? He’s even defending her now…

Mother nagged a few more words before going to the kitchen to bring breakfast.

Su Wanwan was truly starving. The coarse porridge and boiled egg her mother set before her had never tasted so delicious. Even the yolk, which she usually disliked, she ate eagerly under her mother’s watchful eyes.

She knew well how precious eggs were in this time of scarcity. Refusing to eat would have immediately raised suspicion. Today, even the yolk tasted especially good.

After finishing, she said, “Mother, I think the medicine is making me drowsy. I’ll sleep for a while.”

“Good. Don’t go outside. I’ll be back at noon to cook,” her mother said softly.

“Alright.”

Su Wanwan remembered that the original girl used to cook for the family from time to time.

When they all left, she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Would she ever return to the modern world?

She missed her father. She missed her mother. The more she thought, the more her chest ached, and tears slid down her cheeks.

And she missed Xie Beishen, too. She had pined after him for four years, yet never even held his hand. Now he was gone without a word.

It felt like such a loss.

Why hadn’t she confessed earlier? If only she had.

Outside, she heard the faint sounds of her family leaving for work. She wiped her tears away and tried to think about her current situation.