Chapter 1

In the winter of 1970, the cold arrived unusually early.

By early December, snowflakes had already begun to mix with the steady drizzle of rain, falling quietly to the ground. 

The wide, flat street was nearly deserted. A jeep made its way southward through the curtain of rain and snow, splashing through puddles and scattered leaves along the way. 

Through the rearview mirror, Xiao Hu, the orderly, glanced at the Colonel sitting in the back seat. The Colonel was frowning, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window. Clearing his throat softly, Xiao Hu reminded him, “Chief, didn’t you say this morning you’d buy Yuyu some egg cakes? The cooperative store is just up ahead.” 

Chen Demao snapped out of his thoughts. When he remembered how much better his daughter had been recovering over the past few days, the heaviness in his eyes was replaced by a tender warmth. “Pull over. I’ll go buy them.” 

Xiao Hu frowned. “Let me go. It’s raining outside—you don’t want to catch a cold.” 

Waving him off, Chen Demao chuckled and scolded lightly, “No need. I’m not that delicate.” 

Besides… chances are, I won’t have many more chances to do this. 

Seeing his leader insist, Xiao Hu sighed in resignation.

After stopping the car, he leaned over to hand the umbrella from the passenger seat to the Colonel. 

It was probably because of the overcast sky, but though it was not yet six o’clock, the twilight had already deepened considerably. 

Holding the umbrella, Chen Demao glanced at the darkening sky. Steadying the emotions that once again threatened to resurface, he strode quickly toward the cooperative store. 

---

The Family Courtyard stood alone by the banks of the Changluo River. 

When Chen Demao and Xiao Hu returned home, they were greeted by Ji Mo, his wife, who had come out to meet them. Chen Demao took off his hat and handed it to her. 

“Why did you buy so many things?” Ji Mo asked, glancing at the large bags of pastries Xiao Hu was carrying.

She turned back to her husband and cast him a reproachful look. 

“Where’s Yuyu?” 

“She went to Xiu Zhen’s house to borrow some soy sauce for me.” 

Chen Demao nodded. After shrugging off his heavy overcoat, his voice dropped as he said, “We’ll send her away in the next couple of days.” 

Hearing this, Ji Mo paused in the middle of brushing off the rain and snow from her hands. The gentle smile on her face faded, but she didn’t say anything right away. She seemed to have been mentally preparing for this. 

“Is it confirmed?” she asked as she turned to hang his military hat on the coat rack. She then took his overcoat from him and hung it up alongside the hat. 

Rubbing his brow, Chen Demao waited for Xiao Hu to leave before sharing the news he had received earlier that day. “Old Lu has been stripped of his rank and sent to the frontier…” 

“And Old Lu’s wife…?” Ji Mo asked in shock. 

Leading his wife into the house, Chen Demao explained, “She filed for divorce through the newspaper. It’s understandable—otherwise, the children would have to suffer alongside him.” 

This was a difficult topic to respond to. From what Ji Mo knew of Old Lu’s Wife’s character, she didn’t believe the divorce had been for the sake of the children.

But in the end, it was someone else’s family matter, so Ji Mo only mulled over it briefly in her heart before asking, “What about the old leader?” 

Ever since the new policies had come into effect, the situation had grown more tense by the day. 

Things were slightly better within the military unit, but outside, people were putting up big-character posters, and incidents of ransacking homes were becoming increasingly common. 

Now that even Old Lu had been implicated, it made everyone all the more uneasy. 

Chen Demao sat down on the sofa. Hearing Ji Mo’s question, he patted her hand lightly, sighed, and said nothing. Yet, that silence seemed to speak volumes. 

The old leader’s situation was also difficult. Too many people were watching him, likely leaving him unable to help anyone else. 

Seeing this, Ji Mo felt a pang in her chest. She instinctively glanced back at her daughter’s room, her expression turning sorrowful as she muttered, “Then… let’s go with your plan. Send Yuyu away as soon as possible. We can endure some hardship, but our daughter is only fifteen by her nominal age.” 

This had already been decided earlier. Chen Demao’s voice was low but steady as he comforted her, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Yuyu is well taken care of.” 

Though he said this, in his heart, Chen Demao didn’t want his wife to endure hardship alongside him. He was a pragmatic man, and in times like these, it was safest for his wife to distance herself from him and live with their daughter. 

But his wife was beautiful. Even at forty-two, dressed in simple clothes, her vibrant looks couldn’t be hidden. 

Adding to that, they no longer had any close relatives to rely on. In such turbulent times, leaving the mother and daughter to live alone—how could he possibly feel at ease? 

As he thought of this and then of his daughter, whose beauty surpassed even her mother’s, Chen Demao found it hard to sit still. He stood up abruptly. “Later, have a proper talk with Yuyu. Explain things clearly to her. I’ll go upstairs and call Sister Qiuhua.” 

Ji Mo also stood up. “You go ahead. I’ll check on dinner first. After we eat, we’ll sit down and talk to Yuyu together.” 

“That works…” 

---

Meanwhile, completely unaware that she was about to be sent away, Chen Nongmo was walking briskly home.

Holding an umbrella in one hand and balancing a bowl of soy sauce in the other, her steps were light. From a distance, she saw her mother waiting at the door and called out with a smile, “Mom!” 

Ji Mo reached out to take the bowl from her daughter, instinctively touching her hand and frowning. “I told you not to go, but you insisted. Look, now your hands are cold!” 

Chen Nongmo closed the umbrella and shook off the water droplets before following her mother into the house. She didn’t say a word, just kept a faint smile on her lips as she listened to her mother’s chattering. 

“You, silly girl. Always smiling like that. Your soft temper—I don’t know who you got it from. A girl should be a bit fiercer, or else she’ll get taken advantage of…” 

Hearing this, Chen Nongmo lowered her long lashes as she helped out in the kitchen. 

Her temperament wasn’t soft at all. It was just that, in her previous life, after struggling in society and suffering countless setbacks, she had been worn down into the harmless and easygoing demeanor she now displayed. 

Yes! 

It was in her previous life!

For reasons unknown, and by some unknown chance.

Chen Nongmo only remembered that eight days ago, during an earthquake, she had been buried in the rubble while trying to save the elderly director, Mom.

When she opened her eyes again, 28-year-old Chen Nongmo from 2023 had become 15-year-old Chen Nongmo from 1970.

The original body, it was said, had been deprived of oxygen for too long in the womb, and as a result, her temperament had always been like that of a three-year-old child.

The only thing that made her different from a typical child was that she never cried or made a fuss—she simply sat quietly every day.

But to others, this was seen as a sign of stupidity.

Because of this, Ji Mo and Chen Demao had consulted countless doctors and sought all kinds of folk remedies.

But the revived Chen Nongmo didn’t think of herself as foolish.

In fact, she had a strong feeling that the original body was her, and she was the original body.

The reason the girl had been so lost and confused before was likely because her soul hadn’t been fully intact within her body…

“…What are you daydreaming about? I’m asking you something,” Ji Mo interrupted, lightly patting her daughter.

Chen Nongmo blinked, her thick lashes fluttering like little fans. She looked at her mother with a confused expression. “What?”

“We’ve made salted fish for dinner. Should I fry a couple of eggs for you as well?”

“No need, the salted fish is fine. Isn’t there also some pickled radish?” Although the family’s conditions were good, they couldn’t afford to be wasteful—it could easily draw unwanted attention.

Thinking about this, and recalling the gossip she had overheard around the compound in the past few days, Chen Nongmo furrowed her brow again. She cautiously asked, “Mom, when I went to Aunt Xiuzhen’s house to borrow soy sauce, I felt like she had something to say to me.”

This wasn’t untrue.

It wasn’t just Aunt Xiuzhen—almost everyone in the military compound seemed to have something on their minds. 

Having grown up in an orphanage, Chen Nongmo was unusually sensitive to the emotions of those around her. 

She was certain that the looks she had been receiving in recent days weren’t just because she was no longer acting foolish. There was more to it. 

Ji Mo lifted the lid of the pot and scooped a bit of fish soup to taste. After checking the balance of salt and sweetness, she thought it lacked some spice, so she added a few dried chili peppers before covering the pot and reducing the heat to simmer. Hearing her daughter’s question, she paused her task of adding straw to the stove. 

“This matter isn’t urgent. We’ll talk about it properly after dinner. Go set the table and get the dishes ready. It’s time to eat.”

At least there were still ten minutes before the fish would be ready, but noticing the unnaturalness hidden beneath her mother’s smile, Chen Nongmo had an uneasy feeling in her heart. Still, she obediently responded, “Alright.”

After dinner, her father went upstairs again.

Chen Nongmo was helping her mother clear the dishes when Liu Xiuzhen, from next door, came in holding a plate of fried peanuts. Her round face was smiling brightly. “Oh, our Yuyu is really sensible, unlike my two brats. They run outside all day long. Old Ji, I think you know how to raise kids. Why not just steal Yuyu and let her be my daughter?”

“You and your mouth…” Ji Mo laughed, shaking her head. She wasn’t polite with her friend, taking the plate of peanuts from her and then looking at her daughter. “Go wash your face and feet. Let your dad do the dishes.”

Naturally, Chen Nongmo wouldn’t let her father do the dishes. She knew that this was just her mother’s excuse to send her away. 

So, she shyly greeted Aunt Xiuzhen and went to the kitchen by herself to wash the dishes.

Seeing this, Ji Mo’s eyes reddened, and she murmured, “This child…”

Liu Xiuzhen, feeling happy for her friend, had known Ji Mo and her husband for over twenty years. She was well aware of how much effort they had put into raising a child all these years. She softly comforted her, “Look, your daughter’s finally grown up. I’ve always thought Yuyu is bright and lovely. Don’t worry too much. Everything will work out.”

“Yes, it will work out.” Ji Mo wiped her eyes, sighed, and then pulled her friend to the sofa, speaking directly, “I know why you’re here, but Yuyu can’t stay with you.”

Liu Xiuzhen stared at her, surprised. “What? You still don’t trust me? I treat Yuyu like my own daughter. If she likes my son in the future and becomes my daughter-in-law, even better!”

If it weren’t for Old Chen saving her husband back in the day, her family’s Old Chu would have been gone long ago. They wouldn’t have had such good days now.

This was a huge favor. Taking care of Yuyu was the least she could do.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that. Stop trying to provoke me on purpose,” Ji Mo said with a wry smile, patting her friend.

Without giving her a chance to speak, she continued, “Old Chen’s thinking is that in a few days, we’ll probably get an official notice. Those who are lucky might be sent to a remote Military Unit to become instructors, but the unlucky ones will be sent straight to the labor camps. If Yuyu stays at your house, isn’t that just making Old Chu a target? You need to think about your husband and your two kids.”

Liu Xiuzhen grabbed her friend’s hand, frowning. “That’s exactly what Old Chu thinks. I’ve talked to him about it, and he agrees Yuyu can stay with us. Even if you and Old Chen end up in a labor camp, we wouldn’t be afraid. If it comes to that, we’ll send Yuyu to my family in the countryside, and my Chu Dian and Chu Jun will stay with her. Shanghai is far from N City by train—who would even know? The kids can go to school there.”

Although Ji Mo was touched by her friend’s generosity, she couldn’t drag them into this mess, especially given how sincere they were. She firmly shook her head. “Xiuzhen, you know that even if there’s the slightest chance this might bring trouble to you and Old Chu, neither Old Chen nor I would do it. Besides, we’ve already arranged where Yuyu will go, and it’s completely safe.”

Liu Xiuzhen didn’t believe anyone could treat Yuyu better than she did. She instinctively asked, “Who then?”

Ji Mo answered, “It’s Sister Qiuhua.”

Liu Xiuzhen froze for a moment, then sighed deeply. “Sister Qiuhua is indeed trustworthy, but it’s a shame. I would have loved for Yuyu to marry my son.”

Ji Mo remained silent….

---

N City was located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where they didn’t use heated kangs in winter.

Chen Nongmo was afraid of the cold. After finishing the dishes and washing up, she filled three hot water bottles with salt water and crawled into bed upstairs to think.

She wasn’t stupid. Connecting the dots from the subtle clues, and seeing her parents’ carefully concealed worries, it was enough for Chen Nongmo to guess that their family probably hadn’t escaped the political storm either.

The peaceful days wouldn’t last much longer.

It was impossible not to be afraid of the unknown suffering.

However, Chen Nongmo had only been in this world for a few days. Apart from visiting several hospitals for medical check-ups, she hadn’t been anywhere else.

She hadn’t even figured out her own family situation, let alone the environment outside. Changing the current circumstances was impossible.

Rather than making rash decisions in desperation, it seemed more reliable to hide some valuables before the official orders were handed down.

With this thought in mind, Chen Nongmo couldn’t lie still any longer. She quickly sat up, holding the hot water bottle, put on her cotton coat, and was about to get out of bed to find her mother.

Just then, the bedroom door was suddenly knocked on.

She turned her head and saw her mother had already opened the door, holding a bundle in her arms.

Seeing this, Chen Nongmo’s heart skipped a beat, especially when her gaze met her mother’s eyes, which were red-rimmed. It confirmed that her previous suspicions were not wrong.

Ji Mo didn’t know that her daughter had already mentally prepared for the upcoming changes. She sat at the edge of the bed, handed her daughter the small package, and gently touched her daughter’s face, which bore a resemblance to her own. After a long pause, she softly coaxed, “Yuyu, inside this package are money, tickets, and some valuables. You hold onto it… It’s getting unsafe outside. Tomorrow, Xiao Hu will take you to Mom Qiuhua’s house to stay for a while. Once things settle down for your father and me, we’ll bring you back. Is that okay?”

Chen Nongmo instinctively hugged the package tightly and, in a daze, asked, “Mom Qiuhua?”

Who was that?

Ji Mo replied, “Yes, Qiuhua Mom is your father’s ex-wife. She’s a good person, and I trust her with you.”

Are you serious?

Chen Nongmo was even more confused now…

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