Chapter 2

Ji Mo, who thought her daughter didn’t understand what an ex-wife was, was about to explain it when she looked up and met her daughter’s expression, which was difficult to describe.

She instantly smiled, and the heavy, suppressed frustration in her heart dissipated somewhat. “You know what an ex-wife means?”

After asking this, she realized the words her daughter had spoken earlier when she had just woken up.

Yuyu had said that she used to be able to receive external information but couldn’t express it clearly.

Though the “four olds” had been discarded, most people still believed in ghosts and gods.

Take Ji Mo, for example—she believed that her daughter, in the past, was less foolish, she was more like a wandering-soul.

Thinking about this, Ji Mo couldn’t help but ask again, “Yuyu really knows what an ex-wife means?”

Chen Nongmo detected the teasing and lightness in her mother’s tone and immediately understood that there likely weren’t the dog-blooded things she had imagined between her father and his ex-wife.

She didn’t rush to ask for more details, but instead cautiously probed, “Do I really have to leave? Can’t I stay with you?”

Compared to living under someone else’s roof, she felt more at ease staying with the parents who cared for her.

As for hardship, she had endured plenty of it in her previous life of 28 years.

Ji Mo’s smile faded, and the loving expression completely disappeared, replaced by a firm, resolute look. “No!”

Her tone was decisive, her gaze unwavering, without room for negotiation. Extremely good at reading emotions, Chen Nongmo lowered her phoenix eyes, obediently changing the subject.

She moved slightly back and leaned against the wooden bed frame before softening her voice to ask, “Then could you tell me about that Mom Qiuhua?”

In her heart, she began calmly analyzing the benefits of not following her parents.

Rationally speaking, being outside would have more advantages than disadvantages for her.

Aside from the potential awkwardness of living under someone else’s roof, being separated was actually better for both her and her parents.

It would be more convenient to move around, to take care of things, and to…

Ji Mo, who had no idea that her seemingly innocent and obedient daughter had already analyzed all the pros and cons in her mind, was truly afraid that her daughter would dig deeper. She worried that Yuyu would ask questions like where she and Old Chen were going, why they weren’t taking her along, or when they would be back—questions that would be hard to answer.

When she saw her daughter take the initiative to change the subject, Ji Mo immediately felt relieved and let out a light sigh. “You should ask your dad about this.”

Chen Demao, who had just entered the room holding a glass of milk, was puzzled when he heard her. “What’s something that I need to answer?”

Ji Mo gave him a reproachful look. “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”

Chen Demao, looking helpless, replied, “The door wasn’t even closed.”

By this time, he had already reached the bedside and handed the milk to his daughter. “Didn’t Dad tell you to drink a glass every morning and night to keep your body healthy?”

Chen Nongmo reached out and took the milk shyly, saying, “I forgot, thank you, Dad.”

“What were you two talking about?” Chen Demao pulled up a chair and sat down not far from the bed.

In his younger years, when he had been lying in ambush in the snow, it was common for him to remain motionless for a day or two. But now, every winter, his bones ached terribly, especially when it rained.

Ji Mo took a hot water bottle from under her daughter’s blanket and handed it to her husband, saying, “We were talking about you and Sister Qiuhua. This little girl is clever and full of wild ideas. She probably thinks you’re someone like Zhou Peng.”

Zhou Peng had once been a deputy battalion commander under Chen Demao. Before his achievements were fully realized, he became self-important, started an affair with a saleswoman from the city’s Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and insisted on divorcing his wife, whom he claimed he had no feelings for. He argued that marrying her had only been a product of feudal society.

His rhetoric was loud, but anyone with eyes could see the ugliness beneath it.

Such things weren’t uncommon, but Chen Demao, being a man of upright character, couldn’t stand people with flaws in their morals. He became focused on Zhou Peng.

When he learned that Zhou Peng was average in every aspect, he added his name to the list for the demobilization and retirement slots that year.

It wasn’t done with malice, but rather because, in his view, if someone couldn’t even be loyal to their own family, how could they be trusted with a country?

If others misunderstood that he and Zhou Peng were the same type of person, Chen Demao would certainly have a dark look on his face.

But since it was his own daughter… he could only helplessly raise a hand to point at the little girl before beginning to tell the story of his past with his ex-wife, Cao Qiuhua.

In Chen Nongmo’s view, the story wasn’t all that complicated, and certainly didn’t have the dramatic twists and “dog blood” scenarios she had imagined.

Back in 1940, 18-year-old Chen Demao, under the arrangement of his parents, married his 22-year-old neighbor, Cao Qiuhua, with whom he had been promised in an arranged marriage.

In a time when even filling your stomach was difficult, it was a common practice in the village for families to marry off their children when they reached the appropriate age.

Who cared about love?

That was a luxury for the rich.

Cao Qiuhua began working in the fields at the age of eight, and by the time she was able to be used as half a labor force, little 4-year-old Chen Demao was still a toddler wearing split pants, running around clumsily.

If one were to count properly, Cao Qiuhua had essentially watched Chen Demao grow up.

They had known each other since childhood, so after marriage, their life together was quite harmonious, with both sets of parents spoiling them.

They could have lived a happy, peaceful life forever, but tragedy struck unexpectedly when Cao Qiuhua was four months pregnant.

In 1940, when the Japanese forces attacked the village, they looted grain and massacred the villagers. Most of the village’s residents were brutally killed.

When the young couple, who had escaped death by going to a hospital in the county town for a check-up, returned, they found that in the span of a single day—from dawn to dusk—their village had turned into a hell on earth.

Apart from the young couple, no one from their two families had survived.

Such a devastating blow almost caused Cao Qiuhua, whose nature was strong and resolute, to miscarry from the shock.

Afterward, the couple buried their family members, their hearts filled with resentment. In their desire for revenge, they discussed it many times, and this eventually led to Chen Demao’s decision to join the army.

Chen Demao’s mother was in poor health, and he was the only son, so the family was financially somewhat better off. He had attended school and even spent a year in high school, which in the 1940s was considered highly educated. After joining the military, he quickly became a focus for further training.

But the war against the Japanese was intense at the time, and communication was extremely poor. As Chen Demao followed the military unit, which kept moving, he might not have been able to send a letter home even once a year.

Even so, being able to send a letter—though it might only be once a year—was a kind of hope.

But in 1943, disaster struck once more.

On the third year that Cao Qiuhua was waiting in the village with her son, she received the news of Chen Demao’s death.

During those years, many heroes had sacrificed their lives, and Cao Qiuhua refused to believe it.

She waited alone with her child for four years before she finally gave up.

She accepted the pursuit of the hunter in the village who had been quietly supporting her all along.

She then remarried.

Not marrying was unrealistic—widows, especially young and beautiful ones, attracted too much gossip.

If it hadn’t been for the solidarity of the remaining villagers and the hunter’s discreet support, Cao Qiuhua’s life would likely have been even harder.

Even with such help, rumors still spread, some claiming she was cursed, bringing misfortune to her father, mother, and even her husband.

When Chen Demao completed his secret mission, received a promotion and a raise, and returned home full of joy, intending to take his wife and son to the military unit with him.

But Cao Qiuhua had already been remarried for over four months and was pregnant again.

Meanwhile, his first meeting with his son, who was now eight years old, saw the boy scrambling onto the back of a tall, burly man who resembled a black bear, calling out “Dad” in a way that was uncomfortable for both the hunter and Chen Demao.

What could he say?

No one can be blamed.

It was simply a series of unfortunate twists and unavoidable circumstances that had shaped their complicated life paths.

After a period of silence and awkwardness, the two of them embraced and cried bitterly, which led to their decision.

Chen Demao continued his military career, while Cao Qiuhua continued her new married life.

Though he wanted to take his son with him, Chen Demao considered that the child had never been separated from his mother.

Cao Qiuhua couldn’t bear it either, so he decided against it, instead sending half of his salary back every year to support his son.

He would also return occasionally to visit them.

This arrangement continued until 1952.

By then, their eldest son was already 12 years old.

When Sister Qiuhua and his superiors were pressuring him to marry, he met Ji Mo, who was then a Signal Soldier. ^[1]Signal Soldier are military specialists who are responsible for military communications.

She was being harassed because of her striking looks, and this led to the formation of his second marriage.

Over the years, although Chen Demao and Cao Qiuhua had both formed new families, they kept in touch. Not to mention their son, they had grown up together, and the bond between their families remained strong, with their ancestral relationships treated as close as any real family.

“So… I have an older brother who is 13 years older than me?”

After hearing her father’s brief recount, Chen Nongmo felt that this situation seemed oddly familiar, yet she couldn’t quite place it. A vague sense of foreboding began to rise in her heart.

Chen Demao said with pride and a sense of relief when speaking about his eldest son. “Yes! You have an older brother, his name is Chu Wuwen. He’s 28 this year and serves in a Northern Military Unit. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel three years ago. Both of your names come from the idiom ‘wu wen nong mo,’ which means to indulge in literary pursuits.”

He was proud that his son had achieved so much at such a young age.

And he was relieved that his son was not registered under his household, and was stationed far away from his military unit. It was difficult for them to meet. Moreover, due to their daughter’s special circumstances, the couple had spent a lot of time seeking medical treatment for her in various places. Few knew about the father-son relationship between him and Wuwen, and they hoped that this time would not bring any trouble.

The sense of foreboding that had been lingering turned out to be true.

Chen Nongmo had no intention of recognizing her brother, nor did she feel any joy at discovering that, as an orphan, she had gained a brother.

At this moment, she felt her scalp tingle and the hairs on her body stand on end.

She even felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to “lie flat” and drift away into a dream where she might return to her former life.

It turned out that she had not only crossed time but had also jumped into a parallel universe, landing in the world of a novel, where she had become the Male Lead’s lifelong guilt… the little sister who tragically died young?

Thinking back to how that girl had met such a miserable end, Chen Nongmo’s delicate face turned even paler.

She was afraid of dying!

“What’s wrong? Yuyu, are you worried that your brother won’t like you? Don’t worry, even though Wuwen is tall and big, he’s a good guy.”

Seeing her daughter’s face tighten with an expression of utter despair, Ji Mo hurried to comfort her. However, a bitter feeling slowly spread in her heart.

If the situation had allowed, she would never have wanted to send her daughter, who had only just regained consciousness a week ago and was still fuzzy about the world, into such an entirely unfamiliar environment. Even if the person she was going to was Sister Qiuhua, someone Ji Mo trusted deeply, she would still be reluctant.

But… there was no other choice, was there?

Chen Nongmo wasn’t actually afraid of this. What she was truly afraid of was the countdown to her death in two years.

Even though she prided herself on being sharp-witted and wasn’t the type to rush into danger, what if the plot couldn’t be reversed?

At this thought, Chen Nongmo shuddered, her eyes—sharp and distinct—blinked. With a misty look, she gazed at them and pitifully struggled, “I… I don’t know Mom Qiuhua and… my brother. I’m scared. I don’t want to go.”

Chen Demao leaned forward and rubbed his daughter’s little head to comfort her. “Don’t be afraid. You’re not going alone. Xiao Hu will go with you.”

Ji Mo also nodded in agreement. “Yes, if it really doesn’t work, Mom can talk to your cousin Zhou Miao, and he can go with you. How about that?”

Chen Nongmo’s head throbbed even more painfully. That wasn’t what she meant at all.