Chapter 1

Hongshan Village, 1987

At the downstream of the village river, a group of women gathered, washing clothes while gossiping about the latest news. They talked about everyone’s affairs, from one household to another.

Today’s main topic was a young couple who had recently married in the village.

“Did you hear? Last night, that boy from the Zhou family beat his wife into the hospital! Poor Wen Yue, she just got married, and now this. How is she supposed to live her life? That boy is a good-for-nothing.”

“What’s there to pity? Didn’t she insist on marrying him? I say she deserved it. That girl doesn’t seem like a good person. She even flirted with my son the other day.”

“Come on, it was clearly your son who was staring at Wen Yue. I saw it clearly from the side.”

“Say that again, and I’ll rip your mouth apart…”

“What? You can’t handle the truth? Go ahead, hit me if you can!”

As the tension rose, other women quickly intervened to stop the fight.

From their spot by the river, they had a clear view of the road leading into the village. One of the sharp-eyed women noticed two familiar figures approaching and shifted the group’s focus: “Look, isn’t that Zhou Yao and Wen Yue? Are they back from the hospital?”

Everyone turned to look.

“It is them!”

“Judging by how Wen Yue is walking, it looks like she wasn’t beaten too badly. At least she can still walk. Unlike the girl from Guihua’s family, she is beaten by her husband all day and can’t get out of bed.”

“Zhou Yao’s face looks terrible. He might hit her again when they get home.”

“Maybe we should try to talk to him.”

Despite their words, none of the women dared to approach Zhou Yao.

Zhou Yao was a well-known troublemaker in Hangshan Village, a tall man over six feet with a dark expression that intimidated anyone who crossed him. He and his equally delinquent friends roamed the village causing trouble. Anyone who provoked him would get a punch, regardless of familial ties. None of the women wanted to risk getting hurt.

==

As soon as Wen Yue entered the village, she could feel many eyes on her. She glanced sideways and saw the women gossiping in the distance. This kind of scene was like passing by a group of dogs. They would bark about anything and everything.

She turned her gaze to the distant fields.

It was early summer, and the sun wasn’t too harsh yet. Golden sunlight bathed the fields, making the thriving crops sway gently in the breeze, presenting a scene full of life.

Such a view was something Wen Yue had only seen on her phone in her past life.

Her eyes curved into a smile as she breathed in the fresh air greedily.

Having a second chance at life felt pretty good.

She turned her attention to the tall figure walking ahead of her and slowed her pace, sorting through the chaotic memories in her mind.

She should have been dead.

While out dining, she was caught in a gas explosion, which caused a huge fire that engulfed an entire street in chaos.

In the midst of fleeing, she saw a little girl, around four or five years old, crying out of fear with no adults around. An advertising board above her head wobbled dangerously. Wen Yue didn’t think twice and rushed to push the girl away.

She was hit by the falling sign and lost consciousness instantly.

She knew she couldn’t have survived that. She didn’t regret her actions, but she did feel a bit of a pity.

If she had known that an accident would happen so suddenly, she would have bought that 50,000 yuan coat she had been eyeing for a few days.

Upon opening her eyes again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed with her mind filled with a jumble of chaotic information.

After taking a moment to process the information, Wen Yue realized what had happened.

She had transmigrated into a period novel and became a supporting female character who was destined to serve as a foil to the female lead.

The original owner and the female lead, was an orphan raised by relatives who treated her poorly. These relatives were particularly harsh because she wasn’t their biological child, exploiting her as much as they could.

The female lead, however, was resilient and refused to bow down to their oppression. Despite causing occasional chaos, she managed to protect her own interests and eventually left the village after getting into college, making a name for herself in the big city.

The original owner, on the other hand, was timid and indecisive, completely controlled by her uncle’s family. After her grandparents passed away, she obeyed her aunt’s orders to drop out of school and stayed home to do all the household chores, essentially becoming a free servant. Eventually, she was even forced to marry her cousin’s childhood fiancé, a notorious scoundrel in the village. The original owner didn’t want to marry him but lacked the courage to resist, so she ended up being married off.

After getting married, she lived in constant misery, crying daily and blaming the heavens for her misfortunes. She died of depression before the age of twenty-five.

The original owner’s personality was hard to describe.

Even more surprising was that soon after Wen Yue woke up, she saw her husband, the village gangster, enter the room with a water bottle. He looked annoyed and impatient, speaking to her in a cold, harsh tone:

“We haven’t registered our marriage. If you don’t want to live with me, you can leave. No one will stop you.”

To be honest, Wen Yue was taken aback by her first sight of her gangster husband.

The man in front of her was unexpectedly handsome. He had striking features, a tall and robust build, and stood about six feet tall with broad shoulders and a slim waist. Even the old, patched, and somewhat drab dark blue long-sleeved shirt he wore couldn’t hide his good looks.

Even with a frown and a cold expression, he looked handsome, quite different from the unruly and disreputable character she had imagined.

A moment ago, Wen Yue had been considering divorce, but now, looking at her unexpectedly attractive husband, she calmly thought that perhaps their life together might not be so bad.

After all, if she returned to her uncle’s house, she would likely suffer greatly. She didn’t have the experience to deal with troublesome relatives and preferred to avoid unnecessary complications.

So Wen Yue smiled and said to the man, “I don’t want to leave.”

The man scoffed, his expression tinged with disbelief and sarcasm.

It was understandable that he didn’t believe her.

Wen Yue recalled why she was in the hospital.

The original owner had been reluctant to marry and was upset because of her husband’s bad reputation in the village. She didn’t speak to him, spent her days crying in her room, and generally made herself miserable. Her husband had lost patience and said a few harsh words, which had scared the original owner so much that she fainted.

Yes, she fainted from fear.

Now that Wen Yue had taken her place, she felt that she should explain herself properly to ease the relationship between them, so she supported herself on the edge of the bed with her hands and tried to sit up.

But she didn’t have the strength and couldn’t sit up for a long time.

Finally, the man, seeing her struggle, stepped forward, gripped her waist, and easily lifted her up. His movements weren’t particularly gentle, but they didn’t hurt Wen Yue. He even placed a pillow behind her back for support.

Wen Yue stiffened slightly, then relaxed, smiling as she leaned back. “Thank you.”

“I don’t want to leave,” she said, looking into his eyes seriously. “But my uncle’s family told me you have a habit of hitting people. You’re so tall and strong. If you hit me, it would hurt a lot. I was scared.”

Zhou Yao: “…”

Zhou Yao’s expression soured. “I don’t hit women.”

Wen Yue nodded. “I know that now, so I’m not afraid anymore.”

Zhou Yao grunted, still looking unconvinced.

Wen Yue didn’t mind whether he believed her or not. She lowered her gaze, thinking about what to do next.

Before she could come up with a plan, he handed her a cup of hot water and two large, steaming meat buns.

Wen Yue looked up at Zhou Yao.

“Do you want to stay in the hospital or go home?” Zhou Yao asked. “The doctor said you’re malnourished and told me not to mistreat you. This is a new society and mistreating someone is against the law.”

After saying this, he seemed to find it amusing and smiled, though his smile was cold and somewhat unsettling.

“…”

Wen Yue quietly took a bite of the meat bun, the soft dough and savory filling soothing her grumbling stomach.

Then she mumbled that she wanted to go home.

Zhou Yao said nothing, turned around and went to go through the discharge procedures.

==

Wen Yue was deep in thought, not noticing how rough the path had become. She suddenly stumbled and almost fell into a ditch but was pulled back by her arm.

“Are your eyes on your head?” Zhou Yao’s voice came from above, laced with irritation.

Wen Yue’s heart was pounding from the scare. She steadied herself with his help.

She was already feeling unwell, and the shock made her even paler. Her lips were bloodless, making her look frail and pitiful.

“Thank you.” She didn’t mind his tone and lightly patted her chest, speaking softly. “It’s a good thing you were here, or I would have fallen badly. You’re very kind.”

Zhou Yao released her hand, his tone slightly softer than before. “Watch where you’re going.”

Wen Yue’s eyes curved as she nodded.

They continued along the rough path, though Zhou Yao slowed his pace considerably.

The Zhou family home was near the edge of the village, a ten-minute walk from the hospital.

Wen Yue spotted a house made of earthen bricks in the distance.

The house had two rooms on the left made of green bricks, contrasting sharply with the earthen structure on the right. Outside the courtyard gate, two pear trees and a peach tree were growing, with a loquat tree taller than the roof at the back of the house.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and Zhou Yao pushed it open casually.

Wen Yue followed behind him, her eyes carefully taking in the courtyard.

The courtyard was quite spacious.

There was poultry excrement on the ground, and two clotheslines stood not far away. Under the eaves hung strings of garlic and corn cobs.

To the right was a room that appeared shorter, likely the kitchen, next to a chicken coop, and behind it was a pigpen enclosed by a fence.

The occasional snorting sounds reached her ears, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.

The left side, with its green brick house, seemed less cluttered, with only a small kitchen similarly constructed from green bricks.

Despite being mentally prepared, Wen Yue was still shocked by the environment. Standing at the entrance, she felt a sense of awkwardness, unsure where to step.

Oh my, the living conditions are so poor.

“What are you standing there for? Come in,” Zhou Yao said, glancing back at her.

Wen Yue took a deep breath, took a step forward as if ready to die, and tiptoed, holding her breath, and quickly walked through the yard full of excrement and stepped onto the steps under the eaves.

Zhou Yao stood at the door of the green brick house, took out a key, and opened the door, stepping inside.

Wen Yue tilted her head slightly to look inside.

A bed with a mosquito net was against the wall, the sheets in a disheveled heap. The netting was dingy, white with a grayish tinge, not looking particularly clean. Such an old-fashioned bed was something she had only seen on television.

Next to it was an old-fashioned wardrobe painted green, with a mirror embedded in the center. A desk was under the window, cluttered with various items.

In the middle of the room was a small square wooden table, likely used for meals.

Wen Yue stood at the doorway, slowly sweeping her gaze over every corner of the room.

The conditions of this era were indeed harsh.

She couldn’t tell if being given a new life was a stroke of luck or misfortune.

Voices came from outside the courtyard.

Two women, carrying wooden basins, entered the courtyard, chatting and laughing. They paused upon seeing Wen Yue standing under the eaves.

The woman in a white floral-patterned dress was the first to react, heading toward the clothesline. As she walked, she spoke loudly, “Oh, it’s Zhou Yao’s wife! You’re back so soon. What did the doctor say? Zhou Yao, really, can’t he just talk things out instead of resorting to violence?”

“You’re his wife, after all. To hit you right after the wedding is just too much! But Zhou Yao’s always had a stubborn temper, you—”

“Are you standing here as a door god?” Zhou Yao interrupted, stepping out of the room and standing next to Wen Yue. His height, a full head taller than hers, was quite imposing.

He glanced at the woman who was speaking, saying nothing, yet she seemed to choke on her words, unable to continue.

The woman, her expression awkward, immediately lost her confidence, her voice much softer than before. “Zhou Yao, you’re back too.”

She hastened her pace in hanging the laundry, and if you looked closely, you could see her lips trembling slightly.

The other woman, meanwhile, was too intimidated to even breathe loudly.