Chapter 4

On the other side—

After sending the men away, Zhao Fengying asked, “Xiao Lin, are you hungry? I can make you dumpling soup. If not, how about a bath first?”

Zhao Fengying, around fifty, had short bangs and a capable demeanor. But when speaking to Lin Ting, her tone was warm and kind.

This considerate attitude helped Lin Ting relax. “I’d like to bathe first,” she admitted. She felt filthy.

Zhao Fengying chuckled. “I figured. But dressing like this was smart—traveling as a female comrade is safer when you look unkempt. No need to feel embarrassed.”

She had met many people in her life and quickly understood Lin Ting’s personality. She might look plain now, but she was actually refined and elegant.

However, Zhao Fengying’s impression would soon change.

At around one in the afternoon, the bathroom was empty.

As they washed, the two chatted casually. But soon, Zhao Fengying fell silent.

She stared in amazement at the transformed girl beside her.

Initially, Zhao Fengying had admired Lin Ting for her determination to retrieve her husband’s belongings. She also liked her soft-spoken manner and graceful demeanor. As a fellow military wife, she sympathized with her.

Lin Ting’s appearance hadn’t mattered much—until now.

Seeing Zhao Fengying’s stunned expression, Lin Ting touched her face, realizing what had happened. She smiled and explained, “I applied herbal medicine on my skin before.”

“I can tell,” Zhao Fengying muttered. She glanced at Lin Ting’s delicate features and fair complexion, even more surprised.

Lin Ting continued scrubbing her hair. Noticing her sister-in-law’s curiosity, she elaborated, “It’s just herbal juice. It doesn’t harm the skin and washes off with water. When I used to take the train for school, my family asked the village’s barefoot doctor ^[1]a self-taught or informally trained rural medical practitioner. to prepare it for me.”

Thankfully, she had brought the potion with her. In such a turbulent era, Lin Ting would never have dared to travel without it.

The bathroom filled with steam, making the girl with black hair and fair skin look even more striking. Zhao Fengying sighed, “Your family was right. I’ve seen many people, but none as beautiful as you. It’s wise to hide your looks when traveling.”

Lin Ting, flustered by the compliment, simply smiled and continued washing her long hair.

She hadn’t washed it in nearly ten days, and without proper shampoo, it was tough to clean.

Zhao Fengying suddenly recalled something. “I remember now. My husband, Wei, mentioned that you were a college student.”

Thinking of the regret the original Lin Ting had carried, she replied softly, “I only studied for two years. I don’t have a diploma, so I can’t be considered a college student.”

“Why not?” Zhao Fengying frowned. She wasn’t going to question policy, but getting into college was a major achievement.

If Huo Xiao were still alive, this refined and intelligent girl would have been a perfect match for him.

The thought saddened Zhao Fengying. She quietly packed up her things, losing interest in chatting.

After showering, Lin Ting washed her clothes using the hot water in the bathroom.

Back at the family compound, she ate a bowl of noodle dumpling soup made by her sister-in-law. At her urging, Lin Ting went to the second bedroom to rest. Exhausted, she lay down and fell asleep in seconds.

She had no idea that after she slept, Brigade Commander Wei rushed back to check her appearance again after washing off the medicine.

What neither of them knew was that her arrival had prompted many soldiers to organize a donation drive.

_

The Next Day

Lin Ting was awakened by the morning bugle call. She lay in a daze in the warm bed before slowly sitting up. Realizing where she was, she suddenly sat up and grabbed the watch from under her pillow.

It was 5:30 AM.

She rubbed her face in frustration, lamenting how inconvenient life was without a mobile phone. Even after sleeping more than ten hours, she still felt sluggish. Maybe it was exhaustion or stress, but she had a strange dream—though she couldn’t remember it.

Not dwelling on it, she massaged her aching head, got up, and put on her shoes. After tidying herself, she took out a red plastic mirror, placing it on the table to braid her hair as she remembered her old habits.

For the first time in ten days, she carefully observed this body’s appearance. It was about 80% similar to her original self. The differences weren’t in facial features but in dress and demeanor. If she wore her old clothes, she would look exactly the same.

As if recalling something, Lin Ting moved the mirror closer. As expected, she found a teardrop-shaped mole under her right eye.

She had always been bright and beautiful, and this mole made her even more alluring.

It was astonishing—could someone really look exactly like her? Was this a past or present life connection?

Since time travel had already happened, what else was impossible?

But she quickly dismissed the thought. Regardless, she was now Lin Ting of the late 1960s. Survival was her priority.

With that in mind, her curiosity faded. She neatly braided her hair, checked her reflection once more, then stood to open the curtains.

The sky outside was already turning blue.

She opened the window a little, letting in the cold morning air, which cleared her mind. Just then, she heard movement outside.

Guessing it was her sister-in-law, she closed the window, grabbed her toiletries, and went out.

Brigade Commander Wei had gone for drills, leaving only Zhao Fengying in the living room.

Seeing her, Zhao Fengying smiled. “Awake? Let’s brush our teeth and wash our faces together.”

Lin Ting quickly walked over, feeling a little embarrassed. “I slept too soundly.”

Zhao Fengying took out a new ladle from the cupboard. “Use this to scoop water and brush your teeth… Every time I take a long trip, I need a few days to recover. Don’t be polite—eat breakfast and rest more.”

But Lin Ting had to return soon.

After washing up and heading to the kitchen, she brought up the idea of calling home again.

Zhao Fengying was kneading dough. Having lived in Chengdu for over a decade, she had adopted some of the local cuisine. But since Lin Ting was from the north, she used fine flour to make noodles for her.

At Lin Ting’s words, she suddenly laughed. “I knew I forgot something! I must be getting old… Lao Deng called yesterday.”

Lin Ting, awkwardly scooping water from the tank to wash vegetables, asked, “Did he?”

Zhao Fengying nodded. “Yes, the army needs to verify your identity, and he wanted to check if you’re safe.”

Lin Ting nodded. “That’s reasonable.” In these times, spies and instability were constant concerns.

Zhao Fengying’s smile widened. “I’m glad you understand. If you still want to call, I’ll go with you after breakfast.”

Lin Ting shook her head. “No need. I need to sort out Huo Xiao’s things later.”

“What’s the rush?”

“There are elderly and children at home waiting,” Lin Ting said calmly, though only she understood her own helplessness.

Who would have thought that in a blink of an eye, she would go from being single to a married woman with kids?

Fortunately, she had ten days to adjust. Otherwise, staying this composed would have been impossible.

The dough was ready. Zhao Fengying took out a rolling pin, dusted it with flour, and began rolling. “Yes, having kids is like that. When mine were young, they were a handful. I couldn’t go anywhere. Only in the past two years, when they grew up, did things finally settle…”

She suddenly paused, realizing that Lin Ting had married into the family as a stepmother. And now, with Huo Xiao gone, Lin Ting was just 21, still a virgin, with good looks and a decent character. It was only a matter of time before she remarried.

Thinking this, Zhao Fengying glanced at Lin Ting, who was quietly cutting vegetables.

Maybe… she should talk to Lao Wei about raising the child under another name.

Those close to Huo Xiao knew very well whose children they really were.

“Sister-in-law, should I start the fire?”

Zhao Fengying snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the girl sitting by the stove. Lin Ting’s face showed nothing unusual.

“Go ahead, but keep the flame low. I’ll cook two eggs first.”

“Okay.”

When the noodles were ready, Brigade Commander Wei returned from his drill.

However, he did not eat at home. After greeting Lin Ting and mentioning he would arrange the return train ticket, he left in a hurry.

Lin Ting hadn’t even asked his leader for help yet, but the issue had already been resolved. She felt deeply grateful.

Seeing this, Zhao Fengying handed her some chopsticks and urged with a smile, “Eat quickly, or it will clump and affect the taste.” Then, she took out a plate of dried radish from the cupboard. “You can handle spicy food, right? This dried radish is spicy.”

Lin Ting nodded. “I can eat spicy food.”

Zhao Fengying chuckled. “Good. I wasn’t used to it at first, but now I can’t live without spice. By the way, after dinner, I’ll take you to Old Deng’s house. He keeps all of Huo Xiao’s belongings.”

Lin Ting thanked her. “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

“You’re too polite.”

_