Lin Shu looked at the dark wooden beams overhead.

The ceiling was covered with closely packed sorghum stalks, with drifting ash and spider webs.

She felt a bit dizzy.

Outside the back window, a few women were gossiping.

“Her husband is dead now. No one will send money back to support her. Her in-laws and sisters-in-law will definitely be displeased.”

“I don’t think she’ll be able to hold out on her own. Before long, she’ll be looking for other men. You better keep an eye on your own husbands!”

Lin Shu: …Are they talking about me?

Because of some extra information in her head, Lin Shu realized she had traveled back in time.

She had a heart condition, so she couldn’t do intense activities or be out in the sun for long.

She was used to strolling by the river with an old-fashioned umbrella in the morning and evening.

That morning, while taking her usual walk, she saw a man chasing a girl with a knife.

The girl was thrown to the ground, desperately shouting for help.

Without thinking, Lin Shu rushed over and used her umbrella to hit the man’s arm.

She was surprised by the strength she unleashed, knocking the knife from his hand.

She pressed the umbrella’s tip against his chest to keep him from retrieving the knife, but he pushed her hard, causing her head to slam against the stone railing by the river.

When she opened her eyes again, she had become the original owner of the body with the same name.

The original owner was born in 1950. Because of her great beauty, her literate grandmother named her Shu.

As she grew, her beauty only increased, making her stand out in the village.

The local women, who liked to stir up trouble, would look at her with disdain. Seeing she wouldn’t fight back, they openly insulted her, calling her a “little vixen.”

The original owner’s grandmother had been very beautiful in her youth and had many suitors, leading some women to call her a fox spirit.

The original owner Lin Shu was naturally timid and could not retaliate openly.

She only felt embarrassed and resented her grandmother in silence.

She thought it was shameful to tell her family, feeling it was her grandmother’s fault.

At that time, the rural society was such that any woman who stood out was scrutinized.

If you dressed well or appeared attractive, people would talk behind your back, saying you were unseemly.

If you defended yourself, they would say things like, “Flies don’t bite an uncracked egg. If you don’t act provocatively, no one will insult you. Women should be modest. If you’re flirtatious, you deserve punishment.”

The original owner’s mother held this view.

She often mocked Lin Shu, saying she was too flashy and not proper, and that she was like a prostitute who deserved to be a mistress.

She would also tell Lin Shu stories about other women who were punished for being unchaste, embarrassing their families.

Then, she would give Lin Shu a stern lecture: “You mustn’t bring shame to your family like your grandmother did. Your mother worked hard to give you a younger brother, so you can’t make your father and brother look bad. You mustn’t dress provocatively. A girl should be modest…”

The original Lin Shu would only nod and become even more reluctant to wear new clothes or dress up.

But despite her natural beauty and increasing charm as she grew up, unscrupulous men often ogled her and made her feel afraid to go out alone.

The creepy man left a psychological shadow on her, making her fear tall and strong men.

She hoped to marry a gentle, considerate, and refined man in the future, but she was too embarrassed to tell anyone, afraid they would laugh at her for desiring a man who has a good character.

From the age of fourteen, people began introducing potential suitors to her, including city officials who were refined and well-paid.

Her mother was very pleased and thought it was a good match, but her grandmother decided to reject them.

When the Original owner was seventeen, her grandmother arranged a marriage with a man from the Lu family, named Lu Shaotang, who was nineteen.

Lu Shaotang went to the army with his uncle at the age of ten, attended a military school, and became a young company commander at eighteen, with a promising future.

People from Lu’s village said Lu Shaotang was tall, handsome, and full of vigor.

Many girls wanted to marry him.

Originally, he was supposed to marry a girl from a military family, but for some reason, he agreed to marry her instead.

Everyone was satisfied with the match, and many in the village were envious, except for the original owner, who didn’t like it.

Especially when some gossiping women came to her and pretended to be concerned while saying:

“Oh, Shu’er, your grandmother arranged this marriage with Lu’s family to get money for your brother’s wedding.

She doesn’t care about you at all. Lu Shaotang is not a good person.

He was known for being a troublemaker as a child.

What kid didn’t he beat up? If he hadn’t been unable to stay in the village, would his uncle have gotten him into the army?”

“Men in the army are all rough and unreasonable. Many beat their wives. Just look at how that woman from our village, who married a discharged soldier, is beaten every day. So pitiful.”

The original owner was even more terrified of the unfamiliar Lu Shaotang.

On their wedding day, Lu Shaotang rushed back from the army.

As the rumors said, he was tall and strong, with deep features and very handsome.

Having grown up in the army and experienced a lot at a young age, he had a cold and fierce demeanor that intimidated ordinary people, making them afraid to approach.

Uncle Lin and the wedding party were startled by him, and the original owner was almost scared to faint.

While everyone struggled to make ends meet, how did he manage to be nearly 1.9 meters tall with a muscular body?

Fortunately, he left on the third day.

Later, she gave birth to a pair of twins.

The daughter was named Tian Tian by her grandfather, and the son was named Pan Pan.

After the marriage, Lu Shaotang didn’t return for several years.

The children had grown without ever meeting their father.

While others either pitied or relished her situation, she secretly felt happy.

Her mother-in-law managed the household.

Although she didn’t like the original owner’s personality, she protected her well, letting her stay at home to take care of the children, cook, and tend to the chickens and pigs.

Compared to other women, her life was much easier.

However, she was weak and sensitive, unable to refuse others, which caused many troubles for herself.

At first, she had some money from Lu Shaotang and her sisters in the city, but she never got to use it herself as it was “borrowed” by others.

She had no choice but to lend, as she was too shy to refuse.

Whenever people asked her for money, she couldn’t say no, so she ended up lending.

Eventually, everyone stopped giving her money.

She was also good at needlework.

Her maternal aunt, her mother-in-law’s sister, and even other people in the village would ask her for help with sewing.

Although she didn’t want to, she felt too embarrassed to refuse.

Even when she tried to refuse, her sweet voice made it hard for others to take her seriously.

A few kind words, and she would give in.

Afterwards, she would hide away and sulk alone.

Her mother-in-law would scold her, saying she was just causing trouble for herself by being everyone’s sewing girl and that she should have refused.

She felt that if she refused, she would offend people, and she thought her mother-in-law was against her and didn’t support her.

This made her even more upset.

Her days were miserable; she felt exhausted and suffocated.

She didn’t feel like a day was complete without getting angry.

A few days ago, news came that Lu Shaotang had died.

Although she was sad, she wasn’t deeply affected, as she had no real feelings for him.

However, a woman from the neighboring house mocked her, saying, “Your husband is gone, but you don’t seem sad at all. You must have someone else in your heart already, right?”

She was both angry and upset but didn’t dare to argue back.

She went home and sulked in bed.

The gossiping women didn’t leave her alone.

When her mother-in-law and others were not around, they would sneak behind her house and continue to insult her through the window.

She bit the blanket and cried silently, feeling both angry at the women and worried by their words.

With her husband gone, there would be no more money coming in.

How would she and her children survive?

Her two children were only five years old.

If she relied on her family, her sisters-in-law would surely have complaints.

Even when she stayed home to cook instead of working in the fields, her sisters-in-law would compare and make sarcastic remarks, accusing her of being lazy and stealing food.

She knew she would have to live under others’ scrutiny and endure countless cold stares.

She was already sensitive and suspicious.

A look or a casual remark from others would make her overthink for hours and sulk for days.

How could she bear to live off others?

Three days ago, the commune leader came to offer condolences and brought 800 yuan in compensation.

She wanted the money, thinking it was her husband’s hard-earned death money and could be used to raise her children.

But she was too embarrassed to ask for it and hoped her mother-in-law would give it to her voluntarily.

Instead, her mother-in-law kept the money.

She thought long and hard, suspecting that her mother-in-law wanted to give the money to her brothers-in-law, which made her even more upset.

The gossiping women, knowing she feared disgrace and wouldn’t speak up, became even more malicious.

They called her a flirt, saying she couldn’t live without a man, and that Lu Shaotang had left her after only three days of marriage because she couldn’t stand it.

They also said she often flirted with men and that her two children might not even be Lu Shaotang’s.

They speculated that her mother-in-law would kick her out once she found out.

This made her furious and fearful.

The stress overwhelmed her, and she died of a heart attack.

In the story, even after her death, the gossiping women didn’t let up.

Out of respect for the Lu family, they didn’t say anything openly but spread rumors behind her back, claiming she wanted to remarry, and the family wouldn’t let her.

They even fabricated a story about her being caught cheating and committing suicide out of shame.

The gossiping woman was named Song Chunfang.

Lin Shu swore that she would definitely slap her mouth off when she got the chance.

In reality, Lin Shu’s mother-in-law should have been protective of her.

If she had spoken to her, she would have defended Lin Shu.

Unfortunately, her mother-in-law always had a stern face and seemed very cold, making Lin Shu feel like she looked down on her.

Lin Shu’s nature was to keep things bottled up and be afraid to speak out, fearing that if she did, her mother-in-law would side with the gossiping women and despise her even more.

Aside from Song Chunfang, Lin Shu made a note of all the other gossiping women and unkind men who had bullied her.

She planned to get back at each of them eventually!

Suddenly, the gossiping women outside exclaimed, “She’s back,” and quickly dispersed.

Lin Shu knew that her mother-in-law, Fang Dihua, had returned.

Soon, a tall and strong woman in her fifties stomped into the main room.

Her steps were heavy, and her voice was hoarse.

She said, “The third one’s wife, are you planning to lie down until the next decade?

You haven’t cooked, fetched water, or taken care of the children. You don’t want to live like this?

If you really can’t bear to be with the third one, fine, but ask yourself if you can’t bear him or if you’re just sulking.”

Fang Dihua was strong and loud, and she never spoke politely.

Lin Shu always felt that she disapproved of her and often felt secretly resentful.

Lin Shu hesitated for a moment but decided to stay lying down.

She had just come into this role and knew she couldn’t act out too much.

She needed to make changes slowly or find the right opportunity.

Fang Dihua scanned the room.

Not only was the stove cold and the pots empty, but there wasn’t even a drop of water in the water jar.

She had come back from the fields under the scorching sun, and her throat was burning.

She lifted the wooden lid of the water barrel and took a scoop of well water, drinking it down to cool her throat.

After drinking the cold water and feeling a bit better, she put the scoop down and wiped her mouth and said :

“You’ve been lying down for five or six days. So, what do you plan to do? Go back to your parents’ home? Fine, tidy yourself up and go back.Our Lu family won’t hold you back from finding someone else. You can come back to see the children if you want.”