Liu Zhixia withdrew her gaze.
The autumn breeze brushed against her face, cool and refreshing.
Her sickle flashed through the corn stalks at astonishing speed. The production team leader, who had been worried she might cut her own leg, stared at her in stunned disbelief.
Zheng Chunli—the young woman who had looked at her suspiciously earlier—was equally dumbfounded.
Was this really the cannon-fodder woman from her previous life, the one who was supposedly frail and delicate and had died on her wedding day?
This woman’s stamina was even more terrifying than a man’s!
Thinking of her own rebirth and the planting space she still possessed, Zheng Chunli felt completely confident.
In an era where food and clothing were scarce, a farming space like hers was an unimaginable treasure.
If she could help the Zhou family survive their current hardship—and even marry Zhou Yunting—she would never have to rely on Sun Haomin’s meager gratitude from her previous life to curry favor with the Zhou family again.
She glanced at the refined-looking man standing nearby. He certainly stood out in this rural village.
But compared to Zhou Yunting, he wasn’t even close.
Her mind drifted to the Zhou Yunting who, three years later, would return triumphantly to the capital—elegant, distinguished, and destined for greatness.
If she married him…
She would become the glorious wife of a general.
A blush spread across Zheng Chunli’s cheeks as she hurried over to Old Master Zhou with her sickle.
“Hello, Grandpa. Let me help you harvest.”
“It’s so hot today, and you’re already at your age. Please take a break.”
Old Master Zhou looked at the inexplicably enthusiastic young woman with utter bewilderment.
Is there something wrong with this girl’s head?
Can’t she see that most of my work has already been done by my granddaughter-in-law?
With that little body of hers, she’s not even half as capable as my granddaughter-in-law!
Zheng Chunli believed she had managed her expression perfectly.
She knew Old Master Zhou was an exceptionally shrewd man.
More importantly, he was the person Zhou Yunting respected most.
She remembered watching an interview from her previous life.
A reporter had once asked Zhou Yunting whether he had any regrets.
The man had remained silent for a long time before finally replying in a deep voice,
“Yes.”
“My grandfather.”
“If I could turn back time, I’d give up everything just to see his kind smile again.”
“Even… my life.”
Another long silence followed.
The grief on the man’s face before the camera lingered in the hearts of countless viewers.
Everyone knew that Old Master Zhou held a place in Zhou Yunting’s heart more precious than life itself.
Thinking she was about to earn the old man’s favor, Zheng Chunli could barely contain her excitement.
Unfortunately…
Reality was very different from fantasy.
By the time she stepped forward to help, Old Master Zhou had already finished harvesting his entire section of corn.
He was far ahead of everyone else.
Zheng Chunli stomped her foot in frustration.
Meanwhile, Old Master Zhou sat leisurely on the ridge between the fields, one leg crossed over the other.
My granddaughter-in-law is really capable.
Originally, he had wanted to help her more. After all, she looked soft and delicate.
No matter how strong she was, she was still just a young girl.
How could she possibly know how to do farm work?
But today she had completely overturned everything he believed.
Not only had she finished her own work in no time, she had even completed his share as well.
Truthfully, Old Master Zhou felt a little embarrassed.
He had once been a soldier.
Yet he had been outperformed by a young girl.
Then he remembered—
She was his granddaughter-in-law.
The embarrassment immediately disappeared.
Instead, he felt immensely proud, completely forgetting that the Zhou family had been sent here for political reeducation.
Nearby, Sun Haomin—the original novel’s male protagonist, who had also been sent to the countryside—walked over to Zheng Chunli and whispered,
“Comrade Zheng Chunli, we’re both from the capital.”
“The Zhou family isn’t what it used to be.”
“They were once beyond our reach.”
“But now, we’re the ones beyond theirs.”
“We’re clouds in the sky.”
“They’re mud on the ground.”
“You should stay far away from them.”
“Everyone else is avoiding them. Why are you getting so close?”
Disgust flashed briefly across Zheng Chunli’s eyes.
But remembering she had just arrived at the educated youth station and still needed Sun Haomin’s help, she forced down her irritation.
With a strained smile, she said,
“Brother Haomin, thank you for reminding me.”
“I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I just felt sorry for the old man and wanted to lend a hand.”
She deliberately kept her distance from Sun Haomin.
Sun Haomin sensed the change as well.
Ever since they had come to the countryside, Zheng Chunli had become increasingly distant.
She even seemed to be avoiding him on purpose.
What’s going on?
He knew Zheng Chunli liked him.
They had always been close.
Their relationship had been just one confession away from becoming official.
Yet now, her sudden retreat and inconsistent attitude left him utterly confused.
Of course, he had no idea that the woman beside him had been reborn.
In her previous life, Zheng Chunli had indeed loved Sun Haomin.
The two of them eventually married.
At first, their marriage had been sweet and happy.
Everything fell apart after she gave birth to a daughter.
Sun Haomin was a textbook mama’s boy.
His mother strongly favored sons over daughters.
The moment Zheng Chunli gave birth to a girl, her mother-in-law’s attitude changed completely.
She constantly criticized Zheng Chunli for failing to bear a son and repeatedly pressured Sun Haomin to divorce her.
Their household became a battlefield.
Six years after giving birth to their daughter, Zheng Chunli still hadn’t conceived again.
Her mother-in-law’s resentment finally reached its limit.
She actually found another woman for her son.
Although Sun Haomin insisted he had been drunk and mistaken the other woman for Zheng Chunli…
What happened had still happened.
The most infuriating part was that the woman became pregnant.
Sun Haomin promised he would give the woman money while allowing Zheng Chunli to raise the child…
That was the moment Zheng Chunli’s heart completely turned cold.
She hated Sun Haomin’s ingratitude.
He had relied on her spatial ability and Zhou Yunting’s connections to rise rapidly in the capital.
What right did he have to wrong her like this?
Now that fate had given her another chance…
She believed she and Zhou Yunting were the perfect match.
Unconsciously, she pictured Zhou Yunting’s sharp, commanding brows and his striking, sculpted features.
A man who would one day wield tremendous power…
That was the husband she deserved.
As for Liu Zhixia…
Zheng Chunli paid her little attention.
She assumed Liu Zhixia’s survival was merely a butterfly effect caused by her own rebirth.
Sooner or later…
She would still die.
There was no need to rush.
It was only a matter of time.
Liu Zhixia worked so efficiently that she finished long before everyone else.
She glanced back at Zheng Chunli.
For some reason, she kept feeling an inexplicable urge to get closer to the woman.
She studied Zheng Chunli’s face.
Nothing remarkable.
Not as pretty as me.
Then she looked at her figure.
Hmm… nothing special either.
Definitely not as curvy as mine.
That’s strange.
She doesn’t seem to have anything particularly attractive.
Could this be the heroine’s halo?
Is it really that powerful?
Liu Zhixia didn’t dwell on it.
She still had plenty to do today.
Later that evening, she planned to make a trip to the county town.
When the Zhou father and son saw Old Master Zhou and Liu Zhixia returning from the fields so early, both were astonished.
Zhou Yunting’s eyes swept anxiously over the two of them.
Only after confirming neither of them was injured did he relax.
Commander Zhou asked curiously,
“Father, Zhixia, you’re done working already?”
Old Master Zhou chuckled.
“Done working?”
“It was all because Zhixia worked too fast.”
“Before the morning was even over, she’d finished enough work for both of us.”
“I spent most of the morning sitting on the field ridge, and then simply came back with her.”
Commander Zhou’s mouth fell open.
Is this really the spoiled young lady from the Liu family?
Is the Liu Zhixia Father is talking about… really the same person I know?