“Why am I so unlucky? I didn’t even step in dog poop this morning…” Gu Shiyi sighed in her heart. Her eyes gradually grew moist, tears welling up.
For no reason at all, she had transmigrated into this unfamiliar world—and had even become a lonely, helpless little girl.
This body was only fifteen years old. Wasn’t that just a child?
Gu Shiyi’s mother had died of illness two years ago, and her father had remarried a woman named Cui.
Now, her father had also passed away a month ago after being bitten by a wolf while hunting in the mountains.
While her father was alive, her stepmother treated her fairly well.
But just one month after her father’s death, her stepmother immediately tore off her mask and revealed her vicious true nature.
She heartlessly sold Gu Shiyi to an old wealthy man, Master Liu, who was even older than her father, to be his concubine.
Fortunately, her stepmother’s son—her nominal younger brother—treated her quite well.
After learning of his mother’s plan, he secretly told Gu Shiyi, giving her a chance to escape.
To avoid arousing suspicion and buy herself more time to run, she only packed a few everyday clothes and a pair of new shoes her father had bought for her while he was still alive.
She carefully threw the bundle out of the window facing the backyard.
Then she quickly took out over a hundred copper coins she had saved from her allowance and hid under the bed.
She also took a jade safety pendant her mother had left her, wrapped it carefully in a handkerchief.
This pendant was the only thing her mother had left her—it was her most precious possession.
Once everything was ready, she walked out of the room as if nothing had happened, holding a bamboo basket and a sickle, pretending she was going out to cut grass for the chickens.
She also deliberately brought the three dogs with her, since she was heading into the deep mountains, where having dogs around would make things much safer.
Gu Shiyi swaggered into the backyard. Seeing that Cui wasn’t there, she quickly grabbed her bundle and ran toward the back mountain.
After calming herself slightly, she looked down at her foot and saw that her ankle was indeed swollen.
She frowned, silently complaining in her heart.
But she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
She had to act immediately.
She looked around, observing her surroundings, and finally set her eyes on Ah Hui.
Ah Hui was her most trusted companion. Her father often took him hunting in the mountains. He was a very capable and intelligent dog.
“Ah Hui, go help me find the basket and the sickle,” Gu Shiyi said, patting his head.
When she fell earlier, the basket and sickle had been thrown somewhere unknown.
Ah Hui understood her. He barked in response, wagged his tail, and ran off.
Watching him leave, Gu Shiyi felt slightly reassured.
She didn’t stay idle either.
Scanning her surroundings, she found what she needed. Enduring the pain in her ankle, she slowly made her way toward a few plants of bone-setting herb.
This herb was commonly used to treat injuries such as bruises, fractures, swelling, and pain. It could promote blood circulation, reduce swelling, and relieve pain.
If crushed and applied to the ankle, it could ease the swelling and pain.
Just what she needed—like a pillow appearing right when she felt sleepy.
It seemed even nature didn’t want to see her suffer and had provided her with medicine.
Just as she reached the herbs, Ah Hui returned with the bamboo basket in his mouth, the sickle placed inside it.
“Thank you, Ah Hui!”
Gu Shiyi took the sickle from the basket and carefully cut the herbs, placing them inside.
She then slowly walked to a large rock, supporting herself with her hands as she sat down.
Ah Hui obediently placed the basket beside her and stood quietly nearby.
Gu Shiyi took out a plant, plucked off the leaves, broke the stem into small pieces, and placed everything on the rock.
Then she picked up the sickle and pounded the herbs again and again until they were thoroughly crushed.
She took out a cotton handkerchief from inside her clothes.
Wrapped inside it was the jade safety pendant her mother had left her.
She carefully unwrapped it. The green jade pendant, tied with a red string, emitted a faint glow.
As she was about to put it on, a flash of bright green light suddenly appeared. The pendant seemed to be enchanted and gradually disappeared into her palm.
The next moment, Gu Shiyi found herself standing in front of a small plot of land, about the size of a bathroom. The soil looked ordinary—not the rich black kind.
“Is this… the kind of space mentioned in transmigration novels? Is this luck good or bad?”
Beside the land was a small pool of water, only slightly larger than a bathtub. The water was crystal clear.
Gu Shiyi couldn’t help but feel curious. Could this be a spiritual spring?
In the novels she had read, many such spaces contained magical spring water that could heal all illnesses and strengthen the body.
Next to the pool stood a gray stone tablet. Its surface was smooth like a mirror, but there wasn’t a single word on it.
This made her even more puzzled. What kind of space was this?
She had no clue.
Still, the appearance of this space lifted her spirits.
With it, her chances of surviving here would greatly increase.
Otherwise, as an orphan with only a little over a hundred copper coins, survival would have been nearly impossible.
But now was not the time to study the space.
She had more urgent matters to deal with.
She needed to treat her injured foot, gather some wild vegetables, and return to her shelter as soon as possible.
This place was nearly half a day’s journey from the village. She had set out after lunch, running most of the way, and who knew how much time she had lost after falling.
Now, the sky was already beginning to darken.
Remembering the novels she had read, she knew that such spaces could store items.
So she decided to try placing her bundle and the money she carried into the space.
After stepping out, she found that the bundle remained quietly inside on the stone floor.
It worked—the bundle could really be stored in the space!
Gu Shiyi carefully rolled up her pant leg. Her ankle was already visibly swollen.
She frowned slightly, silently cursing her bad luck.
Without delay, she took the crushed herbs and gently applied them to her ankle.
The juice from the herbs felt cool, bringing her a bit of relief.
After applying it, she took out the handkerchief and carefully wrapped her ankle.
Though her movements were a bit clumsy, she was very careful, making sure every part was properly covered.