Summer mornings were always bustling. A row of water taps was surrounded by women washing clothes, while several toddlers in split pants ran around.
A middle-aged woman with narrow, triangular eyes carried a large basin of laundry. Without regard for the person currently using the tap, she shoved their basin aside and forcefully wedged her own into place.
“Auntie Wang! Why did you move my basin? I was still using it!” The young wife whose basin had been displaced was furious.
Auntie Wang retorted righteously, “You’ve been washing for so long already. Any longer and you’ll wear the clothes out. How can someone so young be so greedy? This is public water—you can’t just waste it.”
The young wife seethed inwardly but didn’t dare confront Auntie Wang. Everyone at the furniture factory knew better than to cross her.
Since she was nearly finished anyway, she just spat in disgust and left with her bare-bottomed son.
Auntie Wang looked immensely pleased with herself, then adopted a mysterious expression. “Do you know what I just saw at the supply and marketing cooperative?”
“What?” the others asked curiously.
“I saw Li Mei buying a huge piece of pork—at least two or three jin—and a chicken too!”
Everyone gasped. Although life had improved in recent years, no ordinary household ate like that regularly.
Especially since the furniture factory had been performing poorly lately, with wages often delayed.
A few days earlier, the factory’s delivery truck had been robbed while making a delivery and collecting payment. Not only were the money and goods stolen, but the factory’s only delivery truck was gone too. The massive losses made the already precarious situation even worse.
On top of that, prices had been rising outrageously over the past two years. Times were hard for everyone, and every penny had to be stretched.
“Really? Her husband just died—is she giving up on life already?”
“I always thought she was meek but hardworking and frugal. Guess I was wrong.”
“Anyone else who’d just been through that wouldn’t have any appetite, but she seems fine. She cried so hard before, but it looks like that was all for show.”
Auntie Wang was delighted by their reactions. “Exactly. I’ve always said she’s a fake, but you never believed me.”
Someone who knew the inside story clarified, “She’s probably preparing for her stepdaughter. A few days ago, Li Mei got a telegram—Accountant Tong’s daughter from when he was an Educated Youth in the countryside is coming to live with them.”
Auntie Wang rolled her eyes. “Nonsense. What stepmother would treat the first wife’s child that well? Accountant Tong isn’t even around anymore—who’s she trying to impress?”
She refused to believe Li Mei could be that kind.
Even Auntie Zhang, who usually didn’t get along with Auntie Wang, surprisingly agreed. “Their household is all women now. What right do they have to eat so well? They must be up to something.”
Someone’s eyes shifted slyly as she whispered, “Now that the girl’s coming, won’t she get a share of the compensation money? Li Mei’s in-laws will throw a fit. They’re already furious that Li Mei and Tong Yunyun got a share—they haven’t let it go.”
“What would some country girl get? She’s not a son. If a girl gets money, it’ll just benefit another family someday!”
“But I heard Accountant Tong’s first wife and their daughter are something else. All these years, he sent money home every month, and Li Mei never dared say a word about it.”
During the era when Educated Youth were sent to the countryside, many married and had children locally. In recent years, as Educated Youth returned to the cities, numerous individuals abandoned their spouses and children to cut ties with their past, unwilling to revisit those memories or take responsibility.
Men, in particular, could easily father a child and leave the woman to raise it alone, making it easier for emotional detachment to set in.
Those with a shred of conscience might initially send money, but as time passed and feelings faded, or as the children grew older, they often ceased to care.
Truly responsible men would not divorce just to return to the city; at the very least, they would find a way to bring their rural spouses and children along. In recent years, moving to the city had become much easier, and many rural folks had begun migrating to urban areas, especially southern cities, for work.
As for Accountant Tong’s persistence in sending money back, people were less inclined to attribute it to his conscience and more to the other party’s shrewdness.
“No matter how capable she was back in the countryside, things are different in the city. How much could an unsophisticated rural girl possibly achieve? Could she really make waves here?”
The rural girl Su Ruyi sat by the edge of the lower bunk, her gaze vacant, yet it didn’t stop her from continuously stuffing food into her mouth, chewing and swallowing mechanically.
“Any lunch orders?”
The train attendant pushed a meal cart past, and only then did Su Ruyi’s eyes begin to focus.
“Hello, I’ll have one portion of rice—no, two portions.”
The attendant handed her two aluminum lunchboxes from the cart. Su Ruyi shifted the food on the table aside, opened one box, and began eating.
Her movements appeared refined, but in reality, she ate swiftly, making the rice seem exceptionally delicious.
The middle-aged man on the opposite lower bunk watched her finish the first box of rice and start on the second, unable to hold back his remark:
“You look so slender, comrade, yet you eat so heartily.”
The man had been observing for a while—not that he meant to stare at a young girl, though she was indeed pretty, delicate and fair-skinned, slender but not gaunt, with an air reminiscent of Lin Daiyu. What captivated him more was her appetite.
Since waking up that morning, the girl had been eating nonstop. She had already consumed five large, head-sized pancakes, a bag of at least six or seven eggs, along with dried meat, sesame paste, mung bean cakes, and a watermelon weighing over ten pounds. Now she was ordering two portions of rice.
Even if she had tapeworms, she couldn’t eat that much!
And who brings such a huge watermelon on a long train journey, not minding the weight?
She had been perfectly normal when boarding the day before yesterday, her appetite only slightly larger than the average girl’s. But now, as they neared their destination, it was as if she were possessed, her hunger insatiable.
Su Ruyi showed no reaction, as if she hadn’t heard him speaking to her.
In truth, she hadn’t heard a thing, entirely absorbed in her own thoughts.
Su Ruyi was a transmigrator. She had fallen asleep and woken up inside a book.
Strangely, Su Ruyi had never read this novel. Because the original character shared her exact name, she avoided stories with characters named after herself or people she knew—it felt too jarring and uncomfortable.
Yet, the contents of this novel had inexplicably appeared in her memory.
In the novel, the original character was the ex-wife of the male lead. She schemed against him by deliberately having him drunk and fabricating the illusion that they slept together, ensuring they were caught in the act.
Additionally, during a special period, her mother had helped the male lead’s grandfather, creating a debt of gratitude. Coupled with her skill at putting on a show in front of the elders, the male lead was ultimately forced to marry her.
After marrying him, her true nature was revealed: she was vain, materialistic, sharp-tongued, and completely incompatible with the male lead. She was also overly suspicious, cursing any woman who appeared near him as a “seductress.”
When the male lead had business engagements that required socializing, sometimes returning home late or carrying traces of perfume, she would throw tantrums, stirring up chaos until she was satisfied.
She consistently hindered the male lead in both his career and personal life and showed no respect toward her in-laws. Believing she held more favor with the male lead’s grandfather, the family patriarch, she disregarded them entirely.
As she grew increasingly reckless, she eventually cheated on the male lead.
To get more money and elope with her lover, she even conspired with him to stage her own kidnapping and extort money from the male lead. Unexpectedly, her lover took the scheme too far—after receiving the money, he killed her.
When her body was found, it was clear she had suffered inhuman torture before death, making her a prime example of someone who brought about their own demise.
The original story began after her death. Though she never actually appeared, her presence was strongly felt as a foil to highlight the female lead’s excellence.
Whenever the female lead accomplished something, the original character was dragged out for comparison. For instance, the female lead excelled at cooking, providing the male lead with three delicious and nutritious meals a day, which moved him deeply. In contrast, the original character had never even stepped into the kitchen, leaving the male lead to return to a cold, empty house every time. This repeatedly emphasized how useless and morally corrupt the original character was.
Su Ruyi had transmigrated to a time before the original story began, meaning everything could be changed. This was what she felt most grateful for—she had no desire to become a pawn in the male and female leads’ “play.”
By the time Su Ruyi transmigrated, she was already on a train, her stomach cramping with hunger as if she hadn’t eaten for days.
Fortunately, her mother in this life had packed plenty of food for her. Otherwise, having woken up past mealtime, she might have starved to death.
Su Ruyi had now fully recovered and accepted the reality of her transmigration. Since things were already this way, she could only embrace it and strive to live well.
For some reason, Su Ruyi felt an inexplicable connection to the original character—as if she were the original character, and the original character were her. It didn’t feel like she had taken over someone else’s body.
“The next stop is Zhaoguang Station. Passengers preparing to disembark, please get ready in advance…”
As the train announcement sounded, Su Ruyi began gathering her belongings to get off.
She was about to stand and retrieve her luggage from the overhead rack when a tall figure leaped down from the top bunk, swift and agile, startling her.
Taking a closer look, oh my—a handsome guy!
The man stood over 185 cm tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His features were sharply defined, and even with a buzz cut, his handsomeness was undeniable, exuding a fierce and heroic charm.
As expected of a novel world—the standards for looks were impeccable. Su Ruyi had never encountered such a strikingly handsome stranger in her previous life.
Her peak encounter with handsome guys was still during middle and high school. After entering university, the handsome guys around her seemed to have vanished. Most people she saw on the streets were beautiful women, while handsome men appeared to have been hidden away.
If even a random passerby could be this good-looking, what must the male lead—who ought to represent the pinnacle of looks—be like? Su Ruyi was still a tiny bit curious.
While Su Ruyi’s inner monologue was rich, in reality, she only glanced briefly before looking away.
“Let me help you.”
Just as Su Ruyi was about to pick up her luggage, the handsome guy spoke.
Not only was he good-looking, but his voice was pleasant too, and he was warm-hearted.
The other party was clearly taken aback, though only for a moment. His arm tensed as he exerted more force to pull out the obviously crammed-in luggage. Lifting it made him more aware of its weight, but it was still within his capacity, and he safely set it down.
“Thank you, sorry to trouble you.”
Su Ruyi quickly expressed her gratitude. Knowing how heavy her luggage was, she didn’t dare trouble him further and hurriedly yanked out another large bag from the other side. Placing both bags on the ground instantly blocked the path.
Lu Ting had been wondering how this slender, delicate girl would manage such heavy luggage later, but he was stunned by what he saw.
Why did it seem like she handled the luggage more effortlessly than he did?
It must be that the other bag was lighter.
As he pondered, he watched Su Ruyi pick up one bag in each hand and head toward the train connection area. Apart from the bags being somewhat cumbersome due to their size, her movements were entirely relaxed, with no sign of strain.
“…”
Unaware of Lu Ting’s inner turmoil, Su Ruyi was the first to step off the train as soon as the door opened, making her way toward the exit.
Train stations in those days were extremely crowded—small stations packed with people everywhere.
“Need a hotel room? Our hotel has hot water.”
“Sir, need a ride?”
The already cramped space was made worse by people blocking the way with sales pitches, causing even more congestion.
Su Ruyi barged through the crowd, somehow carving out a path. Lu Ting followed behind, experiencing an unprecedented sense of ease.
“Sweetheart, you’ve finally arrived! Your brothers and I have been waiting for ages.”
Just as Su Ruyi reached the outskirts and began to breathe slightly fresher air, someone grabbed her arm.
A woman with gentle features greeted her familiarly, her affectionate demeanor making Su Ruyi’s first thought that this woman was her stepmother, Li Mei.
“Brothers?”
Su Ruyi glanced at the three tall men nearby who had surrounded her, eagerly offering to help with her luggage.
“Little sister, don’t run off like that again. Mom has been so worried she fell ill these past few days.”
Understanding dawned on Su Ruyi, and she coldly stared at the woman. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
Tears immediately streamed down the woman’s face as she pleaded earnestly:
“Sweetheart, I know you resent me for stopping you from going south to make money, but that kind of dirty money isn’t worth it! That scoundrel Guo An was just fooling you! Look what’s become of the girls he took south before. Being honest and steady is better than anything. Even if you don’t want to study, you can’t earn money that way!”
‘That kind of money’?
Passersby turned to look, sizing up Su Ruyi and pondering the implication.
Making money in the south was easier back then, and many young people headed south for work. But it was a double-edged sword—temptations were plentiful, and some youngsters, unable to resist, strayed onto the wrong path.
Some girls who fall into the world of pleasure are forced or deceived, but this one clearly didn’t fit that description. With her fair complexion and delicate appearance, she looked quite docile—truly proving that appearances can be deceiving.
Passersby came and went in a hurry, glancing briefly before moving on. The woman spoke with such heartfelt sincerity that no one noticed anything amiss about these people.
Only Su Ruyi knew the truth. The middle-aged woman wept bitterly, yet her grip was surprisingly strong, holding Su Ruyi tightly in place. One man stared fixedly at Su Ruyi, ready to strike at the slightest movement, while two others tugged at her bag.
The four of them brazenly attempted to seize both the person and her belongings, completely unafraid of the bustling crowd around them—a clear sign of experienced hands at work.
Su Ruyi glanced at the two men trying to snatch her luggage, deliberately giving the bag a sharp tug before suddenly shoving and releasing it.
“Since you’re so eager to help, you can have it.”