This place—after their family’s pig farm grew larger and larger, they had long since moved to a different location.
Later, because she absolutely refused to inherit the family business and follow her parents into pig farming, she had a massive argument with them over the phone after finishing her college entrance exams. On her own initiative, she decided to stay in the capital city.
Since she loved food, she had been learning to cook from several master chefs.
But she never expected that after one wild night of heavy drinking with her best friend at a bar, she would wake up to find herself as Tian Baozhu.
Her predecessor had been eighteen when she followed the boy next door, Educated Youth Tan Yandong, and signed up to go to the countryside.
Unfortunately, Tan Yandong, who had initially been touched by her gesture, ended up falling for the daughter of the production brigade leader, Cheng Baole, after arriving in the countryside.
Publicly, Tan Yandong claimed he saw her predecessor as nothing more than a little sister.
He said her feelings for him troubled him greatly. This caused the other educated youths at the settlement to openly and secretly mock her predecessor for being shameless.
Her predecessor had a soft, weak personality, like dough. That’s why she was so easy to push around. She didn’t know how to resist, nor did she know how to clarify the true nature of her relationship with Tan Yandong.
This time, her predecessor had wanted to have a clear conversation with Tan Yandong.
If he truly had never liked her, she was prepared to let go of her feelings.
But unexpectedly, while waiting by the river as arranged, her predecessor never saw Tan Yandong arrive. Instead, she only felt someone suddenly push her into the river.
Her predecessor couldn’t swim. She struggled desperately, but it wasn’t enough to stop the river water from filling her stomach.
When she opened her eyes again, she had become the current Tian Baozhu.
Tian Baozhu rubbed her chin. Who had tried to harm her?
Just then, her stomach let out a loud, rumbling growl.
She covered her belly with an embarrassed look, experiencing a level of hunger she had never known before.
Looking around, she went back to the kitchen in the courtyard. Earlier, she had been in such a hurry to get to the backyard that she hadn’t noticed four dishes and a soup, still steaming hot, placed on the table.
They looked like they had just been cooked and served.
Seeing the familiar sight of the braised pork knuckle, the pan-fried tofu with egg and minced meat, the braised prawns, the shiitake mushrooms with bok choy, and the wakame seaweed and pork ball soup, the tears she had held back threatened to spill over again. Her eyes reddened.
“Mom.”
This was from her childhood. Her mother used to cook her favorite foods for her, changing the dishes daily.
Because she loved meat and disliked vegetables, most of the dishes were meat-based, with only one vegetable dish.
Looking at the steaming feast, Tian Baozhu’s stomach rumbled again.
She forcefully wiped her eyes and headed to the kitchen. Inside, on the traditional earthen stove, two large pots sat. The one closer to the outside was still emitting steam. She lifted the lid to find it filled with hot water.
Her mother must have ladled water in to keep warm after finishing cooking, so there would be hot water to wash the dishes after the meal.
She lifted the lid of the inner pot. The fragrant aroma of perfectly cooked rice wafted out.
The smell made her swallow hard.
Tian Baozhu skillfully took a bowl and chopsticks from the cupboard, served herself a heaping bowlful, and sat down at the table, eating in large, eager mouthfuls.
Delicious… absolutely delicious! So, so good!
Growing up, she never remembered tasting food better than this.
It was only after she stopped that Tian Baozhu realized, with a jolt of horror, that she had just downed three large bowls of rice and completely polished off all four dishes and the soup.
She slumped in her chair, clutching her slightly protruding belly, a fearful thought crossing her mind: On my very first day in the 1970s, am I really going to die from eating too much?
As she was lost in these random thoughts, she suddenly heard a loud banging on the door: Bam! Bam! Bam!
Tian Baozhu shuddered. When she came to, she found herself back in the female educated youth dormitory.
The sound she had heard while inside the space was someone knocking on the dormitory door.
Tian Baozhu wiped her lips vigorously. She had just eaten so much rich food; her lips were bound to be greasy.
After composing herself, she set her face in a stern expression and pulled the door open with a sharp tug.
“Tian Baozhu, how dare you assault Comrade Liu Qiuhua?”
Before she could even see who it was, an aggressive, accusing voice blasted her.
Tian Baozhu let out a cold snort, then looked the newcomer up and down, casually glancing at the few people following behind him.
“Chen Jianshe, what gives you the right to defend Liu Qiuhua?”
The one who had knocked was a man wearing a faded green cotton coat and pants. His head was large, but his body was as thin as a beanpole, the oversized clothes hanging loosely on his frame. His square, dark face was set with lifeless fish eyes, a large nose, and thick lips.
Chen Jianshe’s dark face flushed slightly at Tian Baozhu’s pointed question.
Not that anyone could tell, given how dark his complexion was—Tian Baozhu included.
“You… what nonsense are you spouting?
We’re all comrades at this educated youth settlement. You hit a comrade, and you think no one has the right to call you out?”
“Ha. Chen Jianshe, did you bother to ask our dear Comrade Liu Qiuhua why I hit her and not Ma Zhenzhen?”
Tian Baozhu gave a dismissive snort, then lifted her chin slightly towards Ma Zhenzhen, who was supporting Liu Qiuhua.
Hearing this, Chen Jianshe froze for a moment. He involuntarily looked toward Liu Qiuhua and Ma Zhenzhen before asking,
“Wh… why?”
Liu Qiuhua, who had run out crying and was now complaining to the other educated youths, suddenly felt a sense of impending doom.
Ma Zhenzhen was also rendered speechless by Tian Baozhu’s counter-question. Her lips twitched, she glanced at Liu Qiuhua leaning on her arm, then silently loosened her hold.
“Because her mouth said something that deserved a beating. What other reason could there be?
See? Why didn’t I hit Ma Zhenzhen? Why didn’t I hit you?
Of course, if you want a beating too, you’re welcome to spray shit from your mouth like Liu Qiuhua did.”
Hearing Tian Baozhu state this so matter-of-factly, with such absolute conviction, the crowd fell silent.
What she said did kind of make sense.
Still, hitting someone in the face was harsh. And looking at Liu Qiuhua’s face, swollen up like a steamed bun…
Liu Qiuhua heard the murmuring crowd. Her hands, covering her face, trembled uncontrollably.
But she dared not lunge at Tian Baozhu again like before. She was terrified of being hit again.
Seeing the look in Tian Baozhu’s eyes, she could almost feel her teeth loosening.
“Tian Baozhu, what kind of trouble are you causing now?”
Before anyone else could speak, a furious roar came from the gate of the educated youth compound.
Then, a tall, young man wearing a green army greatcoat strode in.
Trailing closely behind him was a young woman in a patchwork red cotton jacket and blue cotton pants, her hair in two braids.