Jiang Jiang opened her eyes.
What met her gaze was a stretch of pitch-black earthen wall, riddled with cracks.
The air was thick with heat, like being inside a steaming basket.
She could feel the heat and stickiness clinging to her body, and a foul stench crept into her nostrils.
Strange—why did being alive feel so real?
Hadn’t she died?
She had died in the fifth year after the apocalypse broke out.
Jiang Jiang had been lucky. Not long after the end times began, she managed to survive a high fever and awakened her Space Ability.
It was precisely because of this ability that she was able to join a squad, enter a base, and live another five years.
Unfortunately, she had still overestimated human nature. Her cousin, whom she had protected for five whole years, had shoved her into a horde of zombies out of jealousy at the final moment.
If not for that, with a coveted ability like Space, as long as Jiang Jiang didn’t stir up trouble, she could have kept living—maybe even until she died of old age if she was lucky.
Before Jiang Jiang could finish recalling her past life, a shrill scolding came from outside the door.
“You little tramp! That young master Xu taking a liking to you is your blessing! And you still dared to jump into the river—why didn’t you drown!”
As the words fell, a sallow-faced woman in her thirties walked in. Her features were sharp and mean, dressed like a peasant woman, skinny and gaunt.
Seeing that the girl was already awake, she rushed to the bedside in a single stride and pinched the few bits of soft flesh on Jiang Jiang’s body. “I’ve raised you for all these years, told you to marry, and you still dare to refuse!”
Hiss—!
Jiang Jiang sucked in a sharp breath of cold air from the pain.
This woman’s grip was fierce!
She felt a sharp sting on the flesh of her inner arm.
Unfortunately, she had no strength left in her body right now—even keeping her eyes open was a struggle, let alone fighting back.
At the same time, a piercing pain shot through her mind as countless memories surged in like a flood!
So this body was also named Jiang Jiang, fifteen years old this year.
Probably because she was a girl, she had never been loved by her father or mother since childhood. From the age of four or five, when she could walk and run, she had to get up before dawn every day to work. She never had enough to eat or wear, slept in the woodshed right next to the pigpen.
But even with such harsh treatment, Jiang Jiang’s pretty face still stood out in the village.
And so, the young master Xu had taken a liking to her. Just a few days ago, he’d announced he wanted to take her as a concubine—and the bride price was a full fifty taels of silver!
The original owner hadn’t wanted to marry, so she’d jumped into the river. Now that she was here, it must mean the girl hadn’t made it and had already gone to the afterlife.
The woman before her was the original owner’s mother, Bao Chunmei—the most vicious one in the whole family, cursing with every breath she took.
Seeing that Jiang Jiang wasn’t speaking, she pinched her again, hard. “I’m telling you, if you try to off yourself again this time, I’ll just force medicine down your throat, knock you out, and send you to the Xu family!”
With that, Bao Chunmei called out, “Nanny Zhang, come quick!”
Another woman in her fifties walked in—upturned eyes, high cheekbones, downturned mouth. One look and you could tell she wasn’t easy to deal with.
She gave a cold snort and covered her nose in disgust. “Why did you bring her back to the pigpen again? Hurry up and move her outside to air out—that bath was a complete waste!”
Bao Chunmei, shedding her earlier arrogant and sharp demeanor, spoke timidly, “Then I’ll wash the girl right now—I promise she won’t have a trace of smell!”
“Wash what? She’s still running a fever—what if she dies?” Nanny Zhang shot Bao Chunmei a sharp glare, then walked over to Jiang Jiang, her eyelids drooping as she sized her up. “She is rather pretty, no wonder the young master took a liking to her.”
With considerable strength, she lifted Jiang Jiang in her arms and carried her out to a carriage waiting outside.
Before the carriage could move, a commotion broke out beyond it.
“Mother, is this our family’s carriage? Oh, right—you said that once we marry off that little bastard, our family could afford a carriage.”
Bao Chunmei’s voice followed right after, “Oh my, my Jinbao, don’t go over there—don’t let the horse kick you!”
“That’s not our carriage, it’s the Xu family’s. Wait until tomorrow, and I’ll have your father go buy one!”
Jiang Jiang, drowsy and half-asleep, snapped awake at those words. Wait—Jinbao?
Bao Chunmei, Jiang Jinbao, and her own name… damn it!
Wasn’t this an old novel she’d discovered while scavenging for supplies during the apocalypse?
She’d only given it a second glance because the supporting character shared her name.
The novel’s female lead was the second branch of the Jiang family—Jiang Chengyu’s youngest daughter, Jiang Manman.
The story opened with a sudden great drought, and the whole village fled together as refugees.
Jiang Manman was blessed with fortune, always stumbling upon good luck, and became the family’s darling…
In the end, she even transformed completely, found her biological parents, and became a noble lady of the capital, with a prestigious status.
As for Jiang Jiang, the original character, she had fewer than a few lines in the entire story.
That was—after Jiang Manman learned that Jiang Jiang had drowned rather than marry, she had a brief inner monologue, felt she was pitiful, and then… that was it!
Damn it!
Jiang Jiang cursed inwardly. What kind of bullshit transmigration was this!
If she wasn’t going to become the female lead, at least she should’ve been someone decent, right?
She’d become a concubine—not even a common citizen!
“Whoa!”
The horse lurched forward.
With that jolt, Jiang Jiang snapped back to her senses.
She racked her brain, recalling the book’s contents, only to realize she knew there was a great drought and nothing else!
Mainly because that author’s writing was too shallow—Jiang Manman was even weirder, her luck so absurd it was like a koi fish reincarnated. She just couldn’t stomach it and tossed it aside.
If she’d known she’d transmigrate, she would’ve finished it no matter what!
Even if it was awful, she should’ve read it to the end!
Jiang Jiang wanted to let out a sigh, but found her throat too hoarse to speak, her mouth parched as bone.
On instinct, she focused her mind—and a bottle of mineral water appeared in her hand.
Wait!
Mineral water?
Her space!
Jiang Jiang was ecstatic and quickly activated her ability.
Sure enough, a cubic space materialized before her eyes, roughly two hundred square meters in total, stocked full of various daily supplies. There was even an electric tricycle with solar panels she’d rigged up herself strapped to it.
She never expected that after transmigrating, she’d brought her Space Ability along with her.
This was the fruit of her apocalypse squad’s five years of labor—aside from daily wear and tear, everything remaining was stored here.
Not to mention fleeing the famine alone—even with ten more people, she could last a year without issue!
The ten thousand alpacas stampeding in her heart instantly settled down, no longer galloping.
Jiang Jiang quickly located her stored medicine, pulled out fever reducers and anti-inflammatories, and with effort raised her hand, washing them down with the mineral water.
Moistened by the water, her body felt considerably more comfortable.
Outside the carriage, Nanny Zhang continued driving. Half an hour later, they finally reached the town.
Jiang Jiang’s body had never taken Western medicine before, so the effect was remarkably swift—the fever had already broken, and she felt some strength returning to her limbs.
She placed the mineral water back into her space and pretended to be unconscious.
Nanny Zhang lifted the curtain, her tone icy. “Wake up. We’ve arrived at the Xu residence.”
Jiang Jiang feigned just waking up, obediently opening her eyes.
Nanny Zhang snorted coldly. “You’re nothing but a village girl. Becoming the young master’s concubine is already your good fortune—don’t expect too much.”
“Besides, your family took fifty taels of silver as a bride price from the young master, which means you’ve been sold to the Xu family. Serve the young master obediently, or you’ll be sold off at any moment!”