Late spring in April, a gentle breeze drifted softly, turning the bare paddy fields of Liberation Commune into a vast expanse of grassy green. Seedlings stood in rows, swaying in the wind. The commune members planting rice in the fields faced the yellow earth, working with fiery enthusiasm.
In the mere time it took to wipe sweat from their brows, big news from the production team exploded one after another.
First, Wan Lao Da’s only son, Wan Feng, from the west end of the village, who had gone missing five years ago, had just been found. He was currently being registered by a scorekeeper arranged by the brigade. Everyone sighed and exclaimed a few words, but by the time they heard the second piece of big news, they’d already put the Wan Lao Da family matter behind them.
The second was truly big news: Wan Lao Er’s youngest son, Wan Decai, who’d joined the army, had been promoted to battalion commander and was returning home in glory. Quite a few people were scheming to watch the excitement and share in the good fortune.
“Did you hear that! Wan Lao Er’s son is back! Oh, three years—he’s finally come home on leave!”
“It’s spread everywhere by now. The commune brigade captain just took a few people to Wan Lao Er’s house. When Wan Lao Da’s only son came back, there wasn’t this kind of fanfare—they say they just sent a scorekeeper to check in and register him.”
“I just heard from the scorekeeper that Wan Feng was missing for years because he hit his head and forgot everything, living on the mountain by himself. He used to be skin and bones, but now he’s tall and strong as a mountain!”
“Come on, I remember Wan Feng—that beanpole. No matter how strong he gets, how strong could he be?”
“Wan Lao Da only has one boy left, and he’s good for nothing. Of course they’re focusing on Wan Decai… He’s the first battalion commander in our brigade… Hey, Cuicui!”
Several middle-aged women who’d finished work and were about to head home for a simple lunch were exchanging gossip in a lively chatter. Just as they were getting into it, someone sharp-eyed spotted a young woman walking toward them along the field ridge ahead.
At twenty years old, she was like a tender flower blooming in the fields—graceful figure, fair skin, beautiful face.
The women stared at Lin Cui’s face. They both sighed that the Lin family spoiled their only daughter too much, not letting her do any field work, and couldn’t help but feel a touch of envy. The brigade’s only battalion commander officer—naturally he deserved such a pretty girl.
“Cuicui, you definitely don’t know yet—Wan Decai has returned from the army. He says it’s to visit family, but he’s definitely come back to marry you! Hurry and tell your parents, go to the Wan family and see your in-laws!”
The clamor of gossip drifted back and forth along the field ridges. Lin Cui, who had just returned from delivering food to her family working in the fields, showed no reaction to these words—only her eyes flickered for a moment.
The village aunties assumed Lin Cui was just shy. They sighed a few more times about her good fortune and scattered, chattering away. But as they passed by, Liu Da Shen from next door to the Lin family gave a light snort. “Wan Decai coming back doesn’t mean he’ll marry her. I heard he just got promoted to battalion commander—his future is bright!”
“Liu Hongjuan, what kind of talk is that! Don’t tell me you’re sour because Lin Cui didn’t take a fancy to your son back then.”
“Cuicui, don’t listen to Liu Da Shen’s nonsense. Just wait to become a military officer’s wife!” The others tried to persuade her, pulling the sharp-tongued Liu Hongjuan away. “Juanzi, hurry home and watch your house. What if the chicken thief comes?”
“Oh my, those damn chicken thieves—I really should get back and keep watch!”
These past two days, three or four neighboring brigades had been troubled by thieves. Seven or eight households had their chickens stolen. Now everyone was on guard. Even Liu Hongjuan couldn’t be bothered with others’ gossip anymore and rushed home as fast as she could.
Several dusty figures hurried past and finally disappeared into the fields, becoming a few small black dots in Lin Cui’s vision. After the people had gone far, the fragments flooding into Lin Cui’s mind still left her head aching.
April 25th. Her fiancé Wan Decai, who hadn’t returned home in three years, had really come back to Red Star Production Brigade, just as Lin Cui had dreamed a few days ago. Even the conversation between the village aunties just now was exactly the same as in her dream.
Shaken, Lin Cui had no choice but to accept reality. She had lived in Red Star Production Brigade for twenty years, but it turned out she wasn’t from this era at all—she had transmigrated from fifty years in the future.
In her previous life, Lin Cui had been an ordinary worker who lived life step by step, striving hard. After struggling for half a lifetime, she ultimately died from sudden death while working overtime late at night at the company, and transmigrated into the youngest daughter of the Lin family in Red Star Production Brigade in the 1970s.
Because she had transmigrated as a fetus and had no consciousness of it, Lin Cui only recently obtained her past-life memories by accident after catching a cold and running a fever. About this, Lin Cui—who had been pampered by her family since childhood due to her frail health—had only one feeling: she hadn’t even finished spending the money she’d saved through frugal living in her previous life before dying of sudden death?
Too painful. Heartbreakingly painful!
In her previous life, Lin Cui had no one to rely on. She’d grown up in an orphanage and knew she could only depend on herself for everything. She always thought she’d work hard and save money while young, then enjoy life after retirement. But who would have thought—she died, and the money wasn’t spent.
What a loss. The transmigrated Lin Cui was still aching over it.
What was even more troubling was that she hadn’t just transmigrated—she’d transmigrated into a book.
Wan Decai, who was returning home to visit family today, was the male protagonist of the book. A few years ago, when the great movement broke out, Wan Decai’s own mother’s family had produced a teacher—a “stinking ninth category”—and had relatives from his grandfather’s generation who were capitalists. Because of this, he was classified as having a bad background. Wan Decai, who was serving in the army, once faced the predicament of being implicated, dismissed from his post, and having his future ruined.
To save the background problem, the Wan family set their sights on the Lin family. The Lin family had been poor peasants for three generations. Old Master Lin had sacrificed himself in the commune’s flood-fighting and emergency rescue efforts and was posthumously recognized as a martyr. The Lin family’s class status was quite excellent. Marrying into their family would solve the urgent problem.
Three years ago, Wan Decai’s parents had gone to the Lin family on behalf of Wan Decai—who hadn’t returned from the army—to arrange the engagement with Lin Cui. But Wan Decai hadn’t returned home for three years, and the marriage had been dragged out, unable to be finalized. Eventually, rumors spread throughout the production team. Some said Wan Decai had died on a mission. Some said Wan Decai looked down on Lin Cui and wasn’t coming back. Others said army duties were busy and he’d return sooner or later.
Until today, Wan Decai had finally returned in glory with the news of his promotion to battalion commander.
Everyone believed Lin Cui would surely fly up to the branch and become a phoenix—the only military officer’s wife in Red Star Production Team. But only Lin Cui, who knew the book’s plot, knew that she didn’t have this “good fortune.”
After all, Wan Decai was the male protagonist of the book, and she herself was the book’s extreme cannon-fodder female supporting character. The real female protagonist was someone else entirely.
And Wan Decai, who hadn’t returned home for three years, was actually recovering from injuries and unable to come home. During his recovery, he’d grown fond of the military region hospital nurse—the daughter of the army political commissar—over time. He was determined to return to his hometown and say no to the feudal arranged marriage, bravely pursuing true love.
And Lin Cui was that feudal arranged marriage.
According to the book’s plot, the Wan family would break off the engagement, and Lin Cui would become a well-known laughingstock near and far. Unable to swallow her anger, Lin Cui would take advantage of an unguarded moment to drug Wan Decai’s comrade-in-arms and seduce him, ultimately successfully marrying and following the army. Later, in the military region compound, she would oppose the book’s male and female protagonists everywhere, causing no small number of outrageous incidents. In the end, she’d divorce and come to a miserable end—regarded by everyone as a negative example, the ultimate villainous female supporting character.
Upon learning the plot, Lin Cui: “…?”
Lin Cui, who had been pampered and cherished by her family since childhood, was exasperated. How could the version of herself in the book be so foolish? How could she go crazy over a man, even traveling thousands of li from home to suffer and be condemned by everyone?
Today, Wan Decai had truly returned in glory with his comrade-in-arms. Everything was developing according to the book’s plot. Lin Cui hurried home with her bamboo basket. The pressing matter was to resolve this situation—she was not going to follow in the footsteps of that version of herself in the book.
The sun gradually slanted westward, its afterglow spilling across the ground, lending a touch of golden radiance to the sallow faces of the commune members toiling in the fields. Cooking smoke curled upward in wisps as every household began preparing dinner, waiting only for their family members to return from work.
The Lin family had quite impressive labor power. The heads of the household, Lin Fugui and Song Chunhua, along with the eldest and second sons, were all capable of working in the fields and earning ten work points. While other families couldn’t earn full work points, couldn’t get enough grain, and were still going hungry, the Lin family’s life was relatively decent. Though they could only eat meat once every month or two, they didn’t lack other food.
At this moment, the three men of Lin Cui’s family were leveling soil in the fields. When Lin Cui’s mother rushed over in a fluster, they finally put down their hoes.
“The Wan family is back. The brigade captain is at their house right now. If the Wan family doesn’t come to our door tonight, I won’t let it go.” Lin Cui’s mother was worried about her youngest daughter’s marriage. Three years ago, seeing that the Wan family’s youngest son had prospects—young and already a platoon leader in the army—even though the family’s class status was poor, the man had a future and was easy to get along with, so they’d agreed to the engagement with Lin Cui.
But who would have thought this marriage would drag on for three years? During that time, Wan Decai never returned due to busy army duties. The Lin family figured that defending the country was hard and busy work, so they waited. Now they’d finally waited for Wan Decai’s glorious return. But in the whole afternoon, the Wan family had shown no indication toward their in-laws—not even a visit, let alone inviting them over to meet.
The Lin family head raised a hand to wipe the speckles of oil from his bronze face, baked out by the sun, then swung his hoe. “The Wan family wouldn’t be that oblivious. Maybe they’ll come by in a bit.”
Lin Cui, far from the fields, naturally knew that this evening, the Wan family would indeed come to visit—but not to finalize the marriage. They were coming to break off the engagement.
Wan Decai did not acknowledge the engagement his family had arranged three years ago without his consent. Battalion Commander Wan, who had long since seen the wider world, yearned even more for an intellectual, cultured lover. During his recovery, he and the political commissar’s daughter had grown deeply attached. This trip home was to dissolve the marriage contract with the Lin family.
The stove fire flickered. The six-yin iron wok was blazing hot. Lin Cui dug out a small spoonful of lard from the basin and let it slide along the edge of the wok. The moist white lard sizzled, gradually turning into a transparent sheen. Two eggs were beaten and poured into the wok. The moment they met the lard, they hissed and gradually puffed up. An enticing aroma floated in the air.
Today was the Red Star Production Brigade’s rice-planting day. The Lin family hadn’t seen meat in a long time, so today they were preparing a special meal. Two eggs with four tomatoes—sweet and sour, refreshing, and aromatic—tomato scrambled eggs would be the most sought-after dish on the table.
“Auntie, it smells so good.”
The aroma of tomato scrambled eggs attracted Lin Cui’s four-year-old nephew, her eldest brother’s son. Lin Cui picked up a bite of tomato scrambled eggs with her chopsticks, patiently blew on it to cool it, and crouched down to let her little nephew sneak a taste. “Careful, it’s hot.”
The rich, bright red juices released from the stir-fried tomatoes wrapped around the golden eggs. Sweet and sour, bursting with fragrance on the tongue—it easily captured the child’s heart.
Lin Xiaobao ate with happy hums, almost dancing with joy. “Auntie, delicious, delicious! So yummy~”
“Delicious, right?” Lin Cui rubbed her little nephew’s head and bent down to assign the little one a task. “Then run an errand for Auntie. Find someone for me.”
Lin Xiaobao blinked his big, fluttering eyes. “Find who?”
“Remember Matchmaker Hongmei from the east end of the brigade?” Seeing a hint of confusion in Xiaobao’s eyes, Lin Cui added, “Right next to Tiedan’s house.”
“Oh, I know!” How could Lin Xiaobao not know where Tiedan, who often played with him, lived?
“Tell Auntie Hongmei to come over after dinner. Say I have something to discuss with her.” Lin Cui gave Xiaobao a round, smooth egg to bring to Hongmei, the most famous matchmaker within ten li and eight villages.
“Got it.” Carefully cradling the egg in both hands, Lin Xiaobao set off at a quick pace. As he walked, he muttered the sentence his auntie had instructed him, repeating it over and over for fear of forgetting. His small figure gradually disappeared from Lin Cui’s sight.
Estimating that her family would be home in about ten more minutes, Lin Cui put the food back in the wok to keep warm. She wiped her hands on the apron she’d taken off, removed the five strands of golden tobacco leaves hanging from the long rope in the courtyard, closed the door, and set off for the brigade captain’s house.
The book’s plot was proceeding step by step, but Lin Cui couldn’t just sit and wait for doom. Rather than being dumped by the Wan family and ending up with nothing, it was better to strike first.
The Red Star Production Team brigade captain’s house was located on a small slope in the middle of the village, about one li from the Lin family. Lin Cui wove through the field ridges. When she looked up again, the brigade captain’s mud-brick house had come into view.
Leaping from the half-arm-wide field ridge onto the main road, Lin Cui hurried along with her head down, planning her next words in her mind. She was completely unaware that a tall, powerfully built man had just walked out of the brigade captain’s house.
Bang—Lin Cui’s forehead throbbed with pain. Head down and hurrying, she’d collided with the person coming from ahead. In that instant, Lin Cui felt as if she’d hit a wall.