Han Jiaojiao, lying in a muddy pit, was jolted awake by a thunderclap overhead.
The moment she opened her eyes, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, its blinding glare forcing her to instinctively shut them again.
Han Jiaojiao was dumbfounded.
A moment ago, she had been strolling through the supermarket, picking out ingredients for dinner.
Just as she reached the checkout counter, a violent explosion erupted behind her, and a searing wave of heat swept over her from the rear…
The next instant, she was lying in this foul-smelling mud pit.
Explosion!
Had she been blown to death in the supermarket?
Then she should have gone to heaven—so why was she soaking in a mud pit?
Maybe she had been blasted outside the store and wasn’t dead after all?
Han Jiaojiao scrambled up, trying to see where she was, but before she could even steady herself, someone shoved her hard from behind.
“Ow!” Caught completely off guard, she landed flat on her face in the dirt.
Han Jiaojiao was on the verge of a breakdown.
She twisted her head around and saw several women standing behind her.
The women glared at her fiercely, pointing and jeering with sneers and curses.
“You’ve got the nerve to cry ‘ow’! A man as good as Shen Junshan—he must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to marry a shameless thing like you!”
“Exactly! He’s handsome, kind-hearted, and supports your whole family’s food and drink, and you still try to cuckold him. I feel so sorry for him!”
“A married woman chasing after the educated youth every day—back in our hometown ten years ago, you’d have been locked in a pig cage and drowned in the pond.”
“Han Jiaojiao, we all know you’re a lovesick idiot, but you’re still human—have a little shame while you’re alive!”
“You shameless creature, if I ever see you chasing after another man again, I’ll break your legs. Let’s go!”
Han Jiaojiao was stunned by the barrage.
Shameless, cuckolding, lovesick idiot…
Who were they cursing?
And who was Shen Junshan?
Suddenly, another woman’s memories flooded into Han Jiaojiao’s mind like a movie reel on five-times speed.
This woman shared her exact name, born in Yongchun County, a prosperous county near the southern coast.
Shen Junshan had moved to Tanhua Village in Yongchun County when the original owner was about eight or nine, becoming her next-door neighbor.
As a child, because both his parents were educated intellectuals, his life had been harder than most; after they died, he became even poorer. He was later sent down to the military, where a superior took a liking to him and transferred him into the special forces, and eventually he was assigned to the air force and valued by his superiors.
For reasons unknown, two years ago he was posted to Yongchun County, and after a year of work, he was promoted again.
Then he returned to Tanhua Village to propose to the original owner, insisting on bringing her and her younger siblings to live with him.
Everyone at the time thought Shen Junshan had lost his mind—why on earth would he insist on marrying a fool and taking on two extra burdens?
And now it was 1979, the first year of her marriage to Shen Junshan.
Han Jiaojiao struggled to absorb all this information, and inwardly she too thought Shen Junshan must be insane.
Suddenly, rain began to fall from the sky. She tried to stand and find shelter, but her foot slipped, and she tumbled back into the puddle.
A few children gathered around the edge of the mud pit, clapping and jeering: “The fool got scolded again!”
“The fool can’t climb out of the mud.”
“Fool, divorce your husband!”
The rain fell harder, and the children scattered, their taunts fading into the distance.
Han Jiaojiao felt a surge of irritation. She plopped down sullenly in the rain, thinking about how the original owner of this body had been not only a fool but a lovesick one, and then she took in her surroundings.
A stinking mud ditch, rammed-earth brick houses, piles of garbage…
She finally couldn’t hold back her tears.
“What did I ever do to deserve this? I just bought a new house and hadn’t even gotten comfortable in it, and now I’ve been transmigrated into a fool! I want to go home. I want to go back home.”
“Han Jiaojiao, I’ve come to take you home!”
Han Jiaojiao looked up at the sound of the voice, and a large black umbrella appeared above her head.
The man holding the umbrella was very tall, his clean clothes making his broad shoulders and long legs stand out.
His face was extraordinarily handsome.
His features were sharply defined, and the maturity and coldness in his brow carried a hint of a domineering CEO vibe, but mostly an upright, masculine aura.
Like… a young officer from a TV drama.
The moment Han Jiaojiao saw him, her heart felt like it had been struck by something.
In her past life, she’d lived twenty-five years, working hard for her studies and career, never once having been in a relationship.
Now she finally understood what love at first sight felt like.
Han Jiaojiao stared at the man, and as if possessed, hooked her finger around his, confirming, “Are you Shen Junshan?”
“Mm. I’m Shen Junshan.”
“You’ve come to take me home?”
“Yes, I’ve come to take you home.”
“What’s at home?”
“Home has everything.”
Shen Junshan answered each of her questions with great patience, taking her hand and pulling her out of the mud pit.
His palm was dry and warm.
The gloom in Han Jiaojiao’s heart was instantly dispelled.
Actually, Yongchun County in 1979 wasn’t so bad…
Shen Junshan, disregarding his white shirt, carried her on his back, one hand supporting her while the other held the umbrella as he walked home.
The red brick house he lived in was allocated by his work unit—a small six-story building, with its own private entrance, and the courtyard even had family benefits.
It was a condition that many cities would envy.
As Shen Junshan went upstairs, he ran into two older women. They smiled warmly at him, but the moment they saw Han Jiaojiao, their faces immediately fell.
Han Jiaojiao couldn’t help but tighten her grip around Shen Junshan’s neck.
Here, the only person she could rely on was this man.
And she was willing to rely on him.
First, she’d build a good relationship with him, then turn around her image as a fool, then go study, take exams, do business…
Thinking about how she might earn a hundred million in the future, Han Jiaojiao giggled.
Shen Junshan said, “Still laughing? He ignores you, and you’re still this happy?”
“Who is he?”
Shen Junshan figured she was just being silly—falling for someone at first sight and then forgetting them right after was normal for her, so he didn’t dig deeper.
When they got home, Shen Junshan had already boiled water, set up the washbasin in the bathroom, and filled it with water. He took her hand and led her toward the bathroom.
Han Jiaojiao’s face flushed red, and she forcefully shook off his hand. “I’ll wash myself.”
“Mm, mm.”
In Shen Junshan’s eyes, she was just throwing a tantrum like usual.
He gave a brief acknowledgment and still reached out to scoop her up.
Seeing his big hand come toward her, Han Jiaojiao cupped his large hand with both of hers and gave him a shy smile.
A flicker of surprise passed through Shen Junshan’s eyes.
She actually smiled at him—had she gotten even more foolish from the fall…
Just as Han Jiaojiao was wondering how to escape this awkward situation, a sweet, coquettish voice suddenly came from outside the door.
“Brother Shen, are you home? Our family got something good, and my sister specially brought it for you, Brother Shen!”
The moment Han Jiaojiao heard that voice, a name immediately popped into her head.
Chen Amin!
She was the girl who lived in the tube-shaped apartment building across the street, the same age as her, a textile worker at Factory No. 2.
Affected and pretentious, she was always trying to seduce Shen Junshan, and she often lied about cute boys being around, tricking her into rushing out to embarrass herself everywhere.
Han Jiaojiao was just stewing in her frustration with nowhere to vent it, so Chen Amin’s arrival was perfect timing.
Han Jiaojiao yanked the door open forcefully and gave her a provocative once-over from head to toe.
Chen Amin was dressed to the nines today, wearing a floral print dress that she’d specially asked someone to buy for her from the big city—the latest style.
Her two braids were combed smooth and shiny, pulled tight against her scalp, revealing a gleaming, oiled forehead.
It formed a stark contrast with Han Jiaojiao’s own dirty and smelly appearance.