In the chilly weather of mid-May, the villagers of Mengjia Village rose early to the crowing of roosters, wisps of smoke curling from every household.
Meng Yao skillfully stoked the fire in the stove, wiped her hands, and tossed the prepared greens into the sizzling, oiled wok. A crackling sound immediately filled the air.
Her expression remained unchanged as she deftly added seasonings and stirred.
This had been her daily routine at nineteen in her previous life.
Her father went to the village to start his day of accounting work, while her mother went to the fields to earn work points. In her past life, she had been overly dutiful—even without her parents asking, she would rise early to prepare meals.
Not only did she manage all the household chores, but she also helped in the fields whenever she had time.
As for Meng Yu…
Hah.
As the elder sister, she handled all the big and small tasks at home, leaving her no leisure to focus on studying. In contrast, Meng Yu lived like a young lady, using college entrance exams as an excuse to retreat to her room after meals, claiming she needed to study—when in reality, she was just avoiding work.
Many people gossiped behind their backs, saying the Meng family had no sons and was trying to raise their two daughters like boys. They even let the younger daughter take the college entrance exam, only for her to fail—what a disgrace.
For a long time, Meng Zhihong and Zhao Meilan couldn’t hold their heads high in the village.
The greens stir-fried over high heat were vibrant and green, paired with thick, well-cooked millet porridge and corn pancakes—the aroma was irresistible.
Three servings of breakfast were neatly arranged on the table.
“Mom, Dad, come and eat,” Meng Yao said, handing chopsticks to the two who had just washed their faces and hands.
Meng Zhihong sat down and, as usual, took a slurp of porridge. For some reason, he felt that as soon as the porridge reached his stomach, an intangible force seemed to refresh his spirit, sweeping away his fatigue and filling his body with energy.
“A-Yao, this porridge…”
Meng Yao smiled. The water she had used to cook the porridge today was specially drawn from her Space.
She had cooked today to test the effects of the Spirit Spring. Her parents worked hard, especially Zhao Meilan, who had to labor in the fields to earn work points. The Spirit Spring Water, which could dispel fatigue, was perfect for them.
She had also prepared a flask for Zhao Meilan in advance, for her to take to the fields later.
“Dad, I added a little sugar to the porridge today. Do you feel energized after drinking it?”
Zhao Meilan, sitting beside them, also took a sip and indeed felt invigorated.
When she looked up to praise her daughter, she suddenly froze. Meng Yao’s skin today was soft and fair, her hair dark and glossy. Not only did she look healthier, but she also seemed to glow.
“A-Yao looks so beautiful today,” Zhao Meilan couldn’t help but exclaim.
Meng Yao smiled without saying a word, taking a bite of the pancake. Her mood was cheerful as she thought about how she would never go to Jingxi City for Following the Army in this lifetime, and how she had the Spirit Spring Space as her companion.
Jingxi City was near the island, where even the most basic ingredients were hard to come by. The food she could usually enjoy here was nowhere to be found on the island, and even basic seasonings were extremely difficult to buy. Every meal was bland and watery—just thinking about it now made Meng Yao uncomfortable.
Never having to live that kind of life again filled her with indescribable relief.
Zhao Meilan noticed only three servings of breakfast on the table and instinctively asked, “A-Yao, what about your sister’s?”
In her previous life, Meng Yao had truly doted on Meng Yu, never letting her lift a finger at home. But in this lifetime, Meng Yu could forget about being waited on by her. The thought that Meng Yu might not even be her biological sister made Meng Yao even angrier.
If she wasn’t her real sister, what did all those years of enjoying her and her parents’ affection mean?
A fraud!
Meng Yao swallowed the pancake in her mouth and spoke with a natural smile.
“Mom, Dad, didn’t you say you wanted me and my sister to take the college entrance exam? I was thinking that since A-Yu is young, her self-control might not be very good, so I wanted to find a way to help her correct it. From now on, she should do her own chores, serve her own meals, and be urged to start with small things. If she can’t even handle these little tasks or is unwilling to do them, then she certainly won’t care about her studies.”
Meng Yao wore a troubled expression. “I heard this from the educated youth who came to our village. They said studying isn’t that easy. I’m doing this to temper A-Yu’s willpower. What do you think, Mom and Dad?”
Zhao Meilan nodded repeatedly, not doubting her at all. Her A-Yao had a kind heart, so she must be doing this for her sister’s good.
“It’s thoughtful of A-Yao to care so much,” Meng Zhihong said, looking pleased. Then, remembering something, he added, “But don’t just focus on urging your sister. Pay attention to your own studies too. If there’s anything you don’t understand, write it down first. I’ll help you ask at the Educated Youth Point later. Both you and your sister need to work hard, pass the college entrance exam, and bring honor to our Meng family!”
Seizing the opportunity, Meng Yao continued, “Mom, Dad, I was just about to tell you something. Could you give me three yuan today? I want to go to the county town to buy some practice test papers. I heard college entrance exam registration has started, so I’ll also sign up for me and my sister.”
Meng Zhihong looked excited upon hearing this.
“Wait, A-Yao, you finally want to take the college entrance exam too?”
Meng Yao smiled and nodded at her father.
In her previous life, when Meng Zhihong and Zhao Meilan urged the two of them to take the college entrance exam, Meng Yao, not wanting to burden the family, volunteered to give up her chance and let her sister have it.
Looking back now, she realized how foolish she had been. Why should she?
This time, she would never do that again!
Given a second chance, she must take the college entrance exam, attend university, and earn her diploma!
Zhao Meilan was delighted to see her daughter come around.
“A-Yao, don’t blame your dad and me for pushing you and your sister to take the college entrance exam. Yesterday, your dad already sent the matchmaker’s letter. The wedding dates for you and your sister haven’t been set yet. Your dad’s idea is to hold the weddings after the admission notices come out. Do you understand the reasoning behind this?”
Meng Yao naturally understood, but she shook her head.
Zhao Meilan continued, “People in the village are gossiping behind our backs, saying we only found such good in-laws because of your grandfather’s status as a martyr, that our Meng family is reaching above our station. But…”
Zhao Meilan sighed.
“But they have a point. It’s true that our family is reaching above our station. Your dad and I were thinking that if you and your sister both pass the college entrance exam and become university students, it would add another layer to your identities. The in-laws would look at us more favorably and wouldn’t make things difficult for you and A-Yu because of our status.”
Meng Yao, with her clever mind, naturally understood all of this.
“Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I’ll definitely work hard.”
8:30 in the morning.
The sun shone brightly into the courtyard.
Meng Yu had slept soundly and comfortably. The Meng household was empty—everyone had gone out to work or attend to their tasks.
As usual, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, then plopped down on the chair by the table.
She reached out to grab something but found nothing there.
Turning her head, she saw the table was empty. There were no prepared meals, only a half-eaten jar of pickled radishes placed to the side.
Frowning, she stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
She lifted the lid off the pot on the stove—it was scrubbed clean inside. Refusing to believe it, she continued rummaging through the kitchen.
After searching everywhere, she found nothing.
Having woken up late, her stomach was already growling with hunger after all that searching.
Furious, she kicked over the empty bucket in front of her.
She couldn’t help cursing Meng Yao in her heart. Usually, the meals were either served on the table or kept warm in the pot—why was there nothing today!
Returning to the living room, she searched again, only to find that there wasn’t even a single snack in the house.
Having enjoyed a few good days in her past life, Meng Yu grew increasingly resentful of this impoverished home. She couldn’t wait to marry Song Wei and start living a better life.
Patience, patience—just a little longer!
Unable to cook, she could only endure her hunger and return to her bedroom to lie down again.
She planned to wait until Meng Yao returned at noon to confront her properly.
Meanwhile, Meng Yao had no time to worry about whether Meng Yu had eaten at home. She had already hitched a ride on the village cart and was on her way to the county town.