For shoes, she deliberately chose a type of handmade cotton shoes. They looked plain and gray, but inside was soft natural felt, densely crafted, and low-profile. She bought 50 pairs for each family member according to their sizes.
Next came windproof hats, scarves, and gloves. She found an online store specializing in reproductions of old-style items. The products looked vintage but were made with modern, comfortable, high-quality materials. Qiao Qingqing didn’t hesitate and bought them in bulk.
With cold-weather clothing mostly covered, she turned to mosquito protection and summer prevention: mosquito repellents, floral water, and ointments for insect bites.
Medical supplies were naturally essential. Qiao Qingqing bought a bunch of antibiotics, including penicillin and amoxicillin, along with basic medicines—fever reducers, painkillers, alcohol for disinfection, gauze, small vials of iodine, various vitamins, and nutritional supplements. She stocked dozens of boxes of sanitary pads and sleep pants.
She also purchased books: medical and health guides, agricultural techniques, academic books relevant to her father and elder brothers, basically everything she could think of.
While shopping, she saw a store selling reproductions of the People’s Daily. Qiao Qingqing realized this could be very useful—by reading the newspaper, she could predict major events to come. She ordered every issue from 1970 to 1999.
Once the newspapers were bought, Lin Chaohai’s 200,000 yuan credit card balance was drained. She knew his money had largely been poured into a newly opened factory; his personal account had little liquidity. He also had some stocks, but those couldn’t be accessed until daytime trading, which could add another 300,000 yuan.
However, his credit limits on e-commerce platforms were substantial. Qiao Qingqing drained everything, leaving no platform untouched. She also bought mosquito nets, quilts, down comforters, and other bedding, along with flashlights, batteries—basically anything useful she could see.
For convenience, she purchased 500 kilograms of cotton and over 200 meters of plain-colored cotton fabric. These were high-density, premium-quality cotton—understated in appearance but breathable and comfortable, perfect for making clothes.
Some items couldn’t be bought openly, so she spent extra time purchasing wooden basins, bamboo tubes, and other natural-style items.
Qiao Qingqing had no intention of marrying again after her rebirth, but she wanted her two elder brothers to have happy families. She even bought some infant formula, exhausting Lin Chaohai’s card limit entirely.
By the time she put down her phone, it was already past 4 a.m.
Her body seemed to have limitless energy. She didn’t feel tired or hungry, though she knew this was due to heightened emotions. To calm herself, she made something to eat in the kitchen, showered, changed out of her blood-soaked clothes, and went to bed for a short rest.
She treated Lin Chaohai as though he were dead the whole time—only using his fingerprints to unlock the phone, never glancing at him. Meanwhile, Lin Chaohai watched her furious online shopping and panicked, his eyes nearly popping out.
All that money was his!
Every time she used his fingerprint, the payment success chime rang, making him dizzy. He couldn’t stop her; his heart ached, and he struggled to breathe.
Just as Qiao Qingqing lay down, Lin Chaohai, agitated by the situation, made muffled noises and shook violently. In the end, he and the chair collapsed to the floor, his attempts to speak wild and chaotic, the chair scraping loudly against the wooden floor.
Qiao Qingqing, annoyed, jumped out of bed and approached him. A pungent urine smell hit her—his pants were soaked halfway, and yellow liquid was spreading on the floor.
Her face darkened with disgust.
Lin Chaohai, equally embarrassed and furious, glared at her as if he wanted to tear her apart.
But Qiao Qingqing, having nearly died once, no longer feared him.
She only thought: when he once kicked her to the ground and looked down on her as she struggled like a dog, didn’t he feel a similar heartache?
Cold. Contemptuous. Hardening her heart further.
She frowned, grabbed a blanket from the wardrobe, and threw it over him to cover the smell. She then collapsed on the bed, half-asleep, resting for a few hours.
8:30 a.m.
[Rebirth Countdown: 62 hours 36 minutes 58 seconds]
As Qiao Qingqing got up, Lin Chaohai quickly recovered from the floor, still glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.
She ignored him, set up surveillance cameras around the bedroom, aimed one at Lin Chaohai, and synced the footage to her phone.
Next, she rushed to a nearby mini-mart to buy several sturdy nylon ropes. Back home, she tied Lin Chaohai tightly, immobilizing him completely, secured his mouth, and removed all sharp objects from the room.
For these three days, she needed him to stay put and behave. Naturally, she had to be careful.
Lin Chaohai muttered and swore under his breath. Annoyed, Qiao Qingqing kicked him twice in the groin. His face turned dark red, and finally, the room was quiet.
Then, Qiao Qingqing drove to the hospital to complete her discharge procedures. Simply disappearing from the hospital would cause complications—she had to handle it properly.
The nurses were stunned, and the attending doctor came over.
“Are you sure you want to leave?” the doctor asked. “Your condition isn’t great; we recommend staying for observation and rest.”
They knew her situation and had privately sympathized. At her age, seriously ill, with no husband or children around, only her mother-in-law had visited twice for paperwork.
“I don’t want treatment. It won’t help anyway. I’d rather go home,” Qiao Qingqing replied calmly.
The doctor sighed and stopped insisting.
After paying the hospital fees, Qiao Qingqing went to a local courier station.
All the items she had ordered last night were sent there. It was some distance from her home, but the station owner was a familiar acquaintance.
She arranged a short-term deal: she had many packages arriving over the next two days. The owner would store them; she would pick them up daily around 6 p.m., paying extra for fast handling. The owner agreed gladly.
Leaving the station, she went to the repair shop.
The car she drove was Lin Chaohai’s prized vehicle, bought for over a million yuan and heavily modified. He had refused to mortgage it despite financial strain, but Qiao Qingqing wanted to sell quickly.
“I want cash, now. You name the price,” she told Xu, the shop owner.
Xu, knowing her and the car, was surprised.
“Are you sure?” he asked, trying not to smile at the irony.
“Yes. Our family business is short on cash. Old Lin couldn’t handle it himself. I don’t know much about cars, you decide. Just don’t tell anyone we’re in need,” Qiao Qingqing said.
Xu reassured her: “Friends don’t let friends be cheated. We’ll give a fair price.”
Not wanting to waste time, she sold the car at a shockingly low 220,000 yuan.
While Xu fetched cash, she also sold an old SUV for 260,000 yuan and a small old truck.
With the broken truck, she headed to the wholesale grain and oil market.
She had stored breakfast in her space. Thirsty now, she retrieved some soy milk—it was still hot.
She checked the time—it had been in the space for over half an hour, yet remained perfectly warm.
She smiled again. The space didn’t just preserve grains—it could store ready-to-eat food.
To test, she put in a cup of ice cream and a hot coffee. After an hour, both were unchanged. Temperature checked—completely stable.
It seemed she could also stock up on prepared foods.