The sky was a dull gray, and a sea breeze laden with moisture blew toward the people beachcombing. Amidst the churning waves, the tide began to rise.
“The tide is coming in! Everyone, head back! Stop picking!” The old village party secretary of Haiyu Village shouted through a megaphone with peeling paint.
On the shore, the villagers reluctantly began to make their way back, clutching their collected seafood.
Suddenly, someone screamed at the top of their lungs: “Help! Someone help! Old Yu’s daughter has jumped into the sea!”
A bone-chilling cold invaded Yu Zhile’s body, jolting her back to a fragment of consciousness. Water poured into her nose and throat, the stinging pain causing her to gag.
She felt her body becoming heavier and heavier. She used every ounce of strength to thrash at the water’s surface, but she only managed to stir up a few small splashes.
Just as she was falling into despair, the sound of urgent splashing drew near.
In the next second, she was hoisted out of the ocean.
Once out of danger, Yu Zhile struggled to open her eyelids. All she could see were two figures with sun-blackened faces and pale necks against a vast, ashen sky.
Then, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness completely.
After an unknown amount of time, Yu Zhile felt voices buzzing in her ear, making her head throb with pain.
“Dr. Jiang, how is my sister?”
“We found her early. She just swallowed some water; it’s nothing too serious. It’s just—”
the raspy voice stopped abruptly, then continued after a pause, “The wound on her forehead is a bit tricky. She might develop a fever tonight, so you need to keep a close eye on her.”
“Will it leave a scar?” a clear, youthful male voice asked.
“Hard to say. The cut is quite deep.”
The voices gradually faded. The swelling pain in Yu Zhile’s temples subsided, replaced by a dull ache in her forehead, and she drifted back into a deep sleep.
Some time later, a shrill voice pierced her ears, dragging her back to wakefulness.
“That little brat Yu Zhile sure knows how to cause trouble! Look at the mess her family is in now. How dare she jump into the sea? If she dies, who’s going to clean up this disaster for her?”
“And her mother, my eldest sister-in-law, is just as bad. She fainted and simply won’t wake up. She left behind a bunch of children: a pampered, lazy girl who won’t lift a finger, a paralytic who can’t walk, and a little idiot who can’t even speak. Not a single one of them is useful! She’s fine being a living corpse, while our two families have to work ourselves to death to raise her kids!”
“Divide the family! We must divide the household this time! We won’t be the suckers anymore!”
Another gentle female voice spoke up: “Third Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother has only been gone for a week. To bring up dividing the family now—how do you expect Eldest Sister-in-law and her children to survive?”
“Second Sister-in-law, you’ve certainly got your own agenda. Your sons, Yu Yang and Yu Qi, are growing up. You’re just hoping the communal family funds will pay for their wedding dowries in a couple of years, aren’t you?”
“Third Sister-in-law, I didn’t mean it like that—”
The shrewish woman cut her off: “You say that, but who knows what you’re plotting in your head!”
“Wu Caixia! Shut your mouth!”
After a man’s barked command, the shrewish woman muttered a few more things that Yu Zhile couldn’t catch from inside the room.
Jumping into the sea… lazy girl… cripple… little idiot…
These words floated into Yu Zhile’s mind one by one, leaving her thoughts in a jumble. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like lead, refusing to lift.
After a moment, the man’s voice rose again: “Second Sister-in-law, Caixia’s words were harsh, but she has a point. Raising children isn’t just about giving them a mouthful of food. We’ll discuss dividing the family once Mother returns.”
A cool breeze blew in, clearing Yu Zhile’s head. With a monumental effort, she finally pried her heavy eyelids open.
The dim room wasn’t large, but it was fully furnished with a desk, a wardrobe, and a dressing table. The walls and floor were made of yellowish stones, giving the place a rugged look. A window faced the foot of the bed, its screen fluttering in the breeze.
She struggled to prop herself up. The sea breeze hit her face, carrying a salty tang that made her already dizzy head feel nauseous.
Yu Zhile looked around carefully; it didn’t look like a hospital.
Before losing consciousness, she had been filming a beachcombing video. She saw a child drowning and threw her phone aside to save them. She hadn’t expected her leg to cramp at the crucial moment, and then everything went dark.
Like a bolt of lightning, a word flashed through her mind—Transmigration!
The absurd thought was hard to believe.
In the next second, her head was suddenly flooded with a massive amount of fragmented images. The splitting headache lasted for a long time before she finally recovered.
Today was March 29, 1970. She was currently in a small fishing village on the coast of China—Haiyu Village.
The original owner of this body shared her name, Yu Zhile. She was nineteen years old, a young fisher girl who had just lost her father. Her mother was in a coma, and she had two younger brothers.
Her eldest younger brother, Yu Yue, was fifteen. He used to be the village’s resident genius until an accident left his legs paralyzed.
Her youngest brother, Yu Chi, was five. He hadn’t spoken a single word since birth and usually ignored outsiders. The villagers often called him an “idiot.”
Since she started school, Yu Zhile had been taken to the provincial capital by her young aunt, where she grew up pampered and fair-skinned. Last year, when universities stopped admissions and the city fell into chaos, her uncle was often away for work. Fearing he couldn’t protect her, her aunt was forced to send her back to Haiyu Village in early February.
During her first month back, the village boys had crowded her family’s courtyard wall just to catch a glimpse of her. The title of “Village Flower of Haiyu” had spread from that time.
After returning, she followed her mother to learn weaving and mending nets. Although her step-grandmother disliked her, the old woman only dared to make snide remarks and didn’t dare starve her because of the father’s military stipend and her grandfather’s affection.
Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last.
A week ago, news came from the army that her father, Yu Haiguang, had died a hero’s death in the line of duty, his body unrecovered. Upon hearing the news, her mother, Yu Wanqin, fainted on the spot and had been in a coma ever since.
With the stipend cut off and her mother unconscious, the original Yu Zhile became the family’s sole laborer. During the day, she was driven to work by her step-grandmother, and in the evening, she had to go beachcombing.
This afternoon, she had gone to the beach with the villagers as usual after the tide receded, but an accident occurred.
The Yu family was a large household. Excluding the two aunts who had married out, there were fifteen people in total.
Her father, Yu Haiguang, had joined the army as a young man. In his fourth year of service, he brought home his wife and the young Yu Zhile, and later had two sons.
The Second Uncle, Yu Haizong, was the captain of the village’s first fishing team. He and his wife, Yang Suyun, had three sons: seventeen-year-old Yu Yang, fifteen-year-old Yu Qi, and four-year-old Yu Lin.
The Third Uncle, Yu Haiyao, was the son of the step-grandmother and her previous husband. He had a few years of schooling and currently served as an accountant. His wife, Wu Caixia, was a distant relative of the step-grandmother. Their only son, Yu Fu, was nine years old.
Just as Yu Zhile finished sorting through the original owner’s family information, she heard the sound of wheels rolling over fine sand approaching.
The shrill woman’s complaints drifted in from the main hall again: “His legs are crippled, so he can’t do any work, yet he still rolls around everywhere in that wheelchair. He’s got rocks in his head!”
Yu Yue said nothing and headed straight for Yu Zhile’s room, a little “tail” following closely behind his wheelchair.
“Xiao Yue, your Third Aunt is just like that. Her words are harsh, but in her heart, she means well for you; she’s just worried you’ll tire yourself out.” Third Uncle Yu Haiyao’s tone was filled with profound helplessness.
Yu Zhile’s limbs were weak and she had no strength, but that didn’t stop her from remembering that Third Uncle was a “smiling tiger”—someone who looked kind but was actually calculating. Fearing Yu Yue would be taken advantage of, she called out hoarsely, “Xiao Yue, I want some water.”
Only after speaking did she realize how much her throat hurt—likely a lingering effect of nearly drowning.
“Move aside,” Yu Yue’s cold voice rang out.
Yu Haiyao clearly didn’t take Yu Zhile seriously. He continued to block the way, saying, “Xiao Yue, your parents must have saved a lot of money over the years. It should be enough for you and Xiao Chi to live on for several years—OW!”
Before he could finish, he jumped back in pain, clearing the path.
“You little idiot! Where did you pick up that mantis shrimp shell? You tore your Third Uncle’s pants! He’s only worn them once!” Wu Caixia screamed in fury. She tried to strike Yu Chi, but Yu Haiyao slapped her across the face instead.
Yu Haiyao glared at her with a darkened face and hissed a curse: “Stupid woman.”
The scene had become awkward, so he couldn’t continue his previous topic. He could only watch helplessly as Yu Yue and Yu Chi entered the room.
Yu Yue rolled his wheelchair to the desk, placed her enamel cup on his lap, and uncorked the thermos. Steam rose slowly.
He poured a bit too quickly, and the water splashed against the rim of the cup, soaking patches of his light-colored pants.
Yu Zhile watched nervously, but he remained unfazed.
“I mixed it with some cold water; drink it slowly.” Yu Yue handed her the cup and helped prop a pillow behind her back.
Yu Zhile took small sips. The temperature was perfect. Then she heard him speak again.
“Dr. Jiang said he has an ointment for scars; it won’t leave a mark.”
“I’ve already spoken to Grandpa Secretary. He said you should rest completely until you’re better before returning to work.”
Yu Yue had arranged everything meticulously.
For a fleeting moment, Yu Zhile felt as though he was the older, caretaking sibling.
The warm water heated her body. Yu Zhile looked up from the cup and met Yu Yue’s gaze. Looking at the two figures—one large, one small—by her bed, she began to worry.
In her modern life, she had grown up in an orphanage and had zero experience living with blood relatives. She didn’t know how to handle this in the future.
Just as she felt a faint awkwardness settling in the air, Third Aunt Wu Caixia walked in carrying a bamboo basket.
Wu Caixia had skin that was unusually fair for a fishing village, but now her left cheek bore a clear, red handprint, and her eyes were rimmed with red.
She took two raw eggs from her basket, set them on the table, and grumbled, “A bunch of debt collectors, always eyeing my stuff.”
Yu Zhile and Yu Yue ignored her. Yu Chi was even more indifferent, preoccupied with his mantis shrimp shell. She cursed a few more times and left.
As soon as she turned the corner, she shouted loudly in the courtyard: “Xiao Yue! Those are eggs I’ve been saving for a long time! I don’t even let your cousin eat them! You eat them first, and if they’re not enough, I’ll get you more!”
As darkness fell, Yu Yue lit an oil lamp in Yu Zhile’s room. The three siblings sat in silence, yet the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
Suddenly, a sturdy-looking youth holding a large porcelain bowl nudged the door open with his side. A bamboo basket was hooked on his forearm.
Three pairs of eyes stared straight at him, making him look a bit bashful.
“Sister, Brother, my mom told me to bring dinner.” The youth set the items on the table.
This was Yu Qi, the second son of Second Uncle Yu Haizong. He was only a few days younger than Yu Yue but was built much stronger.
Yu Yue smiled. “Tell Second Aunt thank you for me.”
“Nothing to thank us for. It just happened to be my mom’s turn to cook today.” Yu Qi scratched the back of his head.
When he reached the door, he slapped his forehead hard and turned back. “My mom said my dad went to pick up Step-Grandmother. They’ll be back tomorrow, so she told you to be prepared.”
Yu Yue understood and nodded.
Yu Qi had brought a large bowl of crucian carp soup and several dark, coarse grain buns.
The soup contained plenty of ginger and a splash of wine. After Yu Zhile finished it, her whole body felt warm, and she was soon overcome by sleepiness.
As her consciousness blurred, she suddenly remembered Wu Caixia’s comment about her jumping into the sea.
The original Yu Zhile was an optimistic person. After the family tragedy, she had resolved to save money to take her mother and brother to a big city for medical treatment. There was no reason for her to seek her own death.
She tried to recall what happened before she drowned. Various images from today flashed through her mind, eventually freezing on a figure wearing a pink floral fabric.
Yu Zhile struggled to remember the person’s face, but her physical exhaustion caused her consciousness to drift. All the images dissolved.
She drank another bowl of Chinese medicine prescribed by Dr. Jiang before bed and slept relatively peacefully.
However, in the middle of the night, it suddenly began to pour. Wind mixed with rain blew into the room through the half-open window.
Yu Zhile felt her body heating up again, as if she were trapped in a furnace. Through her haze, she saw Yu Yue’s silhouette struggling to close the window.
A while later, her limp arm was lifted, and the strong scent of alcohol filled her senses.
When the first light of dawn broke the next day, she was pulled back to reality by a barrage of shouting.