Pei Nian pushed through the crowded platform and, thanks to her great strength, was among the first to board the train.
Carrying her luggage, she found her assigned seat in the middle of the carriage—a window-side hard seat.
An hour later, the train made a temporary stop at a small station.
Three more passengers boarded: two women and one man.
One of the girls wore her hair in a single braid. She was pretty, but her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, as though she hadn’t yet figured out where she was. She seemed completely out of place amid the noisy, bustling carriage.
The other girl wore twin ponytails. She looked innocent enough, but whenever her eyes darted around, there was a faint hint of calculation beneath the surface.
“Xiaojin, are you alright? I thought you’d fainted just now. You scared me to death.”
The girl with the ponytails spoke with exaggerated concern, while tightly clutching her own luggage bag.
The braided girl, addressed as “Xiaojin,” rubbed her temples.
Gradually, the confusion faded from her eyes, replaced by sharp clarity.
She looked out the window, then at her own hands, before finally turning her gaze to the ponytailed girl.
The corner of her lips lifted slightly.
“I’m fine, Gao Juan.”
The unfamiliar look in Zhou Jin’s eyes made Gao Juan’s scalp tingle.
Forcing a smile, she said, “That’s good. Once we get to the countryside, we’ll have to get used to working. The leaders said the countryside is where we can make great contributions. When we arrive, with Comrade Jiang Xu looking after us, we’ll definitely…”
As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the tall, cold-faced young man standing behind her.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks.
“Comrade Gao Juan.”
Zhou Jin interrupted her, amusement coloring her tone.
“Don’t say things like that. Comrade Jiang Xu isn’t even familiar with us.”
Gao Juan stiffened.
“I just meant…”
Zhou Jin didn’t give her a chance to continue.
Her clear voice carried throughout the nearby seats, loud enough for everyone secretly listening to hear.
“At most, Comrade Jiang Xu and we are classmates from the same school. He has neither the obligation nor the responsibility to take care of anyone.”
Pei Nian had only been half-listening.
But the moment the names “Zhou Jin,” “Gao Juan,” and “Jiang Xu” came one after another…
Her heart skipped a beat.
Why did those names sound so familiar?
And that clear, precise clarification from the braided girl…
Wasn’t this exactly how one of the period novels she’d read began?
The novel told the story of a modern woman named Zhou Jin who transmigrated into the body of a girl from the 1970s with the same name.
The original Zhou Jin had been tricked by her white-lotus classmate into volunteering for the countryside.
After the transmigration, Zhou Jin saw through the white lotus’s true nature, cut ties with her, and relied on her own abilities along with a nostalgic general-store space to thrive in the countryside.
Along the way, she also fell in love with the male lead, Jiang Xu.
As for Gao Juan…
She was the scheming white lotus who kept causing trouble throughout the story.
Well, well…
So she hadn’t merely transmigrated.
She had transmigrated into a novel.
Pei Nian quickly reviewed the plot in her mind.
In the original story, she was little more than a background character.
She rarely interacted with the educated youth at the commune, moved out to live alone early on, and later returned to the city after passing the restored college entrance examination.
The female lead’s impression of her could be summed up in just four words:
Stayed out of everything.
And…
A wealthy customer.
Pei Nian couldn’t have been more satisfied.
She wanted nothing more than to remain a background character.
A rich background character.
Without drawing attention, she shifted into a more comfortable position, settled in, and prepared to enjoy watching her fellow transmigrator tear the little white lotus apart.
Gao Juan’s face alternated between red and pale after Zhou Jin’s relentless questioning.
The curious looks from the surrounding passengers made her feel like she was sitting on needles.
Lowering her voice until it carried a sob, she pleaded,
“Xiaojin, how could you think that about me? I really was only trying to help you.”
“Help me?”
Zhou Jin almost laughed.
Her voice didn’t lower at all.
“Gao Juan, your idea of ‘helping’ was persuading me to give up my city job and come to the countryside?”
“I really don’t need that kind of help.”
The original Zhou Jin’s mother had already arranged for her daughter to inherit her work position.
But the naïve original owner had been talked into it by Gao Juan.
One pep talk later, and she’d enthusiastically signed up for the countryside.
Although Gao Juan was largely responsible, the original Zhou Jin also bore some blame.
The two hadn’t even been particularly close.
Yet she had believed Gao Juan so easily.
Gao Juan herself had probably never expected the original Zhou Jin to actually go through with it.
She’d simply been casting a wide net.
If someone happened to accompany her to the countryside, she could take advantage of them.
The original Zhou Jin’s family never knew she had been manipulated into volunteering.
Instead, they had even asked the two girls to look after one another once they arrived.
Unfortunately, the original Zhou Jin had somehow fainted while boarding the train.
When she woke up…
She had become the modern Zhou Jin.
Not knowing how to take revenge on Gao Juan, Zhou Jin simply chose to cut ties completely.
She stood up.
Her back was straight, her eyes clear and resolute.
“From this day forward, we go our separate ways.”
“Don’t try to get close to me anymore.”
“Not even our classmate relationship exists anymore.”
With those words, she picked up her luggage.
Without sparing Gao Juan—who stood frozen with an ugly expression—a single glance, she walked directly to her assigned seat.
It was directly across from Pei Nian.
Silently, Pei Nian gave the transmigrated heroine a mental thumbs-up.
She had handled the matter cleanly and decisively.
No unnecessary hesitation.
Seeing that Zhou Jin ignored her completely, Gao Juan turned hopefully toward Jiang Xu.
Her eyes reddened with tears.
“Classmate Jiang, I really didn’t…”
Jiang Xu’s expression didn’t change.
He simply said,
“Move aside. You’re blocking the way.”
Disbelief filled Gao Juan’s eyes.
She shot Zhou Jin a vicious glare.
Quiet whispers spread throughout the carriage.
The looks directed at Gao Juan now carried scrutiny—and a trace of contempt.
What a coincidence.
The heroine and hero sat in the same row.
The supporting villainess and Pei Nian sat in another.
Quite a few passengers in the carriage were secretly paying attention to the drama between Zhou Jin and Gao Juan.
Occupying such a perfect seat for watching everything unfold, Pei Nian happily enjoyed every second of the fresh gossip.
Perhaps feeling that the previous confrontation had been awkward…
Or perhaps simply wanting to break the ice in a new environment…
After sitting down, Zhou Jin turned toward Pei Nian and smiled warmly.
“Hello, Comrade. My name is Zhou Jin. I’m being sent to Xiangyang Commune in Lin County.”
Pei Nian looked up and met Zhou Jin’s bright, open gaze.
She returned a faint smile.
“Hello. I’m Pei Nian.”
“I’m also going to Xiangyang Commune in Lin County.”
At that moment, Gao Juan, sitting across from them, once again put on her pitiful expression.
Her voice was so soft it practically dripped with sweetness.
“Hello, Comrade Pei. My name is Gao Juan. I’m also headed to Xiangyang Commune. Xiaojin and I may have had a bit of a misunderstanding. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
Before Pei Nian could respond, Zhou Jin answered first.
Her tone was calm, but her boundaries couldn’t have been clearer.
“Comrade Gao Juan, this isn’t a misunderstanding.”
“It’s a matter of principles.”
“As for looking after one another, once we arrive, we’ll simply follow the arrangements made by the organization.”
With that single sentence, she completely blocked Gao Juan’s attempt to latch onto her again.
The line between them was drawn unmistakably.
Pei Nian quietly took it all in.
This transmigrated heroine had adapted surprisingly quickly.
As expected, the male lead remained as taciturn as he was in the novel.
He introduced himself with only a few words.
“Jiang Xu.”
“Xiangyang Commune.”
The introductions ended quickly.
For most of the journey, Pei Nian immersed herself inside her space.
After planting one full crop of all the medicinal herbs her grandfather had left behind, she planted another full mu of rice.
Only then did she reluctantly stop.
Planting…
Harvesting…
Everything happened almost instantly.
Looking at the vibrant land completely under her control, Pei Nian felt a growing sense of security and satisfaction.
Farming…
Didn’t seem nearly as difficult as she’d imagined.