Summer of 1973. Rumbling thunder echoed as dark clouds hung low, pressing down as if heralding an approaching storm.
Inside the ward of Jing City Military Subdistrict Hospital, Jiang Zhizhi lowered her gaze, suppressing the emotions in her eyes while listening to the conversation between two people in the outer reception area. They didn’t seem to care about lowering their voices.
“Mom, I grew up in the countryside and have endured all kinds of hardships. So let me be the one to go for this rural assignment. Zhizhi definitely can’t handle the hardships of country life – she’s only making a scene because she’s afraid.”
“No! You’re our biological daughter who’s already suffered so much in the countryside all these years! This time Jiang Zhizhi should be the one to go! She’s been living the good life using your identity all these years – going to the countryside is only right for her.”
“Mom, I’m being sincere. I want to go to the countryside, I don’t want to marry Zhou Xiye. Jiang Zhizhi doesn’t want to go to the countryside but wants to marry Zhou Xiye – doesn’t that work out perfectly?”
“Besides, Dad said this rural assignment is close to where you’ll be, so you can visit me anytime. Also, policies have relaxed quite a bit now – life in the countryside isn’t that hard anymore.”
“Well… I’ll discuss this further with your father. Zhou Xiye is so outstanding – both his looks and capabilities are top-notch.”
“Mom, I know. I’ve seen Brother Zhou Xiye’s photo, he seems like a good person… But Mom, when Jiang Zhizhi attempted suicide, I saw you crying. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”
“Moreover, I don’t want to live under your protection forever. I believe in my ability to forge a good future for myself through my own labor and efforts!”
…
Jiang Zhizhi touched her right arm encased in plaster, then felt the thick bandage wrapped around her wrist, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Who would have thought that after what seemed like a fatal accident during her mission, she would open her eyes to find herself transmigrated to 1973, into this girl who also happened to be named Jiang Zhizhi.
The original host and Sun Xiaoyue speaking outside had been switched at birth. The original host’s biological mother, seeing the Jiang family’s better circumstances in the same hospital ward, had swapped the babies. Now nearing death, her conscience awakened, she brought Sun Xiaoyue to the capital to reunite with her real family.
When Jiang Zhenhua and his wife saw Sun Xiaoyue’s face that mirrored Song Wanying’s, they barely questioned it and reunited amid guilt and sorrow.
The original host’s mother, watching the family reunion, peacefully breathed her last in the hospital.
Jiang Zhenhua and Song Wanying still held affection for Jiang Zhizhi, whom they had raised for nineteen years, and never asked the original host to leave, instead feeling that having an additional daughter was just fine.
Half a year after the reunion, Jiang Zhenhua encountered some troubles – he was reported and faced being sent down, with his unmarried children also required to go to the countryside for labor reform.
The couple couldn’t bear to make their biological daughter endure rural hardships. A month ago, they swallowed their pride and approached the Zhou family, arranging for their biological daughter Sun Xiaoyue to marry the Zhou family’s eldest son in the military, Zhou Xiye, while sending the original host to the countryside.
When the original host Jiang Zhizhi found out, how could she accept going to the countryside for farm labor? Besides, she had secretly liked Zhou Xiye all along. Despite her crying and tantrums, she couldn’t change the Jiang couple’s decision. In a fit of anger, she ultimately chose to slit her wrists, and in her dazed state, ended up breaking her arm…
This was precisely when Jiang Zhizhi transmigrated over.
Thinking of the original host’s obsession, she couldn’t help but sigh. After all, Jiang Zhenhua and his wife were Sun Xiaoyue’s biological parents – reserving the best for their daughter was only natural. The original host had enjoyed nineteen years of carefree living in the Jiang family – that was already more than fortunate.
Going to the countryside it is! She wasn’t particularly interested in marriage anyway.
While still processing the original host’s memories, the hospital room door was pushed open, and Song Wanying entered holding Sun Xiaoyue’s hand.
Seeing Jiang Zhizhi sitting on the hospital bed, expression calm with slightly downturned lips, Song Wanying suddenly felt somewhat guilty. Did she overhear those earlier words?
Forcing a smile, she approached: “Zhizhi, you’re awake? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? How could you be so foolish, child? No matter what problems arise, was suicide really the answer? If we’d found you any later, you might not have survived!”
Mentioning suicide instantly diluted Song Wanying’s earlier guilt. This daughter she’d raised for nineteen years—even after learning she wasn’t biologically related, she never considered abandoning her. Yet this girl couldn’t tolerate her own biological daughter!
Usually, Jiang Zhizhi would unite the children in the United Compound to isolate Sun Xiaoyue, secretly creating obstacles for her. Even the things she bought for Xiaoyue were secretly destroyed by Jiang Zhizhi…
And now, unwilling to let her biological daughter suffer in the countryside, she arranged for her to marry Zhou Xiye, yet Jiang Zhizhi actually resorted to suicide threats!
How could she be so selfish and immature!!
Sun Xiaoyue clung to Song Wanying’s arm, looking timidly at Jiang Zhizhi: “Zhizhi, please don’t be angry. I’ve already talked with Mom—I’ll go to the countryside. You’ve never endured hardship since childhood, never done farm work. You definitely couldn’t handle rural life. Besides, I only just found out you like Brother Zhou Xiye, so you should marry him.”
Although she’d been back with the Jiang family for over half a year, Sun Xiaoyue remained thin with sallow skin, forming a stark contrast to Jiang Zhizhi’s rosy, fair complexion.
Sun Xiaoyue narrowed her eyes at Jiang Zhizhi’s face, jealousy and hatred flashing in her gaze, though inwardly she felt secret delight. No one knew she had been reborn.
In her previous life, she had joyfully married Zhou Xiye—the man all the girls in the compound admired—only to discover after marriage that he was an unapproachable iceberg, silent and sharp-eyed, making him impossible to get close to.
Later, when border conflicts erupted, Zhou Xiye died in battle, becoming a hero.
And she, bearing the identity of a hero’s widow, was watched by the Zhou family and forbidden to remarry, remaining a widow her entire life!
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhizhi—after making a suicide scene—was forced to go to the countryside anyway, where she met a male educated youth. They fell in love freely and married. After the college entrance exams resumed, the man passed the exams and steadily rose to prominence!
He eventually became a high-ranking official, and Jiang Zhizhi, relying on her pretty face, was pampered by that man her whole life.
Until her dying breath, she resented—why?!
Jiang Zhizhi had stolen her identity to live happily for the first half of her life, yet still enjoyed such happiness in the second half?
Fortunately, heaven had eyes, allowing her to be reborn!
This time, she wouldn’t marry that cold, silent man again. She would go to the countryside and live a superior life!
Jiang Zhizhi looked at them expressionlessly: “I’ll still go to the countryside. Even if I’ve never done farm work, I can learn. Xiaoyue has suffered enough all these years—she shouldn’t have to endure more hardship.”
Song Wanying was momentarily stunned, hardly believing Jiang Zhizhi could speak so magnanimously, but still felt relieved: “Zhizhi, the countryside won’t be too far from us. When the time comes, your father and I can visit you when we have time.”
Sun Xiaoyue grew frantic, tugging at Song Wanying’s arm: “Mom, I want to go to the countryside! I don’t want to marry Zhou Xiye, I won’t marry a man I don’t even know!”