Ruan Sui'an looked pleadingly at Eldest Aunt beside her, her meaning perfectly clear: Eldest Aunt, save me!
Eldest Aunt couldn't help but smile at her niece's playful expression and stepped in to smooth things over.
"Mom! An'an's appetite has always been small—eating too much will upset her stomach. Besides, she looks tired. Let's go out and let her rest."
Anyone could tell this was an excuse to help Ruan Sui'an out.
After sleeping for a full day and night, she hardly needed more rest.
Grandmother glanced at her granddaughter, then at her eldest daughter-in-law who was speaking up for her.
"Fine, fine. You're the good one, and I'm the bad one, is that it?" Li Xiaolian said with mock annoyance.
But inwardly, she was pleased that her daughter-in-law cared so much for her granddaughter.
Li Xiaolian felt comforted knowing her daughters-in-law were kind, allowing her to enjoy her later years in peace.
Even if they couldn't escape the fate of being sent down, being together as a family was what mattered most.
Ruan Sui'an giggled and grabbed Grandmother's hand, cooing, "Grandma, how could you be the bad one? You're the best to me—it's just my body that doesn't cooperate."
Ruan Sui'an wasn't wrong. The original owner had one of those enviable metabolisms—no matter how much she ate, she stayed slender. It was the kind of physique those prone to weight gain dreamed of.
Naturally, she loved this body that never gained weight—it saved a lot of trouble.
No matter how much she ate in the future, she'd never have to worry about getting fat or even think about dieting.
It was like winning the genetic lottery.
Li Xiaolian tapped Ruan Sui'an's forehead affectionately. "You and your sweet talk. Get some rest now—we'll leave you be."
With that, she headed for the door.
Chen Defu reached out with his aged hand and patted Ruan Sui'an's shoulder. "Rest well."
Ruan Sui'an smiled. "Yes, Grandfather."
Second Aunt, who had remained quiet until now, stepped forward and gently patted the back of Ruan Sui'an's hand, soothing her softly, "An'an, don't overthink things. Just rest well."
Zhang Tiantian's heart ached for this niece of hers. Losing both parents at once was more than anyone could bear.
Especially for a girl who had just turned seventeen. She had wanted to take good care of this child for her sister and brother-in-law's sake.
But given their current circumstances, they could hardly ensure their own safety.
One by one, the people in the room filed out.
The last to leave was Elder Female Cousin Chen Xiaoyun. The two were less than two years apart in age.
Earlier, standing at the edge of the room, she hadn't dared to act freely in front of the elders, but her heart had ached watching her younger cousin.
Now, with no one blocking her view, Chen Xiaoyun's eyes grew moist.
She stepped forward and pulled Ruan Sui'an into a tight embrace, her voice choked with emotion. "An'an, don't be sad. You still have us."
Though the two cousins hadn't met often, being close in age, they had always gotten along well.
Besides, her aunt and uncle had doted on her as if she were their own daughter. Now that they were gone, she would take good care of her cousin in their place.
Remembering how pale and fragile her cousin had looked when she appeared at their doorstep, Chen Xiaoyun couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Held in this warm embrace, Ruan Sui'an felt a comforting glow. The original owner knew her cousin was grieving for her loss.
At the same time, she envied the original owner for having so many relatives who cared for and cherished her. Now that she had taken over this body,
she would live well on behalf of the original owner and take good care of her family.
Patting her elder female cousin's back to comfort her: "Don't worry, cousin, I'm fine. I still have all of you, don't I?"
The more her younger cousin said this, the more Chen Xiaoyun's heart ached. Indeed, her cousin was as considerate as ever.
"That's right, An'an, you still have us. Alright, I'll head off now. You rest well." Chen Xiaoyun released Ruan Sui'an, stood up, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before leaving the room.
After Chen Xiaoyun left, Ruan Sui'an lay on the bed and raised her right hand to look at the vibrant red spider lily blooming on her wrist.
Without hesitation, she slipped into her Space and saw the small western-style building standing within it.
Ruan Sui'an was delighted that the small western-style building had traveled through time with her, as it held many memories.
She felt uncomfortable all over and urgently needed a bath.
Wanzi, sharp-eyed, noticed her owner's appearance and happily bounced around, barking joyfully.
Ruan Sui'an knew Wanzi was hungry, so she filled its bowl with dog food and fresh water.
Wanzi happily started eating the dog food, too busy to pay any attention to its owner.
Ruan Sui'an chuckled at Wanzi and gave its large dog head a light, playful pat.
"You really are ungrateful, forgetting your owner as soon as you have food."
Wanzi didn't even lift its head, continuing to devour the dog food in the bowl with gusto.
Amused, Ruan Sui'an stood up and prepared to take a bath.
But before bathing, she needed to drink a cup of Spirit Spring Water.
Although the original owner had no major issues, she was a bit thin and dark. Since she had taken over this body, she intended to improve it properly.
Of course, she would make use of the Spirit Spring Water.
Striding over to the bucket containing the Spirit Spring Water, she scooped up a cup and drank it all in one go.
Not long after drinking the water, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach, accompanied by loud gurgling sounds, like drumbeats.
She was very familiar with this feeling—it was the unmistakable urge to relieve herself!
She hurriedly ran into the small western-style building, pushed open the bathroom door on the first floor, and rushed inside.
Just as she finished and was about to pull up her pants, another wave of stomach cramps hit her. Helpless, she had to squat back down.
After several frantic trips to the toilet, her stomach finally stopped cramping, but the bathroom was now filled with an overpowering stench.
The smell in the bathroom was overwhelmingly pungent.
Ruan Sui'an took out a wad of cotton from her Space, rolled it into two small balls, and stuffed them into her nostrils. Finally, the smell became less unbearable.
She let out a deep sigh of relief.
She flushed the toilet repeatedly until she felt the odor was gone, then removed the cotton from her nose.
Although a faint smell still lingered in the bathroom, it was mostly masked by the rose scent of the toilet cleaner.
Feeling weak and drained, she leaned against the wall as she left the bathroom and made her way to the sofa in the living room to sit and rest.
But a faint, lingering odor still reached her nose. She sniffed carefully and realized the smell was coming from her own body.
Had she gotten feces on herself?
Surely not!
Was she really that sloppy?
Forget it, no point overthinking.
Better go take a bath first!
Dragging her exhausted body, she supported herself with both hands on the stairs as she climbed to the second floor and returned to her room.
She took off her pajamas and tossed them into the washing machine, which was fully automatic, handling washing and spinning in one go.
Standing under the shower, Ruan Sui'an let the warm water spray over her body.
As the water flowed, it formed a stream of black liquid on the floor, and a foul odor filled the entire bathroom.
She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, yet she had no choice but to continue bathing.
Seeing that the water at her feet was actually black, she opened her mouth wide in surprise.
Oh my god?
Why is the water so black!
But she quickly understood—it must be because of the Spirit Spring Water.
This was her body detoxifying!
Only when no more toxins were expelled from her body, and the water on the ground gradually turned clear, did Ruan Sui'an use shower gel to wash her body several times. She then noticed her skin had become smooth and fair.
She preened in front of the mirror, turning in a circle. Her complexion was fair with a rosy glow—simply stunning.
After admiring herself for a while, she wrapped herself in a towel and went to retrieve her pajamas from the washing machine.
After putting them in the small dryer, she walked out of the small western-style building wearing her bathrobe.
Although she had collected a lot of supplies, only a quarter of the Space was used. The rest of the area remained empty, with nothing in it.
The small animals ran around in their designated areas, chirping noisily.
Ruan Sui'an knew they were hungry, but what should she feed them?
Suddenly, she remembered she had cornmeal. Why not feed them that for now?
Once she went to Dahe Village, there would be plenty of grass on the mountains.
Ruan Sui'an found a bucket, poured cornmeal into it, added water, and then poured in half a cup of Spirit Spring Water. After mixing it thoroughly, she fed it to them.
The small animals all rushed over, scrambling to eat. Seeing them eat so eagerly, Ruan Sui'an felt relieved.
In many novels, the female lead's Space often allowed for farming. She wondered if the land in her Space could be cultivated?
She would definitely have to try it in the future.
Wrapped in a towel, she returned to the room, put on the dried pajamas, and slipped out of the Space.
Ruan Sui'an couldn't sleep at all, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
She got out of bed, put on her clothes, and left the room, wanting to see the unique features of the 1970s outside.
As she passed by the study, she heard voices coming from inside.
"You should already know our family is being targeted. We need to send An'an away as soon as possible. We can't let her be implicated because of us." Chen Defu's aged and heavy voice came from inside the study.
Ruan Sui'an unconsciously moved closer, wanting to hear what they were discussing.
She leaned against the door, her posture comical as she strained to listen to the conversation inside.
Grandmother's voice also came through: "Your father is right. The family next door was sent down because someone had studied abroad. The Revolutionary Committee will definitely not let our family off easily. In the past, they still feared your sister and brother-in-law, but now that your sister and brother-in-law have sacrificed their lives, they will absolutely not spare us. We must prepare in advance. We must send An'an away as soon as possible. We absolutely cannot let her suffer with us."
Eldest Uncle's voice was very grave, and he strongly agreed with his parents.
"Mom and Dad, you're right. We need to send An'an back to Dahe Village as soon as possible. Her uncle is the village head there and will definitely take good care of her."
The others also agreed with the two elders. An'an absolutely must not suffer with them—she is just a granddaughter, after all.
The Revolutionary Committee wouldn't pursue her relentlessly.
Besides, her sister and brother-in-law were martyrs. The Revolutionary Committee would never dare to do anything to An'an.
Dahe Village was the best place for her. No one would trouble her there, and she wouldn't have to worry about going hungry.
Most importantly, An'an's uncle was the village head of Dahe Village.
"Mom, Dad, before An'an leaves, we should let her take as much of the family's money and valuables as she can. Even if we leave them behind, they'll just end up benefiting those people from the Revolutionary Committee. Don't you agree?" Second Uncle Chen Weidong voiced his thoughts.
Everyone else strongly agreed.
"Second Uncle is right. We absolutely cannot let those people from the Revolutionary Committee benefit. All of you, go back and gather your money and documents. When An'an leaves, let her take everything with her."
Everyone nodded. Second Uncle Chen Weidong continued, "But what about the things left behind by our ancestors? An'an is just one person—she can't possibly carry so much."
Chen Weidong's words plunged everyone into silence. Those items were all heirlooms from their ancestors, and the people from the Revolutionary Committee would certainly not let them go.