“Fresh fish for sale!”
“Freshly caught carp!”
“Ma’am, would you like to buy some fish?”
“Third Girl, is your fish fresh?”
Third Girl! Third Girl! Third Girl!
Liu Xueyan, who had transmigrated into this world just three days ago, was extremely unhappy with that nickname.
In her previous life, she had been a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctorate in the twenty-fifth century. Unfortunately, her promising life had been cut short by a plane crash.
To her surprise, when she opened her eyes again, she had transmigrated to the year 1980.
The original owner of this body shared the same name as her: Liu Xueyan.
Three days earlier, the original Liu Xueyan had gone to the hills behind the village to pick wild fruit that her fiancé, Zhou Mingyu, liked. Unfortunately, she had fallen out of a tree and hit her head.
When she regained consciousness, the person inside the body was no longer the original owner. It was now her.
The original owner had two older brothers. Although the family wasn’t wealthy, her father was a clever and resourceful man.
After the country introduced policies allowing private businesses, he had enthusiastically responded to the government’s call and started a small business selling aquatic products.
In other words, he caught fish, shrimp, eels, and other creatures from the river himself.
Whatever he managed to catch, his wife would set up a small stall and sell.
Their lives were fairly comfortable, and their family was considered better off than most in Nanshan Village.
The original owner was the third child in the family, so everyone liked to call her Third Girl.
However, she was an eighteen-year-old young woman. Being called “Third Girl” all day long sounded incredibly awkward.
In her previous life, when she was in college, Liu Xueyan had dated a boyfriend for three years. They eventually broke up because he had cheated on her.
She hated homewreckers more than anything…
Liu Xueyan bent down and stirred the fish in the basin.
“Auntie, look! The fish are lively and jumping around. They’re absolutely fresh.”
The woman bent down and picked up a fish.
“Oh my! This crucian carp looks good. It’ll be perfect for making soup.
“Third Girl, weigh this one for me.”
Liu Xueyan promptly took the fish from the woman’s hands. She weighed it, scraped off the scales, and gutted it with practiced efficiency.
Watching how skillfully Liu Xueyan worked, the woman couldn’t resist teasing her.
“Third Girl, you’re really quick with your hands! You’re one of the most capable girls in Nanshan Village. Whoever marries you will be incredibly lucky.
“Ah, but in the end, it’ll be the Zhou family who benefits the most!
“By the way, Third Girl, I heard that Zhou Mingyu has been accepted into university. Apparently, it’s a military academy, too! That’s quite impressive. He’ll become a military officer after graduation.
“You really have a good eye, girl. You secured such a good match early on. In the future, you’ll be a military officer’s wife!
“Third Girl…”
Clang!
Liu Xueyan dropped the knife onto the chopping board. Suppressing her irritation, she looked at the woman.
“Auntie, can we make a little agreement?”
The woman was taken aback.
“You silly girl! We’re neighbors. If there’s something you want to say, just say it. Why are you talking about making an agreement?”
Liu Xueyan nodded.
“Then please stop calling me Third Girl from now on. My full name is Liu Xueyan. My parents call me Yanyan.
“You can call me Xueyan or Yanyan from now on!”
“Yanyan?” The woman slapped her thigh.
“Third Girl, you certainly have become particular about things! But I have to admit, Yanyan does sound much nicer than Third Girl.
“All right, then. I’ll call you Yanyan from now on!”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
…
After three days of adjusting to her new circumstances, Liu Xueyan had finally accepted the fact that she had transmigrated into another era.
She had also figured something else out: other people who transmigrated into a new world either received a special cheat ability or possessed a magical space.
She had neither!
“Yanyan! Yanyan!”
Liu Xueyan was just about to pack up her stall when she saw her eldest brother, Liu Shijun, hurrying toward her.
“Yanyan, have you sold all the fish? Hurry up and pack everything away. Something’s happened at home.”
As he spoke, Liu Shijun began helping her dismantle the stall with quick, practiced movements.
Liu Xueyan hurried over to help.
“Big Brother, what’s happened at home?”
Liu Shijun glanced at his little sister, his eyes filled with concern.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go home first. I’ll explain everything once we’re there.”
…
The Liu Family, Nanshan Village
Liu Xueyan pushed open the courtyard gate and saw that, besides her own family, her fiancé and his mother were sitting in the main room.
As for her fiancé, Liu Xueyan wasn’t interested in him at all.
She needed to find a way to end their engagement. She had only just transmigrated into this world and certainly didn’t want to marry a man who lived off a woman’s hard work!
“Oh, Xueyan, you’re back.”
Wang Xiaozao, Zhou Mingyu’s mother, looked at Liu Xueyan, who was covered in fish scales and smelled strongly of fish. Disgust was written all over her face.
Zhou Mingyu, sitting beside his mother, wore an equally disdainful expression.
He tugged lightly at Wang Xiaozao’s sleeve. Understanding his signal, she immediately spoke up.
“Cuìhua, now that Xueyan is back, let’s discuss the matter of ending the engagement between these two children…”
Ending the engagement?
This was exactly what Liu Xueyan had been hoping for! She was so excited that she nearly jumped for joy.
However, before she could say anything, her mother, Zhang Cuihua, spoke first.
“Wang Xiaozao, what do you mean by this?
“Your family was the one that came to propose the marriage in the first place! We’ve been engaged for two years, and during that time, my husband and both my sons have done all the farmwork on your family’s land.
“Most of the food and daily necessities your family uses have been brought over by my daughter, Xueyan. We’ve never let you go without fish or shrimp, either.
“Before this, you repeatedly promised that once Zhou Mingyu finished his university entrance examinations, the two children would get married.
“But now, your son has only just received his university admission letter, and you’ve already come to break off the engagement with my daughter! Aren’t you obviously using us and then throwing us away once we’re no longer useful?”
Zhou Mingyu sat there with a dark expression, saying nothing.
After all, he was an educated man. Arguing with a countrywoman would be beneath his dignity.
Wang Xiaozao gave an awkward laugh.
“Cuihua, I know your family has treated us well over the years.
“It’s not easy for me to raise Mingyu and his sister on my own. We’ve depended on your family’s help, and we’re grateful for that.
“But that’s one matter, and this is another. My Mingyu has now been accepted into university, and not just any university—it’s a military academy! His future is bound to be bright.”
Wang Xiaozao spoke of her son with undisguised pride. Then she glanced at Liu Xueyan with contempt.
“Meanwhile, your Xueyan hasn’t even finished high school. The two of them are simply… not a suitable match!”
“Wang Xiaozao, are you saying my daughter isn’t good enough for your son?” Zhang Cuihua demanded angrily, pointing a finger at her.
Wang Xiaozao curled her lips.
“Isn’t that obvious? My son is a university student, and your daughter isn’t.
“Still, your Xueyan is quite good at doing manual labor. She’s perfectly capable of helping you sell fish at home. Why not find her a husband who farms for a living here in the village? Wouldn’t that be a suitable match for her?
“There’s no need for you to cling to my Mingyu and refuse to let him go!”
“You…!”
Zhang Cuihua was about to continue arguing when Liu Xueyan reached out and grabbed her arm.
“I agree to end the engagement!”
Her words stunned everyone in the room.
“Xueyan?” Zhang Cuihua quickly pulled her daughter aside and lowered her voice.
“Yanyan, didn’t you say you would never marry anyone except Zhou Mingyu? Why are you agreeing to break off the engagement now?”
Liu Xueyan gently took her mother’s hand.
“Mom, I’ve thought things through. Zhou Mingyu may be an excellent student, but he doesn’t have me in his heart.
“He’s only just been accepted into university, and already he’s trying to break off our engagement. Even if he becomes successful in the future, he won’t treat me well.
“Rather than force him to marry me, it’s better to end things now. Since he thinks I’m not good enough for him, then I don’t want him either!”