At some point, the weather had clouded over. There wasn’t a sliver of moonlight, and the road was pitch black. The country path was full of potholes. Sitting on the back of the bicycle, Xu Zhouzhou was bumped around until her butt felt like it was breaking. Her hands gripped the seat tightly, afraid that if she let go, she would be thrown off.
The bike seemed to hit a large pothole, and Xu Zhouzhou felt her entire body bounce up from the back seat. Her head rushed forward, and with a “bang,” her forehead slammed into the man’s rock-hard back. She felt a moment of dizziness and hurriedly reached out to wrap her arms around the waist of the person in front.
What a tight waist—not a single ounce of flab. Through the thin shirt, her fingers seemed to feel the undulating contours of his muscles.
Suddenly embraced, with a pair of hands climbing onto him, the man’s waist and abdomen tightened involuntarily.
“Sorry, I lost my balance.” Xu Zhouzhou moved her hands away from the man’s waist.
“It’s okay. The road is rough. If you can’t sit steadily, you can hold onto me.” The man’s deep voice came from the front.
The man was wearing a white shirt with the hem tucked into his green military trousers. The military belt outlined a powerful, lean waist, while his shoulders above were broad and solid.
Is this the legendary “broad shoulders and narrow waist”?
Just as she was considering how to make a move, there was another bump. Without time to think, Xu Zhouzhou hurriedly hugged him again.
“Thanks, the road really is hard to travel.”
Compared to falling off the bike and sprawling on her back, the slight embarrassment of hugging a man was really nothing.
Gu Beizheng dropped Xu Zhouzhou off at the Educated Youth Center and then hurriedly rushed back to the health clinic to pick up Xiao Tao and her mother.
It was already very late. Exhausted, Xu Zhouzhou washed up, propped the door shut, and went to bed.
Lying in bed, with mosquitoes buzzing around her, her mind actually became clearer and clearer.
She stared wide-eyed, thinking about the days to come.
She had read many transmigration novels. Those protagonists who traveled to a certain era, relying on their “God’s eye view” from their past lives to cheat their way to the peak of life, were indeed satisfying to read about.
But could a person with no foundation really take off just by relying on some knowledge of future events?
Indeed, this was an era paved with gold, but this gold wasn’t just lying there for anyone to pick up. Some people picked it up with bulldozers, some with cars.
For someone like her—with no connections, no resources, and no opportunities—at best, she could hold a broken bowl and pick up the tiny crumbs left behind by others.
In any era, there are few opportunities left for ordinary people.
No matter how the “Reform and Opening Up” was progressing outside, it had absolutely nothing to do with this destitute, remote backwater.
Perhaps twenty or thirty years later, it would still be a priority target for poverty alleviation.
Of course, if transmigrating came with some spatial spirit spring or a “Golden Finger,” that would be a different story.
But she had tried on her very first day. She rummaged through all the original owner’s belongings, rubbing and wiping them all night long, but didn’t find any magical space.
She tried concentrating her energy, doing splits and backbends, but failed to summon any system.
However, on the second night, she had a dream. She dreamed that one month later, the town mayor’s nephew, drunk, would break down her door and rape her.
With that as the start, the covetous wolves and tigers in the village could no longer restrain themselves, and she was ultimately ravaged until she died.
She woke up in a cold sweat. The dream was too real. Could this prophetic dream be the perk of her transmigration?
The original owner was supposed to have drowned. Her transmigration extended the life, but it didn’t change the ultimate ending; instead, the death was even more tragic.
Thinking of that dream now, Xu Zhouzhou still felt cold all over. So, true or false, for whatever reason—whether to make money or just to stay alive—she had to leave this place.
But in this era where one couldn’t move a single step without money, ration tickets, and a letter of introduction, how was she supposed to leave?
Xu Zhouzhou sighed softly. Suddenly, there was a noise at the door.
She sat up with a jolt, pricking up her ears to listen carefully. By the light, she saw the table propped against the door being pushed away inch by inch.
She immediately pulled out the scissors she kept hidden under her pillow, rolled off the bed, and used her body to brace against the table.
The person outside seemed to sense the movement inside and paused.
Xu Zhouzhou thought the person had left. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a sleazy voice came from outside: “Educated Youth Xu? Open the door, Big Brother is here to see you.”
It was Lu Shijie, the town mayor’s nephew who had always harassed the original owner.
“Get lost immediately, or else…”
“Or else what? Call for help? Go ahead and shout, let’s see who dares to interfere?”
Lu Shijie’s voice carried a hint of drunkenness. Xu Zhouzhou’s heart tightened. Didn’t the dream indicate this would happen a month later?
Why had the situation changed again?
Just as she was wondering, the window to the side was kicked open. The already dilapidated window frame wobbled and fell off, and a figure climbed in through the window, jumping into the room.
“Zhouzhou, Big Brother is here.” Lu Shijie swayed as he lunged toward Xu Zhouzhou.
Xu Zhouzhou was shocked. She held the scissors with both hands in defense: “Lu Shijie, get the hell out, or I’ll kill you.”
“Little woman is quite feisty.” Lu Shijie grinned, but wary of the scissors in her hand, he didn’t dare to advance easily.
Xu Zhouzhou appeared calm on the surface, but inside she was already panicking a bit. In college, she had indeed learned some self-defense in a club, but the coach had said back then: if you encounter danger, run if you can. After all, in the face of an absolute disparity in strength, any moves or techniques are pale and futile.
She maintained her defense while thinking about how to escape.
Lu Shijie looked Xu Zhouzhou up and down, approaching step by step: “Xu Zhouzhou, why pretend to be a chaste martyr? Didn’t that soldier kiss you? He even touched your breasts. What’s wrong with letting me have a taste?”
“Bullshit.” Xu Zhouzhou retreated to the door.
On the table bracing the door, there was a bottle of ink. After using it today, she had forgotten to screw the cap back on.
She picked up the ink bottle and splashed it right at Lu Shijie’s face. Lu Shijie didn’t dodge in time and got splashed all over his face and mouth.
He cried out twice, spitting the ink out of his mouth vigorously.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Zhouzhou smashed the ink bottle onto his head. While he was clutching his head and wailing, she pulled the table aside, threw the door open, and ran out.
Lu Shijie reacted quickly too; he kicked the table away and chased after her.
Xu Zhouzhou ran out the door and sprinted toward the village without looking back. The night was pitch black with no moon, and the road was full of potholes.
Stumbling along, she twisted her ankle, and a piercing pain shot through her. Ignoring it, she gritted her teeth and ran wildly with a limp. This wasn’t acting; she was running for her life.
She couldn’t hear any sounds behind her and had no time to check; she just buried her head and ran forward. She planned to run to the village chief’s house; the chief was a benevolent man, after all, and would surely help her.
But when she reached the entrance of the village, a figure suddenly darted out from the small woods nearby, looking at her with a hideous expression.
It was Lu Shijie. He had actually taken the small path through the woods to catch up to her.
Lu Shijie’s face was covered in ink, and blood was seeping from a cut on his head where the bottle had hit him. Alcohol, lust, and rage had turned his eyes completely bloodshot.
“You little slut, I’m definitely going to have my way with you today.”
He wiped the blood from his face and pounced on her with a savage grin. In that instant, Xu Zhouzhou felt a chill wrap around her entire body. Waving the scissors she had never let go of, she shouted loudly:
“Get away! Help!”
She was already at the village entrance; she only hoped her cries would wake the villagers and someone would come to save her.
Lu Shijie dodged sideways and grabbed her wrist to snatch the scissors. Xu Zhouzhou held on for dear life, refusing to let go.