The sun blazed overhead, and the sweet potato field was as stifling as a blazing furnace. Sweat soaked her back, dried, then soaked again in a relentless cycle, nearly driving her mad.
Chu Youhuan lay dazed on the dusty ridge, her eyes completely unable to open under the blinding sunlight. Instinctively, she tried to roll over to seek shade nearby, but before she could move, someone grabbed her by the hair and stomped twice on the top of her foot.
“Chu, don’t think just because your father is the Daduizhang, you can strut around the village as you please! Let me tell you, Comrade Hu doesn’t like you one bit. If you keep pestering him, don’t blame me for being rude!”
The sharp warning rang in her ears, but it was nothing compared to the pain from her scalp and foot.
Chu Youhuan frowned. Though she couldn’t understand what this woman was saying, being inexplicably beaten up by a stranger instantly ignited her anger.
But with the other person holding the upper hand, it wasn’t wise to confront her head-on. So, she deliberately softened her tone and said timidly, “I won’t dare anymore.”
Hearing this, Zhou Lifang curled her lips in disdain. She had thought Chu Youhuan was tough, but she gave in so quickly. With a cold snort, she slowly released her grip, unable to hide the smugness in her tone. “That’s right, you better not dare…”
Before she could finish, her knee was unexpectedly kicked. Though the force wasn’t heavy, the pain was so intense she couldn’t straighten her back. Before she could react, she fell to the ground, and a figure quickly pinned her down, straddling her and raining blows on her left and right, leaving her defenseless.
“Chu Youhuan! Let me go! How can you be so sneaky!”
“This is called ‘all’s fair in war.’ What, you can hit me, but I can’t fight back?” Chu Youhuan smirked, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
In all her life, no one had dared lay a hand on her. If she didn’t avenge this, she wouldn’t be Chu Youhuan.
After venting her anger, Chu Youhuan gradually calmed down and looked around. What she saw left her stunned.
She clearly remembered being in a car accident on her way to interview the old factory director of the Beijing Machinery Factory. The car had crashed through the guardrail and plunged into the river…
How could she have opened her eyes to find herself in the middle of nowhere? This was utterly surreal!
Just as she thought this, a massive book suddenly appeared before her eyes. Countless words and images flooded her mind, helping her understand her current situation.
She had actually transmigrated into a 1970s-era novel, becoming the cannon-fodder supporting female character who shared her name.
The original host was strikingly beautiful, a renowned beauty in the surrounding villages. With her father as the Daduizhang, her uncle as a Gongshe cadre, and being the only girl in both families, she was utterly spoiled and had never known hardship.
That was until the male lead of the book appeared. She became obsessed, throwing herself at him, causing all sorts of trouble, and even schemed to give him the Gongnongbing Daxuesheng quota that rightfully belonged to her older brother.
Her good reputation was ruined, her family grew increasingly disappointed in her, and her life was turned completely upside down.
But from beginning to end, the male lead’s heart held only the white moonlight female lead. Thus, the original host not only ended up with nothing but also, after getting into a fight with another admirer of the male lead in the village, accidentally hit her head and quickly exited the story.
Afterward, the male lead smoothly went to university, reunited with the white moonlight female lead, rekindled their past connection, and after the country opened up, they joined hands to build a business empire. In the end, overcoming numerous obstacles, they lived happily ever after.
After absorbing all the plot, Chu Youhuan couldn’t help but curse. What kind of bullshit setting was this?
Treasure life and stay away from the male and female leads. Whoever wants to be this cannon fodder can do it—she certainly wouldn’t!
Although she didn’t know why the “Chu Youhuan” who should have died hadn’t, and instead she had taken over, no matter what, since she had been given a chance to live again, she would definitely seize it.
She wanted to live, and live well.
“You bitch, just you wait. I won’t let you off!” Zhou Lifang’s furious shriek interrupted Chu Youhuan’s thoughts. Frowning in displeasure, she was about to tell her to shut up when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. Her gaze flickered, and she immediately released her grip on Zhou Lifang.
Sure enough, the next second, Zhou Lifang lunged at her with a twisted expression, spewing vulgar insults.
But just as she raised her hand, a stern shout came from not far away.
“Zhou Lifang, stop right there!”
Hearing this familiar voice, Zhou Lifang jerked her head up. When she saw who it was, her face instantly turned as pale as paper. Stuttering for a long while, she finally squeezed out a trembling whisper through gritted teeth, “D-Daduizhang?”
Ahead, a group of over a dozen people approached in a grand procession, led by their village’s Daduizhang, Chu Songqiang, who also happened to be Chu Youhuan’s biological father.
Although recently Daduizhang’s attitude toward his daughter had taken a sharp turn for the worse, blood was still thicker than water. The Chu family was famously protective of their own. Now that he had witnessed her attacking Chu Youhuan with his own eyes, it was unlikely this would end peacefully.
Thinking this, Zhou Lifang swallowed nervously, a hint of fear creeping in. She instinctively glanced down, only to see that the previously arrogant Chu Youhuan was now trembling in fear.
Her fair, pretty face was now smudged with dirt, and her hair was disheveled, hanging messily behind her. She looked both grimy and pitiful. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she had suffered immense injustice and hardship.
But she was the one who had been beaten! Her face was swollen and painful, and her whole body felt like it was falling apart.
No matter how she thought about it, Zhou Lifang couldn’t figure out how Chu Youhuan, who looked so much thinner than her, could possess such strength.
No matter how much she speculated, Zhou Lifang would never guess that the Chu Youhuan before her had changed on the inside. In her previous life, she had taken several years of self-defense classes. After all, as a journalist, she had to deal with all sorts of shady characters from every walk of life. With her stunning looks, if she hadn’t learned some life-saving skills, she would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even a trace.
Before Zhou Lifang could wrap her head around it, she was roughly shoved aside. Then she watched as Chu Youhuan’s tears began to fall instantly, and she weakly threw herself into Chu Songqiang’s arms.
“Dad, I was working peacefully in the fields when Zhou Lifang suddenly rushed over and hit me. She pushed me to the ground, and my head seems to have hit a rock. It hurts so much, and I feel so dizzy. Waaah…”
Seeing this, Zhou Lifang immediately understood what had happened and retorted anxiously, “Bah! Chu Youhuan, you liar! Tell me clearly, who hit whom?”
But as soon as she spoke, Chu Youhuan seemed to be triggered, no longer daring to say a word, only trembling and burrowing into Chu Songqiang’s arms.
Seeing his daughter, whom he had cherished since childhood, in such a pitiful state, Chu Songqiang felt both heartache and anger. He wished he could rush forward and slap Zhou Lifang hard. At the same time, he deeply regretted having driven Huanhuan out to work in a fit of anger. If she had stayed at home all along, how could today’s incident have happened?
Chu Songqiang took a deep breath and sharply interrupted Zhou Lifang, who was still spewing nonsense: “Why are you here at this time?”
Zhou Lifang was startled by his shout. When she recovered, cold sweat instantly broke out on her back. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn’t make a sound.
The Shengli Gongshe they were in was a key double-cropping rice production area in the province, with virtually no rest throughout the year. Summer was especially busy, with most villagers spending their days in the rice paddies, rushing to harvest the early rice and transplant the late rice. They were so busy they barely had time to catch their breath.
She was no exception.
Earlier, using diarrhea as an excuse, she had slipped away from the Jifenyuan and run from the rice paddies to the sweet potato field just to teach the isolated Chu Youhuan a lesson.
But instead of succeeding, she ended up getting beaten herself. Now, she had been caught red-handed by the Daduizhang. Today’s Gongfen were definitely gone, and she might even be made an example at the end of the month, forced to give a self-criticism at the assembly. If that happened, she would become the laughingstock of the whole village. Not only would she lose face, but her parents would surely beat her to death!
“Evading labor, picking fights, and hitting people—Zhou Lifang, you’re really something!”
Chu Songqiang was tall and burly, and his dark face turned stern, frightening Zhou Lifang into holding her breath.
A few onlookers, whether they were enjoying the spectacle or trying to curry favor with the Daduizhang, began chattering among themselves.
“Zhou Lifang has always disliked Chu Youhuan, often gossiping about her behind her back. Today, she even skipped work just to hit her—how outrageous!”
“Exactly! She lies without even thinking. Her arms are thicker than the other girl’s thighs—how could she possibly lose a fight?”
“She not only refuses to admit to hitting someone but also shifts the blame. How shameless!”
Each comment made Zhou Lifang blush with shame. She wanted to curse back but felt that even if she told the truth, no one would believe her. After all, before this, she herself hadn’t believed that the seemingly delicate and frail Chu Youhuan could possess such formidable fighting skills—striking fast and accurately, targeting all her weak spots.
“Huanhuan, don’t worry. Dad will definitely get justice for you!”
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan nodded while sobbing, but a trace of obscure ruthlessness flickered in her eyes.
Zhou Lifang was nothing but a brainless troublemaker. For the male lead, she had repeatedly clashed with the original host, and it was her who had gradually ruined the original host’s reputation in the village. No matter what, the original host’s death was inextricably linked to her.
Although in the book, after the original host’s death, the Chu family sought revenge at any cost—Zhou Lifang was sent for re-education, the Zhou family was dealt a devastating blow, and even the male lead nearly missed his chance to attend the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University.
But unfortunately, the male lead had a protagonist halo and connections in the capital. In the end, he managed to escape unscathed, suffering little impact.
However, the Chu family, due to their overly extreme actions, had all met unfortunate ends…
Chu Youhuan clenched her fists tightly. She would not stand by and watch such a scene unfold. Thinking of this, she once again feigned weakness, clutching her head as she cried out pitifully, “Dad, I feel dizzy, my ears are ringing, and I want to vomit.”
Calling out “Dad” felt awkward and unfamiliar to Chu Youhuan, but no matter how uncomfortable it was, she had to continue the act. Moreover, since she had become the original host, he would now be her biological father.
Upon hearing this, Chu Songqiang immediately panicked. Remembering something, he abruptly turned to look into the crowd and said, “Dr. Xu, could I trouble you to take a look at my daughter? What injury has she suffered?”
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan instinctively followed Chu Songqiang’s gaze. When she clearly saw the man’s appearance, a flicker of admiration flashed in her eyes.
It was an exceptionally captivating face, one that could be noticed at a glance even in a crowd.
Fine, scattered hair fell over his strong brow bone. His deep-set eyes were as dark as obsidian, with eyelids so thin that faint veins were visible. His tall, straight nose had a smooth contour, and his thin lips were pale in color, curving into an indifferent arc.
He was tall and slender, estimated to be around 190 centimeters, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—a typical clothes hanger. The muscles on his exposed arms were firm and powerful, with clean, defined lines. Even wearing only a simple white coat, he could not conceal that sharp, cold aura.
Yet, paradoxically, his face bore a gentle smile. These two contradictory qualities intertwined, making it impossible to discern which was his true nature.
But this enigmatic sense of contrast was precisely what made him so captivating.
At the very least, it captivated her, a self-proclaimed judge of appearances—he was practically her ideal type, the one she had always dreamed of!
At this thought, Chu Youhuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. In her previous life, she had been so busy with studies and work that she never had the chance to properly fall in love. This time, she had finally managed to get her supervisor’s approval to take a vacation after the project ended, hoping to find a handsome man for a passionate encounter. Who could have predicted such an accident?
She died young and then transmigrated to the 1970s. Forget about fiery passion—even holding hands or stealing a kiss in public was out of the question!
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret and found herself stealing glance after glance at him. Just as she was about to look away, she met the man’s deep, sharp gaze.
His eyes were direct and assertive, as if seeing through all her little thoughts.
Feeling guilty, Chu Youhuan pursed her lips nervously, but her expression remained innocent. She slightly lifted her chin, revealing a face smudged with dirt, which only added to her pitiable, delicate beauty.
Her long lashes fluttered like fragile cicada wings. She cried as if drenched by rain, her cheeks flushed red, delicate and tender, evoking an inexplicable sense of affection.
But Xu Chenxin saw it clearly—those charming, upturned peach blossom eyes were shimmering with a cunning light, betraying her true emotions, just like when she had deliberately let another female comrade “turn the tables” not long ago.
Although he didn’t know the reason behind it, he had never been one to meddle in others’ affairs, so he simply pretended not to notice and did not intervene.
“Don’t be afraid, Huanhuan. Dr. Xu is a doctor from the city, and his medical skills are exceptional.”
Chu Songqiang’s anxious words abruptly broke the gaze between the two. Chu Youhuan was the first to look away, a flicker of doubt rising in her heart. How could a doctor from the city appear in such a remote, out-of-the-way mountain village?
Before she could ponder further, he had already approached her, crouching down halfway and asking gently where she felt unwell.
Up close, his handsome features became even more apparent, but Chu Youhuan was not one to be swayed by a pretty face. She stuck to her premeditated plan, clutching her chest and breathing with feigned difficulty.
“Doctor Xu, I feel dizzy, my ears are ringing, I can’t catch my breath, my heart is beating too fast, I feel a bit nauseous, and my head keeps throbbing with pain.”
In her previous life, she had interviewed patients with concussions, so describing these symptoms came to her as easily as breathing.
Before Xu Chenxin could say anything, Chu Songqiang, standing nearby, was startled. The burly man was so worried he nearly shed tears in public. “Don’t scare your father like this. Let’s go to the hospital right now.”
Chu Youhuan nodded in agreement, but before Chu Songqiang could help her up, a cool, low voice stopped them.
“Wait.”
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan’s heart skipped a beat.
Though puzzled inside, she showed no trace of it on her face. Instead, she opened her clear, sparkling eyes wide, staring directly at him with an expression full of confusion.
Those eyes seemed to have hooks in them, their shifting gaze easily capturing the attention of anyone nearby.
A gentle breeze blew by, yet it couldn’t dispel the inexplicable heat of the moment.