“Mother, I may sound harsh, but today I must make this clear.”The woman’s voice was slightly anxious, her throat hoarse, every word spoken with force.“We must divide the family, absolutely must!”
“We agreed earlier, once the third son got married, the family would split!”As she spoke, she threw something aside, producing a dull thud.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, this isn’t the right way to reason. The third son just got married, and as his sister-in-law you should—”
“As a sister-in-law, I’m not his mother! Why should I drag my own family down just to support his? With such a burden, my own household won’t survive!”
The argument grew louder, voices clashing, accompanied by the sound of things being slammed and broken.
Yang Dai lay on the bed, trying to ease her dizziness, but her ears caught every sound from the outer room clearly.
Her chaotic thoughts finally began to sort themselves out.
Lowering her head, she glanced at the marks on her body. Without speaking, she pressed against the bed and slowly sat up.
She had originally been the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Chengguo in the Great Qing Dynasty, betrothed since childhood and destined to become the Crown Princess.
According to the timeline, three months later would be her wedding day. She had already learned all the required etiquette, and her wedding gown had been embroidered—everything prepared. She had only gone to the storeroom to check her dowry.
The royal betrothal gifts were grand, and with the Chengguo Duke’s heritage, Yang Dai’s dowry, accumulated since childhood, was no less than that of the royal family.
All that remained was the final check before the items would be delivered to the Crown Prince’s manor next month.
To show her seriousness, Yang Dai herself brought the dowry list to the storeroom.
The storeroom was vast. Not wanting to make a big fuss, she only brought along four close maids and the stewards to assist her.
Halfway through the inspection, sudden commotion arose in the courtyard.
She could not spare time to inquire closely but heard snatches of words: during morning court, the Emperor had furiously reprimanded the Crown Prince, accusing him of being incompetent and unfit for the great responsibility.
Yang Dai felt her heart sink. The Crown Prince had been named heir since the age of one. Now, after twenty years, the Emperor declared him unfit—could the heir’s position still remain secure?
And with this marriage, the Chengguo Duke’s household had already tied itself firmly to the Crown Prince’s faction. If he fell, the Chengguo family would also be finished.
The more Yang Dai thought, the more anxious she became. The storeroom had poor ventilation from lack of use, and her chest grew tight. Suddenly she was overwhelmed, her vision spinning.
When she awoke, not only had she lost the chance to protect her family—she was no longer in the Great Qing Dynasty at all.
She was still Yang Dai, but now the Yang Dai of Huangzhuang Brigade: lazy, greedy, with a bad temper, and a newlywed village bride.
And her husband? None other than Han Lin, another infamous good-for-nothing in the brigade, despised by all.
Even stranger—this man’s name was identical to that of the Crown Prince she was once engaged to.
As she thought this, Yang Dai dressed and turned to glance at the man still snoring beside her.
At one look, she was startled.
The man lying next to her not only shared the same name as her fiancé, but even his appearance was strikingly similar.
Just as Yang Dai was about to study him carefully, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes, sharp and clear, not at all like someone who had just woken.
Their gazes met, and Yang Dai’s heart skipped in fright.
She quickly looked away, got off the bed, and sat by the table.
“They’re still quarreling outside. Why don’t you go persuade them?” she said, frowning at the lack of propriety.
The sounds of smashing had faded, replaced now by muffled sobbing.
The quarreling woman’s voice gave way to men’s voices.
“Eldest son, do you really insist on splitting the family today?”
“Father, wasn’t the division agreed upon long ago?”
After that, silence fell outside.
Yang Dai combed her hair in front of the mirror, then turned again to see Han Lin half-sitting on the bed, still watching her.
Unaccustomed to such a direct gaze, she wanted to look away, but clenched her hand and met his eyes instead.
“On such a fine day, with father, mother, and sister-in-law quarreling like this, you should go calm them down,” she repeated. After all, this division of the family was tied to Han Lin, and for him to hide away like a coward was inappropriate.
But instead of responding, Han Lin said something shocking:“Miss Yang, how are you here too?”
Yang Dai’s heart lurched, though her face remained unchanged. She would not let him see through her.“Han Lin, are you muddled from sleep? It’s morning already.”
“We’re married. If I’m not here, where else should I be?”
She stepped back to the bed and reached out to touch his forehead.“Could it be you’re feverish?” She used the excuse to study him again.
Earlier, when his eyes were closed, his features already resembled the Crown Prince’s. Now, with those eyes open—it was an exact likeness.
No—this wasn’t resemblance. He was the Crown Prince.
Though she recognized him, Yang Dai continued her motions as though unaware.
Just as her hand was about to touch his forehead, his own hand intercepted it.“Miss Yang, stop pretending. I know it’s you.”
Their eyes locked once again.
His gaze was filled with certainty. Yang Dai realized there was no point in denying it further.
“How did Your Highness recognize me?”
Han Lin only smiled, offering no explanation, and swung his legs off the bed.
Yang Dai’s wrist was still caught in his grip. As he moved, the distance between them narrowed, leaving her flustered. She wrenched her hand free.
“You… have you…” Han Lin began, but swallowed the rest of his words.
“I’ll go take a look outside. You tidy up slowly.” He dressed and let his gaze sweep the room, his eyes flickering with resignation.
Yang Dai didn’t agree but followed him out anyway.
The main hall was empty now, though the damp floor showed water had been spilled during the quarrel.
Her gaze paused briefly on the portrait of a great leader on the wall before quickly shifting away.
“Third son, third daughter-in-law, you’re awake?”
“There’s still hot food in the pot. I’ll bring it out.”
“Mother, there’s no need. You’re an elder, how could we let you do such things?”
“Besides, we slept in late this morning, already a great fault. If you still fuss over us, we’ll feel truly ashamed.”
Yang Dai spoke as she followed her mother-in-law toward the kitchen.
Her words startled the older woman, who gave her a surprised look.
Yang Dai realized she might have spoken differently than expected, but since the words were out, she refused to take them back. Her temperament wouldn’t allow her to constantly pretend to be someone she wasn’t.
Besides, she had just married into this family and had only met her mother-in-law three times in total. Even if her words seemed uncharacteristic, the woman would likely find her own explanation for it.
“We’re all one family. It’s just a small chore. Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”
Yang Dai glanced at the food laid out on the table.
A bowl of thin corn gruel that burned the throat when swallowed. A dish of pickled vegetables. Two plates of mixed leftovers, with a few scraps of meat still visible—but dull and unappetizing. Likely remnants from yesterday’s wedding banquet, thrown together in small amounts.
By her former standards, such food was beneath notice. But from the fragments of memory in her mind, having meat at all was already a luxury.
She ate mechanically, without tasting. Han Lin, beside her, also found it hard to swallow.
He was the Crown Prince—though increasingly out of favor as he grew older, his status had always ensured the finest food and drink.
Still, both of them kept straight faces and forced down each bite.
“Finally awake.” Someone entered while they ate.“Mother, now that the key people are here, we can’t keep delaying.”
“I’ve already asked leave from the commune. Until this division is settled, I’m not going to work.”
She shot a glance at the pair, who only nodded politely before returning to their meal, making her expression sour.
It was Han Lin’s eldest sister-in-law, a temporary worker in the commune’s Women’s Federation. Hoping to become permanent, she normally left early and returned late.
For her to request leave just to finalize the family division showed how determined she was.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, dividing a household is a serious matter. It can’t be settled in a few words. We need everyone present, and the clan relatives to witness. Only then will it count.”
Mother Han took over the discussion, though her face was clouded with misery.
Han Lin and Yang Dai hastened to finish their meal. Together, they carried their bowls into the kitchen. Mother Han started to follow them to clean up, but glanced at the eldest daughter-in-law blocking the doorway like a guard and sighed, saying nothing.
The bowls were placed into the basin, but neither Yang Dai nor Han Lin moved to wash them.
“This family must be divided,” Han Lin whispered close to her ear.“We need to live separately, farther away.”
Both of them knew their true circumstances. Their temperaments were not quite those of their original bodies. Even if they tried to act, facing parents, siblings, and in-laws day after day would surely expose flaws.
Better to split from the household and move out once and for all. Then, whatever changes came, they could find excuses without raising suspicion.
Hearing this, Yang Dai neither nodded nor shook her head.
Whether this was just a dream, and whether she might one day wake and return—she didn’t know.
But if she truly could not go back, and had to live in this identity, then the first thing she would do was cut ties with this Crown Prince of volatile temper.
Their marriage in the past had been the Emperor’s decree. Even if unwilling, she had no choice.
But now was different. This was New China, where arranged marriages were condemned and free marriage encouraged.
If she had to live here, the very first step would be to divorce Han Lin.
She would never wrong herself.
But the situation was still a mess. Now was not the time. She had to wait.
So instead she only lifted her chin slightly, gesturing at the dishes in the basin, and said to the exalted Crown Prince beside her:
“You wash the dishes.”