“Fujuan, don’t worry. As long as your family’s situation is clearly explained, nothing will happen. Look at your eyes—they’re all red from staying up late. Is your low blood sugar acting up again?”
Shen Fujuan shook her head, her gaze falling on the desk calendar. Her brow twitched.
August 30, 1970. Five days remained before her family would be sent down to the countryside.
In her previous life, she and her husband had been reported, dragging the entire family down with them.
They were sent to the harshest, coldest place in the northeast—Heihe Village, Hongqi Commune. There, they lacked clothing and food, enduring bitter cold. Her eldest son’s wife, two months pregnant, miscarried before winter even arrived, developing a red condition. She didn’t even make it to spring.
The eldest son and his wife were deeply devoted to each other. Within two years, he too passed away from overwhelming grief.
Their younger son, still unmarried, was injured by falling rocks while rushing to repair a mine, leaving him lame and shattering his lifelong dream of joining the military.
Her husband had always believed his background had brought misfortune upon their sons. Burdened by this guilt, he contracted tuberculosis in their third year in the northeast and left her behind as well.
“Fujuan, what are you thinking about?”
Director Song noticed her dazed expression and waved a hand in front of her eyes.
Shen Fujuan snapped back to attention, looking solemnly at her old neighbor. “Brother Song, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with.”
“Go ahead.”
Shen Fujuan bent her head and wrote out a list of medicines—some for colds, some for reducing fever, some for bruises and injuries, and others for promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis…
“Why do you need so much medicine?”
Director Song frowned slightly at the list. In these times of scarce supplies, reselling goods was strictly forbidden.
Shen Fujuan saw through his concern. She stood up and locked the office door from the inside.
Director Song watched her fluid movements, his heart filled with confusion.
Only after ensuring no one else could overhear did Shen Fujuan relax. Her gaze drifted, her tone grave. “Brother Song, I’m afraid our family won’t make it through this. A cunning rabbit has three burrows—you should prepare early too. I need these medicines to get ready for being sent down to the countryside. Medical conditions there are poor, and I’m worried something might happen to the children…”
At the mention of being “sent down,” Director Song’s expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. “Have you received some news?”
Seeing Shen Fujuan nod, he said nothing more and went out to gather all the medicines.
A short while later, Director Song returned with the prepared medicines. Shen Fujuan thanked him while deftly stuffing the medicines into her cloth bag.
Director Song remained silent for a long moment before uttering a single phrase: “Take care.”
Shen Fujuan offered a smile uglier than tears. “Thank you.”
Just as she finished, a knock came from outside. A man’s deep voice filtered through the door crack, reaching Shen Fujuan’s ears. “Fujuan, I’ve registered for emergency care.”
Shen Fujuan stood up and opened the door. The couple bid farewell to Director Song. After they left, the words “prepare early” echoed in his mind.
The hospital was permeated with the smell of disinfectant.
From afar, she spotted Su Jiaxuan’s striking figure among the crowd.
The man held a freshly bought bowl of sweet fermented rice with eggs and brown sugar, handing it to Shen Fujuan. His tone was icy, without a single unnecessary word: “Drink it. Then we go home.”
In her previous life, Shen Fujuan would have thought he was annoyed with her for causing trouble.
Now, holding the warm bowl of sweet fermented rice with eggs and brown sugar, her eyes curved into a smile. “Thank you, husband.”
Su Jiaxuan lifted his dark, deep-set eyes, resting them on the woman’s gentle, smiling gaze.
It was strange.
Although others often said they acted like an old married couple, over all these years, Shen Fujuan had never given him the feeling that anything had changed since their first meeting.
She could effortlessly stir his… emotions.
He turned his head away. “I’ll find a way in the next couple of days to send you and the children away.”
Shen Fujuan, who had been happily eating her sweet egg soup, paused, her expression instantly turning serious as she looked at the man’s shadowed profile.
Though he said nothing, Shen Fujuan knew he was blaming himself.
If not for his overseas study background and foreign connections, he wouldn’t have dragged the whole family into trouble, forced to write self-criticisms and explain themselves.
In her past life, it was this pent-up frustration that had led to his serious illness. Having been reborn, Shen Fujuan didn’t want her beloved to carry such burdens again. She pressed her lips together and placed her soft hand over his.
“Husband,” she called out, still feeling a bit shy using this term. But in her previous life, young couples in love often said it freely—why couldn’t she call her rightful husband that?
Su Jiaxuan didn’t turn around, only gently tightened his large hand around hers.
Unaware of this, Shen Fujuan pushed aside her embarrassment and regained her seriousness. “We are a family. A family should advance and retreat together.”
Su Jiaxuan turned to look at her, his handsome face unreadable. His throat felt dry, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Shen Fujuan faintly noticed the slight movement in his throat.
Then she heard the tender affection hidden beneath his cold tone. “Alright. At noon, I’ll get two meat dishes to nourish you and the children.”
“Mm!” Shen Fujuan nodded, her eyes curving into happy crescents.
After the two shared their sweet, intimate moment over the egg soup, Su Jiaxuan escorted her home before returning to his workplace.
Shen Fujuan stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist, slipped into the master bedroom, and locked the door.
In her past life, just before dying, she had vaguely seen the bracelet emit a white light.
Since she could be reborn, perhaps other miracles were possible too.
This bracelet had been passed down to her by her late mother-in-law, who had repeatedly urged her to keep it safe. In her past life, she had sold it in the northeast to pay for her family’s medical treatment. After their rehabilitation, her youngest son bought it back and gifted it to her again.
Shen Fujuan pricked her fingertip and squeezed a drop of blood onto the bracelet.
The blood droplet slowly seeped in, and in an instant, a blinding white light burst forth. The next moment, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar space.
After a brief spell of dizziness, Shen Fujuan steadied herself and realized she had arrived in an unknown place.
Cautiously, she surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
In the distance, everything was shrouded in a blanket of white mist. Nearby stood a dilapidated small courtyard. She tried pushing open the wicker gate and entered the yard, discovering a small spring bubbling gently inside. Beside it was a thatched cottage with its door slightly ajar, making it hard to see clearly inside.
Shen Fujuan pushed open the wooden door. The walls were lined with bookshelves. She randomly picked up one book and found it to be a long-lost ancient text.
She picked up other books one after another. Though the volumes were tattered, their contents remained perfectly preserved.
Shen Fujuan couldn’t help but think: this bracelet was a family heirloom of the Su family, who for generations had balanced farming with scholarly pursuits. These books might very well be the wealth accumulated by several generations, preserved through wars and famines.
As she skimmed through them, she felt both awe and a tinge of regret.
As valuable as these ancient texts were, they couldn’t fill an empty stomach.
With a slight thought, Shen Fujuan instantly returned to her bedroom. A wave of delayed exhilaration gripped her heart. With this Spatial Cheat, she could prepare in advance and stockpile supplies.
She moved the cloth bundle into the Dimensional Space, carefully arranging the various medicines inside the redwood drawers. Afterward, she exited the Dimensional Space, retrieved the bankbook and the household money notes, stuffing them all into her pocket.
Opening the bedroom door, she was about to step out when she spotted a furtive figure fiddling with the combination lock on a suitcase.
“Su Lina, what are you doing?”
Shen Fujuan suddenly spoke, her tone colder and sterner than ever before.