Jiang Muyan sifted through the original host’s memories, a chill gradually creeping into her heart. In this so-called “home,” the original host had never experienced a shred of warmth. From the age of three or four, she had been forced to shoulder household chores, her small figure darting between the stove and the laundry basin.
In her memories, the river water in the bitter cold of winter was piercingly icy. The original host was too young to wring the clothes dry properly, but if she washed too slowly or didn’t clean them thoroughly, she would face Liu Fangmei’s merciless scolding and beatings.
Ever since she could remember, the original host’s hands would develop frostbite every year. In severe cases, her hands would become chapped and raw, yet she still had to soak them in cold water to wash the family’s clothes.
When she finally reached school age, Liu Fangmei had no intention of letting her step foot inside a school.
It wasn’t until her younger sister, Jiang Muqian, who was two years her junior, reached school age, and the neighbors, unable to stand by any longer, urged Liu Fangmei to relent, that she reluctantly agreed. However, she issued a stern warning, demanding that the original host stay by her sister’s side at all times in school to take care of her.
Even while attending school, the original host still had to handle all the household chores. Fortunately, she was determined and resilient. Despite having little time to study each day, her academic performance remained outstanding.
When she finally made it to graduation from junior high, summer vacation had just begun when Liu Fangmei, using the excuse that “the family couldn’t afford to raise three children,” tried to force the original host to drop out—ignoring the fact that her grades were the best among the three siblings.
The original host desperately wanted to stay in school, but she couldn’t defy her domineering mother. Swallowing her grievances, she tearfully gave in.
In this era, if you didn’t attend school, work, or get married, you would be sent to the countryside as part of the “down to the countryside” movement.
The original host had already prepared herself for this fate. She harbored no fear or anxiety about going to the countryside; instead, she felt a glimmer of hope—could life in the countryside be any harder than what she endured in this home?
But just two days ago, Liu Fangmei suddenly called her in for a talk, telling her to pack her things and prepare to marry Director Zhang from the machinery factory.
The original host’s father worked at the machinery factory, and she had long heard of Director Zhang’s reputation: not only was he much older, but he was also a violent man who had beaten his two previous wives to death.
Naturally, the original host resisted with all her might, but she was outnumbered and powerless against her parents’ coercion and threats. In despair, she chose to smash her head against the wall and never woke up again.
Thinking of this, Jiang Muyan’s gaze grew even colder as she stared directly at Liu Fangmei. She sighed inwardly, realizing that the original host had died without ever knowing she wasn’t this family’s biological child.
Meanwhile, Liu Fangmei noticed Jiang Muyan’s icy stare and couldn’t help but wonder why this wretched girl seemed so different after hitting her head, as if possessed. Suppressing her unease, she steeled herself and snapped:
“What do you mean by that? What’s wrong with asking you to do a little housework? Our family is just like this. Do you really think you’re some pampered young lady, expecting to be waited on hand and foot?”
“Is that so?” Jiang Muyan sneered, her voice as cold as ice. “So Jiang Tianci gets to live in comfort, waited on hand and foot, and Jiang Muqian is treated like a precious treasure in your hands, while I alone have to handle all the chores and endure beatings and scoldings at the slightest provocation? I really do wonder if I’m actually your biological child, especially since I don’t even look like you!”
This was the second time Jiang Muyan had brought up this topic, and Liu Fangmei’s heart skipped a beat—could this girl have found out about the child-swapping incident?
But considering how discreetly she had handled the matter, this wretched girl shouldn’t have any idea. It must be that she genuinely didn’t want to marry Director Zhang and was driven to such suspicions out of desperation.
Thinking this, Liu Fangmei forced her expression to soften slightly, reining in her earlier aggressive tone and feigning a faint smile, though even she could feel how strained it was.
“Muyan, how could you not be our child? It’s just that your eldest brother is the only boy in the family—how could we possibly make him do household chores? And your younger sister was too young before, so we didn’t think of having her do any work. Don’t worry, Mom will go talk to your younger sister right away and make sure she learns to do the chores properly!”
Liu Fangmei’s words were half-truths, masking her own ulterior motives: first, she wanted to placate Jiang Muyan and wait for her emotions to settle before bringing up marriage again; second, even if Jiang Muyan got married, someone still had to handle the household chores. She couldn’t possibly let her precious son do them, so her younger daughter, Jiang Muqian, would have to take over sooner or later.
In the past, she had either beaten or scolded Jiang Muyan, but now that she was lowering her stance slightly, she didn’t believe this girl wouldn’t be grateful. When the time came to bring up marriage again, it would naturally be easier to persuade her.
Liu Fangmei took two steps closer, her smile widening and her tone softening further:
“Muyan, Mom knows I was too strict with you before and neglected you. There really is a lot of work at home, and your sister is too spoiled and immature. You’re the only one who’s sensible and capable. Mom knows she was wrong and will definitely change from now on.”
After saying this, she noticed Jiang Muyan remained expressionless and showed no intention of responding. Her anger threatened to flare up again, but she forced herself to suppress it. Gritting her teeth inwardly, she pretended to be considerate:
“You just woke up and must still be weak. Rest a little longer. Mom will go cook, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
After speaking, Liu Fangmei couldn’t wait to leave Jiang Muyan’s room. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to control her temper.
She cursed inwardly—since childhood, she had only ever beaten or scolded Jiang Muyan. When had she ever been this “gentle”? If it weren’t for her biological daughter in the capital and the benefits Director Zhang had promised, she would never have humbled herself to please this girl!
Watching the door close, Jiang Muyan curled her lips into a mocking smile. How could Liu Fangmei’s petty schemes escape her notice? If it were the original owner, she might have been moved by this belated “gentleness,” but she wasn’t the original owner. Since she now occupied this body, she was determined to seek justice for the original owner in every way.
With this thought, Jiang Muyan slowly withdrew her gaze and began observing the room’s surroundings.
From the memories she inherited, she knew the original owner was not favored, but she hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. Just looking at the state of the room made it clear!
The room the original owner lived in was the family’s storage room, filled with all sorts of clutter: dusty old wooden chests, broken-legged stools, and various other messy items crammed into the corners, leaving only a small space in the middle to stand.
The only thing that belonged to the original owner was an old wooden plank bed leaning against the corner. The bed was uneven and full of dents, and the thin mattress on top felt as flimsy as a sheet of paper, hard to the touch and carrying a damp, musty smell.
Beside the bed stood a small wooden table with severely peeling paint, its surface covered in scratches. On the table lay a few textbooks with curled edges from frequent use and a mirror with a cracked surface.
Jiang Muyan’s gaze fell on the mirror, and she walked over to the wooden table, picking it up. This mirror had been discarded by the original owner’s younger sister, Jiang Muqian, but the original owner had treasured it dearly.
Jiang Muyan raised the mirror and was momentarily stunned by the reflection—it bore a striking resemblance to her own face!
The original owner looked similar to her, though she appeared darker and thinner due to long-term malnutrition. Muyan also noticed that even the position of the black mole on the earlobe was identical. Wasn’t this a bit too coincidental? And their names were the same too—could this be the reason she had crossed over?
She recalled that before her transmigration, her master had once divined a hexagram for her, predicting that she would face a calamity involving crossing into another world, though he couldn’t determine which era she would end up in.
Her master and the others probably never imagined she would arrive in this era, which was not particularly friendly toward the Metaphysical Arts. In this time, such arts were labeled as feudal superstitions, subject to criticism and suppression.
Fortunately, her Heavenly Eye had followed her here. Moreover, she was not only skilled in the Metaphysical Arts but also proficient in medicine, so making a living in this era wouldn’t be a problem!
Since childhood, she had studied the Five Arts of the Xuan Gate under her master’s guidance. She understood deeply that Metaphysics was not the heresy others claimed it to be, nor was it the feudal superstition banned in this 1970s era. The Metaphysical Arts could penetrate illusions, attract good fortune, avoid misfortune, and even protect the masses in critical moments.
Before her transmigration, her master had repeatedly reminded her: “Uphold your true heart, no matter where you are. Do more good deeds, especially those that benefit the nation and its people.” While maintaining the nation’s fortune, the accumulated Merit could also be converted into Spiritual Power, aiding her cultivation and progress, enabling her to accomplish more meaningful things.
The Spiritual Power in this era was as scarce as in modern times. To enhance her Cultivation Base, the only way was to accumulate more Merit and convert it into Spiritual Power.
As her thoughts settled, Jiang Muyan felt utterly exhausted—this body was far too weak. Although the wound on her forehead had scabbed over, the excessive blood loss, coupled with a persistent fever over the past two days and having gone without food for two or three days, had pushed the original owner to her limit.
If only she had Alchemical Pills—with them, she could quickly restore this frail body. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly remembered that before her transmigration, her masters had prepared a Mustard Seed Bag for her, filled with various supplies and Alchemical Pills.
She immediately focused her mind, carefully sensing the presence of the Mustard Seed Bag—fortunately, it had indeed crossed over with her!