“Whoever wants to go to the countryside can go! Why should it be my daughter? Lin Guoqiang, you have to find a way to solve this!”
“If I could solve it, I would have done so already. You can’t bear to let our daughter suffer, and you think I can?”
“Keep your voice down! Our daughter is still sleeping!”
The voices of a man and a woman drifted in from outside.
They had deliberately lowered their voices, probably worried about being overheard, but the room’s soundproofing was terrible.
Lin Wanwan stared wide-eyed at the white lace bed curtains, her mind completely blank.
Just a second ago, she had been happily shopping at a mall. When she turned her head, she saw a three- or four-year-old child hanging off the side of an escalator, about to fall. Instinctively, she had reached out to catch the child.
After that, she remembered nothing.
…Had she been crushed to death and then transmigrated?
From the conversation outside, Lin Wanwan vaguely caught fragments of what was being said.
Something about going to the countryside…
Surely it couldn’t mean what she thought it meant, right?
Lin Wanwan immediately shot upright from the bed like someone rising from the brink of death. As soon as she sat up, dizziness washed over her. Her chest felt tight and uncomfortable.
She paid it no mind, assuming it was a side effect of transmigration, and raised her eyes to look around the room she was in.
The room faced south. Pale blue curtains covered the window. Judging by the lighting, it was probably around five or six in the morning. The room was dimly lit.
Using the faint light, she examined the furniture and decorations.
At the foot of the bed stood a double-door wardrobe against the wall. A full-length mirror was embedded in the center. The wardrobe was a dark color, giving it a somewhat old-fashioned appearance.
Beside it was a desk. On top sat an old-fashioned table lamp with a glass shade decorated with beautiful patterns. A stool was tucked beneath the desk.
The bed she was sleeping in also carried a strong sense of age. It resembled the canopy beds popular during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Four carved pillars stood at each corner, with white mosquito netting and lace curtains tied to the top.
A wooden stool sat beside the bed. On it was an old electric fan that turned slowly with a squeaking sound, blowing a faintly cool breeze.
Apart from those items, there was nothing else.
The room was spacious and tidy, but that did nothing to lessen the strong atmosphere of a bygone era.
“No way… Could I really be this unlucky…?”
A soft, sweet voice entered her ears.
It was like taking a bite of perfectly sweetened cream, sweet enough to melt into a person’s bones.
“Ah!”
Lin Wanwan quickly covered her mouth.
Good heavens, this voice was far too sweet!
It was several times sweeter than her original voice. Her friends had often joked that her voice sounded exactly like that of a pampered young lady born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
This body’s voice sounded even more delicate and adorable. Even Lin Wanwan herself felt her heart racing and an overwhelming urge to protect its owner.
If the voice sounded this pleasant, then the face probably wasn’t bad either, right?
Just as Lin Wanwan was about to get out of bed and look in the mirror, a flood of images suddenly surged into her mind.
“Ah~!”
It hurt so much.
Her head felt swollen and aching.
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Clutching her chest, she collapsed back onto the bed. Only after all the information pouring into her mind had been absorbed did the maddening discomfort gradually fade away.
1975…
The seventies…
Just as she had suspected!
Why had she ended up transmigrating into this era of all times?
And she was even an Educated Youth about to be sent down to the countryside!
She felt as though her head was starting to ache again.
She had often heard her grandparents talk about how turbulent those years had been. People had eaten dirt, tree bark, and roots. Many couldn’t get enough food or clothing. Countless people had starved to death.
And then there was that particularly sensitive historical event.
This was worse than simply being crushed to death!
Lin Wanwan let out a mournful cry. She put on the slippers beside the bed and slowly walked over to the window, pulling the curtains open.
The sky outside was already bright.
Sunlight streamed through the window, and the fresh air carried a hint of warmth.
She then slowly walked over to the wardrobe and examined her reflection in the mirror.
The figure in the mirror was slender and delicate, yet possessed graceful curves in all the right places.
She wore a pale yellow set of pajamas. Long black hair reached her waist, hanging loosely around her shoulders. Her hair was thick, glossy, and dark, framing a face no bigger than a palm.
Her skin was fair and tender, with a trace of baby fat still lingering.
Her peach blossom eyes were slightly red from the tears caused by the pain earlier. She had a delicate nose and cherry-red lips. Her complexion looked somewhat pale, giving her a pitiful and fragile charm.
Anyone who saw her would have to admit that she was exquisitely beautiful.
Lin Wanwan reached up and touched her face. She blinked, and the girl in the mirror blinked back.
A smile slowly appeared on her lips.
This face looked very similar to her appearance in her previous life.
The only difference was that this face was younger.
At least that counted as the only good news so far.
Knock knock knock.
The sudden sound of knocking startled Lin Wanwan.
She hurried back to the bed in a few quick steps and lay down again.
“Wanwan, are you awake?”
A woman’s voice came from outside.
Without waiting for a reply, the woman continued,
“Your father and I are heading to the factory. Breakfast is on the table. There are meat buns, your favorite. Your eldest brother bought them for you from the state-owned restaurant. I’ve also prepared your milk powder. Eat it while it’s still hot.”
Lin Wanwan could only respond with a quiet, “Mm.”
The sound of a door closing came from outside.
They had probably left.
“Hmm?”
Only then did Lin Wanwan realize that her body still felt unwell.
It felt as though a giant stone was pressing down on her chest. Ever since she opened her eyes, there had been a constant heaviness there, making her feel miserable.
The original owner had never suffered from this problem, so she had assumed it was simply a side effect of transmigration.
But wasn’t this side effect lasting a little too long?
Lin Wanwan got up again, put on her slippers, and opened the bedroom door.
Outside was the living room.
The moment she stepped out, she saw a dark-colored cabinet directly opposite. It wasn’t locked, and inside were various bottles, jars, and boxes.
On a small table beside the cabinet stood a large old-fashioned pendulum clock. Its silver pendulum swung back and forth beneath it, producing a steady ticking sound.
Near the entrance was a sturdy twenty-eight-inch bicycle.
In the center of the room stood a rectangular dining table.
On it were two steaming meat buns and a cup of milky-white milk.
The original owner’s family treated her exceptionally well.
In fact, her family’s circumstances could be considered extraordinarily good for this era.
Her father, Lin Guoqiang, had participated in the war. During his service, he had been promoted to Regiment Commander. After the war ended, he had been honorably discharged because of old injuries and was assigned to work as the Deputy Factory Director of a Machinery Factory.
Later, when the Factory Director was transferred elsewhere, the higher authorities promoted him to Factory Director in recognition of his military achievements and his status as a member of a martyr’s family.
Including his salary and various allowances, he earned nearly three hundred yuan a month.
Considering the purchasing power of that era, it was an enormous sum of money.
Her mother, Wu Cuicui, was a Level Five worker at a Textile Factory, earning more than seventy yuan a month.
Wu Cuicui had given birth to three children.
The eldest, Lin Wenhua, worked at the Machinery Factory.
His wife, Zhang Xiaohong, was a teacher.
The couple had been married for seven years and had a pair of six-year-old twins.
The second child, Lin Wuhua, had left home to join the military at the age of fifteen.
Recently, he had reportedly distinguished himself through meritorious service and had been promoted to Deputy Regiment Commander.
His wife was a doctor at the local Military District Hospital.
The two had only married six months earlier and had mailed a photograph home along with a telegram.
As mentioned before, the Lin family was also a martyr’s family.
Back then, Lin Guoqiang’s parents, siblings, and relatives had all enlisted in the military.
Unfortunately, Lin Guoqiang had been the only survivor.
For a family that had sacrificed so much for the country, the authorities naturally provided considerable care and support.
Lin Wanwan was the youngest child in the family and the only daughter.
She was beautiful as well.
Naturally, she was doted upon and cherished by everyone.
She had just graduated this year.
Wu Cuicui had originally planned to arrange a position for her in the factory so she could work under her mother’s watchful eye in a comfortable and easy job.
However, before she could make the arrangements, people from the Educated Youth Office came knocking.
They insisted that Lin Wanwan had to go to the countryside.
They claimed that the Lin family could not receive special treatment simply because of their status.
If she refused to go, they would report the matter.
The moment this issue arose, the entire Lin family became as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
Their daughter—their little sister—was delicate and frail.
Wasn’t sending her to the countryside practically the same as sending her to her death?