After leaving the village clinic, Xu Xi was still a bit dazed.
She had clearly taken birth control pills, so how could she still be pregnant? Could it be that this damned original plot was unavoidable after all?
Xu Xi looked down at her belly, unable to believe that she was already one month pregnant.
Zhou Yue truly lived up to being the male lead—one shot and he hit the mark.
In the original book, the protagonist was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. Due to the poor medical conditions in the village, the protagonist died during childbirth, leaving only the two children behind.
Xu Xi immediately thought of a solution: if the village’s medical conditions were poor, she could just go to the city to give birth. Surely she wouldn’t die in childbirth then, right?
But then again, it wasn’t certain. She had taken birth control pills and still got pregnant, which meant she might not be able to escape the original plot.
Dejected, Xu Xi made her way home. On the road, she ran into some village women who were heading to the fields to deliver meals to their husbands.
Seeing Xu Xi idle and carefree, they were green with envy.
“I heard that ever since she married into the Zhou family, she hasn’t done a thing—she doesn’t even know how to cook. What’s the point of marrying a woman like that?”
“She must have used some trick! If she hadn’t forced herself on Zhou Yue, would he have married a woman like her?”
“If she were my daughter-in-law, I’d have beaten her to death long ago!”
Xu Xi listened to their gossip about her, her gaze icy as she swept her eyes over them.
Aunt Zhang, noticing this, quickly tugged at the sleeve of the woman next to her. “Alright, that’s enough. She’s looking over here!”
“Hmph,” the woman said fearlessly. “What’s there to be afraid of…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Xu Xi suddenly collapsed right in front of them.
The women were stunned. “?!”
What was going on? They hadn’t said anything that serious, so why had Xu Xi fainted?
Oh no, were they about to be framed for this?
Aunt Zhang hurried forward to check on Xu Xi. Seeing that she was still breathing, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Let’s carry her back to the village clinic…” As she spoke, Aunt Zhang turned her head and realized the other women had already run off.
Left with no other choice, Aunt Zhang went to fetch someone from the Zhou family.
“She doesn’t do any work all day, living a pampered life, and she still faints?” Mother Zhou thought Xu Xi was up to her tricks again and grumbled as she ordered her two daughters-in-law. “Xiulan, Cuifen, you two go see what’s going on!”
Eldest sister-in-law Zhang Xiulan agreed and followed Aunt Zhang outside. Second sister-in-law Li Cuifen was reluctant and dawdled for a long time before finally heading out.
…
Xu Xi had no idea why she had suddenly fainted.
At the time, she only felt the sun glaring white and a wave of dizziness washing over her, making the world spin.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in this vast, boundless Spatial Dimension.
Her mind went blank for a moment before quickly clearing up.
Seeing the idyllic scenery before her, a flicker of joy crossed her face.
Could this be… the legendary Spatial Dimension?
The Golden Finger had arrived, though late!
Suppressing her excitement, Xu Xi began to examine the Spatial Dimension.
It was a pastoral landscape with clear air. Fertile plots of land were particularly eye-catching, and beside them was a spring.
Having read many novels where the female lead possessed a Spatial Dimension, she guessed this spring must be the so-called Spirit Spring.
She had heard that the Spirit Spring had many benefits—it could cure illnesses, detoxify the body, and even beautify the skin.
Xu Xi touched her own rough skin. Could this mean her complexion and appearance were finally salvageable?
Adhering to a spirit of scientific rigor, she first washed her hands with the Spirit Spring Water to see if it had any effect.
After washing, the skin on her hands visibly became fairer and smoother.
It really worked!
Xu Xi’s eyes sparkled with astonishing brightness. The desire for beauty is human nature, and with this Spirit Spring, she could finally restore her skin properly.
Moreover, the Spirit Spring also had the effect of strengthening the body. If she drank Spirit Spring Water every day, her health would surely become robust.
When the time came to give birth, she wouldn’t have to worry about a difficult delivery either.
The gloom weighing on Xu Xi’s heart instantly dissipated, replaced by clarity and relief as she relaxed completely.
“Third sister-in-law…”
“Xu Xi! Stop pretending to be dead and wake up already.”
Suddenly, the voices of her eldest and second sisters-in-law echoed from outside the Spatial Dimension. Xu Xi knew she couldn’t stay inside any longer and had to leave immediately.
She closed her eyes and silently chanted the command to exit.
The next second, when she opened her eyes again, she was met with several faces displaying a mix of expressions.
Zhang Xiulan looked worried. “Third sister-in-law, are you alright? Why did you suddenly faint?”
Xu Xi rubbed her head, her peripheral glance catching Aunt Zhang still standing nearby. A sudden inspiration struck her. “Auntie, which aunties were just gossiping about me earlier?”
“I’m pregnant, and they said such nasty things about me that I fainted from anger. If anything happens to the baby in my belly, I’ll fight them to the death!”
Xu Xi’s words exploded like a bomb, leaving the surrounding sisters-in-law stunned and speechless.
Second sister-in-law Li Cuifen, who had been about to leave, paused in her tracks upon hearing this.
“You… you’re pregnant?!”
Xu Xi stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. “I just went to the village clinic earlier, and the doctor said I’m about a month along.”
Zhang Xiulan and Li Cuifen were so shocked that they immediately rushed back to inform Mother Zhou.
Meanwhile, Xu Xi followed Aunt Zhang to confront the aunties who had spoken ill of her, demanding compensation—otherwise, she would report them to the village chief.
Frightened by her threat, the aunties pooled together some money and gave her two yuan.
Xu Xi slipped two mao to Aunt Zhang. “Auntie, thank you for calling everyone over earlier.”
“This… I really shouldn’t take it.” Aunt Zhang was both flattered and flustered, trying to return the money, but Xu Xi insisted.
Xu Xi was someone who clearly distinguished gratitude from grudges. When she had fainted earlier, she knew Aunt Zhang was the first to come to her aid, and besides, Aunt Zhang had never spoken ill of her.
Happily clutching the remaining one yuan and eighty mao, she headed home. As soon as she stepped inside, Mother Zhou called out to her.
“Xu Xi, are you really pregnant?”
Mother Zhou’s gaze held a trace of suspicion as she looked at Xu Xi.
She wondered if her son had been cuckolded—after all, Xu Xi had only been married into the family for just over a month. Could she already be pregnant?
Was it possible she had married Zhou Yue while carrying another man’s child?
Xu Xi replied, “Mother-in-law, if you don’t believe me, you can ask the village doctor. He was the one who checked my pulse.”
With that, she returned to her room.
For now, all she wanted was to figure out the Spatial Dimension. After learning about her pregnancy, she had felt like giving up, but then the Spatial Dimension had suddenly appeared.
She locked the door, closed her eyes, and the next second, she was inside the Spatial Dimension.
Last time, she hadn’t looked carefully. Besides the land and the Spirit Spring, there was also an open-air stove, but nothing else.
Xu Xi continued walking inward but was blocked by a thick fog.
The fog acted like an invisible barrier, preventing her from advancing any further.
Xu Xi pondered thoughtfully. Could it be that this Spatial Dimension could expand and upgrade? To grow more crops and store more supplies?
Seeing that she couldn’t proceed further, Xu Xi returned to the spring.
She cupped the Spirit Spring Water in her palms and gently patted it on her face. The slightly cool sensation instantly spread across her skin, washing away the faint yellowish tone and roughness on her cheeks, revealing a layer of delicate radiance.
Only after clearly experiencing the effects of the Spirit Spring Water did Xu Xi feel confident enough to immerse herself in the bath.
After finishing her bath and emerging from the Spatial Dimension, Xu Xi looked at herself in the mirror.
At this moment, her entire appearance seemed clearer, fairer, and more luminous, her complexion vibrant and lively.
Even the freckles on her face had noticeably faded.