Shu Jin Yue lived within the pages of an unfinished period novel.
Her family resided in the No. 16 compound of Liu Ye Hutong. According to the fragmented and incomplete plot, her eldest brother would eventually become a renowned writer, her second brother a successful businessman, and her third sister—even more remarkable—not only stunningly beautiful but also married to a technical genius, sharing a deeply loving relationship… As for Shu Jin Yue, she had been dull-witted since childhood. Her academic performance was poor, her looks unremarkable, and due to her stubborn and awkward personality, she often became the butt of jokes, mocked by everyone as the "little good-for-nothing" of the Shu Family.
Of course, the protagonists of the novel were Third Sister Shu Wen Yun and her husband Xu Si Qi.
Xu Si Qi was tall and handsome, currently attending the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University—a veritable talented young man.
Crucially, he also had well-connected parents: his father, Xu Ping, was the newly appointed director of the Shu City Mechanical Factory, and his mother, Zhang Zhen, was a surgeon at the City Hospital. Even just considering a matchmaking meeting, for the ordinary urban Shu Family, it was considered marrying up.
Naturally, in her previous life, the "little good-for-nothing" Shu Jin Yue wasn’t chosen; instead, her stepsister Shu Wen Yun, who accompanied her, was selected.
Shu Wen Yun was a year older than her and famously beautiful in Liu Ye Hutong. Standing next to her, Shu Jin Yue seemed like an underdeveloped child. Any man with normal aesthetic sense would know whom to choose.
When she was little, Jin Yue had often wondered: they ate the same food and wore the same clothes, so why was her sister prettier and more likable than her? It wasn’t until she grew older and understood more that she realized they weren’t biologically related at all.
After Jin Yue’s biological father passed away, her mother remarried into the Shu Family, bringing her along. Perhaps because she was too young, she had no memory of anything before the age of three. Moreover, her stepfather, Shu Li Nong, treated her with great kindness, often holding her on his lap, teaching her to recite ancient poems and write her name. Whatever Shu Wen Yun had, she had too, so she had long regarded him as her own father.
Shu Li Nong had two sons and a daughter from his previous marriage: the eldest, Shu Wen Yan, followed in his father’s footsteps and currently taught Chinese at a local elementary school; the second, Shu Wen Ming, worked as a temporary laborer at a vegetable store, selling cucumbers, tomatoes, and the like, and still hadn’t found a wife; the third was Shu Wen Yun, a year older than Jin Yue. But Wen Yun had been clever since childhood, skipping grades repeatedly. By the time Jin Yue had just graduated from junior high, Wen Yun had already been out of high school for a year and was working as a substitute teacher.
Shu Jin Yue’s academic performance wasn’t even average; she failed to get into high school. Just as she reached the age to take over her mother’s job—her mother worked as a nurse at the district hospital—her mother arranged for her to take over the position. However, at that time, Shu Wen Yun had just lost her job as a substitute teacher and tearfully claimed that if she were sent to the countryside, her boyfriend would break up with her. She pleaded for just one year, saying her boyfriend’s family had promised to arrange a job for her once they married, after which she would return the district hospital position to Jin Yue.
Zhao Wan Qiu disagreed, but Jin Yue was, after all, a "little good-for-nothing." Easily coaxed by her sister, she readily agreed. Besides, given the embarrassing incidents Jin Yue often caused, Zhao Wan Qiu feared she might stir up even bigger trouble if she worked at the hospital. After some thought, she had no choice but to consent.
Only Shu Li Nong objected. A year was too unpredictable—what if the boyfriend’s family went back on their word? What if Jin Yue couldn’t return from the countryside then… But he couldn’t withstand Shu Wen Yun’s desperate pleas, nor Jin Yue’s earnest assurance that she was willing, that she wanted to join her junior high classmates in building up the vast rural areas, vowing not to return to the city until she had achieved something significant.
Shu Jin Yue still remembered when she left home—Shu Li Nong had chased after the bus and secretly slipped her two hundred yuan, nearly a year's wages for him. Later, he often wrote letters, asking about her life in the countryside, always worried she didn’t have enough money, tucking five or six yuan in each envelope.
Not long after, because she had offended the brigade leader’s family, her letters were confiscated and searched, and eventually, she stopped receiving any mail at all. As a Young Educated Youth, she had no home leave in the first two years. She thought Shu Li Nong had grown distant, and recalling the neighbors’ gossip like “a stepfather can never compare to a real father,” she gradually built up resentment. In a moment of impulse, she even wrote a letter demanding answers, but again received no reply. Heartbroken, she sent another letter severing ties with him.
From then on, she completely lost contact with home.
It wasn’t until after her death, when she became a wandering spirit, that she learned Shu Li Nong had also been deeply hurt by her actions. Her mother had broken her leg the following year, confined to a wheelchair and needing constant care. By the time he managed to free himself to visit her in the countryside, he received news of her death.
After that, every year on the anniversary of her death, the old man would travel thousands of miles to Yang City to sweep her grave, bringing her favorite candied hawthorns and sitting before her tombstone for half the day.
Shu Jin Yue’s mind drifted between memories of her past life and the present, interspersed with scenes from the original story, leaving her in a daze. When she woke again, the train conductor was announcing, “We will soon arrive at the final station.” She knew—Shu City had arrived.
The two elderly women opposite her had disembarked at some point. Quickly, she pulled out another old padded coat from her luggage, put it on over her clothes, and stuffed her washbasin, green rubber shoes, and worn towel into a string bag, tightly looping it around her wrist. Seizing the moment while everyone was busy gathering their belongings, she slipped like an eel to the window.
As soon as the train halted, she grabbed the string bag and leaped out through the wide-open window in one swift motion.
Her move was so fluid and quick that she outpaced even the young men jumping from other windows, leaving everyone stunned.
Thus, when Shu Jin Yue was the first to burst out of the train station, she breathed in the freshest, coldest air of Shu City. In her previous life, she had been slow, jostled by the crowd, only to discover at the bus stop that her introduction letter, money, and food coupons had been stolen.
This time, at least she had protected her belongings.
It took her a moment to recall where the bus stop was. Shu Jin Yue squeezed onto the bus headed for Liu Ye Hutong, gazing at the unfamiliar streets as familiar memories flooded back.
She had lived here for sixteen years, but after this failed matchmaking attempt and her return to the countryside, she never came back. After her death, she only saw this provincial capital’s rapid development on phones and TVs—constantly demolishing and rebuilding, gradually transforming into a vibrant, modern metropolis.
“Oh my, isn’t this Jin Yue?” Aunt Zhao, just stepping out to the public restroom, rubbed her eyes. “I thought I was seeing things! Are you on home leave?”
“Aunt Zhao, it’s me.”
“Teacher Shu! Wanqiu! Your Jin Yue is back!” Without even bothering to empty her chamber pot, Aunt Zhao grabbed Shu Jin Yue’s hand and hurried toward No. 16 courtyard.
The familiar bluestone path, the familiar red walls and gray tiles, even the carved patterns on the entrance screen wall were just as she remembered… It felt so real!
As she was thinking, she was pulled into the embrace of the slightly plump Zhao Wan Qiu, who patted her from head to toe. "You silly girl, you've finally returned. You've grown thinner and taller. When you left, you only reached my eyebrows, but now you're almost as tall as me."
Although her mother often called her "little grass bag" and said she was foolish—something she had detested in her past life—the familiar scent of her mother now made Shu Jin Yue's voice hoarse. "Mom."
"Yes, it's good to have you back. Quickly, come inside first. Old Shu, hurry and buy breakfast for our daughter. Get her favorite…"
Shu Li Nong, who had been silent nearby, immediately chimed in, "Her favorite—Liu Family's Large Meat Bun and Yang Family's Fried Dough Sticks. Wait for me!" He even borrowed the bicycle from Aunt Zhao's third son.
In this communal courtyard, the residents were all employees of nearby factories and mining units. The Shu Family had been allocated two rooms in the eastern wing due to Shu Li Nong's work, which Zhao Wan Qiu kept clean and tidy.
A lean young man in his late twenties emerged from the door—it was Shu Wen Ming, rushing off to work.
"Second Brother."
Shu Wen Ming paused, "You're Little Grass, uh… Shu Jin Yue?"
Shu Wen Ming had a long, thin face, single eyelids, and thin lips, with a side-swept fringe that shortened the appearance of his face. By modern standards, he could be considered a handsome single-eyelid guy. Unfortunately, the family was poor—they had no property and no stable job, so he still hadn't found a partner.
Whether it was due to long-term singlehood or years of work frustrations, he had a bad temper and often gave his stepmother Zhao Wan Qiu attitude, which also extended to Shu Jin Yue, who was ten years younger.
Thus, the siblings exchanged few words and passed each other by.
"Your sister worked the night shift last night; she'll be home after her shift ends." Zhao Wan Qiu took a feather duster and brushed the dust off her. "There's hot water in the pot. Go take a bath first."
Shu Jin Yue didn't climb onto the kang bed. Her clothes had been worn for three days and nights on the train, and she felt grimy herself.
There was no bathroom in the communal courtyard; each family washed or wiped themselves down in their own rooms. A trip to the public bathhouse was a luxury usually reserved for the end of the year before the Lunar New Year. Zhao Wan Qiu carried the hot water into the adjacent room, mixed it with cold water, and closed the door. Shu Jin Yue wiped herself with the warm water, feeling much more comfortable, but afraid of catching a chill, she didn't linger. After changing into clean clothes, she shivered and opened the door.
"Your old clothes still feel too big on you."
This meant that over the past three years, she had grown taller but lost weight. Earlier, she had noticed—nearly 1.6 meters tall but weighing less than 40 kilograms. Zhao Wan Qiu felt a pang of heartache as she placed the discarded clothes into the used bathwater and began scrubbing them.
"Quick, dry yourself. Be careful not to catch a cold." Looking at her daughter's yellowish, downy hair like a chick's, she felt a sour ache in her heart. "It's good you're back. Let's try to settle the matter within half a month."
As for what matter, she guessed her daughter had already figured it out, because since arriving, Jin Yue hadn't asked about her "serious illness." That meant she knew she had been tricked into returning.
Indeed, after suffering in the countryside, Jin Yue must have grown up.
Soon, Shu Li Nong returned with the fried dough sticks and buns, though he hadn't dared to buy much—just one of each, kept warm in his chest pocket, still steaming when he took them out.
"Eat quickly. We've already had breakfast with your second brother."
Shu Jin Yue didn't stand on ceremony either—she was truly starving. She devoured a bun in three bites, barely tasting it. When she reached the fried dough sticks, she finally had the chance to savor them bite by bite. They were incredibly fragrant!
It was only because Shu Li Nong doted on her that she could enjoy such a treat. Few children in the entire communal courtyard had fried dough sticks for breakfast. When they were young, the sisters of the Shu Family were the envy of all the kids in Liu Ye Hutong. Every morning after payday at school, their breakfast would invariably be Yang's fried dough sticks.
Just as she was lost in thought, a clear voice came from the doorway, "I heard Jin Yue is back. Where is she?"
The door curtain lifted, and Shu Jin Yue was momentarily dazzled by the beauty before her: standing over 1.7 meters tall, she was unusually statuesque for a woman. The red high-neck sweater accentuated her slender neck, making her resemble an elegant white swan. Her snow-white skin, glossy black braids, and radiant, graceful features… Even though Shu Jin Yue had seen many beauties of various styles on her phone, she couldn't help but marvel—Shu Wen Yun was truly stunning.
No wonder Xu Si Qi had fallen for her at first sight.
Meanwhile, the elderly couple kept asking Jin Yue about her life in the countryside. She answered selectively, keeping it simple.
"Did anyone give you a hard time?" Shu Wen Yun asked with concern, linking arms with her.
"Not really."
"Was there… well… if anyone did trouble you, you can tell Mom and Dad."
Shu Jin Yue wiggled her toes, feeling puzzled. Why did her third sister seem so fixated on whether someone had given her a hard time? It wasn't the right moment to bring it up yet, so she decided not to mention it for now.
"What do you mean, 'not really'? This child, after three years apart, you're not even speaking properly anymore." Though Zhao Wan Qiu sounded reproachful, her heart ached more than anything. When her daughter left, she was still a naive little girl, but now she had learned to keep her emotions hidden.
Shu Li Nong shot her a look to stop the scolding, cleared his throat lightly, and said, "Wen Yun, go to the school later and let your eldest brother know. Ask if your sister-in-law is off duty, and tell them to come home for dinner tonight. Also, remind your second brother to come straight home after work without delay. We're having a family meeting tonight."
Jin Yue noticed Shu Wen Yun's hand stiffen slightly, but she quickly smiled and replied, "Alright! Let's have dumplings."