After dawn, Hu Jiaojiao got up, tidied herself, and made breakfast. After eating, the two of them split up—one heading to the commune, the other to the fields.
“If you can work, then work. If you can’t, just ask for leave. Don’t push yourself too hard,” Hu Jiaojiao reminded him.
“Mm, alright. You be careful too,” Cheng Chen replied.
They locked the door and left. At the field’s edge, Cheng Chen went to work, while Hu Jiaojiao continued toward the commune. After walking for a while, she slipped into a grove by the roadside. Looking around to make sure no one was there, she entered her apartment.
Now that there was someone else at home, going in and out of the apartment had become inconvenient. Last night, she had felt the apartment shake slightly, but since Cheng Chen was lying beside her, she held back from checking.
Once inside, she didn’t notice any obvious changes at first. But when she opened the door, she suddenly saw another door across the corridor. Strange—before, the hallway had only ever been hers, and she couldn’t see anyone else’s place. How had another door appeared? Had she unlocked something?
Curious, she stepped forward, turned the handle, and with a click, the door opened.
Inside was… a rockery.
It looked completely out of place—who would build a rock garden inside a small apartment? The rockery took up almost the entire living room, with winding streams flowing over it. Wisps of white mist curled through the air. Beneath the center of the rockery was a small pool, with a meditation cushion placed beside it.
After looking around, Hu Jiaojiao realized her “neighbor” must be some kind of cultivation (immortal practice) enthusiast.
In the kitchen sat an ancient-style alchemy furnace. Beside it was a white porcelain bottle labeled “Body-Shaping Strength Pill.”
For some reason, she poured out one pill and swallowed it with the remaining spiritual spring water she had. She clenched her fists—nothing seemed to happen. It felt like eating a chocolate bean, though her body grew pleasantly warm.
She didn’t rummage through anything else. Before leaving, she said softly, “Thank you,” toward the room.
What she didn’t notice was that after she left, the furnace began to hum again, and several talismans appeared on the table.
Back outside, Hu Jiaojiao felt light and energetic. She tried speeding up—and before she knew it, she was running at full speed without feeling tired. In just over ten minutes, she reached the commune.
At the supply and marketing cooperative, as expected, there were no bicycles. The clerk said only a few were distributed each year and were already reserved. If she needed one urgently, she’d have to try the county.
Hu Jiaojiao didn’t hesitate and headed straight for the county.
She wanted to test her limits. Finding a secluded corner, she entered the apartment again, changed her appearance, and emerged as a dark-skinned teenage boy. The clothes were borrowed from that “neighbor’s” place—some old-fashioned shirts that looked like training wear.
She ran the whole way. To others, she was just a blur. The faster she ran, the more amazed she became. This pill was incredible. Whether its effects were permanent or temporary, she didn’t know—but she also didn’t notice that she had grown a bit taller.
She reached the county only half an hour later than the bus—an impressive speed—with just a light sweat.
At the department store, she spotted Su Yi already there, looking at a brand-new 28-inch bicycle. The price: one bicycle coupon plus 150 yuan. Su Yi frowned—she had money but no coupon.
Hu Jiaojiao immediately thought of her own coupon. Maybe she could trade it for supplies from Su Yi’s “space,” which seemed to produce high-quality food.
She followed Su Yi outside.
“Comrade, wait!” she called in a lowered voice.
Su Yi turned around. “You called me?”
“I have this. Do you want it?” Hu Jiaojiao showed the coupon.
They moved to a quiet corner. Su Yi was delighted. “What do you want in exchange?”
“Food, daily necessities—anything.”
“I won’t cheat you. This coupon goes for about 120 yuan. I can give you equivalent goods—grain, fruits, vegetables.”
“Then I want a bit of everything. Rice, flour, fruits, vegetables… meat and eggs too.”
They agreed to meet at noon in a grove east of the county.
Later, Hu Jiaojiao bought a Shanghai-brand wristwatch using a watch coupon—120 yuan. A bicycle could wait, but a watch was essential.
At noon, she also bought buns from the state-run restaurant before heading to the grove.
Su Yi was already there—with a huge pile of goods, including a shiny new bicycle.
She listed everything: apples, flour, rice, cornmeal, pork fat, pork, fish, vegetables, soybean oil, red dates, eggs, duck eggs, and even two chickens.
Hu Jiaojiao didn’t bother calculating. “No need to count—you’re an honest person.”
She even cheekily asked for a drink of water, secretly wanting spiritual spring water.
After the trade, she stored everything in her apartment, then visited a scrap yard. There, she found an old bicycle frame and parts, buying them for ten yuan. She later bought tires and screws for another five yuan.
Afterward, she changed back, mailed a letter, and returned to the commune.
Back at the commune, she packed the broken bicycle parts into a sack and headed home. On the way, she saw Su Yi riding her new bicycle but declined a ride—she didn’t want attention.
Sure enough, Su Yi caused a sensation in the village. Everyone gathered around her bicycle.
Meanwhile, Hu Jiaojiao slipped home unnoticed.
When Cheng Chen saw the sack, he was stunned.
“This… is our wedding bicycle?”
She laughed. “Yes. I sold the coupon and bought supplies—and a watch.”
He smiled. “As long as you like it.”
He began assembling the bicycle from the parts.
Hu Jiaojiao went inside, quietly rendered pork fat into oil, and cooked simple dishes. The food tasted especially good—thanks to Su Yi’s ingredients.
Later, Su Yi delivered more goods, including eggs, dates, millet—and even a chicken. Hu Jiaojiao felt a warm sense of gratitude.
The next day, Cheng Chen finished repairing the bicycle. It looked surprisingly good.
Hu Jiaojiao rode it around the village, even giving children rides, which delighted them.
Meanwhile, some villagers began to take notice again—her generosity and resources were hard to ignore.
That afternoon, Hu Jiaojiao went into the hills and tested her strength—easily knocking down a dead tree.
The strength pill was indeed powerful.
She gathered firewood, wild vegetables, mushrooms, and a few wild eggs. Still, she couldn’t help but think—her luck couldn’t compare to the “female lead,” who never returned empty-handed.