Chen Qingqing froze for a moment.
Her mind cleared instantly, and she realized she’d overreacted. With an awkward grin, she quickly laughed it off. “Heh… Mother, it’s nothing. I just thought the bed was uneven, so I was knocking it with a stone.”
“You scared me half to death! I thought you were smashing your hand for fun,” Lin-shi said, patting her chest in relief. “Alright, go to sleep early.”
Thinking she must’ve been seeing things, Lin-shi smiled and turned to leave.
Chen Qingqing sighed speechlessly.
The ring was neither a spatial treasure nor a system—completely useless.
So she really was the most pitiful kind of transmigrator…
“Forget it,” she muttered. “I’ll just wash up and go to sleep.”
..
A rooster’s crow broke the stillness of Nanshan Village.
Farmers weren’t in the habit of sleeping in.
Everyone rose early.
Carrying two buckets of water, Chen Zhanshan walked into the courtyard and neatly poured them into the water vat.
Lin-shi was in front of the stove, lighting the fire to prepare breakfast.
Chen Qingqing stretched lazily.
The “bed” she’d slept on was just a few planks laid together, not even a straw mat on top—hard and lumpy, impossible to sleep comfortably on.
She couldn’t help but miss the soft, springy mattress from her previous life.
Sighing inwardly, she thought: If I want to change this living condition, I’ll have to make money as soon as possible. Only then can I lead this family to a better life.
She dressed, dark circles under her eyes, and pushed open the door.
“Qing girl, why are you up so early? Did I wake you?” Chen Zhanshan looked at her with concern when he saw her panda eyes.
Lin-shi added worriedly, “There’s no fieldwork to do today. Go back to sleep for a bit.”
In her past life, she had been a genius doctor who’d saved countless lives.
But her parents had divorced when she was young, and she’d been passed around like a ball until her grandmother raised her.
Now, she finally had a father who cared and a mother who loved her.
Emotion welled up in her chest. “Father, Mother, I couldn’t sleep anyway. I might as well stay up.”
Lin-shi smiled. “Alright then, go wash up and we’ll have breakfast soon.”
“Okay.”
Chen Qingqing scooped a ladle of water into the wooden basin, washed her face, and immediately felt much more awake.
When she finished washing up, breakfast was ready.
The family gathered around the table.
In front of Chen Qingqing sat a bowl of golden, thick millet porridge, while her father, mother, and little brother only had porridge made from rice bran and wild greens.
Her brows furrowed. “Mother, why is mine millet porridge while yours isn’t?”
Lin-shi smiled gently. “Qing girl, I made that specially for you. You hurt your head, and you need to eat better to recover.”
Chen Han nodded seriously. “Sis, you lost so much blood! You need the millet porridge to get better faster. Hurry and eat it!”
“Qing girl, eat while it’s hot,” Chen Zhanshan urged, his face full of concern.
Chen Qingqing’s heart softened.
Even though the old Chen couple had always favored the third branch, her parents had never once let her suffer. They would often save part of their own meager rations and secretly give them to her at night.
Looking at their loving faces, she felt a warm rush of gratitude.
This love… I’ll remember it. I’ll take care of this family for her—from now on, we’ll live well in this world.
She didn’t refuse again and quietly began to eat.
After breakfast, as Madam Lin-shi cleaned the bowls, she turned to her husband and said,“Dear, I’ll go to Dahé Village later to see if I can borrow some grain. If my eldest or second brothers could lend us a bit of money, that would be even better.”
Madam Lin-shi’s family home was in Dahé Village, about ten li away.
They were fairly well-off.
When she married Chen Zhanshan, her dowry had been quite generous.
But since the Chen family couldn’t even afford to pay Chen Zancai’s scholar’s tuition, all that dowry had been handed over.
Later, she’d gone back several times to borrow money—but never managed to repay a single coin.
Chen Zhanshan’s gaze darkened. “Xiumei, better not go. Your father’s family has helped us enough over the years. You gave everything you borrowed to Zancai, and your brothers already resent me for it. Now that we’ve separated from the main family, they probably won’t believe we’ll pay anything back.”
Chen Qingqing nodded in agreement. “Mother, Father’s right. You’re a married daughter now. Even if Grandfather’s family still loves you, going back empty-handed—especially to borrow grain—doesn’t look good.”
Lin-shi fell silent.
She knew the old saying: A married daughter is like water poured out.
Her brothers cared for her, yes, but after all these years of asking for help, her sisters-in-law were already tired of seeing her face.
But their remaining food wouldn’t last more than a few days.
She could go hungry herself—but how could she bear to see her two children starve?
“Xiumei,” Chen Zhanshan said softly, “listen to Qing’er. Don’t go back yet.”
“But…” Madam Lin-shi hesitated.
Chen Zhanshan frowned slightly. “We’ll talk about borrowing later. Things aren’t that desperate yet. I’ll head to Qingshui Town to check on Feng’er and see if I can find some labor work at the docks.”
Chen Qingqing’s mind clicked.
Chen Feng—eighteen years old—the eldest son of her parents.
He’d left home because he couldn’t stand the old couple’s favoritism and found work at Qingfeng Restaurant in Qingshui Town.
Supposedly, he was an apprentice—but in truth, he was just a menial helper doing chores all day.
Her parents never understood him.
They thought farming or cutting firewood at home would earn more than being a servant in town.
But the original Chen Qingqing knew the truth—
The restaurant’s owner, Wu Shiren, had once been from Nanshan Village too.
He’d gone to town, apprenticed at a restaurant, married into the owner’s family, and stayed there.
Chen Feng, inspired by his story, wanted to follow the same path—learn cooking, and someday open a restaurant of his own.
But that Wu Shiren wasn’t a good man.
He gave all the hardest, dirtiest jobs to Chen Feng, never teaching him a single thing about cooking.
Chen Qingqing thought it was time she went to Qingshui Town herself—to see if the local clinic was hiring doctors.
If she could get a position there, at least their family wouldn’t have to worry about food.If not, she could see whether the clinic bought medicinal herbs—she could always gather some in the mountains.
As for getting rich… that would have to depend on fate.
“Father,” she said suddenly, “I miss big brother. Can I go with you to town?”
“Qing girl, your head injury isn’t healed yet. I’m afraid the walk will be too much for you.”
Lin-shi added, “Let your father bring a message to your brother instead. Have him come home when he can. Qingshui Town’s a long way—you’d better stay here.”
“Yes,” Chen Zhanshan agreed. “Once your wound’s fully healed, I’ll take you to see him next time.”
But if she didn’t go to town, how could she make money?Should she really wait until the food ran out—and let that old witch sell her to the butcher Li?
No. She absolutely couldn’t sit and wait for fate to strike. She had to stop disaster before it began.
Pouting slightly, she tugged at her father’s sleeve and acted coquettishly. “Father, I can walk just fine. Please, take me along. I really miss my brother.”
“Alright, alright,” Chen Zhanshan said indulgently, his expression softening. “Father will take you.”