On that long and quiet afternoon, Luo Zhiyao woke up after only half an hour of sleep.
She hadn’t forgotten to check the bitten apple stored in her space.
With a thought, she took the apple out and examined it carefully. She found that it was still as fresh as ever, as if time had completely stood still on it.
This discovery filled her with delight. It turned out that this mysterious space had a preservation function. This was undoubtedly great news, meaning that from now on, whether it was food or other items that required long-term storage, everything could be safely kept inside, greatly extending their shelf life.
In the afternoon sunlight slanting across the fields, Luo Zhiyao stood in front of her own plot of land, gazing at the soil and the marks left by hard labor. She couldn’t help but gently touch her delicate palms.
The fine skin had already begun to show signs of roughness due to frequent labor. This change made her realize that, in order to protect these hands that worked for her livelihood, it was essential to develop a nourishing skincare cream and hand cream to keep them soft and smooth.
In her previous life, Luo Zhiyao had been an outstanding cosmetics R&D specialist, especially skilled in cosmeceuticals. Developing skincare products was second nature to her.
She was well-versed in the properties of various herbs and understood how to formulate products that were both safe and effective. However, all of this would have to wait until she adapted to her new life. After all, her top priority now was to integrate into the rhythm of this world as quickly as possible.
According to the plot of the novel, at the end of 1977, there would be a significant historical turning point—the national college entrance examination would soon be reinstated.
And the owner of this body was only eighteen this year—eight years younger than her previous self—at the vibrant age of youth. The thought of having to wait until after the exam to return to the city already felt suffocating.
Although her parents were in Beijing, the original Luo Zhiyao had followed the male lead, Pei Feng, to the countryside out of infatuation.
Luo Zhiyao and Pei Feng had been neighbors in the same residential compound. At some point over the past few years, Luo Zhiyao had developed an indescribable affection for him and had constantly followed in his footsteps without realizing it.
Pei Feng, whether due to deep-rooted inferiority or simply because he couldn’t accept Luo Zhiyao’s willful and spoiled personality, had always maintained a subtle distance from her.
Luo Zhiyao, who had once been inseparable from him, now had to bear the bitterness of that estrangement alone.
Sunlight bathed the fields, and the green wheat seedlings swayed gently in the breeze. Luo Zhiyao resigned herself to reality, squatting at the edge of her field, her slender fingers diligently pulling out every weed that threatened the crops.
Although her body was focused on labor, the whispers of the nearby villagers drifted into her ears like the croaking of frogs in a rice field—inescapable.
At the same time, Ning Zexu, who was also involved in rural construction, was working his fields under the blazing sun, sweat pouring down his face. He and Pei Feng were classmates and had come to the countryside together in response to the call. They knew each other as well as they knew their own palms.
He glanced in Pei Feng’s direction and asked casually while wielding his hoe, “Pei Feng, have you noticed the change in Luo Zhiyao? That little girl who used to revolve around you all the time—why has she suddenly become so quiet?”
Pei Feng responded calmly, as if discussing someone else’s story. “I don’t know, and I’m not interested in finding out.”
His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon, though faint ripples stirred in his heart. He couldn’t help but wonder: why had the girl who used to cling to him like glue suddenly become so distant?
Yet, to Pei Feng, this change might also be a kind of relief—at least it avoided potential conflicts and awkward situations between them.
He understood that in the world of emotions, sometimes maintaining a certain distance was the best form of respect and protection for both sides.
Luo Zhiyao’s recollected family background was powerful: her grandfather was a general in the army, her grandmother was the vice dean of Tsinghua University, her father was the commander of a military region, and her mother was also a military officer with the rank of major general.
Her eldest brother, Luo Zhiheng, was a soldier in the southwestern military region. Her second brother, Luo Zhimin, was a surgeon at a military hospital.
Her third brother, Luo Zhijun, was a professor at Beijing University, though he had been temporarily suspended due to the reforms.
With such a strong family background, Luo Zhiyao could have lived freely in Beijing. She could have had her pick of talented young men—so why would she insist on chasing a man whose highest-ranking relative was only a deputy commander?
Not only did the people in the compound not understand it, even Luo Zhiyao herself couldn’t understand it. Was she not attractive enough? Or was her family background not strong enough? Why had she clung to such an irresponsible man and even followed him all the way to the countryside?
Fortunately, Pei Feng had never responded to any of “Luo Zhiyao’s” feelings. Otherwise, cutting off that emotional attachment would have been much more difficult. She could only treat those past years of youth as wasted effort.
From now on, she would live for herself. As for her “family,” they still didn’t know that the person inside their precious daughter had already been replaced. Before she left, they had given her a large sum of money and ration coupons so she could live comfortably.
What would happen if they eventually found out?
Sigh—she would just have to take things one step at a time.
As for the male educated youths’ conversations, Luo Zhiyao listened with one ear and let it out the other. It wasn’t her concern. Her priority now was to observe the female educated youths and the local women.
Fortunately, no one was talking about her. That was reassuring. For now, things weren’t too bad—she was just a bit “eccentric.” That could still be salvaged.
By five in the afternoon, Luo Zhiyao finished her weeding work for the day. The recorder, seeing the pile of weeds, was somewhat puzzled—had this girl really changed? How could she work so quietly?
In any case, Luo Zhiyao earned 8 work points that day, which was already quite good.
Back at the educated youth dormitory, Luo Zhiyao only wanted to lie down and sleep. She had no strength left at all. She ate a little of the food the original owner had brought and quickly fell into sleep mode.
It wasn’t until midnight that she realized she hadn’t bathed. After working under the sun all day, her body was emitting a sour odor. Unable to tolerate it, she immediately entered her space. Fortunately, she lived alone—otherwise the smell would have made anyone nearby nauseous.
She took off her clothes and jumped straight into the river to bathe.
The space maintained a comfortable temperature—neither cold nor hot—and even the river water was just right.
Luo Zhiyao happily swam around in the water.
After washing up, she discovered that her skin hadn’t darkened at all—in fact, it had become even fairer and smoother.
She guessed this was the effect of the spiritual spring water. If this water were added to her cosmeceutical products, would the effects be multiplied?
Feeling leisurely, she went to the aquaculture area and caught a crucian carp, which she roasted over a fire.
She hadn’t eaten much at night, so her stomach growled continuously. To her, food was the most important thing in the world.
While eating, she thought to herself: what a pity—there were only freshwater fish, shrimp, and crabs here. She wanted seafood—king crab, abalone, oysters, eel… just thinking about it made her drool.
With tears in her eyes, she finished the grilled fish in front of her. After cleaning up, she left the space and lay down on the bed.
What she didn’t realize was that next to the aquaculture area in her space, a new water zone had quietly formed. In just half an hour, the previously empty pool had become filled with a variety of seafood.