Li Suisui watched the slightly swaying deck of the boat in front of her, and a wave of dizziness hit her again.
“Ugh…” she felt seasick.
“Suisui, are you awake? If you are, get up quickly. Your mother has made fish soup for you.”
Suppressing the dizziness, Li Suisui slowly stood up.
As soon as she stepped out of the cabin, she saw the biological mother of the original Li Suisui—Wang Xiulian—crouched on the deck, holding a chipped, worn bowl, scooping fish soup for her.
Wang Xiulian had just turned thirty this year, but she looked older than a woman of forty.
“Suisui, why are you just standing there like a fool? Hurry over and drink the fish soup.”
The original girl, who shared her name—Li Suisui—had gone fishing with her father Li Erzhu three days ago. A sudden storm had thrown her into the sea. When she woke up, she had transmigrated into the original girl’s body—a body of an 18-year-old girl from the 21st century who had died in a stampede while chasing after a celebrity.
Other people’s transmigrations made them princesses or noblewomen. Why did hers put her in the life of a poor fishing girl? She had mourned this fact at first.
But gradually, she changed. The original girl’s parents gave her the love she had never experienced before. She came to enjoy the warmth of family and quietly regarded the original girl’s parents as her own.
She walked over in a few quick steps, took the fish soup Wang Xiulian handed her, and took a sip.
The soup smelled a bit fishy, but it was hot, and it warmed her stomach.
Then Wang Xiulian handed her a warm flatbread.
“You haven’t eaten anything all day. Eat this quickly too.”
It was a barely edible bran cake.
For three days since her transmigration, her meals had been either thin, watery coarse rice porridge or, occasionally, something like this bran cake.
She knew her new family was very poor. If she wanted to survive, she couldn’t afford to be picky.
Picking up the cake, she stuffed it into her mouth. The texture was still rough and familiar. When it was hard to swallow, she chased it down with the fish soup.
Halfway through eating, she thought of the original girl’s father and younger sister.
“Mother, when will Father and my sister come back?”
Wang Xiulian held her waist and glanced at the sky. “They should be back soon.”
From the original girl’s memories, she knew that Wang Xiulian was pregnant, but the exact month was unclear.
Judging from Wang Xiulian’s prominent belly, it looked like the baby would arrive soon.
“Mother, is the baby in your belly going to be my little brother soon?”
At these words, a rare warmth appeared on Wang Xiulian’s face. She touched her belly. She had been married to Li Erzhu for 13 years and had only had two daughters: Li Suisui, now twelve, and Li Niannian, seven.
After Li Niannian, her belly hadn’t moved for years—until this year.
She was now eagerly hoping this child would be a boy.
“It’s still early. You’ll have to wait four more months before you can see your little brother.”
“Then why is your belly so big? It looks like you’re about to give birth.”
“Your father said the same thing. He was worried and even took me to the town to see the doctor. The doctor said it was just a prominent pregnancy.”
Is that really true? Li Suisui still felt uneasy. When the time came, she would take Wang Xiulian to the doctor herself. After all, she didn’t want to lose the motherly love she had just gained.
“Someone from the Zhang family! Go to the town’s clinic quickly! Your husband Erzhu was trampled by a mad horse and broke his leg!”
Suddenly, a man’s urgent voice rang in her ears.
Erzhu—wasn’t he her father? Trampled by a mad horse? What was happening?
Before she could react, Wang Xiulian had already climbed the boat’s railing.
“Big Brother Zhang, what… what did you just say?”
“Your husband Erzhu was trampled by a mad horse while selling fish in town. He broke his leg and is now being treated at the clinic.”
Wang Xiulian’s body went weak, and she nearly fell. Luckily, Li Suisui quickly held her steady.
“Mother, don’t scare me!”
“Your father’s hurt. I have to go to the town. Suisui, stay here and watch the boat.”
Li Suisui frowned, looking at her mother’s swollen belly. The town wasn’t close; it would take at least an hour to walk there. Could Wang Xiulian make it?
“Mother, with your big belly, let me go instead.”
“Nonsense. You’re just a child; going won’t help. But don’t worry about me—I’ll go to the old house and get your grandparents to come along. Everything will be fine.”
Knowing her grandparents would be with her, Li Suisui felt somewhat reassured. “Then be careful, Mother. I’ll wait here for you.”
After Wang Xiulian left, Li Suisui took a careful look at the wooden boat they lived on.
It was about six meters long, with pointed ends at both bow and stern. The middle was covered with a bamboo cabin, where the four of them slept. At the rear was a small stove, where Wang Xiulian had just made the fish soup.
Suddenly, she saw several figures—her original grandmother and two aunts.
Her grandmother, Lin Guiying, was cold on the surface but warm-hearted. Though she didn’t show favor to the family, she often secretly helped them.
The two aunts were very different. Her eldest aunt, Zhang Chun’e, was straightforward and considerate, respected in both family and village.
But the third aunt, Li Lanzhi, was petty and calculating. Rumor had it that her beauty had forced her marriage to Li’s third uncle against the wishes of his parents. Over the years, she had caused many arguments in the Li family.
Lin Guiying, as the head of the Li family, demanded respect. Li Suisui hurried to the boat’s edge to help her up.
“Grandmother, why are you and Aunt Zhang and Aunt Li here?”
“We’re here to help pack things up. Suisui, you help too.”
“Why do we have to pack up?”
Lin Guiying was already in a bad mood because of Li Erzhu’s accident. Hearing Li Suisui question her, she scolded loudly:
“Why talk so much? I said help pack, so help pack!”
Li Suisui was stunned. In her memory, the original girl had been scolded by Lin Guiying before, but experiencing it firsthand was different.
Zhang Chun’e pulled the frightened Li Suisui aside and whispered comfortingly, “Your father broke his leg. Your grandmother is angry. Don’t provoke her.”
“Eldest Aunt, I still don’t understand. We live on this boat—it’s our home. Why does Grandmother want us to pack up?”
“Your father’s leg needs money for treatment. To raise money, your mother decided to sell this boat.”
Li Suisui’s eyes widened in shock. “Then where will we live?”
“Don’t worry about that. Your grandparents have already arranged it for you. Now, pack up quickly—the buyer will arrive soon.”
Li Suisui felt overwhelmed, but she still began helping.
Thinking of Li Erzhu’s kind face, she asked, “Eldest Aunt, is my father badly hurt?”
“Yes, it’s serious. I heard his bone was exposed. But the town doctor said he can be treated—it’s just going to cost a fortune.”