In a small, shabby room, a woman lay on a brick kang bed with a strip of white cloth wrapped around her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes and vaguely saw a tall, broad-shouldered man standing beside her.
When the man saw that she was awake, he spoke first.
“Xu Anyan, if you keep causing trouble like this, then pack your things and go back to your parents’ home.”
“I’ll be away for a few days. I’ll find someone to look after the children. Use this time to think things over.”
With that, he turned and left, not giving her any chance to speak.
Xu Anyan had only just regained consciousness. Her head was still foggy, and before she could say anything, she was met with a harsh scolding from a complete stranger.
She froze for a moment, then cursed inwardly.
Does this guy have some kind of problem?
She clearly remembered getting completely drunk at a bar with her best friend the night before. How had she woken up in a completely different place? And who was that man?
Had her friend hired some actor to keep her company while drinking?
And why was he dressed up like that?
What is this, some kind of role-playing game?
As Xu Anyan tried to recall what had happened, a sharp pain suddenly pierced her head like countless needles.
Her vision went black.
Then she fainted again.
When she woke up once more, she found an elderly woman with graying hair seated beside the bed, quietly doing needlework.
During her unconsciousness, it had felt as though she were watching a movie.
A woman’s brief twenty-year life had played through her mind from beginning to end.
Every scene seemed carved into her memory.
She could neither forget nor deny it.
For a long time, she couldn’t calm her emotions.
“Madam Xu, you’re awake.”
The elderly woman looked up and saw Xu Anyan staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. She immediately set down her sewing and hurried over.
Only then did Xu Anyan come back to herself.
Looking at the woman, she recognized her.
According to the memories she had inherited, this was Auntie Wu from next door.
Xu Anyan opened her mouth, her throat aching.
“Auntie Wu, I’d like some water.”
“Of course, of course. I’ll get it right away.”
Auntie Wu quickly climbed off the kang and went out.
After drinking a bowl of warm water, Xu Anyan finally felt a little better.
Lying back on the bed, she gradually sorted through her thoughts.
Only then did she realize that what she had seen was not a dream.
Those were the memories of this body’s original owner.
And she had truly transmigrated.
The original owner was also named Xu Anyan.
She was, quite frankly, a troublemaker.
This latest injury had happened because she’d heard that the county’s Bai Zhuang Pavilion had just received a shipment of fashionable rouge from the provincial capital.
She had rushed there with the crowd to buy some.
In the chaos, she was knocked to the ground.
Not only had she sprained her ankle and split her forehead open, but her arm had been trampled as well.
As for the cold, sharp-tongued man she had seen earlier—
That was the original owner’s husband, Jiang Huan.
The moment she remembered this, Xu Anyan felt as if she were having a heart attack.
Not only was she now inhabiting the body of a notorious troublemaker—
She was married.
And had two sons.
She, a modern woman firmly committed to never marrying or having children, had somehow become a mother overnight after a single night of drinking.
A husband and children included at no extra charge.
Her heart filled with misery.
At that moment, Auntie Wu returned carrying a coarse porcelain bowl.
The strong scent of medicine immediately filled the room.
“Madam Xu, hurry and drink your medicine.”
Sitting on the edge of the kang, Auntie Wu helped Xu Anyan sit up against the bedding and prepared to feed her with a spoon.
Seeing this, Xu Anyan instinctively tried to lift her hand.
The pain instantly reminded her that her right arm was injured.
“Don’t move!”
Auntie Wu quickly stopped her.
“Your arm is slightly dislocated. The doctor said you’ll need at least seven days of rest before you can use it properly.”
Xu Anyan let out a deep sigh in her heart.
What a disaster.
People really do bring trouble upon themselves.
“It’s okay, Auntie Wu. I’ll do it myself.”
Looking at the dark, bitter medicine, Xu Anyan took the bowl with her usable left hand.
Holding her breath, she downed the entire thing in one gulp.
Drinking medicine spoonful by spoonful was torture.
She simply couldn’t do it.
Auntie Wu was completely stunned by her behavior.
Madam Xu had always been difficult and demanding.
Yet today she was surprisingly easygoing.
Auntie Wu had even prepared preserved fruit to help with the bitterness.
Apparently, there was no need for it now.
“Thank you for taking care of me, Auntie Wu.”
After expressing her gratitude, Xu Anyan leaned back against the bedding and closed her eyes.
She needed to organize her thoughts.
Most importantly, she needed to recover quickly so she could better understand this unfamiliar world.
Seeing her close her eyes again, Auntie Wu sighed helplessly and quietly left the room.
This place was Changshan County of the Jin’an Kingdom.
The current year was the tenth year of the Jin’an era.
Changshan County was considered a prosperous region.
Even though Xu Anyan had been a poor student back in school, she was absolutely certain that no such dynasty had ever existed in history.
After reading so many transmigration novels, she had never expected to become a transmigrator herself.
Being twelve years younger again certainly made her happy.
But other transmigrators became wealthy young ladies or daughters of officials.
Even the unlucky ones usually ended up in moderately well-off families.
Unlike her.
Not only was she married with children—
She was poor.
Painfully poor.
One glance around the room told her everything.
Gray walls.
Gray floor.
Gray, heavy blankets.
Looking around further, the entire room could be taken in at a glance.
There were only two cabinets—one tall, one short.
There wasn’t even a chair.
Fortunately, there was at least a window in the wall.
Otherwise, the room would have felt like a basement.
Back in her previous life, although her parents had passed away early, they had left her three apartments.
The thought made her heart ache.
How wonderful her old life had been.
She could lie around, do nothing, and enjoy herself.
Was Heaven punishing her because she’d been living too comfortably?
The room was deathly quiet.
The more she thought about it, the wetter her eyes became.
Only through sheer willpower did she stop the tears from falling.
Xu Anyan struggled to sit up.
Throwing aside the heavy blanket, she slowly inched toward the edge of the kang.
After lying down for so long, she desperately needed to use the toilet.
Fortunately, the kang wasn’t very high.
Only her left ankle was injured.
Just as she was about to climb down—
“Madam Xu! Why are you out of bed?”
Auntie Wu’s anxious voice rang out.
Looking up, Xu Anyan saw that Auntie Wu had returned carrying another porcelain bowl.
Only when she came closer did Xu Anyan realize it was a bowl of noodles.
“Auntie Wu, I need to use the latrine.”
She felt a little embarrassed.
Auntie Wu quickly placed the bowl on top of a cabinet and hurried over to support her.
“Slowly now. I’ll help you.”
At long last, Xu Anyan was finally able to leave the room.
Supporting the limping Xu Anyan, Auntie Wu led her toward the backyard.
Looking at the crude outdoor latrine, Xu Anyan held her breath and hobbled inside.
After finishing her business and stepping back out, she finally dared to breathe normally again.
She could tolerate a latrine.
But the smell was truly overwhelming.
Only then did she notice the rest of the backyard.
Besides the simple latrine, there were two sheds in one corner.
One housed a well.
The other was packed full of firewood.
The layout was simple, but the entire yard felt cramped and tiny.
“Madam Xu, are you feeling alright?” Auntie Wu asked with concern.
Xu Anyan shook her head.
“I’m fine. Let’s go back.”
Returning to the front courtyard, she carefully observed her surroundings.
The yard was small.
Two main rooms were connected to a central hall.
The hall faced the front gate.
According to her memories, the kitchen and storage room were attached to the right side.
A side room stood on the left.
There was also a small patch of open space tucked into one corner.
Because the entire property was so small, every room felt crowded.
By the time she finally made it back onto the kang, Xu Anyan was breathing heavily from exhaustion.
Since waking up, she had consumed nothing but water and medicine.
Her stomach had been filled with liquid but not a single bite of food.
Now her eyes were fixed on the bowl of noodles sitting on the table.
Seeing this, Auntie Wu quickly brought it over.
She picked up the chopsticks, intending to feed her.
“Auntie Wu, please just hold the bowl for me. I can eat by myself.”
“All right then.”
The noodles weren’t made from wheat flour but coarse grain flour.
Xu Anyan accepted the chopsticks and ate slowly.
As she was eating, Auntie Wu suddenly spoke.
“Madam Xu, don’t blame me for being nosy. Little Jiang is young and capable, and he treats you well. You have children now. It’s time to settle down and stop causing trouble.”
Listening to the lecture, Xu Anyan finished the last bite of noodles before replying.
“Thank you, Auntie Wu. I understand.”
Seeing her unusually polite attitude, Auntie Wu couldn’t tell whether she had truly listened or not.
Taking the empty bowl and chopsticks, she left the room.
Only then did Xu Anyan recall something Auntie Wu had mentioned earlier.
She had already been unconscious…
For an entire day and night.