Chapter 1: Transmigration (This book was first launched on Qidian and is permanently free; please support the official version.)

This book is dedicated to the female medical workers who never give up, struggle bravely, strive hard, remain positive, and possess great love amidst adversity, as well as every little woman striving to live her best life.

Thank you to my mother, Ms. Chen, for everything she has done for me.

May this book give you strength, to be unyielding and self-reliant, and bravely run toward a beautiful new life!

This book was first published on Qidian; it is permanently free. Please support the official version.

Special Note: This book has no CP (Coupling/Romantic Pairing).

——

The moment Li Mingfang opened her eyes, she saw a light red bed canopy top, an exquisite fully wood-carved bed, and a middle-aged woman sitting by the bed with her hair in a high bun, head bowed, sobbing quietly.

Before Li Mingfang could figure out what was happening, she heard the woman's surprised and delighted voice, "Third Daughter, you're awake. Does your head still hurt? Don't be angry. Your father has gone to find your eldest brother; he definitely won't let Wang Ziheng snatch away Lüzhu'er!"

Upon hearing this, Li Mingfang thought: *Transmigration? 'Aye' (Father)? Is this the Great Tang? Lüzhu'er? A scumbag snatching a child?*

Just as this thought crossed her mind, the brief life of the woman whose body she now inhabited flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

Li Mingfang, the third child in the family, eighteen years old, was the unexpected daughter born to Li Hualin and Zhao Daniu when they were nearly thirty.

In the early days of the Great Tang's founding, the Emperor issued an edict: men aged twenty and women aged fifteen or older must marry.

At fifteen, the age of coming-of-age, Li Sanniang (Third Daughter Li) was married off by her parents' will and the matchmaker's words to Wang Ziheng, the youngest son of the Wang family who ran a pharmacy in Chongyefang. The following year, Li Sanniang gave birth to a daughter, named Wang Wanzhu, nicknamed Lüzhu'er (Little Dew Pearl).

When Lüzhu'er was two, Li Sanniang brought her back to the Wang residence early from the Li family home and accidentally caught Wang Ziheng and his maternal cousin—a childless widow living with the Wangs—rolling in the sheets together.

Seeing the messy bedding, Li Sanniang, overcome with emotion, fell. She immediately began to bleed.

Because it was early in the pregnancy, Li Sanniang hadn't even known she was pregnant again; she had miscarried.

Heartbroken in body and spirit, Li Sanniang didn't even observe the proper postpartum confinement. She simply packed up and took Lüzhu'er back to the Li family.

Li Sanniang returned to her natal home with her daughter. The Li family waited for Wang Ziheng to come apologize, hoping he would make a vow never to misbehave again.

After all, the saying went: "Better to destroy ten temples than break one marriage." If they could continue living together, that was best.

But the Wang family took three days before the eldest Wang brother brought Wang Ziheng to make peace.

The eldest Wang brother spoke kindly, but Wang Ziheng acted as if possessed. He pointed at Li Sanniang's nose and cursed her: she wasn't virtuous enough as a wife, hadn't borne him a son, had made his mother dislike him, and now she was making a mountain out of a molehill, failing to protect his Wang family heir.

He called her a jealous shrew, unwilling to continue living with her, demanding a divorce.

Just as Li Sanniang was contemplating this divorce, a sudden mechanical sound rang in her mind. A male electronic voice spoke directly into her brain: "Host detected. Binding initiated. Binding in progress."

Before Li Sanniang could react, a dense, needle-like pain pierced her forehead, and she fainted instantly.

Li Mother, terrified, screamed loudly.

Finally, Li Second Brother came in to take her pulse. Finding nothing abnormal, he said it was likely due to the shock after the miscarriage and overwork; she had merely fainted from exhaustion, nothing serious.

Only then did Li Mother set her mind at ease, keeping a hawk-like watch on Li Sanniang on the bed, afraid something might happen if she looked away for a second.

Meanwhile, Li Sanniang's body slept, but her consciousness was clear.

That electronic male voice rang in her mind again: "Binding successful. Loading system. System load complete. Loading 100%. Load complete. Initiating startup."

Li Sanniang's eyes were clearly closed, her body immobile, yet she could "see" a virtual screen with her consciousness. At the top read: "System for Promoting the Development and Progress of Great Tang Medicine." Below were four menu tabs: "Tasks," "Editor," "Inventory," "Settings."

Except for the highlighted "Tasks" tab, the other three were grayed out and unclickable.

Li Sanniang thought: *Is this my Golden Finger (Cheat Ability)?*

"System for Promoting the Development and Progress of Great Tang Medicine"—this wants me to shine and contribute in the Great Tang!

Li Sanniang boldly clicked the "Tasks" tab with her mind. There was only one line: "Successfully divorce, obtain one Grand Gift Pack Lottery Draw," followed by a gray button labeled "Incomplete."

Then Li Sanniang thought "Disappear," and the virtual screen scattered into sparkling lights, vanishing in her consciousness space.

She thought "System," and the virtual screen reappeared out of thin air before her eyes.

So, this is a task system operated by my consciousness inside my brain? My transmigration perk?

Before transmigrating, she had worked six years in Obstetrics and Gynecology, barely promoted to Attending Physician. While on night shift writing a medical record, she dropped dead—transmigrated just like that. Tragic beyond words.

Li Sanniang thought that since she died at her post, the hospital would surely compensate her properly. Fortunately, she had signed legal agreements and organ donation forms long ago; all her assets would go to the orphanage where she grew up, a final act of giving back.

As she thought this, she felt a lightness in her body, as if she had severed ties with her past life and fully merged with the current Great Tang Li Sanniang. Her consciousness could now control the body.

Li Sanniang hadn't opened her eyes yet, only moved her eyeballs a few times, when Li Mother whispered in her ear: "Third Daughter, don't be afraid. Mother is here."

Li Sanniang slowly opened her eyes, looking at Li Mother who still had tear tracks at the corners of her eyes, and said: "Mother, your child isn't afraid. Just a bit tired. Mother, don't worry."

Li Mother looked at Li Sanniang, who had regained some spirit but still looked weak, her eyes brimming with tears. She just nodded vigorously.

With Li Mother's help, Li Sanniang propped herself up against the headboard, rubbing her still-aching forehead, and continued: "Your child is determined to take Lüzhu'er with me. She absolutely cannot be left alone in the Wang family."

Li Sanniang took a few sips of warm water from Li Mother's hand, pondering the Wang family's behavior and how to smoothly take Lüzhu'er away in the divorce.

Though Lüzhu'er was a girl, she bore the Wang surname. Even if Wang Ziheng didn't care about a little girl, his elder brother would surely refuse to let her go for the sake of the Wang family's reputation.

Hearing Li Sanniang's words, Li Mother's heart ached terribly. Tears fell like broken beads, unstoppable.

Seeing her youngest daughter, raised with such doting care, now pale and weak—she truly wished she could take a knife and hack Wang Ziheng ten or eight times, let him taste this pain too.

"My child, don't panic. Your eldest brother is a Jinwu Guard, Ninth Rank. He absolutely won't let Lüzhu'er stay in the Wang family without support.

It's just my poor child. Your father and I were truly blind back then. We thought Wang Ziheng was a good-tempered, upright man. Who could have imagined he was actually a heartless man who knows no right from wrong."

As Li Mother spoke, she moved to embrace Li Sanniang and weep. This made Li Sanniang—thirty-three in her previous life—slightly awkward. Li Mother looked forty-five or six, only about ten years older than her previous self.

But being held in the woman's arms, leaning against her, smelling the scent of what seemed like osmanthus hair oil, her heart felt inexplicably lighter. It was as if she truly had family now, a sense of peace and belonging.

Just then, a sound came from the door.

"Where's Third Daughter? Is Third Daughter awake?"

"Husband, don't rush. Third Daughter just fainted from anger. Lower your voice, don't wake her."

It was Li Sanniang's eldest brother and sister-in-law at the door. As they spoke, the sister-in-law walked in carrying a bowl of medicine.

"Third Daughter is awake? Don't be angry. Drink the medicine Father just brewed while it's hot. Nothing matters more than your health." The sister-in-law spoke as she moved to feed Li Sanniang.

Because Li Sanniang was a late-in-life daughter, she was only two or three when her eldest brother married. Since their mother was a midwife who knew remedies for headaches and fevers and was often busy running between households, the sister-in-law had raised Li Sanniang from age two until she married at fifteen. Their bond was very deep.

Since Li Sanniang married within Chang'an City, she could return home for holidays. After marriage, her ties to her natal family didn't sever; they grew even closer.

The sister-in-law treated Li Sanniang like her own child. Hearing Li Sanniang had just miscarried, hadn't finished her minor confinement, yet brought Lüzhu'er home—she was already heartbroken.

Today, the Wangs didn't come to apologize. Wang Ziheng dared scold Li Sanniang in the Li home and demand a divorce, even saying he'd snatch Lüzhu'er away. A truly conscienceless villain.

He made Li Sanniang faint from anger. Holding the medicine bowl, the sister-in-law thought of this, her heart feeling like a knife had gouged out a piece. The pain was unbearable; she looked ready to spill "golden beans" (tears) like Li Mother.

When the sister-in-law looked over, a surge of grievance welled up in Li Sanniang. She hadn't released it toward Li Mother, but seeing the sister-in-law who raised her, it burst forth like a breached dam. Her nose soured involuntarily, and tears streamed down.

Seeing Li Sanniang like this, the sister-in-law hurriedly set down the bowl, half-embracing her just like when she was little, patting her back and soothing her gently.

"Third Daughter, don't be afraid. Big Sister-in-law is here. No one can snatch our Lüzhu'er away." The sister-in-law said this, then glared at the eldest brother through tear-filled eyes, signaling him to say a few comforting words to settle Li Sanniang.

Glared at by his wife, the eldest brother hurriedly said: "Third Sister, rest easy. Big Brother is here. Big Brother definitely won't let Little Lüzhu'er be snatched away."

Hearing this, Li Sanniang's emotions slowly calmed. She looked at the speaker. Her eldest brother was very tall, about six chi (approx. 184 cm). In Li Sanniang's memory, he was a rare tall, sturdy man in Chang'an City.

Looking at her eldest brother who had entered, Li Sanniang said: "Little Sister naturally trusts Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law. This isn't my fault; it's that shameless Wang Ziheng's fault. But Lüzhu'er bears the Wang surname. If I want to bring her back to raise, we still need to plan carefully."

As she spoke, Li Sanniang picked up the medicine bowl beside her, enduring the pungent medicinal smell, and drank it down.

"Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law needn't worry about me. Little Sister absolutely won't hurt herself over that heartless scoundrel. Little Sister still has to raise Lüzhu'er well, watch her marry in the future. I will certainly take good care of my body."

The three people in the room, seeing Li Sanniang rally, all set down their anxious hearts.

Li Sanniang had just set down the bowl when she saw a toddler in a tiger-head cap tottering in from the doorway, followed hurriedly by a plump, pregnant woman.

Right, this toddler was the "freebie" child Li Sanniang got from transmigrating—the Wang family's little girl, formal name Wang Wanzhu, nickname Lüzhu'er.

The pregnant woman chasing after her was Second Brother's wife, Li Sanniang's second sister-in-law.

Although Li Sanniang was unmarried and childless before transmigrating, perhaps due to the original body's emotional attachment, seeing this tiny child softened her heart. A maternal smile—no, a birth mother's smile—unconsciously appeared on her face.

The toddler barely made it to the door. The threshold was too high to cross. She stared at Li Sanniang, reaching out little hands, crying "Mother, hold." Her little mouth pouted, eyes welling with urgent tears.

The eldest brother couldn't stand seeing his niece cry. He immediately squatted, scooped the toddler up, patted her tiger-head cap, and walked toward Li Sanniang, saying to the child: "Look at our precious darling, missing her so much. Not seeing Little Aunt for a moment and she's inconsolable. Big Uncle will carry you to find your Mother."

Thank you for reading.

(End of Chapter)