Chapter 1: Transmigration

Li Siwen was woken up by a bout of crying. She scratched her head in annoyance, let out a loud groan, and reluctantly opened her eyes. Then, she stood there, mouth agape in shock.

Holy crap, was she kidnapped? What kind of godforsaken place was this? The walls were made of yellow mud, and next to the bed sat a table—a very crude one at that. A white enamel mug rested on it. The table was dilapidated, with half a corner missing, propped up by a few small wooden boards.

Li Siwen lifted the quilt and was shocked again. The quilt was even more ridiculous; it had faded to a pale color and was riddled with small holes. There were over a dozen patches of various sizes on it, and it felt stiff to the touch, as if it had been used for a very long time.

Looking at the shoes and the military-green canvas bag hanging on the wall, even though Li Siwen had never experienced it herself, she knew this was the 1970s or 80s she had read about in novels.

Outside the door, Old Mrs. Li heard the movement in the room. The wailing stopped, and she slapped her son beside her, snapping, "Shut up."

Old Third Li touched his head. He hadn't even said a word; his mother had been the one doing all the crying, and her voice had been deafening. Still, he nodded obediently.

"Old Third, was there a sound in the room?" Old Man Li had also regained his senses and asked his third son.

"It sounds like there was!" Old Third Li said, puzzled, before his face lit up and he rushed into the room.

"Siwen, you're okay! Do you know you scared me to death? My good Siwen, let Dad see if you're alright." Seeing that she was fine, Old Third Li was overjoyed. He stepped forward and quickly felt his daughter's forehead—it wasn't hot anymore.

Seeing the group of people, Li Siwen felt a sharp pain in her head, and a wave of memories flooded her mind. Only then did she realize she had transmigrated into the 1980s, a time of hunger and poverty.

The original owner was also named Li Siwen and was eighteen years old this year. In rural areas, girls married early, usually by seventeen or eighteen, and Li Siwen's grandparents had recently been discussing her marriage.

The engagement had been arranged since childhood. Now, the man was twenty-one and the woman was eighteen, but just as the two families were discussing the details, the man wanted to call it off.

He claimed it was an arranged marriage without love. Breaking off an engagement would have a huge impact on a woman's reputation. As it happened, the original owner had gone out one day and seen the man with another young girl.

The original owner couldn't handle the blow and, in a moment of despair, went to jump into the river.

Fortunately, the man was a reasonable person. Seeing her jump, he ignored the woman beside him and pulled the original owner out.

It was spring, but the weather was still a bit chilly. Plus, the original owner had been struggling in the river, refusing to be saved, so the two of them had been in the water for a long time. After they got to the shore, both of them came down with high fevers.

Coincidentally, Li Siwen had transmigrated over right at that moment.

Old Mrs. Li looked at her granddaughter’s dazed expression, and her heart sank. Could she have been burned stupid? That wouldn't do; how could her clever granddaughter be burned stupid?

"Siwen, do you know who I am?"

"Nai, you're my Nai, what's wrong?" Li Siwen said, moving closer while sizing up the family.

The person closest to her was Li Siwen's grandmother, the head of the household. Of course, at the very back was the second head of the house, Old Man Li, who was Li Siwen's grandfather.

Old Man Li was standing at the back, but he was just as worried. Although Li Siwen's father was the third son, Li Siwen was the eldest of the grandchildren.

The Li family didn't have it easy. The nearby villages all knew the Li family was poor, and no girl wanted to marry into it, making it very hard for the Li sons to find wives.

But Old Third Li was different. He was handsome and had a silver tongue. He had fallen in love with Li Siwen's mother, Yu Ying, and because she was pregnant before marriage, she married into the Li family.

Because of this, Li Siwen was the first child of the third generation. The two elders of the Li family didn't favor boys over girls, and they doted even more on the first grandchild born to their favorite son.

Another reason was that Li Siwen was very capable. Since she was a child, she had immense strength; she could lift a cow with her bare hands and was a top-tier worker. Because of her strength, the Old Man Li family lived quite well in the village, and no one dared to bully them. Even those who were dissatisfied had to weigh Li Siwen's strength before acting.

"Siwen, it's good that you're okay. Do you know you almost scared your Nai to death? You're my only thoughtful granddaughter; if anything happened to you, I wouldn't want to live either." Old Mrs. Li wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes as she spoke. She was truly distressed; the girl had loved following her around since she was little, and their bond was very deep.

The girl had been unconscious for a day and a night. When they saw the doctor, he said there was nothing serious, but she wouldn't wake up, which had her pacing in circles.

Li Siwen looked at the genuine emotions displayed by the people in front of her, and her heart warmed. Her parents had divorced when she was young. Because she was a girl, her grandparents favored boys and weren't close to her, and her parents each had their own families. She had been like an orphan, kicked from pillar to post. She could tell that the people in front of her cared for her from the bottom of their hearts.

"Nai, I'm fine now. Look, aren't I perfectly fine?" Li Siwen helped Old Mrs. Li to the table, pulled out a stool, and helped her sit down.

Old Man Li stood to the side and lit a cigarette, but after one puff, he quickly extinguished it. His granddaughter wasn't feeling well, and she surely wouldn't like the smell of smoke.

"Siwen, let me tell you, that Shao family boy is no good. If he doesn't want to, then so be it. Grandfather will find you someone even better later."

"Exactly, that boy losing our Siwen is his loss. My daughter is so good; the man she marries in the future will definitely be a hundred times better than him." Li Xingwen said from the side, waiting for his chance to teach that boy a lesson.

Li Siwen nodded. She wasn't familiar with the Shao family, nor was she familiar with that so-called fiancé. Breaking off the engagement was for the best; she wanted to have a sweet romance, not an arranged marriage right off the bat.

"Ye, Nai, since Brother Shao wants to break off the engagement, let's do it. But it won't be him breaking it off—we will go to them to break it off."

In this era, it had a huge impact on a woman if an engagement was broken, especially if the man initiated it. She wanted to be the one to end it; she would salvage whatever reputation she could.

Old Mrs. Li looked at her granddaughter suspiciously. Had she finally opened her eyes after dying once? Before, this girl had refused to agree no matter what. It wasn't until she caught the Shao boy meeting another woman in private that she had jumped into the river in despair.

Now that she had just woken up and agreed to break the engagement, was she thinking clearly, or was she bottling it up inside?

"Really, Siwen? If you really can't let that boy go, I'll go talk to his Nai. I don't believe their family would have the nerve to ruin this engagement. This engagement was set when Old Man Shao was still alive; they can't just go back on their word just because he's been gone for a few years."

"Nai, I've let it go. A twisted melon isn't sweet. Even if I really married him, I'd be the one suffering in the future. It's better to end it early. I've thought it through; I want to find someone who truly likes me, so he will treat me well." Li Siwen squatted beside Old Mrs. Li, resting her head on her lap as she spoke earnestly.

"Alright, as long as you've thought it through. At noon, your grandfather and I will go to the Shao family and call off the marriage." After Old Mrs. Li finished speaking, she looked at her granddaughter again. Seeing that she didn't look the least bit upset, she felt relieved and began to eagerly look forward to breaking the engagement.

Thinking of the Shao boy's attitude when he wanted to break it off, she had been furious. But because her granddaughter liked him, she hadn't dared to say anything too harsh for fear of embarrassing her. Now that her granddaughter had come to her senses, she could finally hold her head high, and then it would be her turn to humiliate that boy.