Chapter 1

Tong Mu was awakened by hunger.

Her mind was still a bit foggy, her mouth was very dry, and she had a strong urge to drink water. She wanted to get up to find a glass of water but found that she couldn't open her eyes no matter how hard she tried.

Tong Mu took a moment to rest, waiting for her eyes to stop feeling sore before she managed to open them. Her head throbbed as if it had been hit by a heavy object.

She instinctively reached out to touch her head and felt that it was wrapped in a layer of gauze.

She remembered being hit by a car. Could this be a hospital?

Tong Mu was just an ordinary person, living a nine-to-five life, earning a meager salary. Although not wealthy, she could barely support herself.

That afternoon after work, she went to the market as usual. On her way back, she saw a child squatting in the middle of the road. A truck was coming straight at them. Without thinking, Tong Mu rushed over and picked up the boy. Then came the screeching of brakes and blinding lights, and after that, she knew nothing.

Tong Mu struggled to get up and finally saw her surroundings clearly.

The house was made of mud bricks, with spider webs in the corners. The old table was empty, and the damp quilt under her was uncomfortable. The room was eerily empty, with nothing but a bed and a table.

Tong Mu's throat was parched, as if it were on fire, and she desperately needed water. She supported herself on the bedpost and slowly walked to the table, but found no water cup. She had to lean against the wall and open the door.

The yard was messy, with a thatched pavilion in the west, under which were pots and pans. To the south was a large open space with a few vegetables planted in a disorganized manner. Next to the vegetable patch was a pigsty, and the smell of pig manure filled the yard. Occasionally, a few chickens would walk by, pecking at the vegetables and leaving chicken droppings behind.

Tong Mu held her head, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The situation here was far from what she expected. Even if she had been hit by a car and sent to a hospital, this place was too poor, even poorer than the countryside where she grew up!

Could she have time-traveled?

At that moment, the wooden gate of the yard was pushed open from the outside, and a thin woman in her thirties walked in. When she saw Tong Mu standing in the yard, her eyes lit up. She immediately put down what she was carrying and ran to Tong Mu's side.

"Xiao Mu, how did you get up? Are you feeling better? I'm so sorry that Lin Ye didn't take good care of you. Your father and I were so worried. Fortunately, you're better now. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do. Thank heaven for bringing you back..."

The woman kept talking, her hands clasped in prayer, her words filled with surprise and gratitude.

Tong Mu was confused, her mouth opened, but her throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, and her voice was weak and inaudible due to lack of water. "I... I want to drink water..."

Hearing Tong Mu speak, the woman quickly ran to a corner of the yard and brought back a bowl of water. The bowl was a large, grayish-blue porcelain bowl with a piece missing from the rim. "It's my fault. I was so happy I forgot you were thirsty after just waking up... Where is Lin Ye? I told him to watch over you. I only went to the fields for a while, and he disappeared! I'll have a talk with that little rascal when he comes back..."

Tong Mu listened, gulping down the water. She hadn't had water for a long time, and it wasn't good to drink too much at once. After quenching her thirst, she put the bowl down.

"Xiao Mu, go back to the room and sit down. I'll make some food. Is there anything you want to eat?" The woman took the bowl, her eyes fixed on Tong Mu, her words full of affection.

Tong Mu, who hadn't felt such care for a long time, subconsciously relaxed her expression. "No..."

Seeing Tong Mu's pale face and unsteady stance, the woman quickly supported her and helped her back into the room. "Rest well. I'll call you when the food is ready."

The woman gave Tong Mu many instructions before slowly turning to leave and closing the door.

Tong Mu's head was still a bit fuzzy, and she couldn't figure out why she was here. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head, as if needles were pricking her nerves, making her frown and fall onto the bed.

After a while, the pain gradually subsided, and at the same time, a memory that didn't belong to her appeared in her mind.

It turned out that she had died, but in a different sense, she hadn't completely died. Instead, her soul had traveled to the body of someone with the same name.

This was Linjia Village. The woman who had shown her so much care was Tong Mu's mother, Liu Ge'er. Tong Mu had originally been a beggar who somehow ended up in Cixi Town. Liu Ge'er, who had gone to the town to buy medicine, saw her and, feeling pity, took her in. Tong Mu had lived with the Lin family for six years.

Liu Ge'er's family was poor, and she had a mentally challenged son named Lin Ye. As Tong Mu grew older, Liu Ge'er, out of selfishness, married her to Lin Ye.

At first, Tong Mu was obedient and followed the rules, but as she grew older, she became increasingly dissatisfied with the mentally challenged Lin Ye. The village teacher, attracted by Tong Mu's beauty, had impure thoughts and began a secret affair with her.

If things had continued like this, it would have been fine, but Tong Mu didn't want to stay with Lin Ye anymore. She planned to elope with the teacher, but the teacher, being a coward, was scared off by her plan. Tong Mu became depressed and, one day while working in the fields, fainted in the rice paddies.

This is when the modern Tong Mu's soul traveled to the body of the original Tong Mu.

Learning this, Tong Mu found it both amusing and ridiculous. The original Tong Mu had no sense of gratitude, being adopted and still harboring ulterior motives!

Well, she was dead, and now Tong Mu was the one in control.

Tong Mu felt her brain was overworked and a bit tired. She turned over and fell asleep without realizing it.

When she woke up again, it was already dark, and the room was unlit, completely silent.

Tong Mu got out of bed, her feet still in the straw shoes from the afternoon. Although they were a bit uncomfortable, they were better than nothing.

She leaned against the door frame and opened the door. The sunset cast a golden glow over the yard, and the occasional barking of dogs and clucking of chickens created a peaceful and beautiful scene, which made Tong Mu feel a sense of warmth.

However, this peaceful atmosphere was soon broken by a chicken's clucking.

A hen flew out from the stove and landed at Tong Mu's feet, scared and defecating before flying to the south.

Then, a person emerged from under the stove, covered in ash and dirt, and chased after the hen. But when he saw Tong Mu, he stopped and hunched over, running back to the kitchen.

"Wife... Wife..."

The awkward gesture of the tall man made Tong Mu frown.

"What are you doing?" This must be the original Tong Mu's foolish husband.

After waiting for a long time without a response, Tong Mu walked into the kitchen, ignoring the messy firewood and scattered bowls and chopsticks.

As she got closer, she heard the man mumbling. After a while, she understood what he was saying.

"I... I... didn't see... didn't see me..."

Just as Tong Mu was about to bend down to help Lin Ye, Liu Ge'er returned. Seeing the situation, she quickly ran to the kitchen, pulled Lin Ye up, and said to Tong Mu with a guilty look, "Xiao Mu, Lin Ye is not very sensible. Don't take it to heart. I didn't wake you up for lunch because you were sleeping so soundly. Are you hungry now? I'll make you some food soon."

Then she pulled Lin Ye, "I've told you many times not to disturb your wife. Xiao Mu is sick and needs to rest. Go play outside."

Tong Mu remained silent, feeling uncomfortable hearing Liu Ge'er's words.

Seeing a tall man bending over and looking like a child being scolded, Tong Mu explained, "It's okay, Lin Ye didn't do anything to me..."

Liu Ge'er turned and looked at Tong Mu in surprise, wondering if she was hearing things.

Tong Mu regretted speaking and slowly walked back to the room.

It seemed she still needed to get used to this, and so did Liu Ge'er and the others.