Chapter 1

In the winter of the thirty-fifth year of the Great Qi, it was particularly cold. Snowflakes danced gracefully in the air, and the wealthier families all stayed inside, unwilling to venture out. The poor, however, worried about whether they could survive this harsh winter.

In a small farmhouse courtyard, an old man was busy in the kitchen. He was cooking while wiping away his tears, his expression filled with sorrow.

Wen Wan slowly opened her eyes, trying to move but finding herself weak and powerless. She looked around in a daze. The roof was made of wood and tiles. The room was dimly lit but spacious. Apart from the bed she was lying on, there was a piece of furniture that resembled a bed but wasn't quite one, standing as high as a sofa. In the middle of the room was a round table with four stools. A teapot and teacups were placed on the table, both chipped. A few steps away from the bed was a small table, which she guessed was a dressing table, with a comb, ribbons, and a shiny copper mirror on it. It didn't look like a wealthy household. She wondered where she was.

How did she end up here? She must have been saved by someone. What was there to save? If she had died, she would have been at peace. If she didn't die now, she would die in half a year anyway. Wen Wan couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

"Miss, you're awake," a gentle voice called out in surprise, and someone rushed over to hug her.

Wen Wan looked up and saw an elderly woman, about fifty or sixty years old, enter the room, her hair tied up high and wrapped in gray cloth. She wore a plain gray short jacket and a long gray skirt, fully covered. Her face was weathered, and upon seeing Wen Wan's eyes open, she hugged her with a mix of joy and sorrow, crying bitterly.

"Thanks to the blessings of the Empress and the Princess, Miss has survived this great calamity and will surely have a bright future. I was so happy I forgot you must be hungry," the old woman said after crying for a while, wiping her tears and speaking apologetically. She turned and left, returning a moment later with a wooden bowl. After sitting down, Wen Wan saw it was a bowl of vegetable porridge. The porridge was made from a mix of different vegetables, clearly the food of the poor.

"Miss, come, eat," the old woman said, feeding Wen Wan spoonful by spoonful without asking. Wen Wan obediently ate, though it tasted terrible, she swallowed it. The bowl was soon empty, and the old woman was very pleased and relieved. She tidied up and took the bowl away.

Wen Wan watched the old woman's back and naturally examined herself. She saw her small arms and legs, dressed in a plain gray jacket, and couldn't help but smile. She had been reborn in this body. Well, if she was reborn, so be it. There was nothing in her previous world worth remembering.

Since her parents had died in a car accident while looking for her, the people in the Wen family had always looked at her with reproachful eyes. Especially her grandmother, who would get angry at the sight of her. No one in the family paid her any attention. At twelve, she was sent abroad to study, and at twenty, she returned to work for the Wen family. She worked diligently for four years but received little praise. Her boyfriend of five years betrayed her for money and a better future. Her friend Liu Qian, whom she had known for twenty years at the orphanage, also betrayed her. There was nothing in that world worth remembering.

To be alive and to meet such a kind old grandmother in a strange world was a blessing. Even though the old woman's kindness wasn't for her, it was still fortunate. The child's soul was gone, but to the world, the child was still alive. To the old woman, it was a source of support.

Wen Wan lay bored and, when she turned to her side, noticed something had fallen from her neck. She touched it and found it was a jade pendant. The jade was crystal clear, with a uniform and bright color, and when tapped, it made a clear sound. On one side was a phoenix carved, and on the other, two characters. Wen Wan's first thought was that this body must belong to someone wealthy. Only a wealthy family would have such a pendant. However, she kept this to herself.

To avoid being discovered, Wen Wan decided to remain silent. But the old woman didn't care, taking care of her with meticulous attention, washing, cleaning, changing clothes, and feeding her. Wen Wan was deeply moved; even a top-notch modern nanny wouldn't be as attentive.

It was very cold, and Wen Wan huddled under the quilt. The old woman often asked if she was cold or hungry. Wen Wan just smiled without answering.

Actually, Wen Wan was a bit cold. She was from the south, and this place was likely the north. Southerners generally don't adapt well to the northern climate. In winter, it's so cold that you don't want to go out. Fortunately, Wen Wan was a patient and stayed in bed. However, the quilt was old and patched, thick but not very warm. It was chilly.

"Whoosh, whoosh..." A strong wind blew outside. The paper on the window was blown away, and a cold gust of wind rushed in. Wen Wan was woken by the freezing wind and shivered. The old woman also woke up, got up shakily, and used paper to patch the window. Wen Wan looked around and saw nothing to use as a substitute. She tried to get up to help but couldn't.

After patching the window, the old woman's face was slightly flushed. Seeing Wen Wan's worried look, she felt very comforted.

"Miss, you've grown up," the old woman said, stroking Wen Wan's head. She noticed that since Wen Wan's illness, she had become more obedient and well-behaved. Wen Wan pointed to the quilt, indicating it was cold, and suggested they sleep together. Thinking it was indeed cold at night, the old woman took a quilt and lay down with Wen Wan. The old woman's hands and feet were icy cold, and Wen Wan hugged her tightly. Soon, she fell asleep.

"Miss, what will we do in the future?" the old woman looked at the sleeping Wen Wan, feeling very sad.

The next morning, Wen Wan opened her eyes and saw the old woman bringing a bowl of ginger soup. Wen Wan obediently drank it; if she didn't, she might catch a cold.

After breakfast, Wen Wan lay in bed, and the old woman sewed beside her. The dark red fabric wasn't very attractive, but it was new. She not only made clothes but also knitted shoes and socks, all by hand. Wen Wan found it fascinating, having been used to modern machine-made clothes. Everything was handmade, and the craftsmanship was impressive.

"Miss, if you want to learn, I'll teach you when you're better," the old woman said, seeing Wen Wan's interest. Wen Wan smiled sweetly.

After lying in bed for more than half a month, Wen Wan was finally able to get up. The old woman dressed her, braiding her hair into two large pigtails, like goat horns, which looked very childish and fun. The pigtails were wrapped with cloth strips, and the remaining hair was braided into two plaits, also tied with cloth strips. She wore two silver bracelets on her wrists.

After washing up, Wen Wan looked at herself in the copper mirror, which, though chipped, was polished brightly. She saw a girl with willow-like eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a round face, and a pale complexion. Her body was thin and malnourished. Wen Wan frowned, realizing this condition was unacceptable. She had a second chance at life and couldn't afford to die young. She remembered that medical care in ancient times was very primitive, and even a cold could be fatal.

The weather was good that day, and the old woman, who called herself Nainai, carefully helped Wen Wan out of the room. Outside, they saw a small courtyard with a few low houses, similar to a Beijing siheyuan. In the center of the courtyard was a tree, which Wen Wan recognized as a Chinese elm. In season, the fruit was sweet and delicious, a natural green food that was rare in modern times. The guide had once taken her to try it, saying it was only grown by the poor in ancient times for food. However, it was winter, and the tree was bare. In the center of the courtyard were a stone table, stone stools, and some farming tools.

Wen Wan stood under the tree, looking at the Chinese elm. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

"Miss, sit here for a while. I'll go get you something to eat," the old woman said, entering a room in the corner. After a while, Wen Wan saw smoke rising from the room and curiously went in.

The kitchen was small, with the stove and cutting board taking up most of the space. The old woman was cutting a cabbage. Seeing the firewood in the stove was running out, Wen Wan squatted down to add more.

"Miss, this is not a job for you. Miss, go outside. I'll be done soon, and we can eat," the old woman said anxiously, trying to take the firewood from Wen Wan, who held it firmly and looked at her.

The old woman's hands were calloused, and her eyes, often strained from embroidery, often teared up. Wen Wan knew that the old woman was actually only 45, not very old. In modern times, she would be considered middle-aged, but she looked like a woman in her sixties. This was all because of the child.

Every day, the old woman had to take care of the child's daily needs, do laundry, and cook. In her spare time, she did embroidery to sell and earn some extra money. In the past half month, Wen Wan hadn't seen any meat, indicating how poor their life was.

"Miss, listen to me," the old woman coaxed, but Wen Wan held on firmly. Seeing Wen Wan's determined look, the old woman's eyes filled with tears.

"Be careful, don't hurt your hands," she finally said, compromising. She added a little oil, which Wen Wan didn't see, and put the cabbage in the pot. After cooking, she served it in a chipped gray bowl and brought it to the room.

She then brought a bowl of pickled cucumbers from the kitchen. This was their meal. She also brought two bowls of vegetable porridge, one for each of them. Wen Wan saw that there wasn't much grain, so they had to eat the vegetables with the porridge. Although it was hard to eat, it was pure and natural. She had gotten used to it in the past half month and ate it heartily.

"Crunch," Wen Wan spat out a pebble and continued eating as if nothing had happened. A moment later, she spat out another pebble. She suddenly remembered that chickens needed to eat pebbles to help with digestion. But for humans, eating too many pebbles could lead to gallstones.

The old woman watched, wanting to say something but not knowing what. Her eyes were red, and she turned away, wiping her tears. Since Wen Wan had come back from the brink of death, she had become more understanding. She didn't pick her food, ate more, and even helped with chores.

"Miss, I'm sorry," the old woman said, stroking Wen Wan's head, feeling both sad and heartbroken. Wen Wan looked at the old woman's kind face and felt very happy. In this life, she wouldn't be alone. The old woman cared for her deeply and wouldn't leave her.

However, Wen Wan was afraid of being discovered and insisted on not speaking. She feared being seen as a monster if she made a mistake. The old woman didn't mind and just chattered on.

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