Cheng Fangqiu was completely unaware. After stabilizing her posture on the shore, she quickly turned around and waved at him, her face filled with guilt as she said, “You should go now.”
After speaking, her brows slowly furrowed, as if casually adding, “I originally came here today to do laundry. I saw some honeysuckle growing nearby and wanted to pick it to make tea, but who knew I’d accidentally slip and fall into the water.”
“Anyway, thank you so much.”
Hearing this, Zhou Yinghuai finally reopened his eyes. His gaze swept over the pile of clothes peeking out of the basket not far away and the honeysuckle tangled in the reeds by the shore. The last trace of doubt in his mind dissipated, and he let out a soft acknowledgment, trying to use the motion of wiping the water off his face to cool down the rising warmth.
But in the end, it proved to be completely futile.
“Don’t mention it, it was nothing,” Zhou Yinghuai took a deep breath and added, “Wait until we’re gone before you come out.”
Seeing her nod, Zhou Yinghuai immediately swam upstream without delay.
The swiftness of his movements was hard to say whether it was to avoid being discovered or to escape the atmosphere that made his heartbeat uncontrollably erratic.
The icy river water submerged his head, extinguishing some indescribable heat.
“Brother Huai, are you done washing?”
When Zhao Zhigao and the others arrived at the riverbank, they saw Zhou Yinghuai pulling his clothes back on. Noticing his slightly flushed face, they assumed it was from the heat and didn’t think much of it, laughing as they said, “Wait for us, let’s head back together.”
As the group of men in matching work uniforms began to take off their clothes, the cheerful atmosphere was abruptly cut off by Zhou Yinghuai’s cold expression. “Wait!”
Almost reflexively, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Zhou Yinghuai, their faces filled with confusion and bewilderment. Two of them had already taken off half their clothes but didn’t dare adjust them, looking both comical and ridiculous.
“Go wash further upstream. I just saw a water snake here,” Zhou Yinghuai said without batting an eye, then led the way along the river.
Everyone thought something serious had happened, but it turned out to be just a water snake. They immediately relaxed, chuckling and teasing in low voices, “Brother Huai actually cares about us.”
He was the factory’s infamous big boss, after all!
Although he had only been at the factory for a few years, his professional skills and knowledge were top-notch. He had climbed up step by step from an ordinary worker, becoming a senior technician at a young age. Usually stern and expressionless, his icy glare could scare a crowd to death. So hearing such warm words from him now was utterly shocking, making everyone wonder if the sun had risen from the west.
Faced with such unexpected concern, many were stunned, but a touch of warmth also rose in their hearts.
It was just a water snake. They were all grown men—why would they be afraid of that? The reason Brother Huai had them move must be because he was kind!
“We’re staying in the village now; we can’t cause trouble for the locals,” Zhao Zhigao felt he had figured out Zhou Yinghuai’s true intentions. As he spoke, he stroked his chin and nodded firmly, his gaze toward the tall figure ahead filled with admiration and respect.
Little did they know, the protagonist of their discussion hadn’t been listening to their words at all. His mind was in disarray, and after holding back for a while, he finally couldn’t resist glancing back in a certain direction. But the distance was too great, and even with his sharp eyesight, he couldn’t see what he wanted to see.
Yet that single glance successfully silenced the dozen chattering mouths.
—
Hidden in the reeds, Cheng Fangqiu couldn’t hear their conversation, but seeing that they had all left, she finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. Only then did she dare straighten up and rub her sore legs and waist.
The original owner of this body had chosen an ideal spot, surrounded by tall reeds. As long as she made no sound, no one could find her. The only smart move the original owner had made in the book was here, not only finding a plausible excuse for her sudden appearance but also successfully attaching herself to Zhou Yinghuai.
This made the original owner’s subsequent self-sabotaging actions seem like the author had forced a drop in intelligence to push the plot forward.
In the end, these supporting characters were nothing more than stepping stones on the protagonists’ path to success.
After lamenting the pitiful fate of the original owner and herself, Cheng Fangqiu turned her gaze to the basket of dirty clothes at her feet. Just one glance was enough to make her head start throbbing.
The Cheng family had been poor farmers for generations, with a spotless class background. In this era, they could hold their heads high anywhere they went. But the weight of poverty was like a mountain, crushing Cheng Fangqiu, who was used to a comfortable life, until she could barely breathe.
She sighed and lowered her gaze, inadvertently catching a glimpse of her reflection in the water. The delicate and charming face staring back made her widen her eyes as she scrutinized it carefully. This face was at least seventy to eighty percent similar to her own—a petite, oval-shaped face with peach blossom eyes that naturally carried a hint of allure, a small and perky nose, and lips that were red without the need for makeup. Every feature felt incredibly familiar to her.
With a face like this, her grievances dissipated by thirty to forty percent.
In truth, the most important thing was, what else could she do but accept her current situation?
She just didn’t know what had happened to her in the real world. Had she swapped places with the original owner, or had she simply died inexplicably…?
No matter what, no matter where she was, Cheng Fangqiu wanted to live, and live well!
The stifling summer breeze clung to her already soaked clothes, making them stick even tighter to her skin. Cheng Fangqiu pushed aside her thoughts and, enduring the discomfort, rummaged through the basket to find a change of clothes belonging to the original owner. She quickly put them on and then strode toward the Cheng family home.
Right now, all she wanted was to wash her hair, take a bath, and change into clean clothes!
At this time of day, most people had finished work and were hiding indoors to escape the sun, so she didn’t run into many people on the way. The few she did encounter, seeing her disheveled state, she brushed off with the excuse of having accidentally fallen into the river. Fortunately, no one pried further or insisted on questioning her.
Only after entering the Cheng family’s courtyard did she finally let out a complete sigh of relief.
The small wooden house before her was modest in size. The front door led into the main room, behind which was her parents’ bedroom. To the left of the main room was the kitchen, and to the right were two smaller rooms—one belonging to the original owner and the other to her younger brother. Near the backyard were two separate small structures: a bathroom and an outhouse, both built in recent years.
Standing in the courtyard and looking around, Cheng Fangqiu’s recently eased heart suddenly tightened again. She felt like crying but had no tears. Having lived in a bustling metropolis for so many years, the sudden shift to life in a remote mountain village felt like the sky had fallen.
Fortunately, although the environment was lacking, it was very clean. The courtyard was tidy and well-organized, showing that the family valued cleanliness.
Cheng Fangqiu first placed the basket casually by the door of the main room, then followed her memories to the original owner’s bedroom. Pushing the door open, she saw a small room with a bed against the wall, a small table by the window, and a wooden chest.
She rummaged through the chest to find a set of clean clothes, then grabbed a towel and soap before heading out.
To get to the backyard, she had to pass through the kitchen. As she approached, the aroma of cooking wafted out, and the smell of food made her instinctively sniff the air.
“Qiuqiu, you’re back?”
Just as Cheng Fangqiu was rooted to the spot by the enticing smell, the sudden voice nearly made her drop the clothes in her hands. She turned toward the sound and saw a beautiful woman who bore a forty to fifty percent resemblance to her emerging from behind the stove.
Despite being in her forties, time seemed to have left no mark on her. Her short, neat bob haircut didn’t diminish her beauty but instead accentuated her delicate features, making it hard to look away.
This was the original owner’s mother, Ding Ximei. Her life story could be described as dramatic and full of twists.
Born into a wealthy family in Shanghai, she had been a renowned beauty in her youth. But good times didn’t last. The Ding family was caught up in disaster, losing their fortune, with some family members dying and others falling ill. In the end, only a few survivors sought refuge in Ping Le Village.
Now, the once-great Ding family consisted of only her.
In such circumstances, her beauty and background became a magnet for trouble. Many ruffians constantly harassed her, and in despair, she had once considered ending her life. It was then that she was saved by the original owner’s father, Cheng Baokuan.
Cheng Baokuan was an honest and upright young man who wasn’t afraid of trouble and didn’t look down on her background. Seeing her difficult situation, he proposed marriage as a way to shield her from further harm.
At first, their marriage was one of mutual respect. Having seen many dazzling young men in Shanghai, she couldn’t bring herself to love such an ordinary, rough farmer. She only put on a smile out of gratitude for his kindness.
But over time, his sincerity won her over. They supported each other and raised a son and a daughter together.
Cheng Baokuan was a hard worker, earning full work points almost every year. The family’s life gradually improved, and while they weren’t wealthy, they were happy and content.
The original owner’s beauty was inherited from Ding Ximei, but unfortunately, her temperament didn’t take after either of her parents. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have met such a tragic end.
“What happened? How did you end up like this?”
Ding Ximei had already rushed over the moment she saw Cheng Fangqiu. Her brows were tightly furrowed as she grabbed Cheng Fangqiu’s hands, inspecting her from head to toe. Only after confirming that aside from being completely soaked, there were no other visible injuries did she finally breathe a small sigh of relief.
No one dislikes good-looking people, and as a self-proclaimed beauty enthusiast, Cheng Fangqiu was no exception. Although the two of them were technically strangers, she still found herself developing a slight fondness for the woman. At the same time, she didn’t forget to subtly mimic the original host’s tone, complaining about today’s misfortune without giving anything away.
“You must be more careful in the future. I told you not to go, but you insisted.” Ding Ximei’s tone carried both concern and reprimand as she patted the back of Cheng Fangqiu’s hand. Then, turning toward the backyard, she called out, “Old Cheng, hurry and boil a pot of hot water.”
Even though the weather was hot, women generally didn’t dare to bathe with cold water like men did, fearing it would cause them suffering during their menstrual cycle.
Hearing the call, Cheng Baokuan rushed in from the backyard without stopping, not even having the time to put down the axe in his hand. Seeing Cheng Fangqiu’s bedraggled state, he first let out a startled exclamation. After confirming what had happened, he immediately busied himself, boiling water and fetching water, so occupied that his feet barely touched the ground.