Chapter 1, Section 1: Women's Bathhouse

Splash—splash—

The steam was thick and the moisture from her mouth and nose made it hard to breathe; it felt as if scalding hot water was constantly slapping Chen Yun's cheeks.

Just a second before she was about to suffocate, Chen Yun suddenly opened her eyes.

The area was shrouded in mist, like a fairyland... of course, that was before I was fully awake.

When she could finally see her surroundings clearly, Chen Yun unconsciously shrank back.

Anyone would be shocked to wake up and find themselves in an unfamiliar environment, let alone with so many naked women walking around in front of them.

Chen Yun quickly figured out the current situation.

This appears to be a women's bathhouse, and she is sitting in a cement tub, where scalding hot water splashes onto the faces of everyone who steps into the tub.

The bathhouse was very spacious, with four large bathtubs arranged in pairs.

There were more or less people sitting in the hot spring pool, chatting enthusiastically in small groups.

Chen Yun: "..."

As I glanced at the wall, I was instantly drawn to a slogan hanging there.

The content is very characteristic of the era, with large characters written in red paint that almost occupy the center of the entire wall.

Let's work with full vigor and strive for excellence!

Learn from the working class! Pay tribute to the working class!

Chen Yun silently recited the slogan twice in her mind, then raised her hand from underwater and pinched the inside of her arm; a sharp pain instantly shot through her…

Splash—

These hands were so slender, the wrists so thin they seemed like they would be injured with the slightest bend, and there were several shocking scars on the wrists.

The calluses on his palms were layered and stacked, completely disproportionate to his slender hand shape.

Chen Yun was certain, based on the elasticity of the skin, that this person was young but had experienced a great deal of suffering.

I've traveled through time...

Chen Yun exhaled and slid weakly into the water, submerging half her face in the hot water.

Just as many time-travel novels describe, in the blink of an eye, the original owner's memories slowly merged with hers through her mind.

However, Chen Yun did not experience a splitting headache; on the contrary, she felt quite comfortable.

Those countless memories traveled through every nerve, eventually taking root firmly in my mind, as if everything had happened naturally.

The original owner of this body was also named Chen Yun, and she was a pitiful girl...

Chen Yun was born in 1956 into a very happy family; both her father and mother taught at the same university.

As an only child, she undoubtedly enjoyed plenty of love from her parents.

But all of this came to an abrupt end five years ago. Chen Shu, the father, was reported by a student for having a family member who had defected to foreign capitalism. Although it was eventually found that the person was just a distant relative, he still lost his job and could only make a living by emptying chamber pots.

Chen Shu asked an old friend to recommend his daughter to medical school, and despite all the difficulties, he still managed to find a way out for his daughter.

After graduation, her classmates were assigned to work in various hospitals in the city, but she was the only one who was not hired by any unit for a long time because of her family background.

In the end, it was only through the private efforts of Chen Shu's old friend that the factory director of Hongri Machinery Factory was able to get the man into the factory's clinic.

Having arrived in Panshui County with no relatives or friends, and facing constant exclusion from others, it was inevitable that the original owner's emotions would become problematic.

If one had the background of modern medical knowledge that Chen Yun had learned, one could immediately determine that the original owner was suffering from depression and that suicidal thoughts were gradually arising as the condition worsened.

Having worked at Hongri Machinery Factory for almost a year, the original owner had no friends due to her introverted personality and the rumors surrounding her, including not even interacting with her roommates in the same dormitory.

Not only did they stop interacting, the three of them also joined forces to isolate the original owner.

And what she mustered up the courage to do today... was to commit suicide in front of several people.

Splash—

The sound of water reached Chen Yun, who lifted her eyelids and glanced through the swirling mist at the two people opposite her who were chatting and laughing as they entered the bath.

These two were the original owner's roommates.

The one with two black braids tied behind his head is Zhou Xinfang, the leader of the isolated original body.

The other two with short, ear-length hair were Zhou Xinfang's Xiao Ban and Cao Qin.

Zhou Xinfang and Chen Yun were from the same hometown, Taicheng, and had even attended the same junior high school.

The reason why she took the lead in isolating the original owner is unclear, but it is certain that there was definitely an element of jealousy involved.

Chen Yun hadn't seen the original owner's appearance yet, but just by touching her face shape and features, she was certain that she was definitely not bad. As for Zhou Xinfang... she'd have to open her squinted eyes first.

The two probably didn't know that Chen Yun was also in the bathhouse. After sitting down and chatting about work for a few minutes, they started to steer the conversation toward Chen Yun.

Chen Yun listened quietly, then raised an eyebrow and looked away after only a few words.

In the original owner's memories, Zhou Xinfang was the most annoying, but Chen Yun felt that Cao Qin was the most annoying one.

Cao Qin was the one who started the conversation and also the one who led Zhou Xinfang to say bad things.

After Cao Qin's few words of flattery, Zhou Xinfang immediately vowed to teach Chen Yun a lesson when he returned to the dormitory.

idiot……

Chen Yun slowly stood up from the water and waded through waist-deep water to the other side.

The condescending gaze, with its ambiguous smile, was enough to send chills down one's spine; a shadow fell upon it...

Chen Yun stood by the bathtub, completely naked, yet seemingly without the slightest hesitation, openly gazing down at the two of them.

“Chen…Chen Yun…”

Cao Qin was the first to raise her head, her expression freezing for a moment before quickly changing, and in the blink of an eye she was back to being that "little follower" who only knew how to agree and respond.

Zhou Xinfang curled his lip in disdain, showing absolutely no embarrassment at being caught talking badly about someone.

“You’re blocking the way…” Chen Yun said, his throat dry as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper.

The two were sitting right in front of the stone steps leading out of the bath. To get out, someone had to make way for them, or they would have to step over each other's heads.

Zhou Xinfang rolled her eyes, not only refusing to move away but also grabbing Cao Qin's arm, refusing to let her go.

Chen Yun didn't finish her sentence, and simply lifted her leg...

"..."

"What kind of indecent behavior are you engaging in!"

Zhou Xinfang screamed in alarm, and her body reacted instinctively, causing her to fall to the side.

In the midst of his frantic efforts, he even choked on a few mouthfuls of bathwater, his long face instantly turning bright red as he coughed violently and in excruciating pain.

"I didn't act like a thug. I politely asked you to move aside, but you wouldn't and even started swearing at me... So I had no choice but to just leave!"

Facing the several gazes directed at him, Chen Yun offered a few innocent explanations.

These words were obviously meant for the other onlookers, so after saying them, Chen Yun left the bathhouse directly.

The factory's public bathhouse was bustling with people, just like a street market.

If you want to soak in clean hot water, you have to rush here to take a shower after work before going to eat. If you come late, the grime floating on the water makes it impossible to step in.

The original owner was introverted and afraid of running into others, so she would only take a quick shower in the outer room and then leave.

Today, the first time I stepped into a bathhouse, it turned out to be for the purpose of committing suicide in front of others.

call--

Stepping out of the bathhouse, Chen Yun raised her neck and took a deep breath towards the sky.

In her previous life, the world suffered from severe air pollution, and Chen Yun hadn't smelled such refreshing air in a long time.

The weather was humid and hot, and my loose hair was still dripping water, but the heat seemed to have already begun to evaporate from my scalp.

The sweltering heat of August in Panshui County is unbearable.

Chen Yun looked into the distance.

Several buildings, hidden among the trees, are built against the mountain, and a cement road winds its way up the mountain. The factory is located in this mountain.

Hongri Machinery Factory had more than 10,000 employees and their families, making it a large-scale third-line factory.

The bathhouse is located halfway up the mountain, while the foot of the mountain is a shopping area and activity venue.

Moving upwards, there are family dormitories, a canteen, a bathhouse, and so on. At the top of the mountain are two single dormitories.

The female staff dormitory was built on the mountaintop, making life extremely inconvenient. Even going down the mountain to buy a bar of soap required a 20-minute walk.

The dormitory is hot and humid in summer and bitterly cold in winter.

During the transition from spring to summer, the ground outside the dormitory is littered with clothes blown down by the wind, waiting to be claimed.

Of course, some of these are intentional acts by people. For example, the original owner often found clothes that had just been washed a few minutes ago downstairs.

In my memory, the culprit was Zhou Xinfang, but now... it's time to suspect someone else.

Chen Yun tiptoed to take down the clothes hanging on the tree branch and looked up towards the rightmost dormitory room on the fifth floor.

After getting off work, Zhou Xinfang and Cao Qin went straight to the bathhouse. The original owner of the body came back first to change into a new set of clothes before leaving.

The clothes were clearly hanging by the window before she left, and no matter how strong the wind was, it was impossible for them to blow towards the corridor, so it could only be Yang Haiping who was still in the dormitory.

The half-dry clothes were covered with fallen leaves and dirt, which couldn't be patted clean by hand, so they had to be washed again.

Chen Yun showed no extra expression, picked up her clothes, and silently walked upstairs.

Although he has already received the original owner's memories, it will probably take some time to digest them before he can completely transform himself into "Chen Yun".

At least for now... Chen Yun cannot fully empathize.

As Chen Yun walked heavily upstairs, she couldn't help but wonder why fate had chosen her to travel through time.

In her previous life, she had a happy family and a successful career. Even when Chen Yun said she wanted to focus on her work and didn't want to get married, her parents and sister supported her.

Without any obsession or regret, why was she chosen to undertake this time-travel journey?

There is clearly no answer to this question; the more you think about it, the more confused you become, and eventually you get stuck in a rut.

call--

Chen Yun took another deep breath.

The only saving grace is that the original owner was also a doctor, although he was just a product of cramming education, but at least he had the identity of a medical student.

A large factory has many employees, so it needs not only various daily necessities but also medical resources.

No matter how many people dislike her, she is the only one at the health center who can genuinely help people with their medical needs, so her salary is not low; it is a truly high-tech position.

With a monthly salary of fifty-six yuan plus various coupons, the original owner was reluctant to spend money on food or clothing, and saved most of it in the credit union.

According to his memories, the original owner had saved 500 yuan in the past year, and with the money sent by his father's old friend, he had a huge savings of over 1,000 yuan.

As I walked, the entrance to the fifth-floor staircase appeared before my eyes without me even realizing it.