Chapter 1, Chapter 1: A Kick That Reached the Seventies

Cheng Cheng woke up feeling groggy, as if she had been lying in bed all day and was now completely weak and limp.

It took her a while to recover before she sat up, supporting her head.

Before she could even rub her temples, which were throbbing from sleep, she looked up and saw the old, dusty walls.

The surface is pitted and peeling paint; this is definitely not their dormitory!

Cheng Cheng was shocked. A quick glance at the dated room made her think, "Holy crap!"

Damn it, where did such a brazen human trafficker come from to sneak into their school dormitory, kidnap someone, and take her to some remote mountain valley?

Look at the decorations in this house! It's even worse than her grandma's house in the countryside when she was a child!

She froze, her brain racing. She blinked, then opened her eyes again, then closed them again, repeating this process three times.

I opened my eyes, and there was still this same wall with peeling paint and pits.

Suddenly it closed again!

I dared not open my eyes, hoping it was just my imagination!

Before she could come up with a solution, she was suddenly dizzy and collapsed onto the bed.

Memories rushed in like falling snowflakes, almost overwhelming her.

Heavens above, earth below, where did you come from, my dear Goddess?

Cheng Cheng looked bitter. After thinking for a long time, she realized that she had been sleeping soundly on her 0.9-meter-wide bed in the dormitory and had even chatted with her roommates before going to sleep.

When she woke up, God kicked her out of her 21st-century bed and into the 1970s.

She even became the ex-wife of Zhou Yue, the genius scientist she and her roommate chatted about before bed—a woman who wasted his talent!

From an invincible 21st-century beauty to Cheng Cheng, the village belle of the Third Production Team, Xintang Brigade, Santang Commune, Xiangnan County in the 1970s?

Good heavens, this joke is way too much!

Cheng Cheng closed her eyes immediately, unwilling to face this heavy reality.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, a somewhat timid and small child's voice drifted into my ears.

"Mommy, my tummy can talk!"

Cheng Cheng jolted awake, sitting up as if she were a carp leaping out of its skin, and looked toward the source of the sound.

A little girl, not even as tall as a table, stood timidly behind the door, wearing ill-fitting clothes.

Her hair was disheveled and tangled, as if it hadn't been washed in a long time, and she was wearing a pair of oversized adult slippers.

He looked at her timidly, thin and small, with a pair of dark eyes watching her quietly, as if he would immediately run away like a frightened bird if she raised her voice even slightly.

Cheng Cheng was momentarily stunned and didn't react.

Seeing that her mother didn't speak, the little girl immediately shrank behind the door.

A surge of indescribable emotion welled up in Cheng Cheng's heart, mixed with a hint of guilt. In an instant, a huge, unknown emotion engulfed her.

Unconsciously, crystal-clear tears streamed down her face, as if she were oblivious to them.

She beckons to the little girl, "Baby, come to Mommy."

The sound fell to the ground, but there was no movement behind the door.

It seemed like a long time had passed before the little girl hesitantly peeked out from behind the door, her dark eyes silently staring at the person on the bed.

The distance from the door to the bed was only one or two meters, but it took the little girl two or three minutes to walk before she stopped two steps away from Cheng Cheng and stood still.

Seeing this scene, Cheng Cheng felt a sharp, piercing pain in her heart for some reason!

He opened his arms and hugged the little girl.

In an instant, it felt as if Xiao Lingxiao had fallen into a warm and soft embrace.

The little girl looked up in surprise, and a warm tear fell onto her brow.

Puzzled, confused.

Cheng Cheng didn't realize she was crying. When she hugged Xiao Xiao and felt the light weight in her arms, she screamed inwardly!

My dear roommate!!

You didn't tell me that this ex-wife abandoned her husband and daughter!

Moreover, the girl in her arms was thinner and weaker than any normal three-year-old girl she had ever seen, her frail body lacking the plumpness that should be present at that age.

Xiao Lingxiao didn't know why her mother didn't scold her for waking her up today, nor did she know why her mother seemed so gentle, just like the feeling her aunt gave her.

She didn't know why her mother was hugging her; it turned out that her mother's embrace was soft.

Xiao Lingxiao cherished this warmth. She prayed in her heart that time would slow down, and that it would be wonderful if time could just stay at this moment forever.

But Mom seemed to be crying.

Xiao Lingxiao raised his head again, and when he reached out halfway, he suddenly froze.

Cheng Cheng looked down at the little girl in her arms and met her timid and frightened eyes, and her heart ached.

A gentle smile appeared on her face, trying her best to appear kind and harmless.

Little Lingxiao's hand, which was halfway raised, moved again as he used his clean palm to wipe away the tears from the corner of his mother's eyes.

"Mommy, don't cry."

Cheng Cheng was stunned, and the bitterness in her heart deepened.

"Okay, Mommy, don't cry."

Noticing the tension and stiffness in the little one's arms, Cheng Cheng deliberately softened her tone: "Mommy will listen to Xiaoxiao, my baby!"

Little Lingxiao wasn't very good at hiding his emotions. He stared blankly at his mother, the words "Little Lingxiao Baby" echoing in his ears.

Taking the opportunity, Cheng Cheng patted her head and said gently, "Is Xiaoxiao baby hungry?"

This time, Xiao Lingxiao heard what her mother said clearly, and immediately, out of childlike shyness, she shrank into Cheng Cheng's arms.

After a few seconds, she nodded heavily and uttered a very soft "hmm".

Cheng Cheng had a hair tie around her wrist and casually gathered Xiao Xiao's hair together, tying it into a loose low ponytail.

Her hair was too messy and tangled, and it would take a lot of time to comb it out now, so Cheng Cheng roughly tied her hair together.

After we finish eating, I'll comb Xiaoxiao's hair and wash it.

Cheng Cheng took her hand and led her out, following her memory to the kitchen.

Of all things, food is the most important. There's no time for her to accept this or wallow in self-pity right now; let's fill her stomach first.

She lifted the pot lid, revealing a lump of cold rice inside, seemingly leftovers from last night. It seemed this body hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day and hadn't gotten up to cook.

She touched Xiaoxiao's belly; it was flat.

Damn! What a terrible thing to do!

It's one thing for adults to go hungry all day, but the child went hungry all day too. No wonder Xiaoxiao felt so light when I picked him up.

The cabinet door was locked. Cheng Cheng touched her neck a few times and found a small key.

I took it off my neck, put the key in, and successfully unlocked it.

She found a can of malted milk powder, a box of unfinished peach shortbread, half a bag of rice, and a small bag of millet inside.

She took out the peach shortbread, placed it on the stool, and squatted down to be level with her baby Xiaoxiao.

"Little Xiaoxiao, how about you eat a few peach shortbreads to fill your tummy first?"

Little Lingxiao looked into her mother's eyes, a little shy. Her mother called her "Little Xiao, my darling!"

My mother has never called her that before. So she is my mother's darling?

She nodded vigorously, much like a chick pecking at rice.

Cheng Cheng touched her fair but thin face with affection in her eyes. It would look better if she gained some weight here!

She got up and searched the entire kitchen before finally finding a carrot that had been sitting there for who knows how long, and a small handful of green beans.

Fortunately, carrots keep well and can be preserved for a long time without rotting.

Cheng Cheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief; dinner for tonight was sorted out.

She walked to the coal stove, removed the lid, and found that the honeycomb briquettes inside were almost completely burned out; she could still feel some residual warmth when she placed her hand on them.

She immediately squatted down, first opening the small iron door at the bottom of the furnace for ventilation, then gently poking it in with fire tongs, and the burnt-out coal ash fell down from the furnace.

Then she pulled out the ash box, emptied the waste, and quickly pushed the ash box back in.

There was a pile of sawdust and corncobs in the corner of the kitchen. She used fire tongs to pick them up a few times, put them at the bottom of the stove, and lit them directly.

After the fire was burning brightly, a piece of honeycomb briquette was placed inside with fire tongs, and then the stove lid was tightly closed, leaving only a small gap.

The rest is up to fate. She had only seen her grandmother do this before, so she figured it should work.

While she was starting the fire, she checked the thermos. There was still half a pot of hot water in it. She poured some out, and the water temperature was about 40 or 50 degrees Celsius, which should be enough to make malted milk powder.

After washing the dishes, she took out the can of malted milk powder from the cupboard. There was still half a can left in it, and she scooped out several large spoonfuls and put them into the bowl.

Then pour in water and stir with a spoon.

I prepared the malted milk powder and served it to my baby Xiaoxiao.

Little Lingxiao sat upright on the small stool. She only ate two pieces of peach shortbread and then stopped eating. Her dark eyes followed her mother the whole time.

"Sweetie, cookies can be choking, so eat them with malted milk powder, but don't eat too many, here..."

Cheng Cheng smiled and pointed to her little belly, "Can't you leave some room for dinner?"

Xiao Lingxiao stared intently at the malted milk powder in her hand, nodded his chin, and involuntarily swallowed.

Cheng Cheng didn't leave immediately. She placed the bowl in Xiao Xiao's hands and told her to blow on it first, and wait until it reached the right temperature before drinking it.

She lowered her voice and said, "How about we have carrot and green bean fried rice tonight?"

Cheng Cheng had never raised children before, so she copied parenting guides from the internet from her later life, befriended her child, respected the child's opinions, and practiced democracy.

Let's see if it works first, and take it one step at a time.

Xiao Xiao remained silent, nodding with her head down.

A hint of surprise flickered in Cheng Cheng's heart. Let's observe for a while and not jump to conclusions. Let's take it slow.

She took the carrots and green beans outside to wash them.

She now lives in a small courtyard house. The courtyard is not big, with one living room and two bedrooms. The living room is in the middle, and there is a side room on each side. The left side is a bedroom, and the right side is a kitchen.

Three or four meters away from the left wing, a toilet was built. The house was not big, but it had all the necessary facilities and was equipped with running water, making it very convenient for washing.

She washed the carrots and green beans, diced the carrots, and cut the green beans into pieces the length of a fingernail.

After doing all this, it only took seven or eight minutes. She removed the stove lid, and the honeycomb briquettes inside were already glowing red. She had successfully started the stove!

A hint of joy appeared in his eyes, "Little Xiao, give me a high five, we'll have dinner tonight!"

Little Lingxiao held the bowl and drank in small sips. When she saw her mother reach out her hand to her with a happy expression, she froze and didn't dare to move.

Cheng Cheng noticed something was wrong, and the smile on her face froze for a moment. She then squatted down to be at eye level with Xiao Xiao.

With a gentle and warm smile, she raised her hand and gently encircled Xiaoxiao's wrist, placing it in her palm and lightly touching it.

Xiao Lingxiao stared blankly at his mother, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he had never expected this at all.

Meeting his mother's gentle gaze, Xiao Lingxiao lowered his head shyly. After a while, he raised his head again, looking at his mother with a light in his dark eyes.

I realized that my mother's hands can be warm, just like her embrace.

A note from the author:

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I've started a new story! I hope you all will take good care of me and give me lots of support!

The first 100 comments on the first three chapters will receive a small red envelope! [kiss][kiss][kiss]