Lin Wanqiu coughed and lay sprawled on the cold riverbank, her soaking wet coarse cloth jacket clinging tightly to her thin body like a lump of iron. The biting cold seeped into her bones through her pores, but what suffocated her even more was the surging hatred in her chest—Old Mrs. Shen's venomous gaze, Zhang Lan's fierce push on her back, and Lin Moli's hypocritical voice from afar, feigning concern, calling out "Sister Wanqiu, be careful!"—all pierced her mind like needles.
"Cough cough..." She struggled to prop herself up, her fingertips digging bloody streaks into the mud. Her gaze fell on a small figure huddled in a haystack not far away—it was the original owner's son, Chen Nian'an. The four-year-old boy wore an old cotton-padded jacket with three patches, his face was blue from the cold, and snot hung from the tip of his nose, but he bit his lip tightly and didn't cry. He just stared at her with his big, dark eyes, like a frightened little rabbit.
Seeing her son's appearance, Lin Wanqiu's heart clenched. In her previous life, she was a food blogger with millions of followers across the internet, accustomed to the finest delicacies and luxurious lifestyle. But now, looking at this child who was so thin he was just skin and bones, and recalling the tragic state of the original owner of this body after being tortured to death, an unprecedented surge of anger and protectiveness welled up from the bottom of her heart.
"An'an..." she called out in a hoarse voice, as raspy as a broken gong. Shen Nian'an trembled, tentatively took two steps forward, then stopped, her little fists clenching the hem of her clothes tightly, and asked softly, "Mother...you're not dead?"
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu's nose stung with tears. In this family, the original owner's life was more frightening to the child than her death, which showed how much grievance she had suffered every day. She forced herself to stand up, staggered to the child's side, and squatted down to hug him, but found that she didn't even have the strength to lift her arm—she had swallowed too much water in the river and had been frozen for half a day, and her body was already at its limit.
Just then, a warm sensation suddenly came from her chest. Lin Wanqiu looked down and saw that the green jade pendant that the original owner had always worn close to her body had cracked at some point. A warm feeling was seeping out from the crack, spreading from her collar to her limbs and dispelling much of the chill.
She paused, startled. This jade pendant was a keepsake from the original owner's mother, something she had always cherished, and hadn't noticed anything unusual about it before. But this warmth was strange; could it be…?
Before she could figure it out, her vision suddenly blurred, and the gray riverbank disappeared, replaced by a spacious and bright area. Under her feet were smooth bluestone slabs, and all around her were piles of boxes and bags, with the air filled with the fresh scent of grain and daily necessities.
"Where...where is this?" Lin Wanqiu was stunned. She reached out and touched a bulging burlap sack next to her. The rough texture of the burlap felt so real, it didn't seem like a hallucination. She opened the sack, and golden corn kernels rolled out, each one plump and full, smelling of sunshine—in the resource-scarce 1960s, this was a treasure as precious as gold!
She walked over to a nearby box, opened it, and found it filled with snow-white flour, as well as vacuum-packed rice and millet. Further on, she discovered neatly stacked quilts and cotton-padded clothes, all made of brand-new pure cotton fabric, and even several boxes of canned goods—beef, fruit, luncheon meat—a variety that dazzled her.
What surprised her most was a patch of cultivated land in the corner of the space, with farming tools such as hoes and sickles beside it. There was also a well next to the land, with crystal-clear water that emanated a faint spiritual energy. On the wall next to the land, there was a panel that looked like a display screen, with options such as "Agricultural Skill Library," "Medical Skill Library," and "Supply Storage" written on it. Below that was a line of small print: "The host can unlock more functions by learning skills or completing tasks."
"A cheat code! This is definitely a cheat code!" Lin Wanqiu was so excited she almost jumped up. In her previous life, she had read many transmigration novels, but she never expected such a good thing to actually happen to her. With this space, she and An'an would never have to suffer from hunger and cold again, and those scoundrels who bullied them should pay the price!
Suppressing her overwhelming joy, she quickly began to inventory the supplies. There was enough food for her and her child to eat for several years, as well as various seasonings—salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and even chili powder and Sichuan peppercorns. For someone as skilled in cooking as her, this was a godsend. Daily necessities were also complete: soap, towels, toothbrushes, and even several packets of brown sugar and milk powder, just enough to help the frail An'an grow stronger.
She didn't dare linger, knowing it wasn't safe to stay on the riverbank. A thought crossed her mind: she wanted to put away a bag of flour and a can of milk powder. But as soon as she thought of it, the bag of flour and the can of milk powder vanished into thin air; then, as soon as she thought of it again, they reappeared in her hands.
"This is so convenient!" Lin Wanqiu was overjoyed and quickly selected some urgently needed supplies: a bag of rice, a bag of flour, a can of milk powder, a packet of brown sugar, and a thick cotton quilt, all of which she stored in her spatial storage with her mind. She then drank a few mouthfuls of well water. The well water was sweet and refreshing, and after drinking it, her fatigue and chill instantly dissipated, and her strength was restored somewhat.
With a thought, she returned to the riverbank. Shen Nian'an was still standing there, his eyes filled with confusion as he saw her suddenly "wake up." Lin Wanqiu quickly picked up the child, wrapped him in her still damp body, and whispered, "An'an, don't be afraid, Mommy is alright now. From now on, Mommy will protect you and never let you suffer again."
Chen Nian'an blinked, rested her little head on her mother's shoulder, and whispered, "Mom, why didn't you move just now? I thought..."
"Did you think your mother was going to abandon you?" Lin Wanqiu touched his cold little face and said with heartache, "No, your mother will never abandon An'an. Let's go home now, and your mother will cook you something delicious."
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