Tao Xiaoxi opened her eyes.
The walls and roof were made of earth, and there was a tattered straw hat hanging on the wall. She took a look and closed her eyes in despair. However, the voices from outside the wall continued to come in. She could not hear what was being said, but she vaguely felt that it was related to her.
She opened her eyes again, and saw nothing but earthy yellow. There were no surprises or twists, just like in the book - the biggest feature of the Mantou Village in the 1980s was that there were not even any steamed buns to eat.
This time, all her hopes and fantasies were shattered. Whether she admitted it or not, she had traveled through time.
With a certain resignation and a willingness to make the best of it, she re-examined the house. It was indeed a cave dwelling, with a kang (kang). Tao Xiaoxi felt a mixture of emotions. She'd simply dozed off during anatomy class, and when she woke up, she'd gone from a dazzling gynecologist to a harried young wife at the mercy of others, nearly buried alive.
This was Li Nanshan's room, one of the top three wealthy families in Mantou Village, one of the most capable. There was no wardrobe, no mirror, let alone fancy things like a dresser or bedside tables. There weren't even any curtains. The kang itself was decent; at least the mattress was clean, and the quilt was tidy, without patches piled on top of patches.
Tao Xiaoxi was a little amused and helpless. The title of the richest man in the Li family was too frivolous.
Since there was no rush to go back, mainly because she couldn't, there was no need to worry about other things. Tao Xiaoxi moved her legs, and they were fine. She moved her hands, and they were fine too. There was still a red rope tied around her wrist. She felt her whole body again, and everything was fine, except for a slight injury on her face. Her life was saved.
After all, in the book, the original owner, after witnessing her husband's affair with the female protagonist, Yao Youhua, jumped into the river in a rage and disappeared. Buried alongside Li Nanshan, the Li family fell into decline and silence. The original owner's husband, the unscrupulous man with the same name as a dog, Sun Wangcai, was exploited by Yao Youhua to gain access to the provincial capital, and after learning about it, he was kicked out by her. The book never mentions him again. Their daughter, Sun Beibei, was sold by her grandmother to someone else, ended up in the red-light district before reaching adulthood and eventually contracted an illness and died. Throughout the book, the original owner barely survived three chapters. She was weak and submissive, deeply tainted by feudal ideology. She believed it was her fault for not bearing a son, so even though her husband beat, scolded, and insulted her, she didn't dare resist. In the end, her husband brought his mistress home and had sex with her in front of her, but she didn't dare say a word. This is a typical old-fashioned way of thinking for women.
Tao Xiaoxi just happened to travel through time and space and ended up in the body of a woman with the same name as her.
If we must say that she has any advantages, it is that she looks pretty good, with delicate features and a pair of eyes that seem to be able to speak, but always reveal fear and despair.
Tao Xiaoxi got up and listened outside, then heard someone say, "Send her back. Even if she dies, she can't be a ghost of our Li family!"
Haha, it’s really ridiculous. Dead people are rarer than living people.
Turning around, Tao Xiaoxi saw a bright red wedding dress neatly arranged at the end of the kang. She was startled. If she was right, she would be buried with Li Nanshan in this very dress... Back then, the original owner and Sun Wangcai didn't receive such treatment. She inexplicably felt a little sorry for the original owner, and a little bit of a cynic.
There was a noise outside. She heard Li Nanshan's voice, but she couldn't make out what he said clearly. It seemed like he was trying hard to speak and arguing with someone.
If only she hadn't traveled through time, Tao Xiaoxi couldn't help but wonder. She suddenly realized that if she hadn't, Li Nanshan would be dead by now! Not only had she traveled through time, she had also "resurrected" Li Nanshan. This was the first time she'd heard of a buy-one-get-one-free deal for traveling through time. Fortunately, she survived. Otherwise, with a lifeless person lying beside her, she would have surely died again, a lifelong trauma. But for unknown reasons, the Li family still disdained her, truly failing to recognize their lifesaver.
Thinking of this, Tao Xiaoxi lay back on the kang with a clear conscience. She couldn't leave here until she figured out how to live next. After all, the Li family was the richest family in Mantou Village!
Since we are here, we have to make the best of it. Survive first and then make long-term plans.
But now the Li family wants to send her away, so she has to find a way to stay with a legitimate reason.
Tao Xiaoxi's mind was working fast. In the book, Li Nanshan was an upright man. He had served in the army and had a decent job after retiring. If he had not sacrificed his life saving a co-worker, his life should have been bright and brilliant. He was almost impeccable. But he had a mother who was superstitious and a father who was cautious in everything and afraid of giving people a chance to talk. This might be her chance.
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