C1 She Was Starving to Death

Qian Duojing was roused from sleep by her gnawing hunger. As she came to, she realized someone was gently trying to feed her a drink, prompting her to swallow instinctively. Amidst the commotion, she could hear several women's voices chattering nearby, uttering phrases like "she's awake" and "time to eat."

Taking stock of her condition, Duojing noted she was famished and felt weak, but otherwise, she seemed unharmed. This was puzzling, as she vividly remembered being struck dead by a truck, the sensation of weightlessness, and the agony of broken bones. With effort, she pried her eyes open to find herself in a room with red brick walls, surrounded by three women wearing floral shirts with their hair pinned up.

As soon as they noticed her consciousness, the women quickly propped her up against the headboard, allowing Duojing a clearer view of her surroundings. The earthen floor was uneven, the windows patched with old newspapers and rags. The room was adorned with vintage cotton quilts, and a wooden rack held white cotton fabric alongside chipped enamel basins. A glaring red "double happiness" character was plastered on the wall.

Duojing couldn't help but wonder if she had been trafficked to some remote ravine and sold to an old bachelor as his bride. Her parched throat, however, prevented her from voicing any concerns.

The women began to gossip around her, "Duojing, don't mind us for being nosy, but for someone without parents, you're lucky to have found such a fine man. He's skilled at earning money and was even willing to come to our Small Mountain Village to seek you out and marry you. That's a stroke of good fortune! Why can't you see that?"

"Exactly, sister, why act so foolishly? The man is handsome and comes from a respectable family. He's willing to marry a country girl like you and has given you status in our village. Why are you refusing to eat?"

"Don't take it the wrong way, Duojing, but having a filial husband is a blessing. You've both signed the marriage certificate, and the wedding has been celebrated. You're rightfully husband and wife. He's not off doing something wrong; his father is gravely ill. He's even promised to take you to their large house eventually. Why are you so hasty?"

As Qian Duojing listened to the overlapping voices around her, a series of images began to crystallize in her mind. She realized she had been reborn in C Country, albeit now in the late 1970s. Coincidentally, the person whose life she had stepped into was also named Qian Duojing.

Duojing was a typical girl from Small Mountain Village, now twenty years old. In her village, girls usually married young, but her family's circumstances were unique. Twenty years earlier, the Qian family had given refuge to a soldier wounded in war.

Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Qian, had cared for the soldier with great kindness, sparing their own food to ensure he had enough to eat. In those days, the villagers were known for their sincerity and sense of duty; they believed that soldiers, who protected the common people, deserved their utmost gratitude and support.

The soldier had formed a strong bond with Duojing's parents during his stay. Touched by the sight of Mrs. Qian saving food for him, even while pregnant and in need herself, he made a heartfelt promise. He had a four-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter back home. If Duojing turned out to be a girl, he insisted his son would marry her to ensure her lifelong care. If she were a boy, he would offer his daughter's hand in marriage, treating him as his own son.

Years passed after the soldier healed and departed, leaving only memories behind. When Duojing was sixteen, her father fell gravely ill. He revealed a letter from the soldier, now known as Old Xue, who had since retired and established a prosperous Department Store in Jinzhou City. Old Xue had done well for himself, with his son now twenty and his daughter nearing eighteen. He had never forgotten his debt of gratitude and the promise he had made to the Qian family. Curious whether the Qian family had a daughter or a son, he expressed his eagerness to fulfill his pledge, ready to welcome Duojing into his family to foster their bond.