Chapter 1: Transmigration

“Big sister, are you alright? Boohoo... Please don’t die!”

The six-year-old girl’s tears fell like beads slipping from a broken string, her sobbing heart-wrenching. Her face was pale and waxen, her frail body seeming as if a mere gust of wind could topple her.

She Yuqi thought she was dreaming.

Instinctively, she reached out to touch the little girl’s pigtails. The girl’s eyes sparkled, and her crying ceased.

“Sis, you must be hungry. I’ll go find you something to eat.”

The little girl hopped over and closed the door behind her. Only then did She Yuqi begin to take in her surroundings.

The thick quilt covering her was patched so many times they were countless. Her clothes were tattered and faded white from repeated washing, the cotton stuffing poking through.

The earthen walls were plastered with yellowed, old newspapers. A strong musty smell filled the room, heavy with the weight of time.

Curious, She Yuqi gingerly rose from the earthen bed, ignoring the pain in her neck. On the windowsill stood an old-fashioned round mirror.

In the reflection, her large eyes, pert nose, and delicate features were perfectly balanced, especially those doe-like eyes—clear and pure. When she smiled, two small dimples appeared on her cheeks.

The only flaw was the bandage wrapped around her fair neck, loosely tied and seeping blood beneath, a sight that made her heart pound.

“This person looks exactly like me!” She Yuqi gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

So all her years of hard work—the car, the villa, the company—were gone?

Tears welled up, but none fell.

She was supposed to be living a carefree, beautiful life, yet here she was, having dozed off during a meeting with her staff, only to wake up in the body of someone with the same name and face.

According to the memories of this original owner, it was now 1976.

And the original owner had hanged herself three days ago!

Strange memories flooded her mind. She Yuqi rubbed her throbbing temples, absorbing the information bitterly. Apart from their different temperaments, their tragic family backgrounds were the same.

“What is this?”

She uttered a startled “ouch” as something hard poked her hand.

Looking at her right hand, she found the antique jade bracelet she had spent one hundred million on at an auction!

Unexpectedly, it had come through with her! She Yuqi was pleased, but then a drop of blood from her neck fell onto the bracelet with a soft “plink.” Before she could react, her consciousness slipped into the bracelet’s space.

Wasn’t this the department store she had once opened?

It had six floors: jewelry on the first, a supermarket on the second, various clothing on the third, and above that cosmetics and a gym.

But now the store was empty—just her.

The machine grilling volcanic stone sausages on the first floor was still running. She Yuqi took one with black pepper flavor and found it still warm.

Wow, could this be her special ability? She looked up at the wall clock—the time was frozen at 4 p.m.

That was exactly when she had been holding the meeting. So she had arrived here at that moment.

She tried to take some items out but found she couldn’t. Resigned, she ate a little before leaving.

Her gaze landed on a tea jar on the wooden cabinet, and she muttered, “Store.”

The jar vanished instantly! When she probed with her consciousness, she realized it had been stored inside the bracelet’s space.

“Come out!”

The tea jar reappeared on the cabinet with a swift “whoosh.”

Amazing! Items inside the department store couldn’t be taken out, but things from outside could be freely stored and retrieved.

Haha, just the department store inside the bracelet was enough to let her feast in this era of scarcity!

Knock knock knock.

The door was tapped, and a small head peeked in. The little girl cautiously entered, carrying a large bowl of steamed egg custard.

“Sis, eat quickly. Don’t let anyone see, or I’ll get beaten.”

She handed the bowl to her, then hopped off the bed to keep watch by the door, her eyes filled with nervous fear.

She Yuqi was puzzled.

After pondering, she found clues in the original owner’s memories.

The family treated the sisters cruelly. They had to toil in the fields, and scoldings or beatings for minor mistakes were common. The sisters had eaten eggs so few times they could count on one hand.

“Xiao Xiao, you eat. Sister has no appetite.”

She Yuqi waved to her and fed Xiao Xiao a big spoonful of the custard. But Xiao Xiao shook her head vigorously.

“Sis, you eat. I’m already full. Xiao Xiao’s not hungry.”

If Xiao Xiao hadn’t looked so gaunt and haggard, she might have believed her. Her heart grew heavier with sympathy for this little sister. Unfortunately, she couldn’t take items from the department store out. She resolved to work hard in this era to make money.

Counting the years, it was 1976. In just one year, the college entrance exam would resume worldwide.

She Yuqi was determined to earn money and study hard, aiming to take the exam and then leave the countryside with her sister to explore the big city and receive a better education.

At She Yuqi’s insistence, Xiao Xiao finally took big mouthfuls of the custard.

Just then, the door was kicked open with a bang. A group stormed in, led by She Yuqi’s step-grandmother, along with the wives of the eldest and second sons.

Seeing the custard in She Yuqi’s hand, the old cold-hearted woman’s anger flared instantly. She began shouting hoarsely:

“Not only did you steal your sister’s lover, but you also cried, threw tantrums, and hung yourself! You’ve come to our old Han family to collect debts!”

“I never should have let my son marry an old hen! She couldn’t bear a son, and on top of that, brought two little burdens to leech off our family. Ugh! A money-loser!”

Her insults were brutal but consistent with her usual harshness.

Xiao Xiao bit her lip tightly, ran over, and pounded on the old woman’s leg, muttering, “Don’t you dare insult my sister and my mother. You’re all big bullies!”

Usually timid and fearful, she had bravely stood up for She Yuqi this time.

It warmed She Yuqi’s heart and secretly steeled her resolve.

The original owner had been stunningly beautiful but weak-willed; when plotted against, she even helped count the spoils.

Someone had slandered her as a fox spirit who stole her stepsister’s lover, causing the village’s married women to shun her.

She was tormented by gossip to the point of not daring to leave the house, and when she did, rotten eggs were thrown at her.

Eventually, she couldn’t bear it anymore and hanged herself with a hemp rope.

But She Yuqi knew that given the original owner's character, she would never have seduced a man. Something was definitely amiss here!