Chapter 1 Heart high, life thin

In the early spring, smoke rose from the chimneys, and the warm sun shone through the cracks in the thatched roof of the house. Qi Yunshu lay on the bed, feeling dizzy from the patched mosquito net pressing against her head. As she turned over, the creaking of the bed echoed in the room.

A sharp voice mixed in with the surroundings:

"Oh, the wife of the seventh family is awake. You're really lucky. The doctor said you were beyond saving last night, and that you should prepare for the worst. Yet here you are, opening your eyes again!"

Qi Yunshu was startled to see a stout middle-aged woman standing at the old wooden door. This was Xushi, the elder sister-in-law. Her newlywed husband, Zhao Jing, had gone to the mountains to gather herbs, leaving her to take care of the sick Qi Yunshu.

But how was she taking care of her?

She had pocketed the fifty coins Zhao Jing had given her to buy meat for soup and hadn't bothered to check on her all day. Now, she was here, mocking and taunting her.

Qi Yunshu wanted to curse this cruel woman and her ancestors, but she had been burning up all day, without food or water, feeling weak and unable to speak clearly due to the burning sensation in her throat.

"Water, water..." Qi Yunshu's eyes were heavy, and in a daze, she heard a gentle voice offering her water.

Finally feeling relief in her throat, she opened her eyes to see a tall figure standing over her, offering her water. It was Zhao Jing, her husband.

After drinking two bowls of porridge, Zhao Jing brought a bowl of strange-smelling herbal medicine. Qi Yunshu hesitated but eventually drank it, feeling the bitter and cool taste of licorice.

After sweating under the blanket, Qi Yunshu felt her strength returning. As the sun set, she finally had the energy to carefully observe Zhao Jing's face. His features were strikingly similar to her fiancé, Liang Tian, in the modern world.

She noticed a swollen red patch on his left cheek, with five distinct palm prints. Zhao Jing seemed surprised by her attention to his face, as if she had forgotten her behavior from the previous day.

Qi Yunshu couldn't contain her excitement. Had he also crossed over to this world? But why didn't he recognize her? And why had her personality changed so drastically from the day before?