Xu Qinghuan walked through the magnificent front hall, where the polished floor tiles mirrored her reflection. Her skin was as fair as snow, her features as exquisite as a painting, and she glowed with a vivid beauty like a crabapple blossom in the bright sun—delicate, intricate, and as radiant as the morning mist.
She reached the backyard, where the medicine pavilion sat in the northeast corner. The cabinets along the north wall were filled with elixirs. After discovering this Space in her previous life, she had once attempted to cultivate, but immortality held no temptation for her; she had only studied the medical texts and alchemical prescriptions within. They had proven immensely helpful to her medical practice.
Though there were many elixirs, Xu Qinghuan dared not touch them lightly. An ordinary person’s body was far too frail compared to that of a cultivator; a single pill that might boost a cultivator's power could lead an ordinary person to "ascend" to the afterlife.
Nearby sat a gourd ladle, through which the spirit-infused mountain spring water flowed. Having worked up a thirst, she scooped up a ladle and drank, feeling instantly invigorated.
The kitchen held a small supply of rice, flour, vegetables, and meat. The Space was rich in spiritual energy, so even grain brought in from the outside would eventually take on properties similar to the spiritual rice and flour originally stored there. Because of this, she had habitually kept it stocked. She only wished she had stockpiled more.
There was no electricity in the Space, but there was earth-fire that could be ignited for cooking. However, she had been so busy in her past life that she never had the time to experience life within the Space, and the hearth had sat cold for who knows how many years. Fortunately, the Space preserved the freshness and temperature of items placed inside. She had developed the habit of storing store-bought steamed buns or packed meals there, and over time, a small inventory had accumulated.
Tonight’s dinner had been cornmeal lumps, a plate of boiled greens, and a plate of pickled vegetables. She had been served about two lumps the size of ox eyes, but before she could even lift her chopsticks, the greens had been snatched away. Her stomach felt as empty as if she hadn’t eaten at all; she was ravenous.
Xu Qinghuan went to the kitchen and found two meat buns still steaming on the stove. She took a bite, the savory aroma of the meat filling her mouth and rolling over her tongue. Driven by hunger, she devoured them; a bun the size of an adult's fist vanished in three or four gulps. She ate so fast she nearly choked, and hurried to wash it down with a few gulps of mineral water. As she prepared to eat the second bun, she spotted a packed box of osmanthus braised pork. She had bought three portions of it at a restaurant while on a business trip in Shandong, thinking it delicious, but had never found the time to eat them.
She opened a box of rice—steamed Wuchang rice with crystal-clear, plump grains—and added a few pieces of the braised pork, stirring in some of the savory sauce. It was so delicious she could have swallowed her own tongue. Once she finished eating slowly and thoroughly, she let out a satisfied burp, rubbed her belly, and strolled out of the kitchen.
She bypassed a white jade mountain, where two cranes were preening their feathers in the shade of a tree, and headed toward the rear hall where she lived. Entering through the back door, she found a mist-shrouded, natural hot spring pool. Outside, Xu Manman was sleeping like a log, so Xu Qinghuan decided to go down for a soak to stretch her tired limbs.
This body was far weaker than the one she’d had in her past life.
In that previous life, she had been a third-generation heir to a wealthy family. Her parents had divorced and remarried, leaving her as the odd one out. To gain their attention, she had thrown herself into learning every skill imaginable—equestrianism, marksmanship, ball sports, swimming... Though she never won their acceptance, she developed a powerful physique and earned the respect of her grandfather. On his deathbed, he had entrusted all his assets and family businesses to her. Before her transmigration, she had possessed a net worth of 32 billion.
At seventeen, she was admitted to medical school; at nineteen, she completed her first complex surgery, rising to prominence in the medical field. By twenty-five, she was a world-renowned genius physician, saving countless lives through a combination of traditional and modern medicine. Fortunately, she had long ago let go of her obsession with her parents and drafted a will: should anything happen to her, all her wealth would be donated to the country. After all, some things could never be undone. Even if her parents turned back to love her, she might never be able to move past it. Since their fates were thin, it was better to remain strangers and live their separate lives in peace.
The next morning, Wang Mingxia called Xu Manman into their room. No one knew what was said, but when Xu Manman emerged, she was beaming, and the look she cast at Xu Qinghuan was filled with something sinister.
Xu Manman seemed to have lost her mind; she gulped down breakfast, wiped her mouth, and rushed out, shouting, "Mom, I have business to attend to, I'm leaving!"
After the family finished eating and Xu Liqun, his wife, and the eldest and second siblings had all left for work, the third son threw his bowl down and collapsed onto the sofa, covering his face with a newspaper, looking utterly miserable. None of them wanted to be sent down to the countryside, but there were too many educated youth in the city and too few job openings; finding work was harder than reaching the heavens.
Xu Qinghuan cleared the table and headed downstairs to look for work as usual. She wasn't trying to stay in the city, but she had heard that positions in this era could be sold for money. She had only twenty-seven cents left to her name; she had never been this poor.
Below the apartment building, there were two rows of ping-pong tables. Xu Manman and Jiang Chengxu were standing between them, talking. "Brother Chengxu, it’s my sister's birthday the day after tomorrow. I haven't bought her a gift yet—have you prepared yours?"
"Can you help me find out..."
Seeing Xu Qinghuan, Jiang Chengxu hurriedly abandoned Xu Manman and ran over. "Qinghuan, where are you going? Shall I take you there?"
Seeing Xu Manman following like a tail, Xu Qinghuan frowned and said coldly, "I'm looking for work. I don't need a ride."
Jiang Chengxu was heartbroken. "Qinghuan, it's very difficult to find work right now. If you can't find anything, don't worry—you still have me in the future!" His cheeks flushed. He had come early that morning to explain himself; they were engaged, after all, and needed more trust between them. Of course, he wouldn't hold it against her; she was only acting this way because she cared for him so much.
A flicker of malice crossed Xu Manman’s eyes, but she quickly curved her lips into a smile. "That’s right, sister. Don't be so anxious; you still have your fiancé."
Xu Qinghuan snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop calling him that."
Too lazy to deal with the two of them and unwilling to waste more time, she walked away. Jiang Chengxu was about to follow, but Xu Manman grabbed his sleeve. "Brother Chengxu, did I say something wrong? You’re engaged, surely it’s not wrong for me to call you brother-in-law?"
Jiang Chengxu’s brows furrowed with impatience. "Manman, let's wait until I'm actually married to your sister before you call me that!"
He yanked his sleeve away, and Xu Manman stumbled to the side, her head slamming into the ping-pong table. Blood began to stream down her face immediately. "Ah!" She closed her eyes and fainted.
Jiang Chengxu was completely stunned, but there was no time to think. He scooped up Xu Manman and raced out of the residential complex, failing to notice that midway, Xu Manman had opened her eyes and cast a sidelong glance at him.
Just then, Xu Qinghuan had turned the corner outside the complex. She had only walked a short distance when she saw Jiang Chengxu sprinting toward her like a whirlwind, carrying Xu Manman.
"Qinghuan, Manman fell! Hurry and get my bike—we have to take her to the hospital!" Seeing Xu Qinghuan, Jiang Chengxu looked at her as if she were a life-saving straw.