Volume One, Chapter Two: It's Over, It's Over!

“Of course! How could it not be possible? Of course it is!”

The gloom on the village chief’s face vanished instantly, replaced with full relief. He turned to the boy standing nearby, who looked no more than a teenager, and said, “Ergouzi, go call your aunt over and have her bring the child along!”

Ergouzi’s legs moved swiftly.

Within minutes, he returned.

But the village chief’s wife’s pace was slow, especially trudging through the icy snow while holding a baby in her arms.

So the wait stretched on for a full half hour.

“Come, come! Liu Qiaohui, come take a look! This baby is truly beautiful!”

A beautiful baby?

In these harsh times, how could there be a beautiful baby?

Liu Qiaohui thought the village chief was rambling nonsense, and so did everyone else in the village.

Yet when Liu Qiaohui timidly approached the village chief’s wife and caught her first glimpse of the baby in the basket, she couldn’t help but admit—the baby was indeed exceptionally beautiful.

She had never seen such a beautiful child in all these years.

“Well? Liu Qiaohui, what do you think? If you like the baby, why don’t you adopt her? After all, this is a life, isn’t it?”

A life!

Yes!

It was a life!

A living, breathing life, just like her husband.

Without hesitation, Liu Qiaohui lifted the basket and said firmly to the village chief, “Village chief, I will adopt this baby!”

The village chief inhaled sharply upon hearing this.

Even the bystanders took a deep breath. No matter what, their food rations were secured.

Liu Qiaohui looked at the baby in the basket with growing affection. Unable to resist, she gently touched the baby’s rosy, cold cheeks in the biting snow and whispered, “You’re my daughter now. Don’t worry, Mom will raise you well!”

Those bright, clear eyes and tiny outstretched hands made Liu Qiaohui wonder briefly if the baby could understand her.

“So adorable, truly a beautiful child!”

Beautiful!

Ha!

Lying in the basket, Ye Ling’s heart was full of bitterness.

Alas!

---

Ye Ling didn’t know whether she was truly beautiful, but how could she have transmigrated into a mere three-month-old baby?

Moreover... she was transported back to 1960, a time when starvation was rampant from top to bottom.

Too melodramatic.

Too unbearable to accept.

Having lived over thirty years without ever knowing hunger, now, just a few days after arriving, she was so ravenous her chest felt as if it were pressed against her back. If she didn’t get some food soon, she knew clearly she would die again.

Liu Qiaohui carried the basket down the road. Along the way, many people came over to see the baby.

Ye Ling’s face was apparently extraordinarily adorable. Every person who glimpsed her couldn’t help but praise her.

Hearing the compliments, Liu Qiaohui felt a strange warmth in her heart, momentarily forgetting how hard it would be to raise this child.

“Oh my! This baby is really beautiful!”

“Look at the Liu family, you’ve clearly found a treasure. When she grows up, with this face, the bride price will be a whole heap!”

“Indeed, the Liu family must raise her well. When the time comes, I want her to be my daughter-in-law!”

Laughter erupted among the crowd.

Liu Qiaohui smiled for once, but a few people didn’t quite fit the cheerful scene.

That person was none other than Shen Cuilan, the eldest sister-in-law of the Liu family, who often looked down on Liu Qiaohui with sly eyes. As soon as she saw Ye Ling in the basket, she suddenly exclaimed loudly.

Her voice was startlingly loud, drawing everyone’s attention.

The village chief frowned in displeasure. “Shen Cuilan, why are you shouting in this bitter cold?”

“Oh dear, village chief, there’s something wrong with this baby!”

Liu Qiaohui didn’t understand.

The village chief didn’t understand.

No one understood.

Only Ye Ling in the basket sighed helplessly: “Here we go again!”

Yes.

Again!

“What do you mean something’s wrong? Shen Cuilan, what nonsense are you spouting? What’s wrong with the baby?”

Shen Cuilan tightly grabbed the basket in Liu Qiaohui’s hands with one hand, while raising the other high, eyes gleaming with excitement, her voice brightening, her whole body trembling with strange anticipation.

“Village chief, is this baby the last one?”

“Yes, wasn’t it just said? The last one!”

“Then was she the leftover from other villages?”

This question stumped the village chief, but it seemed likely.

“That must be it!”

“Village chief, don’t you think there’s something suspicious about this?”

“What’s suspicious?”

The village chief furrowed his brow as if recalling something.

Shen Cuilan pulled on the basket again. “Think about it—such a beautiful baby, how could she be the last one chosen?”

Laughter broke out.

The crowd seemed to realize the truth and murmured amongst themselves.

“That’s right, it doesn’t make sense. Such a beautiful baby wouldn’t be unwanted.”

“Exactly!”

“Well then, Liu family, you know what’s really going on?”

When asked, Shen Cuilan raised her chin proudly. “Of course. Listen up, everyone. This child is cursed. I heard that every family who adopted her starved to death!”

Like avoiding snakes and scorpions!

Truly like avoiding venomous creatures!

Those who stood with Liu Qiaohui instinctively stepped back. Even Shen Cuilan’s grip on the basket loosened, but her words kept pouring out.

“My family told me that at least three households adopted this child, but all the people in those families starved to death—only the child survived. You tell me, isn’t that suspicious? Village chief, I say we send the baby back and swap her for another!”

If they hadn’t known, perhaps no one would have thought much of it.

But now, knowing this, not just the village chief but everyone in the village had to give it serious thought.

Ye Ling in the basket closed her eyes helplessly and let out a long sigh: Alas! It seemed her transmigration here was destined to be a sudden death from the start. People in the past had vivid imaginations, placing such a heavy curse on her.

If she were truly cursed and could kill with a glance, that might be one thing.

But only heaven knew she wasn’t. Not only wasn’t she cursed, but for three days and nights she had been locked away in the orphanage, and she didn’t know who spread this reputation about her. Poor little thing—only three months old. She couldn’t even explain herself, let alone speak clearly.

It’s over!

Over, over!

She was truly going to die again!

The village chief pondered for a moment, then finally addressed Liu Qiaohui. “Liu family, how about I speak with the county and get you a different baby?”