Chapter 5: Chapter 5: A Difficult Choice

After eating and drinking her fill, Gu Qinghuan carefully explored every corner of the space.

Aside from the spiritual spring, the soil here seemed to be of excellent quality too. She could grow some fruits and vegetables in the future, saving money on groceries. Plus, with the spiritual spring nourishing them, the produce would probably taste amazing.

Gu Qinghuan had never been particularly ambitious in life. All she wanted was to save enough for retirement and live a simple life of eating and relaxing every day.

What surprised her most was the automatic vending machine.

To put it plainly, it was just like an online shopping platform, no different from Taobao or Pinduoduo.

She had thought that once the supplies in the villa ran out, that would be it. She hadn’t expected there to be a shopping platform—now she really had nothing to worry about.

Not only could she buy things from it, she could even sell things too.

Although she didn’t have anything to sell at the moment, the existence of the vending machine still put her mind at ease.

But that King of the Underworld was really something. He’d promised to return her leftover 300,000 yuan in savings, but in the end, she only got 3,000. What could 3,000 yuan buy?

Far away in the Underworld Palace, the King of the Underworld sneezed loudly.

Wait, was she seeing this right? Pork was only 0.8 yuan per jin? Northeast rice was 0.15 yuan per jin? White flour 0.18 yuan?

Alright, maybe she’d wronged the King of the Underworld. It seemed the vending machine’s prices had automatically adjusted to the era she was in.

The 300,000 yuan from the future had shrunk to 3,000 yuan in this era.

Still, 3,000 yuan had considerable purchasing power here. The King of the Underworld had done a decent job, even converting it to local currency she could use outside the vending machine. Not bad.

Gu Qinghuan happily put the money away—this was all she owned now.

Looking at the plain, rustic woman in the full-length mirror, she couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose in distaste.

Her current appearance was actually quite similar to her original self, just a bit thinner. Still, her chest was surprisingly well-developed—she had no idea how that happened.

She also had the long, straight “chopstick legs” that modern girls envied.

Because of long-term malnutrition, her skin was sallow, her lips pale, and her hair dry and yellow.

Her clothes were covered in patches, but thanks to her skillful hands, the colors matched well enough that they didn’t look too bad.

Gu Qinghuan decided to give herself a thorough cleaning from head to toe.

She lit some scented candles, played some relaxing music, and lay back in the massage bathtub, enjoying a 360-degree whirlpool spa. The bathroom was filled with steam, and she felt a tipsy kind of happiness.

In her previous life, she’d been busy making money every day, often livestreaming late into the night, and rarely had time to enjoy herself like this.

Although the King of the Underworld had tricked her by sending her to such a harsh era, he’d also given her a new way of life. With her “golden finger,” she could live comfortably in this life without having to work herself to the bone.

After her bath, Gu Qinghuan flopped onto the two-meter-wide bed and fell into a deep sleep.

That was enough for today. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

—

Gu Qinghuan slept straight through until late morning.

Thanks to the spiritual spring’s nourishment and a good night’s rest, she felt much better.

After much thought, she realized she had two options.

First, she could return the money to the Xu family, move back to the educated youth compound, and pretend nothing had happened.

But if she did that, not only would her reputation be ruined, she’d also completely offend the Xu family. Life in Xujiatun would be full of ostracism and difficulties.

There was still over a year left before the end of the Cultural Revolution, so returning to the city was out of the question. The educated youth compound was a complicated little society, full of scheming and intrigue.

Second, she could accept this “deal,” take the opportunity to set up her own household in the village, and live independently without having to please anyone. She could even occasionally help out her family in the cowshed.

The only downside was that she’d have to support three more people. The “madman” was like a ticking time bomb hanging over her head.

And then there were the two little villains—who knew what their deal was?

Both options had their pros and cons.

Compared to being ostracized and schemed against in the educated youth compound, constantly watched and unable to access her space, she’d rather spend some money to feed the three next door. It wasn’t much trouble.

She thought it over and still couldn’t decide.

After washing up in the villa, Gu Qinghuan changed out of her silk nightgown and put on her rustic clothes again.

She’d already washed and dried her old clothes in the washing machine last night. Ugly as they were, at least they were clean.

After applying skincare and tidying herself up, she braided her hair into two plaits and left the space.

The sun was already high in the sky. Looking at where she’d slept last night, Gu Qinghuan got goosebumps.

The Xu family really had no sense of decency. This old house was already in ruins, yet they still made her stay here.

The walls were full of holes, the roof had leaks, and cobwebs covered the entire room, just as she’d seen yesterday.

There was nothing in the room except a kang bed, and everything was covered in dust—no one had bothered to clean up.

It was hard to imagine what kind of grudge they had against their own son to leave people here to fend for themselves.

This house was completely uninhabitable—full of holes and beyond repair.

Gu Qinghuan felt a headache coming on.

She opened the door to find the patched aluminum lunchbox sitting outside, scrubbed clean.

She paused for a few seconds, put the lunchbox away, and searched the whole house. Only the madman was lying on the kang, staring blankly at the ceiling with wide, unsettling eyes.

The two children were nowhere to be seen—probably out looking for food.

She remembered the boy comforting his little sister last night, saying he’d go up the mountain early in the morning to find something to eat for her.

Kids from the mountains were used to roaming wild—going up the mountain or down to the river was nothing to them. Gu Qinghuan didn’t bother looking further.

Right now, she had a few important things to take care of.

First, she needed to go to the county seat to check on the original body’s mother.

The original owner had sold herself just to save her mother, which showed how important family was to her.

Since she was now using this body, she had to repay that debt and take responsibility for caring for the family. That was non-negotiable.

She also needed to negotiate with the party secretary. After all, he was the madman’s biological father—if he wanted to dump his burden, he’d have to pay a price.

This broken-down house was truly unlivable.

The moment she saw the lunchbox at the door, she’d already made up her mind.

Every child is born a blank slate—it all depends on how they’re raised.

Education is a magical thing. Day after day, year after year, it subtly shapes a person. One day, you suddenly realize they’ve grown into exactly the person you hoped for. It’s amazing and beautiful.

Although the book described the two children as outright villains, they weren’t born bad. Part of it was the environment and the indifference of others.

In their short lives, all they’d ever known was malice, with not a shred of happiness.

The heroine even righteously siphoned away their good fortune, making their already miserable lives even worse. That might have been what pushed them down the path of no return.

Because her own parents had divorced when she was young, Gu Qinghuan had been left with deep psychological scars. She’d never wanted to marry or have children, and worked hard just so she could take care of herself in old age.

Now, suddenly becoming a mother and guardian to two children was a novel experience—one she wanted to try.

At the very least, she could make sure they were fed and clothed, free from worries about survival. If she could guide them in a positive direction and help them grow up right, that would be a good thing.

The main reason she chose to stay, though, was that she didn’t want to go back to the educated youth compound. There, several people shared a room, making it impossible to access her space or cook for herself.

She couldn’t stand the thought of eating corn mush for one meal and black bread for the next.

It was impossible to move out and set up her own household—the village land would never be given to an outsider.

But now, having “married” Xu Huai’an (the madman’s real name), she was officially a member of Xujiatun. She could rightfully close her door and live her own life.

In a couple of years, when the situation improved, she’d find a way to leave. In the meantime, she hoped to give the children some positive influence.

Most importantly, she needed to teach them to stay far away from the male and female leads’ family, and not to trust others easily—otherwise, they’d be taken advantage of without even realizing it."

"Chapter 6: Wang Laocai’s House