A New Life

She stir-fried two dishes of vegetables: one of bok choy and one of amaranth. While cooking, she also steamed a bowl of egg custard.

There weren't many supplies in the kitchen—only sesame oil, salt, vinegar, and less than half a jar of lard. It was clear that the conditions of this house were not good.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Ru washed the pots and pans and brought the hot water she had boiled on the stove into the room. She made two trips: one for hot water and one for cold.

This body wasn't very healthy. Even though she was pregnant, she was still very thin; carrying heavy things was difficult, incomparable to her previous physical condition.

Before, she looked thin but was well-nourished, possessing a healthy and balanced physique. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been accepted into the police academy.

However, this person was also very beautiful. The previous Jiang Ru had never seen a photo of the "original" Jiang Ru; there wasn't one in the files, only a written description—a sentence or two about "her" relationship with Li Xiao.

But although the two of them shared the same name, their appearance and aura were completely different.

She herself had a sweet, cute appearance with a round face and two small dimples when she smiled—a very advantageous look. Her family had always been at ease with her, so they never imagined she would have a late-blooming rebellious phase and choose to apply for the police academy, to the point where they were always worried something would happen to her.

But the "original" Jiang Ru had a completely different style: a delicate and gentle appearance, the "White Lotus" type that made people want to protect her at first sight. Especially with her pale skin, thin frame, and eyebrows that carried a timid, sorrowful air, she looked more pitiful the more one looked.

But perhaps due to the change in soul, when Jiang Ru looked in the mirror this morning, she saw herself looking more vibrant, her eyes bright and spirited, less timid.

Jiang Ru panted as she carried the two loads of water, poured them into the bathtub, and then placed the clothes she had dried today on the bed.

Since conditions were difficult, bathing was a quick affair. After finishing, she worked hard to drag the bathtub outside to empty the water.

She hadn't washed her clothes yet; she planned to wake up early tomorrow to do it.

There were no entertainment devices at this time. This house was truly too poor; it had nothing.

Jiang Ru closed the door, returned to the room, and lay on the large bed, fanning herself with a large cattail fan. There was a mosquito net on the bed, so she didn't have to worry about bites.

It was just too hot; she was already sweating right after her bath. There was an old electric fan in the house, but it felt too cold when blowing directly.

Being pregnant was truly troublesome.

Jiang Ru tossed and turned on the bed several times. Before falling asleep, she still hoped she might transmigrate back. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Sleeping early meant waking up early.

The next day, Jiang Ru woke up before dawn. Her stomach was growling with hunger, so she resignedly got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make food.

She didn't mistreat herself. The original host grew up in a family that favored boys over girls and had suffered from hunger since childhood, forming a habit of not eating too much. Jiang Ru couldn't stand that. This body was so weak a light breeze could blow it away. Since there was no meat to eat, she ate two bowls of rice; even if she couldn't finish, she forced herself to swallow.

She stir-fried all the leftover vegetables from yesterday and steamed another bowl of egg custard. The taste wasn't bad, likely due to the natural eggs; adding a drop of sesame oil and a bit of lard made it irresistibly fragrant.

After eating, Jiang Ru walked around the courtyard and then washed the clothes she had changed out of last night.

There was a well in the courtyard. To get water, one just had to tie a rope to a bucket and drop it down. Because it was too much trouble, the clothes weren't washed very carefully; she just gave them a few quick scrubs and hung them up.

Once these tasks were done, she had nothing left to do, so she tidied up the last small pile of firewood in the yard.

Looking at the clean courtyard and living room, Jiang Ru stood with her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows in satisfaction, feeling that she was truly quite capable.

She decided to reward herself for her competence. Then, without hesitation, she took the money her mother-in-law had given her yesterday and headed out.