Xinyue woke sluggishly, feeling sore all over. "Damn it, I really shouldn't have done that good deed. I saved those two kids, but ended up with a cramp in my leg. Luckily I have a strong will to live. Who was it that saved me?" Xinyue looked around, hoping to find her rescuer.
Something wasn't right. Xinyue noticed there was something off about the house—why would it look like this? The walls were made of earth, and in some places the plaster had fallen off, exposing the adobe beneath. An adobe house? Oh my God, where have I ended up? How can such houses still exist?
Before Xinyue could fully assess her surroundings, an old lady came up to her and said, "Jinghan, my poor child, you've finally woken up." The old lady touched Xinyue's forehead. "Good, the fever's gone down. You scared us to death. Child, you mustn't be so reckless next time. The water is so cold early in March. You just jumped right into it. Though you did save those people, you caught a chill, didn't you? How can a girl of eight endure such cold water?" The old lady kept babbling, but clearly, there was a deep fondness in her tone.
Before Xinyue could take a good look at the old lady, she was stunned by her words. What? Jinghan? Who's that? Eight years old? Is she saying I'm eight? Xinyue looked around—the room held only her and the old lady. Could it really be her the old lady was talking to?
Xinyue reached out her hand, intending to grab the old lady's clothes and ask her what was going on. But then she saw a pair of small hands. Oh my God, these weren't her hands. What on earth was happening?
When the old lady saw Xinyue looking dazed, she grew worried and picked her up. "Good child, your fever hasn't damaged your brain, has it? Why aren't you saying anything?"
It was then that Xinyue took the time to look at the old lady's face, and she was shocked once more. This old lady's face bore an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother's, who had passed away years before—as if they were cast from the same mold.
"Grandma?" Xinyue called out in a hoarse voice.
"Oh, my good granddaughter, yes, I am your grandma. Good child, I thought the fever might have damaged your brain. It's alright, it's alright," the old lady said, holding Xinyue close, tears of relief welling in her eyes.
Being held in her arms, Xinyue felt a familiar warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. Since her grandmother passed away, how long had it been since she experienced such affection? Xinyue wrapped her arms around the old lady. "Grandma, I'm fine now." No matter where this place was or who she was supposed to be, seeing this old lady made Xinyue decide she wanted to stay by the old woman's side and experience this warmth again.
By now, Xinyue understood that she must have died from drowning while saving others. Somehow, for reasons unknown, her spirit had transmigrated into the body of an eight-year-old girl. But where exactly was this place? Judging by the old lady's attire, it seemed to be ancient times.
The old lady put Xinyue down. "Jinghan, you lie down and rest for a while. Your sickness really scared the family. Your mother has gone to get you medicine, and your father has gone up the mountain. He said he would hunt something to bring back to nourish you. I'm going to get you some porridge now; you've been unconscious for three days. You must be starving." With that, the old lady left.
Lying on the bed, Xinyue looked up at the roof and thought, "It's not too bad here. There's someone just like my grandma, and I have a father and a mother too, right? It's actually quite nice."
In her previous life, Xinyue had lost her parents to a car accident at a young age, leaving only her grandmother and her together. When she was twenty, her grandmother also died. From that point on, Xinyue had been living on her own for five or six years. This time, she had seen two little boys fall into the river. The river water in early March was bone-chillingly cold. Xinyue didn't think twice before jumping in to save the children. However, the cold water caused her to cramp, and then she lost consciousness. Little did she know that in dying, her soul would end up in the body of this little girl named Jinghan.
Xinyue closed her eyes, searching through the memories in her mind. After a while, she finally realized that this little girl had also become sick from trying to save others. She saw two boys fall into the river and, without waiting to call for help, jumped in after them. Once all three were back on dry land and the boys were sent home, the girl fell ill from the cold and developed a fever. As it turned out, that girl died, and Li Xinyue's spirit had taken residence in her body.