In a room alone, time stood still. Taotao missed her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and two cousins terribly. She had spoken to her grandmother on the phone before the accident, telling her that school had let out for winter vacation and that she would be home tomorrow.
In the blink of an eye, everything turned upside down. How had she traveled through time?
What about her grandparents? Her grandmother, who had a weak heart, surely wouldn't be able to withstand the blow of outliving her grandchild.
But it was a plane crash.
Even if she were to return now, it would be futile; her remains must have been torn apart already, right?
Suddenly overwhelmed with sadness, Taotao—a sophomore in college at the age of twenty, who had been doted on by her grandfather's family since childhood and had never suffered a bit of hardship—hadn't even had the chance to take care of them before she...
Taotao cried for a while, but eventually, her drowsy head succumbed, and she slowly fell back asleep.
When she woke up again, she faintly heard voices outside.
Maybe it was after eating something; she felt much better this time when she woke up.
She sat up, mustering up some energy. If her relatives on the other side of the world knew she was still alive, even if they couldn't meet, they would definitely want her to be well and stay strong, just as her grandmother always told her, "As long as you are well, that's the best thing you could do for us."
Yang PeiMin was the fourth child in her family, with three older brothers and a younger sister, the latter being the kind-hearted and hardworking Yang Peiying; in this family, Yang PeiMin was absolutely a princess, born prematurely and frail since childhood, her mother, Zhang Minghua, doted on her endlessly, making sure she always had the best of everything among her siblings.
Carefully looking around the room, the bed she was lying on, positioned against the west and south walls, occupied almost half of the room's space. On the east side, there was an old cabinet with a box, straw hat, ladder, and other rural necessities beside it. She noticed there was no vanity, and the southern window was patched up with old newspapers.
Looking down at her clothes, she wore a dark blue sweater, with a cotton coat on the bed beside her, presumably for her to wear when she got up. Truly thoughtful.
All things considered, the situation didn't seem too bad.
She draped a coat over herself and poured a cup of water, just then, a female voice approached from outside, growing louder, "Yingzi, has Minmin woken up? I'll come and check on her."
Then her sister, Yang Peiying, responded with a cheerful voice, "She's awake, Sister Qiongzi."
After she spoke, the curtain in Yang PeiMin's room was lifted.
"Sister, Sister Qiongzi has come to see you."
"Minmin, how are you feeling now? Any better?" The visitor was a young girl with ear-length hair and dressed like Yang Peiying, except without patches on her clothes. She had an ordinary appearance, but her smile was as gentle as spring.
From her memories, this was her cousin from her uncle's family, a year older than her, with whom she had a fairly good relationship.
Taotao nodded. "Much better."
"That's good to hear. You don't know how worried everyone was when you fell ill. Your aunt didn't sleep for days as she stayed by your side. Pull yourself together and get well soon," Yang Peiqiong said as she sat by the bed and looked into her eyes. "By the way, how did you end up falling into the river when you were fine?"
Taotao remembered that dream, knowing that the original owner had been unsettled by her lover's words and accidentally fell into the river.
It was already winter, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the river. The original owner couldn't swim; she struggled in the water for a long time, and no one came to help until someone, unknown, eventually rescued her.
Thinking about that near-death experience still made her heart race. She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on the cause, as it was not something to be proud of. "I don't know how I ended up in the river."
"That day, I seemed to hear you say you were going to meet Xu Min. Did he say something unpleasant?" Yang Peiqiong asked in a lowered voice.
Taotao looked up. She knew about this matter too?
Indeed, this cousin had also played the role of a matchmaker for her and Xu Min. After the national college entrance exam was reinstated, whether it was the educated youth eager to return to the city or the village children who had been to school, everyone saw a glimmer of hope.
Yang Peiqiong and Yang Peimin were the favored children in their family and had stumbled through to the first year of high school, both wanting to give their best in the exams but struggling without study materials or textbooks. It was only when Yang Peiqiong learned that educated youth Qing Xumin had not only a complete set of high school textbooks but also examination materials sent from Shanghai that she became intrigued.
Consequently, Yang Peiqiong suggested that Yang Peimin use their father's position as the head of the production team to her advantage, casually chatting and delivering items to build a rapport with the educated youth, hoping to borrow some books. Yang Peiqiong even casually mentioned to Yang Peimin how Xu Min, among the educated youth, was the most spirited and handsome, exuding charm. After some interaction, Yang Peimin indeed developed an affection for the gentle and eloquent Xu Min. With Yang Peiqiong's help to cover for them, the two secretly started dating. Not only did Yang Peimin successfully borrow books and materials, but she also gained a tutor.
However, what was thought-provoking was that after the college entrance exam, both Yang Peiqiong and Xu Min were admitted to universities, but only she failed. Furthermore, rumors about her and Xu Min spread.
Now, it seemed that Xu Min had only been playing with her. In this era of the educated youth going to the countryside, some of those who returned to the city after their stint in rural areas abandoned their rural partners or broke off contact. Xu Min appeared to be one of these people.
Taotao shook her head and sighed, "I've broken up with Xu Min."
Yang Peiqiong looked surprised and somewhat incredulous. Still keeping her voice low, she asked urgently, "Why? How did you just break up suddenly? Didn't you say a few days ago that you were planning to talk to your uncle and his wife about your relationship? What happened so suddenly?"
Taotao continued to shake her head, unwilling to disclose the reason, yet her tone was firm. She would no longer be involved with him.
Yang Peiqiong looked at her with a mix of suspicion and concern, still wanting to know the truth. "Min, you can't keep everything to yourself. Is there anything you can't talk to your sister about? You're young and naive, and I'm worried you'll be taken advantage of. Tell me what happened, and I can give you some advice."
Taotao simply wouldn't say.
Yang Peiqiong realized she couldn't do anything about it and sighed, "Alright, whenever you feel like talking, tell your sister, okay? I've been sitting here for a while, and I should go back to cook. You rest well, and I'll come to see you after I finish my chores. Stop worrying over it."
Taotao nodded, agreeing verbally.
Yang Peiqiong gave her a complex look, then got up and walked out.
Not long after, the rest of the family, busy working in the fields, returned home, and signals for lunch echoed through the house.