Pain.

Chu Tianyi abruptly opened her eyes, rolling over to get up. The movement pulled at the wounds on her body, causing her to wince in pain. Looking down, she noted that the pattern on her clothes was no longer visible; she saw scars upon scars vaguely visible from the tattered sleeves.

She remembered wearing a black short-sleeved blouse. Why were her clothes so torn? She looked like she crawled out of a pile of refugees. But wait, why does this clothing look so familiar?

Wasn’t this the clothing she capriciously begged her mother to buy during a festival, before her mother passed away? She was harshly scolded for it. This clothing that she had discarded decades ago, how was it possible that she was wearing it now?

Could it be...

Chu Tianyi was heart-stoppingly shocked. Looking around, her mind went blank. Was she dreaming? She had returned to the small farmhouse that she lived in for eighteen years.

"You worthless girl! Get your lazy arse up. Thought feigning death would stop the marriage to Ge Qiang? Dream on, go and cook for me. Once Ge Qiang delivers the money, you two are getting married, whether you like it or not!” A heavy foot painfully kicked her on the side.

"Hisss...it hurts!" Chu Tianyi subconsciously guarded the kicked waist, lifting her head in surprise to meet the gaze of a man who looked decades younger,"By what rights do you kick me?"

"Ah, you ungrateful girl, you've learned to talk back? I don't mind beating you to death in place of father today." Another kick landed brutally on her hand.

Ignoring the pain that coursed through her, Chu Tianyi rolled over, grabbing his foot that he did not have the time to retract and launched him over her shoulder.

“Ah...Bang…” A scream and a thud echoed simultaneously.

The courtyard's sand was quickly soaked with bright red blood. Chu Tianyi gave a start, quickly checking his breathing and exhaled a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he was not dead. But, if he continued to lose blood this way, it won't be long.

Deciding to not let him die, Chu Tianyi grudgingly dragged him into the house. Collapsing him onto the floor, she glared at the man sprawled on the ground, propped her foot up, and started kicking him ferociously. "I'll teach you to hit me, I'll teach you to hit me…"

After a series of kicks, Chu Tianyi was sweaty and panting. Resting her hands on her knees, panting thinly and pointing at his face, "Scumbag, jerk, I can't believe I have a brother like you."

After letting out her anger, Chu Tianyi, breathing heavily, went to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of wood ash. She sprinkled it on his bleeding forehead, tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes and bound it over his wound.

Chu Tianyi's body felt weak from exhaustion as she slumped to the ground, "My body is frail." She gazed at her face, which appeared decades younger, and saw no warmth in her eyes.

She lifted her hand, observing the bruises, and let out a sigh; she had time-traveled back to when she was eighteen. She remembered vividly the year her elder brother, drunk, dragged her out of her room and beat her savagely.

Beaten and battered, she lay in the courtyard all night, the cold, ground, and damp air accumulating in her body. The next day, once the bruises on her body faded, her elder brother sold her to a forty-five-year-old widower, Ge Qiang, for just five hundred yuan.

The beast Ge Qiang initially treated her well, obedient, even servile. But soon after their wedding, his true nature was exposed.

Being beaten three times a day was the least of it, and she was often sexually tortured. The endless beating and mistreatment, lack of affordable healthcare, coupled with the cold air she had absorbed, left her disease-ridden. On rainy days, her whole body would ache with unbearable pain.

Chu Tianyi let out a self-deprecating smile. She didn't want her body to suffer like that again. Struggling to stand up, she left her uncle Chu Bocheng's room, found the half-empty bottle of his leftover alcohol, and went into the kitchen. She poured all the alcohol into a large bowl.

With a struck match, she set the drink in the bowl alight; the strong alcohol ignited instantly.

Chu Tianyi carried the bowl back to her room and, removing her tattered clothes, she used the burning spirit to clean her body repeatedly until all the alcohol in the bowl was used up.

She found a clean set of clothes from the closet to wear, and as she turned around, her gaze fell upon a wooden doll on the table; her pupils shrank in recognition. It was a doll Ge Qiang had made for her to win her favor.

No! She did not want to marry Ge Qiang again.

Since Heaven had given her a second chance, she mustn't fall back into that hellhole.

Chu Tianyi recomposed herself, and from the wardrobe, she pulled out a small cloth bag, stuffing it hastily with two clean sets of clothes. She dashed out of her room to Chu Bocheng's room. After rummaging around, she found seven yuan and eighty cents in the pocket of his clothes lying around.

Chu Tianyi stuffed the money into her pocket and left the small farmhouse courtyard. She sneakily left the village, following the bumpy road. The blazing sunset in the distance was reminiscent of her current anxious state.

Chu Tianyi hurried on her way, she opened the small cloth bag to look at the wrinkled clothes inside; she felt the seven yuan and eighty cents in her pocket, and sighed, "This amount of money isn't enough to rent a decent room elsewhere, and I still need to buy necessities... Never mind, I'll figure it out once I settle down. I can't return to the village anymore."

Tying the small cloth bag securely and putting the money in it; Chu Tianyi suddenly stopped moving and dashed into the bushes.

Chu Tianyi craned her neck to look out, before her under the setting sun, a man with a cane was hobbling along carrying a large luggage bag. As the man got closer, Chu Tianyi nervously clutched at the corner of her clothing, her breathing became somewhat heavy—It was Lei Ce!

The man from her past life, standing upright and appearing in front of her, saying ‘Marry me, I’ll take you as my wife.’

Hearing the heavy breathing, Lei Ce glanced at the bushes, indifferently leaning on his cane, and continued to walk forwards.

Chu Tianyi’s heart was pounding, a thought flashed through her mind, that’s right, Lei Ce had once injured his leg while on a mission; it was said that he was going to be crippled, but somehow, he got better later on.

Suddenly, she stepped out, blocking his path, “Lei Ce.”

Lei Ce halted, turned around and asked, “Who are you?” His extraordinarily indifferent voice caused Chu Tianyi to feel a mixture of emotions, “I am the youngest daughter of the Chu family, Chu Tianyi.”

“Any business?” Lei Ce slightly furrowed his sword-like eyebrows, his eagle-like eyes revealing no emotion, remaining as indifferent as ever.

Chu Tianyi, trying to calm her chaotic thoughts, pursed her lips and touched the bruise at the corner of her mouth, with difficulty, she said, “Lei Ce, I want to make a deal with you.”

“A deal? Let’s hear it.” Lei Ce, leaning on his cane, walked back to where she was standing and stopped; there was a hint of compassion in his deep eyes.

Chu Tianyi scrutinized him, she had not seen it wrong, it was compassion; why would it be compassion? Chu Tianyi looked at him with determination, “Your leg, the doctor said it couldn’t be cured, right?”

Lei Ce’s expression faltered, his cold and ruthless eagle-like eyes stared at her, how did she know?

“I can heal your leg, restore it to its original state, even healthier than before.” Chu Tianyi was nervous deep down, she didn't know if he would believe her.

Lei Ce stared at her determined eyes, after looking at her for a while, he declared, “Your condition!”

“You marry me.”

A glimmer of delight flashed through Lei Ce's eyes, quickly subsiding, "You probably know my family situation."

Chu Tianyi shook her head determinedly, "I don't mind, I just want to leave the Chu's home." Escaping the Chu's house would free her from Chu Bocheng and Ge Qiang.

Lei Ce took a deep look at her, inwardly bitter, "Little sister Chu, my family's situation isn't much better than yours. Marrying me... will only bring you more hardship."

"I've told you, I don't mind. Worst comes to worst, I'll follow you to the army after we get married. I'm not afraid to tell you, my elder brother has arranged my marriage with the Ge's family because the bride price he's asking for is too high and they're raising the money."

"I'm afraid once the wound on my body heals, I will be discarded by my elder brother. I had intended to leave here today and look for a way out. But I know, once I leave this village, I'll be slandered and despised by the villagers when I return in the future. However, if you're willing to marry me, I can leave the Chu's and Ge's houses openly." Chu Tianyi held firm, demonstrating a courage born out of desperation.

Lei Ce was slightly moved by this brave and honest Chu Tianyi. He calmly asked, "Why choose me?"

"Because you're a soldier. I trust the soldiers of our country. And there's another reason. Only you can offer something of equivalent value in exchange." Chu Tianyi confided, "Your leg in exchange for our marriage, are you up for that?"

Lei Ce was touched by this straightforward and courageous Chu Tianyi, "Fine, I'll marry you. I just hope you won't regret this."

Chu Tianyi laughed, "I won't regret it. Anyway, I'm just a lot of trouble. I should be the one worrying about you regretting!"

Looking at the girl covered in bruises, Lei Ce did not find her unattractive, but saw an indescribable beauty. Seeing her lifted his heavy heart.

Chu Tianyi looked up at the man towering over her, "Shall I help you walk?"

"No need." Lei Ce avoided her gaze and silently moved forward with his crutch.

Chu Tianyi then glanced at the camouflage duffel bag in his other hand, "Can I help with the bag then?"

Lei Ce gave her a once-over and replied softly, "No need."

Chu Tianyi was crestfallen. Did he look down on her petite frame? Biting her lip, she remained at his side.

While they were walking towards the village entrance together, Lei Ce fell into silence for a moment before finally saying, "I'll come over to your house and propose tomorrow." He then left after speaking.

Blinking her eyes, Chu Tianyi watched his receding figure, wondering why Lei Ce seemed even more eager than her. She returned home to the Chu residence full of doubts, put her simple clothes back into the room, and then went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for dinner.

After dinner, she went to Chu Bocheng's room. Chu Bocheng was lying on the ground, still unconscious.

Chu Tianyi revealed a cryptic smile, "Chu Bocheng, in our last life, you've made me contract a chronic disease. In this life, I'm returning the favor."

She then went to the kitchen to boil a pot of water and chopped the pigweed she had cut the day before to feed the two pigs at home. Laughing, she walked out of the toilet, returned to the kitchen to fetch water, and washed herself thoroughly. Only then did she return to her room and peacefully went to sleep.