Chapter 2

Since Sang Ran didn’t follow Sang Xiuxiu’s lead, Mother Sang didn’t get angry. Seeing how obedient she was, she didn’t restrict her from going out either.
After lunch, the family rested for a while before heading out to work.
As a girl about to be married, Sang Ran was temporarily exempt from labor.
Before leaving, Mother Sang reminded her, "It’s scorching hot outside, don’t go out. Stay home and make shoe soles for your man, understand?"
"Mm," Sang Ran nodded obediently.
Mother Sang never imagined her daughter was pretending. Satisfied with her response, she left the house reassured.
The youngest brother, Sang Aijun, was fifteen. The family was poor, and he didn’t like studying, so he had no choice but to work alongside the others. Seeing Sang Ran allowed to stay home, he was extremely envious and couldn’t help but complain, "Mom, you’re playing favorites!"
Mother Sang gave him a light smack and retorted, "If I’m playing favorites, it’s for you! Haven’t you gotten enough good things since you were little? Your sister needs to keep her skin fair, or what if the Zhu family looks down on her?"
To put it more bluntly, if she were fairer and prettier, she could charm that Zhu boy into a daze. That way, they might get a higher bride price. The family was too poor, marrying off three sons was already a struggle. There was no other way. After all, daughters would eventually marry into another family.
Sang Aijun recalled the crispy pork scraps he had secretly eaten just two days before and smacked his lips contentedly, saying nothing more.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Sang Ran intended to rest at home, making shoe soles was out of the question. Although she had inherited the original host’s memories, she wasn’t skilled enough for such delicate handiwork.
But as she lay down, a sudden thought struck her. She quickly got up, slipped on her shoes, and dashed outside.
An unfamiliar village, an unfamiliar place.
Fortunately, with the original host’s memories, Sang Ran ran straight to the small river on the right side of the village entrance. As she approached, she could clearly see a thin, gray-haired man lying on the riverbank, his lower half submerged in the water, unconscious and his condition unknown.
Beside the man was a basket, clutched tightly in his hand. Through the opening of the basket, the tail of a fish could be seen flopping weakly.
Sang Ran’s heart ached, and she rushed over.
This was the original host’s grandfather.
Sang Ran had learned this from the plot.
The original host’s parents had long since split from her uncle and aunt. The grandfather lived with his eldest son, while the other two sons only had to pay five yuan a year for their parents’ support.
The original host’s grandfather was a diligent and hardworking old man, quiet by nature but always busy.
The original host was raised by him, so she had a similar temperament.
In the plot, just today, the original host was beaten and locked up at home, while her grandfather was driven out by her grandmother to catch fish because her eldest uncle’s grandson wanted to eat meat at noon. He was told not to return without fish.
In this era, the elderly had a kind of taken-for-granted cruelty: parents were supposed to struggle for their children and their children’s children. As long as you could still work, you were not allowed to rest; resting meant burdening your children.
Grandpa Sang was naturally obedient, and Grandma Sang had a strong personality. Over the decades, she had trained Grandpa Sang into someone who would give his grandchildren and great-grandchildren whatever they wanted, while he himself grew so thin he barely looked human.
So this time, when catching fish, Grandpa Sang naturally took it very seriously.
But he was, after all, old, and his body was no longer agile. After fishing for a long time, he finally caught one and was so overjoyed that he fainted on the spot.
Fortunately, he didn’t collapse into the river and drown, but since his lower body had been submerged in the water all afternoon, he was only discovered by someone passing by after work and rescued. However, his legs were crippled, and he developed pneumonia.
Grandma Sang refused to spend money on his treatment, so he suffered through it without care. Grandpa Sang’s health quickly deteriorated.
At that time, to avoid a period where Sang Ran couldn’t marry after Grandpa Sang’s death, Mother Sang contacted the Zhu family and arranged for her to marry a few days before Grandpa Sang passed away.
Only after the original host got married did she learn about her grandfather’s condition. By then, he was already in critical condition. She had been raised by her grandfather, and he had been worried about her until his last moments. Rushing back during her bridal return visit, the original host saw her grandfather one last time, followed shortly by his funeral.
The one who issued the task was the original host at the end of the plot. Too much time had passed, so she hadn’t mentioned it at first. Fortunately, Sang Ran discovered this while sorting through her memories and hurried over.
In her previous life, Sang Ran had possessed immense strength, which had helped her overcome many difficulties. Luckily, this strength had traveled with her through her transmigration.
Even the skinniest man still weighed around a hundred pounds. If it were the original host, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to handle Grandpa Sang’s weight, but Sang Ran had no problem.
She quickly ran over, threw him onto her back, and carried him as she rushed back.

The two young boys from Sang’s eldest uncle’s household were startled to see Sang Ran carrying Grandpa Sang back. They stared wide-eyed and called out pitifully, “Great-grandpa!”
The old man, who usually responded to them with a smile, showed no reaction at all.
The two children grew anxious, their eyes instantly reddening.
Sang Ran frowned and said, “Go call your grandpa back.”
“Okay,” one of the five-year-old boys obediently nodded and ran off first.
The younger one, seeing his brother leave, hurried to follow but was stopped by Sang Ran: “Tiedan, stop!”
Tiedan stopped, biting his finger, and looked at her in confusion, tears still hanging at the corners of his eyes.
Sang Ran smiled and said, “Don’t go. Come here and watch over Grandpa.”
“Okay,” Tiedan bounced over and corrected her in a childish voice, “He’s Great-grandpa!”
“Great-grandpa” was the term for a generation above “Grandpa.”
Sang Ran didn’t respond. She carried Grandpa Sang to his room and laid him down.
After all that commotion, Grandpa Sang still hadn’t woken up. Staring at his emaciated frame, she felt a chill down her spine. Tiedan and the other boy, Goudan, who had run off to call for help, were both plump and healthy.
A few minutes later, Uncle Sang and Grandma Sang returned.
Uncle Sang looked much like Sang Ran's father, only older. Favored by Grandma Sang, his thin lips were always tightly pressed together, the wrinkles around his philtrum pronounced, and his eyes held a sharpness that, when expressionless, gave off an air of distance and severity.
The two hurried in, and as soon as they saw Grandpa Sang lying motionless on the bed, their faces changed. Grandma Sang threw herself by the bedside, wailing, "Oh, dear! What happened to you, old man?!"
Uncle Sang exclaimed in shock and anger, "Dad!"
He never expected to return to such a scene. His legs immediately went weak, and he leaned against the wall for support.
Sang Ran quickly explained, "Grandma, Uncle, Grandpa isn't dead, he just fainted. He was just in the water, and we don’t know how long he was there. Let’s take him to the hospital first."
The two relaxed slightly. Uncle Sang wiped his sweat and said, "Ran, you should’ve said so earlier."
Grandma Sang wiped her tears but hesitated at the mention of the hospital. "Won’t the hospital cost a lot of money? Did he just faint while fishing? Was he hurt?"
Sang Ran shook her head. "I don’t know, but we should still take him to the hospital. Grandpa fainting suddenly must mean something’s wrong. If you’re too busy, give me the money, and I’ll take him."
Grandma Sang frowned, her face pained. "What’s the point of going to the hospital? He probably just fell asleep. Besides, can a young girl like you handle it?"
"Better than not taking him to the hospital at all," Sang Ran couldn’t help retorting. She glanced at Grandpa Sang, who lay on the bed with his eyes closed, and added quietly, "If you won’t do it, I’ll go find the village chief."
The village chief would surely take charge of the matter.
Parents raise their children, and when something happens, they should be properly cared for, otherwise, people will talk.
Uncle Sang felt annoyed but understood the stakes. He quickly said, "We’ll go, of course we’ll go. Ran, you wait at home. I’ll go borrow a bicycle."
Grandma Sang was reluctant, but since her eldest son had spoken, she didn’t argue, only muttering, "More money to spend. Where will we get so much money for him? He seems fine…"
But whenever her eyes fell on the unconscious Grandpa Sang, her voice would soften with guilt.
Sang Ran stood waiting but suddenly remembered that a bicycle could only carry two people at a time. She needed to borrow one too, otherwise, relying solely on Uncle Sang might lead to the same outcome as in her past life. So she dashed off.
Hearing that Grandpa Sang was in trouble, the villagers, being close-knit, were very helpful. When Sang Ran went to borrow a bicycle, the owner handed it over without a second thought and comforted her repeatedly.
By the time she returned, Uncle Sang was just about to take Grandpa Sang and leave.
He was carrying Grandpa Sang on his back, and when he saw Sang Ran riding over on her bicycle, his brow twitched with a bad feeling. Hesitantly, he asked, "Sang Ran, what are you doing here?"
"Uncle, I'm coming with you," Sang Ran replied with a shy smile, feeling a bit embarrassed as she added, "I'm worried about Grandpa."
"No need"
"I insist!" Sang Ran said firmly.
Unable to refuse, Uncle Sang had no choice but to let her come along.
The ride from the village to the town hospital took an hour, and that was under smooth conditions. By then, Uncle Sang’s expression had turned grim. The only relief was that halfway there, Grandpa Sang regained consciousness.
As soon as he woke up, Grandpa Sang insisted on turning back, unwilling to spend money. Uncle Sang nodded in agreement, but Sang Ran stood her ground.
Grandpa Sang was kind to all his children, but he had a special affection for Sang Ran, whom he had raised himself. Seeing his granddaughter object, he didn’t press further. Though Uncle Sang felt a pang of reluctance, since they had already come this far, he had no choice but to continue.
At the hospital, Sang Ran busied herself helping with the arrangements, leaving Uncle Sang only responsible for carrying Grandpa Sang. This eased the tension on his face somewhat.
But when they reached the doctor, things took another turn.
"What? Surgery?" Uncle Sang swallowed hard, his face full of resistance. "How much will that cost? Can we skip the surgery? Just prescribe some medicine?"
Grandpa Sang chimed in softly, "Yes, Doctor, our family is poor. Just some medicine will do."
The doctor pressed lightly on Grandpa Sang’s knee, and the old man gasped in pain. Shaking his head, the doctor said, "He’s been soaked in water for too long, and there’s an old injury as well. If he doesn’t have surgery, his knee will be useless. He won’t even be able to stand."
"The surgery isn’t too expensive, actually. It’s not a major operation, it should cost less than a hundred yuan," the doctor added, seeing their hesitation. Though it was a significant amount, most families could manage it if they pooled their resources.
The real question was whether they were willing to spend it.
A hundred yuan!
Even Sang Ran was taken aback. In an era where earnings were measured in work points, a hundred yuan was a fortune.
From the original host’s memories, Sang Ran knew that their family’s annual work points only amounted to about fifty or sixty yuan per person, equivalent to two people’s earnings for a whole year.
Her heart sank.
Even if they could afford it, the Sang family would never spend that much.
She glanced to the side and, as expected, Uncle Sang’s face had turned pale. Grandpa Sang shook his head in fright, saying, "No, no, it’s too expensive. Doctor, just give us some medicine."
Sang Ran bit her lip and stayed silent.
No matter how much she wanted to speak up, she had no right to do so.
Seeing their determination, the doctor nodded and turned to prescribe medicine, discussing it with Uncle Sang.
Grandpa Sang turned and saw the distressed look on his granddaughter’s face. He wasn’t foolish, though he was honest, he knew very well that among all his children, the most filial one was likely the girl standing before him.
It was a pity she was a girl.
His heart softened, and he whispered gently, "Don’t worry, sweetheart. Grandpa isn’t in pain. I’m fine."
Sang Ran’s heart ached, and her eyes reddened. Though he wasn’t her biological grandfather, she had inherited the original host’s memories. Seeing the old man like this stirred complex and painful emotions in her.
The grandfather and granddaughter had always been close. Grandpa Sang hadn’t expected his reassurance to backfire, so he quickly added, "Sweetheart, look, I’m really fine."
He struggled to stand up, but his knees were genuinely hurting. With even the slightest movement, Grandpa Sang’s face twisted in pain. Still, he gritted his teeth, rose to his feet, and tentatively took a couple of steps. His wrinkled face broke into a smile as he said, “See? Nothing’s wrong, right?”
“Mm, yes.” Sang Ran forced a smile, swallowing the lump in her throat. She went over to help him sit back down, her hands meeting loose skin and bones, no trace of flesh to be found.
She needed to find a way to earn money.
But what method could let her make a hundred yuan in such a short time?
Sang Ran took a deep breath, feeling the need to step outside. She was too embarrassed to cry in front of others, so she said, “I’m going out for a walk.”
Grandpa Sang wanted to follow her, but his leg was truly in pain. The moment he stood up, the pain forced him back into his seat. Uncle Sang said irritably, “What are you fussing about? She’s a grown woman, it’s not like she’ll get lost. Just let me worry a little less.”
Grandpa Sang’s eyes dimmed for a moment. He nodded meekly, his deeply sunken eye sockets blinking twice as he obediently stayed seated.
When people grow old, they feel like a burden to their children and lose their confidence around them.
Sang Ran leaned against the hospital corridor, lowering her head and closing her eyes to calm herself down. She needed to think about how to earn money quickly and effectively.
Grandpa Sang would fall ill once he returned home. Besides his leg, having been submerged in water for so long had triggered many other health issues.
But this was only her first day in this era, and she was penniless.
In her previous life, Sang Ran had majored in computer science, a profession notorious for causing hair loss. Though she appeared soft and gentle, she was as strong as any man, so her boss had no qualms about overworking her.
Of course, the pay was substantial, but in exchange, all her free time was consumed. She hadn’t learned any other skills, not even how to cook.
Now, in this era, computer languages were entirely different. She was practically useless.
Should she go work as a laborer?
She wondered if construction sites would hire women at this time.
Just as she was thinking this, someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. Sang Ran immediately opened her eyes and saw a slightly plump middle-aged woman looking at her with concern. “Sang Ran, what are you doing here? Are you feeling unwell?”
This was Zhu Chang’an’s mother, Zhang Cuixia.
Sang Ran’s eyes lit up. The Zhu family was still quite wealthy at this time. She immediately smiled and greeted politely, “Hello, Auntie.”