Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2 - 2 2 Compensation

Having endured those chaotic years where even a whisper of feudal superstition could lead to catastrophe, a deep-seated dread remained etched into their souls.

Even though the calendar had already turned to the 1980s, the fear lingered.

Recalling the words Chiang Xiao had just uttered, Ge Liutao felt a freezing sensation spread through her limbs.

“Little just woke up and said something that absolutely terrified me.”

“What did Little say? Did she reveal who shoved her into the creek?” Chiang Songhai’s brow furrowed deeply. “This matter cannot be brushed aside.”

Chiang Xiao had always possessed a delicate constitution; the idea that someone could be malicious enough to push her into the water was unbearable.

In this climate, the mountain spring remained piercingly cold. Since being pulled from the water, Chiang Xiao had been trapped in a high fever for two days straight.

Chiang Songhai had been waiting for her to regain her senses so she could identify the culprit, intending to go to their home and demand justice. He was certain his child wouldn't be so reckless as to play by the water at dusk, especially since Little was naturally afraid of the creek and usually avoided it.

“No! She wasn't fully conscious, she was just babbling,” Ge Liutao said, her voice trembling as she recounted Chiang Xiao's words.

Chiang Songhai listened, hearing every word clearly.

His expression darkened as well.

It was no wonder his wife was frightened; the phrases were indeed haunting. Still, he believed one shouldn't lose their mind over a single sentence.

“It was likely just a nightmare; don't start spreading nonsense,” he commanded.

Ge Liutao opened her mouth to argue, but seeing her husband’s exhausted face and worried eyes, she chose to remain silent.

With a heavy sigh, she said, “I’ll go prepare another bowl of medicine for her.”

By the time Chiang Xiao woke up again, the sun was beginning to set.

The scent of cooking drifted toward her, causing her stomach to rumble aggressively.

This sharp pang of hunger made it impossible for her to keep dismissing her reality as a mere dream.

She found herself resting in an old-style canopy bed. Four sturdy pillars supported the frame, while three sides were enclosed by railings decorated with traditional paintings of prosperity. Above her, the bed curtains were pulled back and secured by two golden iron hooks.

Looking around the room, she saw concrete walls and floors, a tiled roof, and raw timber beams. A solitary, dusty light bulb dangled from the ceiling on a wire...

A large poster was pasted to the wall, depicting a beautiful actress in a red dance outfit holding a pipa, radiating a sense of old-fashioned charm.

Chiang Xiao’s eyes drifted to the dates printed at the bottom of the poster.

1980.

Goosebumps erupted across Chiang Xiao’s skin.

She reached up and gave her cheek a violent pinch.

“Ouch!”

The sharp pain caused her features to contort.

Staring at her thin, youthful hands, she struggled to process the fact that she had returned to her thirteen-year-old self.

She was back in her childhood home in Siyang Village.

Chiang Xiao pressed her palms against her eyes as tears began to fall once more.

Just then, voices drifted in from the courtyard.

“Aunt Tao, is that girl Chiang Xiao still in bed? Tsk tsk, she really behaves like a spoiled Young Miss! I’m going in to wake her up!”

Her grandmother’s voice followed immediately: “Guiying, don't go in there; our Little is still suffering from a fever!”

The visitor sounded as though she had been physically blocked, her tone turning sharp with irritation.

“Fever? What kind of fever? I’m just here for answers! How did Da Ni’s clothes get ripped? I want the truth! That dacron fabric was hard to find, and I spent nights sewing that new dress by candlelight! Da Ni claims Chiang Xiao tore it, so you have to give us compensation!”