In August, the fields turned golden. As an autumn breeze swept past, waves of rice rippled across the land.
Young and old alike in Lotus Village bent their backs, busy at work in the fields.
Suddenly, a loud splash echoed from the nearby pond. Great sheets of white spray shot up higher than a man, glinting with a blinding white glare under the scorching sun.
"Help! Help! Jiang Yu fell into the water! Jiang Yu fell into the water!" A few teenage girls washing clothes by the pond screamed in terror at the sight.
Hearing the cries for help, the men harvesting rice closest to the pond quickly dropped their sickles. Taking large strides, they rushed over and plunged headfirst into the water.
"Her face is so pale, she's not dead, is she?" "She's throwing up! She spat out water and mud, so she can still be saved!" "She's alive, but isn't this a bit too indecent?" "Exactly. Her wet clothes are clinging to her body; you can see right through to *that*."
"It was Lai Santou who pulled her out of the water. For an unmarried young lady to be held by a man like that, she might as well just marry Lai Santou and be done with it!" "That's true. Her reputation is ruined. Who would want to marry her after this?" Jiang Yu had a headache, her shoulders and hands ached, her stomach was in pain, and the spiritual energy in her body was completely gone. These were the very first words she heard upon waking.
What the hell? Just because she was rescued from the water and held for a moment, her virtue was gone, and she had to marry the guy?
What feudal era was this? Even the Cultivation World didn't have such backward and despicable customs.
Could some mortal enemy have crawled out of the underworld just to play a sick joke on her? Squinting against the blinding sunlight, Jiang Yu opened her eyes. With just one glance, she was utterly dumbfounded. Surrounding her was a crowd of villagers dressed in patched clothes of indigo, blue, black, and gray. They had short hair, towels of indistinguishable original colors draped around their necks, sun-blackened skin, and were covered in sweat and mud.
This attire looked incredibly familiar. Jiang Yu focused her gaze, a vague memory surfacing. This looked exactly like the clothing worn by post-liberation farmers she had seen in historical documentaries.
Damn it, had she transmigrated again? Jiang Yu looked utterly dazed. She had originally transmigrated from the 21st century to the Cultivation World. After struggling her way to the Nascent Soul stage, she had finally become one of her sect's highly respected elders and was about to enjoy a life of leisure. Who would have thought that after a brief session of meditation, she would wake up in this godforsaken place?
Damn you, heaven! Even if she had to transmigrate, they could have sent her to the future, hundreds of years from now, to experience high-tech advancements. Or at least send her back to the 21st century, where she could be a smartphone addict staring at her screen all day. Why did they have to throw her into an era where people couldn't even get enough to eat?
Seeing that Jiang Yu had only opened her eyes to stare blankly at the sky after waking up, the villagers of Lotus Village began to gossip all at once.
"She hasn't reacted for so long. Is she scared out of her wits?" "Should we take her to the clinic?" "She's already awake, why waste money on the clinic?" "Has anyone called Feng Sanniang and Third Uncle Zhou?" "Feng Sanniang just went home to cook, and Third Uncle Zhou is over at the drying yard!" "Why don't we just let Lai Santou carry her back?"
At the mention of "Lai Santou," Jiang Yu snapped out of her daze. Damn it, just being pulled out of the water was already enough for them to claim her reputation was ruined and force her to marry him. If he actually carried her all the way back, wouldn't this marriage be set in stone?
No way. She had to do something to shut these rumors down immediately.
As Jiang Yu was weighing her thoughts, Lai Sandou beside her was nudged forward by the villagers. Squatting down with a flushed face, he tremblingly extended both hands, preparing to pull her into his arms.
Right at this moment, Jiang Yu suddenly moved. Her eyes were vacant, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on the sky. Her right hand, which had been resting at her side, suddenly shot out, perfectly straight, her index finger pointing toward the cloudless, washed-blue sky overhead. Her pale lips parted and closed, and she spoke in a hoarse, deep voice that was indistinguishable as male or female: "In half an incense stick's time, directly to the east, heavy rain!" Hearing this abrupt, nonsensical statement, it took a long while for the surrounding villagers to react, each of them wearing a strange expression.
"Could this girl have lost her mind from falling into the water?" Auntie Shen looked pityingly at Jiang Yu, who was muttering crazily as if her soul had not yet returned to her body.
Sixth Aunt, who was standing nearby, glanced around, lowered her voice, and pointed stealthily at Jiang Yu, whispering mysteriously, "She must be possessed by a water ghost!" — "What are you all crowding around here making a fuss for? Get back to work!" Having heard the news, Village Chief Shen Tianxiang tapped his large tobacco pipe, frowning as he swept a displeased glance over the crowd.
Lai Sandou was so frightened that he hastily pulled his hands back.