Chapter 131: Female Educated Youth – 1

Ren Xin opened her eyes to find Book Spirit Number One waiting with a mountain of questions. “Shen Shen, you actually staged a tragic, deep-seated romance in the apocalypse. How did you manage to be such a dog?”

Ren Xin replied dismissively, “I was only interested in his looks; there were no real feelings involved. The mission didn’t require me to get married or have children, so why should I wrong myself by staying in such a boring place for a man?”

Book Spirit Number One suddenly found that logical. “Then you were willing to part with those top-tier abs?”

Ren Xin pursed her lips and said with a hint of regret, “It’s a pity! If only I could have taken them with me. Even if I couldn’t take Huhu, the abs would have been fine.”

Huhu: “???” So Huhu wasn’t your first choice?

Shh! Saying it out loud hurts feelings.

A man that good is definitely better than a mount!

Book Spirit Number One grumbled, “Actually, he might not necessarily have been a good man. Anyone who could take a fancy to you and stay loyal must be at least a little bit dim-witted!”

Ren Xin: “…”

“Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Rewards: Gift Pack x3, 10,000 Virtue Points. Requester’s Comment: One-star negative review. Why didn’t you protect Big Sister and Brother Xie properly? She was so pitiful, and what did Brother Xie do wrong? Book Spirit’s Evaluation: Shen Shen was great! Yesterday you were proud of me, today I am proud of you. We are just that close!”

Ren Xin: “???” Make yourself clear. Who is proud of whom?

Book Spirit Number One stopped its chatter and directly transferred the memories!

The original owner was a Sent-down Youth who had been forced to go to the countryside. It shouldn’t have been her, but she had a favored younger sister at home. Lacking a mind of her own, the sister had been provoked by others and impulsively signed up for the countryside program. After thinking it over later, she got scared.

She begged the family to find a way out. In the end, the original owner’s parents decided to let the original owner go to the countryside in her sister’s place.

The original owner had already secured a job at a textile factory, but her mother said that her sister’s health was poor and she had to give in to her. Bound by the shackles of family duty, the original owner had no choice but to go.

But things did not go smoothly. After arriving in the countryside, the heavy farm work left her exhausted. She wrote home several times asking her family to find a way to bring her back, but she never received a single reply.

It wasn’t until the college entrance examination was reinstated¹ that she tried to take it, but because she had no books and no time to study, she failed. When she went home to visit her family, she saw her younger sister still looking like a young girl, pampered and spoiled. Most hateful of all, her sister even looked down on her, calling her an embarrassment.

The sister didn’t even stop to think about whose fault it all was!

The original owner eventually married an ordinary man, but he was no saint either. He indulged in drinking, gambling, and domestic violence. The original owner lived in misery and eventually committed suicide when she could no longer take it.

“Mission Requirement: Live a better life than the younger sister.”

Ren Xin: “…” Have you considered just killing everyone?

“Aren’t there any scripts where I can just kill people for revenge? Why do I always get these cowardly, nagging people?”

Book Spirit Number One prattled on, “The good ones don’t fall to us. Things like building a great nation, an empress ascending the throne, a master strategist, or a billionaire female CEO—who wouldn’t want those? The trends have changed now. People don’t like these melodramatic, self-sacrificing ‘Little White Flower²‘ heroines anymore. They like cool women who sweep through the world and settle every grudge. So, these toxic leftovers are left for newcomers like you to practice on.”

Ren Xin: “…”

Time to roll up her sleeves and get to work!

The current point in time was just after the original owner’s name had been swapped in. She was preparing her luggage to leave at any moment. Ren Xin didn’t care; one report would take the whole nest down.

The Revolutionary Committee³ came to investigate. “We received a report saying your family has ideological issues. The name for the countryside placement was changed at the last minute, wasn’t it?”

Father Ren and Mother Ren turned pale, shaking their heads in denial.

“Then who in your family is supposed to go to the countryside?”

Ren Xin raised her hand and answered, “It’s me. I’m the worker who was supposed to start at the textile factory!”

“Ren Xin!!”

Ren Xin arched an eyebrow. “Did I say something wrong?”

Ren Lili, the original owner’s younger sister, didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. She said naively, “I was just deceived into signing up, but my health is poor. There shouldn’t be a problem with my sister going in my place, right?”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. college entrance examination was reinstated: Refers to the Gaokao, which was suspended during the Cultural Revolution and reinstated in 1977. For many ‘sent-down youth,’ this was the only legal way to return to the city and change their social status. ↩
2. Little White Flower: A common trope in Chinese web novels (Xiao Bai Hua) referring to a character who appears innocent, fragile, and pitiable, often used to describe a heroine who is easily bullied or overly self-sacrificing. ↩
3. Revolutionary Committee: Tripartite administrative bodies established during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) to replace local governments. They held significant power over political and social life, including the enforcement of ideological purity. ↩