Chapter 1

On a summer afternoon, the blazing sunlight streamed through the window, falling on a sleeping girl. She seemed to be having a bad dream, her brows tightly furrowed, a hint of pain on her face.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly. The girl turned over in bed, the sweat on her head and body making her sleep increasingly restless. As a bead of sweat trickled down her cheek, she finally opened her eyes in a groggy daze.

Her big eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. It took a while before she came to her senses, a flash of horror flickering in her eyes as she hurriedly reached up with both hands to touch her forehead.

Although she was a saleswoman whose life goal was to work herself to death making money, that didn’t mean something like a dazzling, eye-blinding Treasure Bowl could just fall from the sky and hit her. Considering the size and weight of the Treasure Bowl, Qian Jianing felt it must’ve been a blessing from a past life that she was still alive.

Something felt off. She touched her smooth forehead in confusion. Even if the Treasure Bowl didn’t kill her, it should have at least left a bump, right? Why did it feel no different than before? Wait, actually, something was different. Carefully feeling the texture of her face with her fingers, Qian Jianing began to suspect this was just a dream. Her facial skin felt so smooth, so firm. As her hand slid from her forehead to her cheeks, the dewy, tender feeling was almost unbelievable.

Since she started working, thanks to late nights, high stress, and poor eating habits, her face often broke out in acne. As she aged, her skin became more and more dehydrated. Uneven wrinkles spread from the corners of her eyes to the corners of her mouth, making her look several years older than she actually was.

This must be a dream, Qian Jianing thought numbly as she caressed her face. She was just about to get up and find a mirror to check for changes when she took in her surroundings—and was so frightened she jumped off the bed. The old wooden bed creaked under the sudden movement.

This was a tiny, seven or eight square meter room. A blue wooden window was half open. Beneath it sat an old-fashioned desk, and along the wall stood a brown wardrobe. Behind her was a well-worn single wooden bed.

Qian Jianing slowly walked over to the desk. It was piled with textbooks and workbooks. As she touched the plastic covers wrapped around the books, her eyes welled up with tears. She really was dreaming—how else could she find herself back in the place she lived when she was little? Back then, she wasn’t alone. She had her dad, mom, and little brother living with her. Sadly, she had been rebellious and immature, resenting her mother for being too controlling, her father for being a pushover who didn’t fight for the family’s well-being, and her little brother who always trailed behind her and annoyed her. It wasn’t until that fateful day, when a truck carrying timber overturned and her mother instinctively pushed her out of harm’s way, that she realized just how precious and rare those ordinary, nagging days truly were.

Turning around, Qian Jianing’s gaze landed on the doorknob. If this was a dream, would opening that door allow her to see the family she hadn’t seen in over twenty years?

She took a timid step forward, her tightly clenched fists trembling. Her heart was filled with anxiety and hope, afraid that even in her dreams, she wouldn’t be able to see them.

Finally reaching the door, her palms were already slick with sweat. She closed her eyes and took two deep breaths before abruptly pulling it open.

In the living room, a woman wrapping dumplings turned her head at the sound of the opening door. A gentle smile appeared on her face. “Xiaomi’s awake? Still feeling dizzy? If you’re not feeling well yet, lie down a bit more. Mama’s making dumplings for you—your favorite, pork and celery.”

Qian Jianing’s lips trembled and the tears that had filled her eyes finally spilled over. She covered her mouth and cried silently. Mom—her mother who had passed away more than twenty years ago—she finally dreamed of her again. This was wonderful. So, so wonderful.

“Why are you crying all of a sudden?” Li Wanzhen looked momentarily surprised. Since starting high school, Qian Jianing had become increasingly withdrawn and rarely spoke at home. She had never shown such overt emotion before. Quickly dusting the flour off her hands, she started toward her, but paused—worried her daughter might dislike being hugged.

Qian Jianing’s heart ached even more at that. She threw herself into Li Wanzhen’s arms and burst into loud sobs. Li Wanzhen, surprised, hugged her back, assuming something had upset her daughter terribly. She asked quickly, “What’s wrong? Did you do badly on your exam? Or are you not getting along with your classmates?”

Feeling the warmth of her mother’s embrace, Qian Jianing clung tightly to her, tears soaking Li Wanzhen’s clothes. “Mom, I missed you… I really missed you, and Dad, and my little brother.”

“What are you saying? I’m right here!” Li Wanzhen nudged her gently with her elbow—her hands still covered in flour. “Did you have a nightmare? It’s all right now. You’re awake. Go wash your face. Your dad and brother will be home soon. Let’s cook the dumplings.”

Just as she finished speaking, the sound of a key turning came from the front door. Qian Jianing turned immediately, seeing a father and son walk in from outside.

“Mom, what’s for lunch? I’m starving!” The little boy ran in, but stopped when he saw Qian Jianing’s tear-streaked face, staring at her nervously. “Sis, why are you crying? Did Mom finally lose it and hit you?”

“What nonsense.” Li Wanzhen spoke half-laughing, half-crying as she looked at her son. “When have I ever hit you or your sister? Go wash your face—look how dirty you are.”

Qian Guosheng closed the door behind him and walked over. “Why are you crying like this? Feeling sick from the heat? Maybe we should go to the hospital?”

“No.” Qian Jianing grinned wide while wiping her tears. “I just… really missed you all.” With that, her tears poured even more intensely as she turned and threw herself into Qian Guosheng’s arms. “Dad, I’m sorry… I was disobedient. I wasn’t a good daughter.”

When Qian Jianing was little, Qian Guosheng would often carry her on his shoulders and take her out to play. But after she started elementary school, he became more distant. Her studies and daily care were mostly handled by Li Wanzhen, while he rarely stepped in. After she turned rebellious, he hardly knew how to talk to her at all. It had been a long time since they had a real heart-to-heart.

Now, as Qian Jianing hugged him, Qian Guosheng was at a complete loss. His large hands stiffened, hovering awkwardly for a while before patting her back rigidly and coaxing her. “All right, all right, Xiaomi… What’s such a big deal that makes you cry like this? I’ll give you some money and you can go buy a popsicle, okay? Don’t cry anymore!”

Hearing her dad coax her like a little kid again made Qian Jianing burst out laughing through her tears. Seeing this, Qian Guosheng smiled and shook his head. As he pulled some loose change from his pocket, he teased, “So that’s what this is about—crying from craving something sweet,” and handed her twenty cents.

Then, he went off to wash his hands and boil water to cook the dumplings.

Wiping away her tears, Qian Jianing looked at her younger brother, who had just washed his face and was now sitting obediently in front of the TV watching *Journey to the West*. Their father was busy in the kitchen, and their mother was deftly wrapping the last bit of dumpling filling into the wrappers.

How wonderful. She never expected to have such a warm and comforting dream—it felt so real. She wished the dream would last a little longer, so she could spend more time with her deceased family.

Heaven was being very kind to Qian Jianing. Not only did she get to eat a satisfying meal of homemade dumplings, but she even drank the mung bean soup her father made. After lunch, she helped her little brother with his summer homework all afternoon. After dinner of cold noodles, she was sent to take a shower and go to bed. That’s when she finally started to realize something was off—if this was a dream, wasn’t it a bit too long?

The door creaked open. Li Wanzhen came in holding a cup of warm water and handed it to Qian Jianing. “Drink a little water before you sleep, so you won’t be thirsty at night.” Seeing her daughter staring blankly at her, Li Wanzhen touched her forehead with concern. “You don’t have a fever… why do you look so confused?”

Feeling the warmth of her mother’s hand again, Qian Jianing suddenly thought of a possibility. Trembling, she asked, “Mom… what’s today’s date?”

“Are you actually confused?” Li Wanzhen looked at her worryingly. “It’s July 8th. You just celebrated your 18th birthday the day before yesterday—how could you forget?” After making sure Qian Jianing finished the water, she reminded her to get a good night’s sleep and left with the empty cup.

Qian Jianing recalled what Li Wanzhen had just said—the day before yesterday was her 18th birthday. Could it be that she had somehow returned to 1988?

“Aha, you finally noticed,” a voice suddenly rang in her mind, completely startling Qian Jianing. She stood up alertly and quickly scanned the surroundings. “Who are you? Stop hiding!”

The voice replied, “I’m inside your consciousness. Close your eyes and you’ll see me.”

Still suspicious, Qian Jianing took another look around. Finding nothing unusual, she reluctantly closed her eyes. At first it was all dark, and just as she was about to open her eyes out of impatience, everything suddenly brightened. A dazzling *Treasure Bowl*, gleaming with golden light, appeared before her, filled to the brim with gold, silver, and jewels.

Qian Jianing thought she must still be dreaming. Maybe the recent work stress had finally pushed her over the edge.

Seeing her lack of reaction, the *Treasure Bowl* shook its round belly in discontent before transforming into a chubby baby wearing a bellyband. Fluttering his long eyelashes and pouting his rosy little lips, he said, “Forgot me so quickly? Didn’t you make a wish to trade your life for one more chance to be with your family? I just so happened to hear your wish… so I helped you out.”

Qian Jianing couldn’t help but recall the moments before she was struck and died. At the time, she had just signed a major contract. If nothing went wrong, she would have earned tens of thousands in commission that month—a huge amount for someone struggling to make ends meet. Over the years, she often asked herself why she had foolishly fallen for Chen Kai back then. She went from a top student to someone consumed by a love-sick brain, eventually flunking the university entrance exams and settling for a mediocre vocational school.

Back in high school, she had fallen in love with her classmate Chen Kai. Despite objections from her parents and advice from her teachers, she ignored them all, convinced they couldn’t understand such great love. As her grades plummeted, she refused to take the college entrance exam in her senior year and instead enrolled in a technical school with Chen Kai, whose grades were also poor.

She still remembered the summer they graduated from that technical school. She came home announcing she was going to marry Chen Kai. Although her parents, Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen, didn’t like the slick, arrogant boy, they were worn down by years of disagreement. Seeing their daughter still blindly devoted, they gave in and took her shopping for wedding clothes and supplies.

That day, the four of them were walking along the road when a truck carrying lumber passed by. For some reason, the ropes securing the wood suddenly snapped, and the logs came crashing down like a flood. In the chaos, Li Wanzhen had pushed her daughter out of the way, only to be crushed under the falling wood along with her husband and son.

Qian Jianing remembered going completely mad, screaming and crying while trying to lift the wooden beams she couldn’t even budge. No matter how much she cried, begged, and knelt—her parents and brother never came back.

After the funerals, numb and broken, she married Chen Kai. But just seven months into her pregnancy, she caught her husband in bed with one of her old female classmates. Devastated, she grabbed a nearby broom and attacked the shameless pair. Chen Kai, annoyed after taking a couple of hits, pushed her away harshly, and she was thrown hard onto the ground.

She lost the baby. The pregnancy had been too far along, and the trauma caused irreversible damage—she would never be able to conceive again. The Chen family didn’t want a woman who couldn’t give them children and immediately divorced her, kicking her out of their home.

Penniless and with no one to rely on, Qian Jianing had no choice but to sell the home her parents left her in order to afford treatment. She rented a tiny place with meals included and spent over a month recovering before she could get out of bed.

Over the next twenty years, Qian Jianing never remarried. Alone, she moved to a new city and did all kinds of jobs—washing dishes, carrying bricks, handing out flyers. Eventually, she transitioned into sales, and after years of persistence, she was finally able to buy her own apartment.

On the night she landed a deal worth over a million, she stood alone on her balcony, staring at the brightly lit city skyline. A sense of deep loneliness filled her heart. Her parents and brother were gone, her husband had cheated—Qian Jianing couldn’t remember the last time she had genuinely smiled. After all these years, there wasn’t a single person in her life with whom she could share joy or sorrow.

Staring at the bright full moon, memories of the time before her family’s death flooded back. Those had been the happiest days of her life. “If I could see mom and dad again, I’d gladly give up my life,” she had said aloud. And right after that, a *Treasure Bowl* had fallen from the sky and hit her on the head.

Now that Qian Jianing had remembered everything, the *Treasure Bowl* proudly patted its round belly. “So? Pretty amazing, huh? You gotta admit my powers are impressive.”

Qian Jianing had initially found this whole thing hard to believe. But now that she was really back to being eighteen, she had no more doubts. After all, she had nothing in her past that would make her the target of such an elaborate deception.

She looked at the *Treasure Bowl* and gave a deep, grateful bow. “Thank you.”

“Well, just saying thank you isn’t enough.” Treasure Bowl chuckled awkwardly. If it hadn’t lost a bet and been thrown down from the heavens by the God of Wealth, landing right on this woman’s head, it wouldn’t have chosen to partner with someone so ordinary: “You should know I’m not of this mortal world. If I want to return to the Immortal Realm, I need your help—so you’ll have to cooperate with me.”

Qian Jianing looked at it cautiously and asked, “Cooperate in what?”

“Naturally, in making money! Once the Wealth Energy in your hands is enough to help me break through the skies, I can leave this place.” Treasure Bowl jiggled its belly. “Of course, I won’t let you take a loss. To be honest, I’m a Treasure Bowl with a history of over a million years. Inside my belly, there’s everything—magical elixirs, celestial weapons, sect legacies. I can provide you with the means to make money. And for every yuan you earn, I’ll credit you with two. Earn a hundred thousand and you’ll have a chance to win a grand prize. With a million, you can exchange for magical elixirs. All the money you record with me can be exchanged for treasures.”

“Anything can be exchanged?” Qian Jianing looked at it. “Then is there something that can help my parents and younger brother change their fate? If I can’t protect them even after reliving a life, then there’s no point in continuing to live myself.”

“There is!” Treasure Bowl immediately responded. “There’s a Life Extension Talisman. Use it, and their destiny will naturally extend—they can live long without illness or disaster. Without the Life Extension Talisman, even if you help them avoid the incident on that day, they might still die from some other accident later. Normally, this item is a priceless treasure. Since ancient times, countless emperors have exhausted every resource seeking such elixirs to prolong their lives. But today, in light of our fated meeting and to give you a strong motivation to earn money, I’ll let you exchange for one at just two hundred thousand. That’s a slashed-down, bleeding-heart price.”

“Deal!” Qian Jianing looked at it with firm determination.
“It’s a deal!”