Chapter One: What’s Going On with the Password?

On a foul-smelling ox cart sat a thin, wiry girl. She pressed the index finger of her left hand to the bridge of her nose, striking a pensive pose.

She had transmigrated.

No—wait, not transmigrated exactly, but entered the world of a novel.

The moment she opened her eyes, an odd mechanical voice echoed in her mind:

[Ding!]
[Hello, Host. I am the 007 system. You have now entered the world of a novel. System has detected you have read this novel before, so no further explanation will be given.]

Because of that sentence from the system, Liang Yunqing had been lost in thought ever since.

Just moments ago, she'd been working overtime; after finishing her tasks, a stabbing pain seized her chest, and when she next opened her eyes, she found herself here.

But compared to sudden death, being thrown into a book was much easier to accept. Besides, who in the twenty-first century hasn't read a few transmigration stories?

But what did it mean that she had already read this novel? She wouldn’t call herself widely read, but she’d gone through at least five or ten thousand novels. How was she supposed to know which one this was?

The 007 system finally realized its host was hopelessly stumped, so it spoke up:

[Hint: This book was recently read.]

"Recently... Could it be that one, 'The Rough Duke’s Fierce Love: The Farmer’s Little Wife is His Treasure'?"

With the system’s confirmation, Liang Yunqing was overjoyed. Never mind that the title was mortifying—its contents were deliciously wild!

It was the perfect blend of Mary Sue, family pampering, and golden cheats. The heroine of the novel picked up men with one hand and hugged a burly man with the other. Once her cheat was activated, her entire family soared to success, becoming the envy of all.

Everything was set! Absolutely set!

This was her reward for all her hard work! Even if she'd frowned at the story while reading, now that she could live it herself, she wouldn’t complain.

Old Qiao, the ox cart driver, was hard of hearing, but he could feel the entire cart shaking. He’d been entrusted with this errand and couldn’t let anything go wrong.

He turned around, only to be startled by Liang Yunqing gesturing wildly. He patted his chest to steady himself before speaking:

"Liang Daye, you best accept your fate. Pretending to be mad won’t help. Sit quietly."

Hearing the old, hoarse voice behind her, Liang Yunqing stopped her antics. In her excitement, she hadn’t restrained herself and had started dancing on the ox cart.

Liang Daye—was that her name? Wasn’t the original heroine called Liang Lianxin?

Could she have remembered wrong? That didn’t seem possible.

"Ah... what a pitiful child you are," Old Qiao sighed as he looked at the skinny, dark-faced girl on the cart. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. In these hard times, exchanging children for food was not uncommon.

But this Liang Daye was known throughout Beipo Village for her obedience and sensibility. The Liang family really had the heart to send her away.

Liang Yunqing saw the pity in the old man’s eyes and grew uneasy. Wasn’t she supposed to be the family’s cherished treasure? What part of the story was this?

[Host, I forgot to inform you of one thing.]

The 007 system’s voice sounded sheepish in her mind.

[System has detected your luck is at zero. The original plot has collapsed, and the storyline has changed...]

"What?" Liang Yunqing cried out.

Old Qiao was so startled by her shout that his frail body nearly toppled over.

[Host, please calm down! Now scanning for changes in the original plot.]

[......]

If the previous news was bad, what came next was worse—the 007 system was even more sheepish.

[Host... The altered plot will now be transmitted to your mind. The system will apply for additional assistance. Please be patient.]

With that, the system fell silent, no matter how much Liang Yunqing called for it.

Deflated, she slumped onto the ox cart. Old Qiao, convinced she was mad, broke out in a cold sweat. The old Liang Daye had always been quiet and obedient.

He recited a silent prayer in his head—see no evil, hear no evil—as he whipped the ox with increasing urgency. The animal bellowed in protest, and Liang Yunqing shot him a sidelong glance.

Old Qiao grew even more uneasy. Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder.

As memories from the original heroine began to load in her mind, Liang Yunqing forced what she thought was a gentle smile and asked:

"Grandpa, where are we hurrying off to?"

Before Old Qiao could answer, a wave of resentful memories crashed over her and knocked her out cold.

When she opened her eyes again,

The original heroine’s wretched fifteen years played out vividly in her mind.

She had not, as in the novel, become the beloved center of her family. Instead, in this impoverished village, she didn’t even have a proper name—everyone called her Liang Daye.

Liang Daye had a younger sister. Her father was an honest, upright man; her mother, gentle but weak. In the household was also a second uncle, a man with scholarly aspirations.

But, alas, he was already forty-five and still nothing more than a would-be scholar, never passing even the lowest county exam.

Her second aunt was a piece of work—an expert at cursing, fighting, and creating scenes. Whenever something happened, she’d throw a tantrum or threaten to hang herself, keeping her husband completely under her thumb.

The real power in the family was the grandmother. According to the original heroine’s memories, her grandfather had died so early she’d never even met him.

The household had always been ruled by her grandmother, Wang Yunshou—a most peculiar woman. Unlike the village shrews, she was obsessed with appearances, always acting superior, her eyes brimming with barely concealed disgust. Because of her, their family was despised by everyone in Beipo Village.

Liang Yunqing couldn’t help but lament—what a foolish father, timid mother, miserable child, and wretched family!

Where was the promised story of a cherished heroine and a rough, doting man? Was "rough" all she was going to get?

Outside the dilapidated wooden door, voices rose in argument. Liang Yunqing composed herself and stood up.

She kicked the already battered door clean off its hinges.

"Enough! All this noise is driving away our luck!"

Instantly, the bleak, shabby courtyard fell silent. Several women stood in the yard; the eldest, seated in a wooden chair, was Grandmother Wang Yunshou. Next to her, standing tall and scowling, was her formidable second aunt. Her own "mother" stood with her head bowed, quietly sobbing, the picture of meekness and grief.

Her second aunt, Li Pinghua, saw Liang Yunqing kick open the door and grew even angrier. She strode over and, grabbing Liang Yunqing by the ear, shouted furiously:

"You wretched girl! How dare you feign madness to avoid marriage, and now you kick the door—if I don’t beat you today!"

Liang Yunqing had never endured such abuse. In the modern world, she was not someone to be trifled with—would she let herself be bullied even after entering a novel?

"Go to hell with your smothering!" she snapped.

She grabbed Li Pinghua’s little finger, twisted hard, and wrenched her hand away from her ear.

Li Pinghua shrieked in pain, her finger aching so badly she trembled and tried to break free. Seeing the usually quiet and timid Liang Daye fight back left her stunned.

Grandmother, seated in her chair, frowned and gave a cold snort.

"Liang Daye, no matter how you pretend to be mad, it’s useless. Your father has already agreed to the marriage."

Liang Yunqing released her grip in disgust. Li Pinghua cradled her hand, slinking aside, massaging her numb finger in silence.

"Just now I was busy dealing with her—I almost forgot I need to deal with you too, old hag," she said, fixing her cold gaze on her grandmother.