Zhang Meihua left with disappointment along with Li Fei. Li Si let out a soft sigh of relief—fate can be changed, and this was just the first step! In the past, she wasn't firm enough, nor clever enough, which is why she was used and hurt.
Fortunately, Bai Shasha had always stood by her side. Looking back now, she realized her former self was too weak. Why did she care so much about the opinions of others? In this life, she was determined to live however she pleased.
In this lifetime, she would not repeat the same mistakes!
There were still many mysteries surrounding the space she owned. For instance, the river and the verdant land—what were their origins? She hadn't figured it out yet. The time inside the space moved seven times faster than the outside world, so she could absolutely use the space to study various subjects, achieving twice the results with half the effort. Having just experienced rebirth, she hadn't yet thoroughly explored this miraculous space.
"Enter."
With excitement, she stepped into the space, glancing around and noticing that it seemed just the same as before, without any obvious changes.
However, as she walked to the riverside, she noticed that the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit Tree seemed different. Where the fruit originally grew, two additional branches had sprouted. What could this mean? She observed it repeatedly for half a day but couldn't figure it out. Could it be about to bear more fruit?
Li Si thought about it and decided it was unlikely. Shaking her head, she chose to leave it alone for now!
Observing the vast expanse of land, which appeared to be about five or six acres, she felt it was such a waste to leave it empty. The scattered fragments of knowledge in her mind indicated that it could be cultivated.
As for what to plant, Li Si thought that although pollution wasn't too severe nowadays, fruits and vegetables grown in this space would undoubtedly be premium quality. She also envisioned raising chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and sheep. In the small river, she could farm fish and shrimp, and of course, her favorite—giant crabs.
She planned to grow more fruit trees and even regular trees. This way, she could be completely self-sufficient. If she also built a house, she could live in the space occasionally, experiencing seven days in a single day. Thinking of the wonderful life ahead, Li Si grinned from ear to ear!
The next day, Li Si went alone to the North City funeral parlor, standing in front of her father's temporarily stored urn. She stared long and hard at the smiling photograph on it, unwilling to look away. It was as if all those memories had just happened yesterday. Her father seemed to still be by her side, yet it had already been ten years.
With tears streaming down her face, she silently made a vow to her father in her heart: In this life, I will not squander the chance to start over. For those who schemed against me, if they dare to act again, I will not let them get away with it.
Later, Li Si went to North City's largest agricultural market and purchased a wide variety of fruit and vegetable seeds, including many off-season ones. Some curious shopkeepers asked her questions, but she dodged them with clever responses.
She happened to see trellises for sale and thought about plants like beans and grapes that would need them, so she bought quite a few.
She also bought chickens, ducks, fish, shrimp, and crabs, arranging for the sellers to deliver them to an alley near the market. Finding a secluded corner without surveillance cameras, she carefully stored everything in her space.
As for larger animals, she figured she'd wait until the opportunity arose. By chance, she stumbled upon a small shop selling medicinal herb seeds. Out of curiosity, she bought some, though she wasn't sure if she'd be able to grow them.
She then made a trip to the bank, transferring the money from her father's savings book into a newly opened bank account in her name. She withdrew 50,000 yuan in cash. As she walked out of the bank, she strolled leisurely through the streets of North City.
Looking at the streets and alleys before her, within this familiar yet unfamiliar city, she thought about how the coming years would transform it into a forest of high-rises like other cities. Many of the old buildings would be torn down, including her old family's residential block, which was slated for demolition.
Originally, she had planned to use this money to buy a few more properties in this city, thinking that even if she didn't work later, becoming a landlady collecting rent wouldn't be a bad idea.
But on second thought, North City was, after all, a small city with limited appreciation potential for real estate. Besides, her father had already left behind a villa. Now that fate had granted her a second chance and shown her the future frenzy over housing prices, why not invest in buying properties in Beijing instead?
She recalled that property prices in Beijing were not yet sky-high like in the future. If it was currently 4,000 yuan per square meter, before her downfall, it had reached at least 40,000 yuan per square meter. She could easily buy a few units now and keep them. By the time she graduated from university, she would already have a stable place to live and work.
It seemed she'd need to make a trip to Beijing soon to finalize the property purchases before school began.
Thinking about the juvenile-style clothes in her wardrobe, Li Si twitched her lips. From the perspective of someone who had lived ten years into the future, those clothes were definitely unsuitable for her now.
At the department store, she updated her wardrobe from head to toe. She chose a tailored dress paired with white strappy sandals. The look exuded a charm that was both pure and subtly sexy. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt quite satisfied.
She also bought some casual outfits. After all, pants were more practical for outings!
Later, she visited a phone store. The best phones available now were foldable flip phones with color displays. Feeling the vast disparity compared to modern smartphones, Li Si was overwhelmed. She had grown so accustomed to smart devices that this small screen felt incredibly inconvenient.
Left with no better options, she sighed at the poor cost-to-performance ratio and settled on a silver-gray Samsung flip phone for 2,500 yuan. After inserting the complimentary SIM card, she decided to make do with it for now. At least having a phone would be more convenient.
By the time she returned home after dinner, night had fallen. She entered the space and began organizing her purchases. She released the fish, shrimp, and crabs into the river to grow freely. The chickens and ducks roamed the land, lively and energetic. She remembered seeing chicken coops and duck shelters at her grandmother's rural home, but lacking similar facilities now, she had to let them roam freely for the time being.
Bringing in some tools, she started digging furrows in the soil. For someone inexperienced in farming, the task was exhausting. She was drenched in sweat before managing to carve out jagged lines in the ground.
She planted some of the seeds she bought, watering each row with a bucket. Almost instantly, tiny green shoots emerged. It was truly magical, though deep down, she suspected this water might have some growth-accelerating properties.
Stretching her aching waist, Li Si contentedly left the space. As for when the plants would fully mature, she wasn't in a rush. After a shower, she collapsed under the covers and quickly drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When morning came, she made subtle changes to her appearance, tying her hair into a ponytail and trimming her bangs into a neat fringe that stopped just above her eyes. She wore oversized black-rimmed glasses to obscure her expressive gaze. A loose-fitting, branded white tracksuit concealed her figure, with only her fair arms visible.
Entering the space to check on her crops, she was thrilled to see how well they were growing. The eggplants and peppers had already grown five centimeters tall, while cucumbers, beans, and strawberries had also sprouted. It seemed it wouldn't be long before she'd need to use trellises.
She lacked experience in planting, sowing the seeds haphazardly. As a result, the seedlings were somewhat chaotic. Meanwhile, the cherry and peach saplings had begun to sprout small leaves. It seemed only a matter of time before they bore branches.
Li Si took a taxi to the train station and bought a ticket to Beijing. Unfortunately, high-speed rail wasn't available yet, so she opted for an express sleeper train. Carrying a small bag with only some snacks and loose change inside, she felt grateful for the advantages of her space. It was truly perfect for travel and daily life. Clothes and valuables had all been stashed safely in the space, removing any worries about losing them.
The journey went smoothly. By the time she arrived in Beijing, it was already 9 p.m., but the heat was still intense. As soon as she stepped off the train, a wave of heat rushed over her. Thankfully, Li Si's body had greatly improved after her Bone Marrow Cleansing. Otherwise, she would have been drenched in sweat.
Beijing was unfamiliar to her. In her past life, she had only seen it on TV—places like the Forbidden City, Tiananmen, Wangfujing Street, and Quanjude Roasted Duck. For someone who grew up in the 1980s, it was rare not to visit Beijing, but Li Si was one of the few exceptions.