Rebirth of Wu Tong

Woo... The piercing pain in her head made Wu Tong frown and groan uncomfortably. Her arm weakly reached towards her forehead, but the warm and real sensation on her forehead made her stiffen. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Alone, perishing in a pale, icy advanced ward? Did some highly skilled doctor pull her back from the brink of death? However, she wouldn't feel gratitude towards this doctor; living in such agony, she would rather choose death. Effortfully opening her eyes, Wu Tong was shocked to find that she seemed to see the place that had been deliberately buried deep in her memories, a place that made her regretful for a lifetime. Mottled, gloomy walls, low beams covered in cobwebs, and in the small space, there was only a wooden bed barely enough for one person, a table that could barely be called a table, and two roughly made small stools. Was this a flashback? Well, even so, being able to see the only place where she left beautiful memories before her tragic end was like heaven's mercy. Greedily gazing at everything familiar yet strange, as if wanting to engrave this place she reminisced about into her mind, even though her body was extremely uncomfortable, and her head was throbbing like needles, she still revealed a bright and sincere smile that had been missing for decades. "Xiao Tong, are you awake? How are you feeling? Is your body still uncomfortable?" Just as Wu Tong was immersed in blissful happiness, a caring greeting awakened her. She looked surprised at the source of the voice. Wasn't this Chu Qing, the gentle girl who was sent to the small mountain village with her years ago? They hadn't seen each other for more than twenty years. I wonder how she fared after I was deceived and taken away by those so-called parents. "Xiao Tong, what's wrong with you? Are you in pain? Say something, don't scare me. Could it be that your brain is damaged?" Chu Qing, seeing her usually lively and cheerful friend just staring at her with an emotion she couldn't understand, felt a bit panicked. It was her fault. Knowing that this girl used to be a wealthy young lady and didn't understand anything, she didn't watch over her all the time. She only realized it after she fainted from a fever. She was really irresponsible, not worthy of being Xiao Tong's good friend! Looking at Chu Qing's regretful and anxious expression, a shocking thought emerged in Wu Tong's mind. Perhaps this wasn't a flashback; maybe she had returned to more than twenty years ago? After all, even if the hallucination was so real, it couldn't possibly feel the warmth of a friend, right? Watching the hand that became tighter due to nervousness, even though it was painful, Wu Tong didn't feel repulsed. On the contrary, she was extremely excited. She could really feel the warmth of her friend, the regular beating pulse. She could even hear her own heartbeat accelerating due to excitement. Wu Tong looked at her hand, pale, weak, slender, but young, tender, and fair. It was no longer the emaciated yellow from the torment of illness. Wu Tong had never thanked the heavens so frequently. Thankful for the miraculous existence that brought her back, she had actually returned, back to before the tragedy occurred, back to the time before those despicable people could deceive and harm her! "Xiao Qing, I'm fine. Just a bit thirsty. Can you pour me a cup of hot water?" Wu Tong, seeing Chu Qing showing signs of a bursting flood of emotions, immediately spoke gently. Perhaps due to the long silence or the illness, Wu Tong's voice was hoarse, but it couldn't conceal the childish and crisp tone unique to a young girl. If she remembered correctly, she wasn't even sixteen years old now. Back to her youth, with memories decades older, she wasn't as naive and innocent as she used to be. She wouldn't easily be fooled and taken for a fool. How wonderful... "Ah? Xiao Tong, are you okay now? That's great! I thought you had become silly from the fever..." Chu Qing, who was now only sixteen or seventeen, was simple and weak. Seeing her friend returning to normal, she immediately burst into tears with excitement. It was really hard for her. In this unfamiliar place, with her only friend bedridden, this timid girl bravely went out to seek help for her friend. It was not easy at all. Wu Tong gently patted her back, letting her vent. Wu Tong knew very well that this young girl must have been frightened. But because of her being bedridden, she buried the fear and confusion in her heart. Now that she saw her recover, she naturally had to cry to release the fear and confusion... In March 1976, on an ordinary day with drizzling rain mixed with a few snowflakes, the season was approaching the awakening of insects. The snow, however, wouldn't linger anymore. Before it could reach the ground, it would disappear without a trace. The cold and long winter on the Loess Plateau was coming to an end. Although the truly warm spring had not yet arrived, Wu Tong felt that the shabby and dilapidated small house was incredibly warm and cozy... On such a rainy and snowy day, if there were no urgent matters, people would prefer to stay indoors all day and not go out at all. Therefore, the small village was devoid of its usual hustle and bustle. Even the annoying barking of dogs had disappeared, not to mention the loud voices of the bold village women. The remaining snow and icy patches were being eroded by the raindrops, and the unrepaired small dirt road was muddy. The wind was still cold, but it couldn't blow into the warm shabby room. After Chu Qing vented her fear, confusion, and distress, Wu Tong took the opportunity to move her numb and sore legs a bit. The girl had hugged her and cried without caring about her awkward posture. She didn't even notice how uncomfortable she made the patient. "Miss, feeling better now? Can you pour me some hot water? I'm dying of thirst..." Wu Tong blinked her big eyes, looking at her swollen-eyed friend like a walnut, teasing. Although she felt thirty years older in her heart, her nature was still lively and cheerful. Even though life had made her silent and melancholic, meeting her loved and missed ones and returning to a time when nothing had happened made her feel ecstatic. "Um, I'll go pour it for you..." Chu Qing blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. She couldn't believe she cried so loudly in front of Xiao Tong. It was really embarrassing! But who caused this trouble? If it weren't for Xiao Tong suddenly falling ill, how could she be so scared and sad? Chu Qing pretended to glare fiercely at the smiling Wu Tong, turned around, and ran to the simple kitchen to boil water. In these days, she had been busy seeking help from others and finding a doctor, so the house was already in a mess. There was no hot water at all. Chu Qing, who usually loved cleanliness, couldn't stand this dirty and messy environment and started cleaning the house with agility while boiling water. Wu Tong lay comfortably on the wet, cold, and hard wooden bed, joyfully watching her now simple abode. Although it couldn't be compared to the luxurious and comfortable villa she lived in her previous life, she had never been so happy before. No matter how luxurious and comfortable the villa was, it was cold and lacked any vitality. It felt more like a splendid cage, making people feel extremely suffocated and desperate. In this life, she absolutely wouldn't repeat the same mistakes. She had long understood the hypocritical faces of those so-called parents. She wouldn't be deceived and entangled by them in the name of family ties! Wu Tong, satisfied, surveyed her "territory" and, with somewhat weak steps, fell back onto the clean and tidy wooden bed. If it weren't for the continuous gloomy weather recently, she might still be able to smell the scent of sunlight. Just as she was joyfully rolling on the small bed, she unintentionally saw the strange pattern on her chest exposed to the air due to disheveled clothes. It was about the size of a thumb. She was puzzled. What was this tattoo-like thing? She didn't have a hobby of randomly drawing things on her body in her previous life, right? Moreover, even the most outstanding artists couldn't draw such strange and intricate patterns, right? Wu Tong was about to study it carefully when she heard footsteps approaching. She quickly arranged her nightdress, lying in bed like a weak and delicate girl. "Hurry up and sit up and drink water. I just put some brown sugar in it, it's sweet. Here, drink some more..." Chu Qing, seeing Wu Tong's pitiful appearance, suddenly overflowed with motherly love. She looked at Wu Tong affectionately, motherly love flooding her eyes. She didn't notice Wu Tong's face showing a joyful and sad expression when she heard the three words "Yuan Dama." When she turned her head, Wu Tong's face had already become happy and joyful...