Chapter 9: Opening the Space

“Since we can’t meet for now, why don’t you tell me how you two met.”

“Your grandfather has been through life and still has an eye for judging people.”

“Given our family’s current situation, what we fear most is letting someone with ill intentions through our doors.”

Once they start scheming, they might use the Li Family’s name to do something.

When that happens, this old face of mine would be completely shamed.

Hearing this, Li Beichen instantly understood the Old Master’s meaning.

His grandfather was a founding veteran, someone even high-ranking officials would show respect to.

Coupled with his father’s current position in the military, countless people wanted to curry favor with their family.

For this reason, the Old Master had long established rules that members of the Li Family were forbidden from using his name to cause trouble outside.

If any such actions were discovered, they would immediately publish a notice severing all relations.

What he said now undoubtedly carried the meaning of telling him to keep his eyes open.

Realizing this, Li Beichen straightened his expression and recounted what happened at the dance hall. “Grandfather, how we met…”

While the grandfather and grandson were having their conversation, Shen Yi’an had already returned to the girls’ dormitory.

It was very late.

But since it was graduation time, the school had given the Class of ’77 graduates ample time, allowing them to move out before the new academic year began.

Because of this, all the girls’ dormitories with remaining students had their lights on.

Seeing Shen Yi’an enter, the dormitory that had just quieted down became lively again.

“Yi An, you’re back?”

“What about your boyfriend? Has he left?”

“The class monitor was just calling out downstairs, checking if you had returned.”

“Good that you’re back safely. If you hadn’t returned soon, we were about to go to the police station to file a report.”

Knowing everyone was concerned about her, Shen Yi’an removed her shoulder bag while smiling and responding, “My boyfriend has already gone home.”

“Thank you, class monitor and everyone, for your concern.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “Should I go to the boys’ dormitory to let the class monitor know I’ve returned?”

“No need!” the Dormitory Leader was the first to answer.

“We agreed with the class monitor that if you returned on time, our dormitory would turn off the lights.”

“If you hadn’t returned by the deadline, we would all go to the police station together to report it.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an nodded with a smile. “That’s good then.”

“If I had delayed everyone’s rest, no one would have energy to wake up early for the train tomorrow.”

After some brief casual conversation, the lively dormitory gradually quieted down.

Seeing that everyone had fallen asleep, Shen Yi’an moved particularly quietly.

After quietly completing her simple bedtime routine, she gently slipped under the covers.

Only when she smelled the familiar scent on her pillow and blanket did her originally complicated and chaotic thoughts gradually settle.

How wonderful to be given a second chance at life!

In her previous life, confined deep in the distant mountains, she couldn’t understand what the people there said, nor could she send messages to the outside world.

Because of this, she never learned about her family’s situation until her death.

Thinking that she could take the train home the day after tomorrow, her nose unconsciously began to tingle.

Tears rolled down her neck, quickly soaking her thin collar.

As she raised her hand to wipe away the tears, her fingertips accidentally brushed against the thin cord around her neck.

Only then did Shen Yi’an suddenly remember that since her rebirth, she had forgotten something very important.

The Space hadn’t been opened yet!

She immediately pulled out the pendant hanging from her neck, examining it carefully by the faint moonlight filtering through the curtains.

The pendant was made of sandalwood.

It bore no special carvings, simply crafted to showcase its natural grain patterns.

According to her parents, she had been a sickly child—frequently falling ill or fainting, with no improvement despite numerous doctor visits.

Given the prevailing customs of that era, her parents took her to the nearest Taoist Temple to pray.

By chance, they encountered the temple’s abbot on their very first visit.

Perhaps he saw something special in her, for the abbot hung the sandalwood pendant he always wore around her neck, instructing her parents not to remove it until she came of age.

After returning from the Taoist Temple, her health gradually improved, and the recurring bouts of illness and fainting spells never returned.

From then on, the sandalwood pendant around her neck became her talisman.

In her previous life, she had worn it until her dying day deep in the distant mountains, never once taking it off.

She discovered the pendant’s secret only when, nearing death, she frequently coughed up blood and accidentally stained the pendant with it.

That was when the Space activated.

But back then, convinced she didn’t have long to live, she paid little attention to the sudden appearance of the Space.

Since it couldn’t prolong her life, knowing she had encountered such a marvel was enough.

Now, reborn into a new life, the Space within the pendant had become immensely valuable.

Suppressing her surging emotions, Shen Yi’an first surveyed the dormitory.

There were eight people in total, with four bunk beds arranged facing each other.

She slept on the lower bunk to the left of the entrance, allowing her to see the other beds at a glance.

Hearing the steady rhythm of breathing from all sides, she knew everyone was sound asleep.

To be safe, she burrowed deeper into her quilt, pulling the clothes from her bedside into the covers as well.

In her past life, though she had acquired the Space just before death, she had tested it—both she and objects could enter and exit freely.

Now, uncertain if she could still enter, she made basic preparations.

If she suddenly vanished into the Space, the clothes in the quilt would prevent the bedding from collapsing too conspicuously.

With everything ready, she considered that blood was needed to bind the Space.

Lacking any sharp tools, Shen Yi’an resorted to using the nib of a pen from her shirt pocket to prick her finger.

After much effort, she managed to create a pinprick-sized wound on her fingertip.

Though blue ink seeped into the blood, it didn’t matter—what mattered was that she could now attempt to bind the Space.

Inside the quilt, there was virtually no light.

Uncertain if the blood from her fingertip was sufficient, she pressed her injured index finger firmly against the sandalwood pendant.

Moments later, a gentle white light flashed.

As the light faded, the person curled under the quilt vanished, leaving only a bundle of clothes propping up the slightly sunken bedding.

Meanwhile, the disappeared Shen Yi’an found herself in a serene, picturesque Space.

The first thing that caught her eye was a vast expanse of Black Soil Land, stretching as far as she could see, gleaming with a rich, dark luster.

A meandering river, softly gurgling, wound around the edges of the Black Soil Land.

This was the same scene she had witnessed when she first entered the Space in her previous life, Shen Yi’an realized.

Back then, knowing death was near, she had merely glanced at the Black Soil Land before leaving the Space, never to return.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to enter, but she knew that the more frequently she came in, the greedier her heart would become.

Once greed took root, what one might do became unimaginable.

But now was different.

She was 21-year-old Shen Yi’an, the youthful and vibrant Shen Yi’an.

Having such a Space at her disposal now was like adding wings to a tiger.

In 1981, although land system reforms had begun, agricultural production technology remained relatively backward.

Even just relying on this Black Soil Land to become a grain dealer would honestly be more comfortable than the job assigned by the school.

This thought flashed through her mind momentarily, and then she began exploring other areas she hadn’t had the energy to examine in her previous life.

A blue-brick courtyard built not far from the riverbank.

Perhaps because it was within the Space, the blue-brick courtyard had no surrounding walls, only simple wooden fences encircling it on all sides.

The entrance was the same, shielded by two waist-high wooden planks.

There was no latch on the door—it opened with a gentle push.

The moment Shen Yi’an stepped into the courtyard, her gaze was immediately drawn to the bubbling spring at the center.