Ch. 1..5: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1: Wedge (1)_1 “Ziyin, you can’t really want to spend your whole life consumed with these damned things, can you?” In the kitchen, a beautiful woman in a green military uniform angrily pointed at a pile of vegetables.

“If you’re not interested, you can skip dinner.” The woman with the short hair, wearing an apron, gave her a sidelong glance and said unhappily.

“Stop deflecting.” The woman in the green uniform was incensed.

“In fact, it’s quite nice that Ziyin opened this agritainment farm. All the vegetables are organic, so you can eat with peace of mind. Besides, her expertise isn’t wasted here. We can always come over for a meal when we’re free, right?” Another woman, dressed in a long white dress, said with a smile, while constantly making faces at her companions.

“We’re not stopping her from being a farmer. But why did she resign her professorship? These two things don’t conflict, do they?” The woman in the green uniform kept on pressing, “Ziyin, you’re not thinking of leaving us behind and sneaking off, are you?”

“You’re drifting.” Under the onslaught of her companions, Lin Ziyin had to put down the tools in her hands, turn around and look seriously at everyone. “My profession differs from yours. You’re my good friends, so I don’t want to keep anything from you.”

Seeing that she was serious, everyone stopped and stared into her eyes.

“Let’s go out and talk.” Lin Ziyin sighed, knowing that if she didn’t give her companions a convincing answer today, she probably wouldn’t be able to live in peace in the future.

When her friends heard this, they looked at each other and followed her out.

After reaching the living room, everyone found a place to sit down and then waited quietly for her to explain.

“As you know, I’ve been a part-time professor these past few years and I’m not an actual military person. Students from mechanical departments are being involved in national development. I don’t want to get involved too much. Do you understand?” Ziyin elegantly poured tea for everyone. “The tea we have is produced by our own farm and we don’t have much of it.”

After listening, the companions looked at each other. The reason Ziyin gave was not easy for them to respond to.

“You’re an authority in mechanics, why not join the military department?” A man in field gear said.

“Not interested.” Ziyin declined quite quickly.

“Is it because of the Lin family?” The woman in the white dress, who was more sensitive, saw bitterness in Ziyin’s eyes.

“Half of it.” Ziyin sighed again, “But, I’m doing well right now. This farm was originally left to me by my mother. I also want to continue taking good care of it. I love the environment here and I enjoy this laid-back life.”

“Lin Zihui is a shameless person.” The woman in the green military uniform cursed, “What gives her the right to always suppress you? She even took possession of your achievements.”

“Don’t forget that I’m an illegitimate child. Based on that, she has enough reasons to mess with me.” Ziyin replied with a bitter smile.

“Over the years, she has stolen quite a few of your patents. That’s more than enough to pay her back. Besides, if it weren’t for…” Her friend was indignant.

“Never mind. I don’t want to argue about who was right or wrong back then. Didn’t my mother take me away from the Capital City in order for me to live happily?” Ziyin seemed indifferent, “Ironic, isn’t it? In the field of mechanical engineering, a profession seldom engaged by women, the heiress of the Lin family is also interested.” Lin Ziyin said in a purposely detached tone, “Look, with my farm and hotel here, you guys benefit so much. Whenever you want to eat or drink, you can come. Lucky you.”

 

Chapter 2: Wedge (2)_1 “Tch, I’d rather forego this kind of good fortune.” The woman in the green military uniform seemed dejected.

They had always been good friends. Although they studied different majors, their affection for one another surpassed that of ordinary siblings. Initially, Lin Ziyin wouldn’t have taken the guest professor position at the military academy if it wasn’t for them and He Yue.

He Yue, who was dressed in a white dress, was a military doctor, her sensitivities somewhat more delicate than Wu Qingxia, who wore a military uniform.

While Wu Qingxia couldn’t perceive the pain in Lin Ziyin’s heart, she could. “Forget it, since it’s your choice, we won’t force you any more. By the way, I’ve found several recipes for making homemade cosmetics here, I’ll give them to you as a birthday gift. Anyway, you have plenty of flowers and fruits here, so you won’t be short of raw materials. Who knows, maybe one day, homemade cosmetics will become another distinctive feature of your farm.”

“Thank you, if it becomes successful, I’ll make you a silent partner.” Lin Ziyin took the recipes with a smile.

“Don’t mention it, I’m not lacking money. It’s supposed to be a birthday gift for you, so forget anything about being a silent partner.” He Yue said laughingly.

“If there’s anything, just give us a call. If I’m not around, there are these two here.” The only male spoke, a single gold star on his shoulder signifying his excellence.

Lin Ziyin gratefully smiled at him, “I know that I can always rely on you.”

“That’s right.” Wu Qingxia hugged her and said, “We are friends, friends forever.”

What is the Lin family? They only know about scheming all day. It is a misfortune for Ziyin, their daughter, to be part of the Lin family.

Meanwhile, a storm was raging within the Lin family.

“Was it your idea for Ziyin to leave the military academy?” Lin Shangke questioned his daughter.

“You come here and interrogate your daughter without clear understanding. Is it worth it for an illegitimate girl? Don’t forget, it’s you Lin Shangke who owes us all these years, not us who have wronged you.” Zhang Yun, dressed elegantly, glared angrily at Lin Shangke.

“Mom, stop talking. No matter what we say, he will never believe us. In father’s heart, we have never existed.” Lin Zihui spoke arrogantly, innocently playing the victim.

“All these years, I may have done Zhang Yun wrong, but I don’t owe anything to you Lin Zihui.” Lin Shangke looked somewhat disappointed at his daughter. It caused him great regret that he had cheated on a kind woman during his marriage, concealing his marital status and fathering a daughter with her. For all these years, he felt incredibly guilty. Therefore, he was always extremely good to the daughter who stayed with him, giving her all that she asked for. But in return, this daughter never appreciated what she was given.

As for his other daughter who never enjoyed any paternal love from him, deep down, he felt even more guilty. Secretly, he watched as Lin Zihui, bullied and took all of Ziyin’s achievements for herself. His heart ached but he never found a suitable solution to this problem.

“If you don’t like it, we can leave.” Zhang Yun used her old trick, preparing to go back to her parent’s home again.

“Get out.” Lin Shangke forcefully shut the door.

“Again with the arguing. Don’t you have any shame?” The returned elder of the Lin family scowled darkly. Because of the problems within Lin Shangke’s family, their reputation in the manor was all but ruined.

Other families may also have men who play around outside, but none of them ever make a fuss like the Lin family.

“Dad.” Zhang Yun protested, somewhat wronged and agitated.

“The woman is already dead, what are you jealous of a deceased person for?” The elder did not give her any face.

The elder of the Lin family wielded some power. Zhang Yun dared not utter a word under his reprimand, but Lin Zihui, pouted and looked a little provocative toward Lin Shangke upstairs.

With the intervention of the old man, this family dispute in the Lin family was ended for the time being.

Five months later, Lin Ziyin’s company launched handmade cosmetics. As soon as the product was launched, it caused a sensation in the market.

“President Lin, do you really intend to allocate sixty-five percent of the company’s shares to Miss Lin Ziyin?” A voice with a questioning tone resounded in the room.

“Yes, I have thought about it for a long time, you go and handle it. The other details about the property division are on this agreement, you can read it carefully.” There is a trace of fatigue in Lin Shangke’s voice.

“If your wife and Miss Zihui find out about this agreement, I anticipate they will cause trouble.” The lawyer warned.

“Even if they make a fuss, it’s useless. I’ve made up my mind, and I’m not going to change it anymore. Even in the future, I will also leave the corresponding inheritance to Ziyin from the Old Man’s side. I have wronged this child too much over these years, I don’t want her to be wronged anymore. The old man also has plans for Ziyin to come back. What about the matter you were investigating about Zihui, any results?” Lin Shangke asked.

Standing outside the company room, intending to come over and show goodwill, Lin Zihui felt her heart turn cold. It seemed that in her father’s eyes, she truly had no place.

It was all because of that wretched Lin Ziyin. Thinking of this, Lin Zihui did not rush into the room in anger to question them. Instead, she turned and left the building, climbed into her car, and raced off to settle the account with Lin Ziyin.

“Send these flowers to the head office.” Standing next to the car, Lin Ziyin gave instructions to the employee.

“Yes, miss. I’ll take it there right away, there won’t be any delays,” the employee replied, starting the vehicle.

Lin Ziyin stood and watched for a moment, intending to return to the farm.

However, just as she turned, she saw Lin Zihui with a ferocious expression on her face, driving a Land Rover furiously towards her.

Before she had time to react, she found herself flying through the air, then landing heavily on the ground.

Several screams rang out around her, and then she knew nothing more.

‘So this is what death feels like!’ This was Lin Ziyin’s last thought.

Chapter 3: Crossing (1)_1 By the time Lin Ziyin regained consciousness, she could not focus on the physical pain. What filled her mind first was a kind of confusion – the fact that Lin Zihui had actually shown mercy and not directly killed her seemed illogical.

Since she could understand things, she knew that her sister could not wait for her to die earlier. Also, anything she liked, Lin Zihui would snatch away.

For example, the choice to major in machinery in university.

Mechanical engineering was an unpopular major, and the number of females in the department was pitifully low. However, she had fought with Lin Zihui through four years of college, followed by a Master’s and Doctorate. Although Lin Zihui was always inferior, in order to compete with her, Lin Zihui put in enough effort to keep up. From this point of view, Lin Ziyin felt that Lin Zihui was a pitiful person.

Perhaps this time Lin Zihui had shown mercy out of fear of bearing the guilt of murder.

However, it seemed that her own situation was not optimistic. At the very least, Lin Ziyin felt her bones were falling apart, especially her head, which was in agony. She didn’t know whether such a major impact would leave any lingering effects.

Right now, Lin Ziyin really wished that her good friend He Yue was by her side. He was also her primary doctor. She didn’t want to survive but spend the rest of her life lying in bed.

“Grandpa, what should we do? My sister has been unconscious for six to seven days and hasn’t woken up yet. Should we ask the master in the temple to come and have a look?” Lin Ziyin was muttering to herself when a sobbing sound echoed in her ears.

The voice was very strange, and she had never heard it before. She thought it might have been from a family member of a patient in the same ward.

“Grandpa, please ask the master to come and see my sister.” A voice filled with sorrow pleaded, then a gentle hand was placed on Lin Ziyin’s forehead.

Who was it? Lin Ziyin immediately dismissed the physical pain, and her muscles tensed up. She was sensitive and it was certain she did not know the owner of the hand on her forehead.

“Huiniang, don’t worry. I’ll ask the village doctor to come again.” This was another deep male voice.

“I don’t want my second sister to die.” A child’s crying voice.

“I should go and beg the master to come and see the girl.” An elderly voice.

Who was it? Who was caring about her? Lin Ziyin became anxious, then her head hurt even more. The pain was so severe that even she, a strong person, couldn’t bear it, “Ah.”

A scream rang out, at the same time, many unfamiliar memories flooded into Lin Ziyin’s head: She was truly dead, but it seemed she had been reborn into another girl named Lin Ziyin. Only, this Lin Ziyin was a bit luckier, she was poor but had three brothers and sisters, a virtuous sister-in-law, a grandpa, and even a little nephew, but her parents had passed away in a mountain accident.

Was this a dream? It seemed she had been alone for too long and in her dream, her desire for a family had been reflected.

Lin Ziyin was an atheist, and she did not believe in the notion of reincarnation.

“Sister.”

“Girl, what’s wrong with you?”

This is a dream, it’s a dream! She repeated this in her mind like a mantra.

“Sister.”

“Sister, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for your useless brother, you wouldn’t have gone into the mountain to search for food and had an accident.” The young man started to sob uncontrollably, and then cries rang out in the room one by one.

Stop crying, it’s so noisy. Even though it felt like a dream, Lin Ziyin thought it was too noisy.

Chapter 4: Crossing (2)_1 She strained her eyes wide open and immediately froze, for the figures standing before her were the very same family she had just seen in her dreams.

“Little sister, you’ve awakened, that’s wonderful.” A beautiful young girl bent over the bedside, tears still clinging to her face.

“Little Sister, if you feel any discomfort, speak out. Your sister-in-law will find someone to treat you.” An older woman nervously asked, concern and happiness etched on her face.

“The grace of God,” sighed an older man in relief, standing nearby.

“Second Sister, this is great, you don’t need to die.” Little Bun, leaning over the bed, had a face smeared with tears and snot.

“Second Sister won’t die.” Another even smaller child was teary-eyed as well, a sight that broke one’s heart.

“Thirsty.” After a struggle, Lin Ziyin managed to groan out a single word.

“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law will boil some water for you now.” The older woman sprang to her feet and left hastily.

“There’s still some cold boiled water in the teapot. Give it to her to ease her thirst first.” A young man reacts faster, joy flickered across his face as he swiftly left the room.

Soon, water was brought forward. Lin Ziyin, heedless of its chill, drank it under the young girl’s assistance.

“How do you feel, are you better now?” The elder man asked.

“My head hurts, I’ve forgotten a lot.” Lin Ziyin didn’t know how to deal with the people before her, so she made an excuse for the time being.

“Do not fear, we will call a master to come and see you.” The elder man’s voice was full of compassion, “All of you, go outside and let the girl rest. Changshu, go to the temple to invite the master.”

“Alright, I will leave immediately.” With that, the young man left.

“Little sister, rest well. The master will be here soon.” The younger girl comforted her, voice gentle.

“Okay.” Lin Ziyin closed her eyes.

Everyone in the room exchanged glances before leaving in mutual understanding.

Only after the room quieted down, did Lin Ziyin open her eyes and start to take in her surroundings.

If she still continued to deceive herself at this point, she would only be a coward.

Years of rigorous training in the military academy, along with the fact that all her friends were from military backgrounds, had sharpened her physique and willpower.

Since she’s here, might as well make the best of it! After all, the people on that side…

Thinking of her family, Lin Ziyin let out a long, sad sigh. As they wished, they would never have to see her again in their lifetime. They should be happy about her passing, right?

As for her closest friends and her young uncle? The thought of them grieving for her brought a bitter smile to her face. She could envision them embroiled in a lifelong feud with her family because of her.

That was the last thing she wanted! She only hoped that the ones who cared for her could live happily for the rest of their lives.

Moving forward, she needed to figure out how to avoid arousing the suspicion of this family. From the amalgamated memories she now had, Lin Ziyin was aware that the Lins here were a very closely-knit family. As the younger sister, she was pampered and cherished by her brothers, sisters-in-law, sisters, and grandfather. Even the two youngest children, whom she had spent considerable time with, were very reliant on her.

However, the one drawback was that they were very poor—strictly speaking, everyone in this village was poor. Considering the house she resided in; as she and her sister were girls, the best rooms were allotted to them by her brother and grandfather. Still, the best room only had a bed, an old cupboard and box left behind by their deceased mother, patchwork quilts, and a curtain full of patched holes.

One could easily imagine the condition of the houses the others lived in.

Having considered this, Lin Ziyin resolved that since she could not go back, she would have to use the knowledge she possessed to improve her family’s living conditions.

But what if her changes lead to her family growing suspicious? She didn’t want to be treated as a monster and killed.

How could she evade their suspicion? This was a dilemma. Lin Ziyin was plunged into a kind of distress she had never experienced before.

Chapter 5 Buddha’s Fate (1)_1 Lin Ziyin racked her brain, but she still couldn’t find a good excuse to explain her transformation to the Lin family. Under pressure and worn out, she drifted back to sleep within a short time.

Unexpectedly, her chance arrived quicker than Lin Ziyin had anticipated.

“Little sister, wake up, the master is here,” rang the voice of her elder sister from the Lin Family, as Ziyin drifted in sleep.

Groggy, Lin Ziyin opened her eyes to see the anxious look on the young girl’s face.

“Little sister, it’s good that you’re awake. Grandfather has invited the master to come over and examine your condition again,” chimed in her young sister-in-law, looking relieved.

“Sister, Sister-in-law,” Lin Ziyin managed to croak, her voice sounding utterly raspy.

“Is little sister awake yet?” came a voice from outside the room, Ziyin’s elder brother’s voice.

“She is awake.” Sister-in-law replied, whereupon the door was lifted to reveal Grandfather Lin, Elder Brother, and a lean monk stepping into the room.

“Master Hui Zhen, please examine the young girl again, and see if there is any improvement in her condition,” quivered the old man as he addressed the monk.

“Amitabha.” Master Hui Zhen clasped his hands together, uttered a Buddhist phrase, then seated himself on a shabby stool by Lin Ziyin’s bedside. “Young Benefactor, please extend your hand.”

“Little sister.” Older sister Lin Zige quickly extended Ziyin’s hand towards the Master.

Master Hui Zhen extended three fingers to Lin Ziyin’s wrist and began diagnosing her condition carefully.

All the Lin family members held their breath as they watched, afraid to even blink, as though Ziyin would vanish the moment they looked away.

“The Benefactor’s health problem isn’t serious, she has just lost a lot of blood, she will need plenty of rest,” said Master Hui Zhen, retracting his hand. “She has a kind face, she is predestined with Buddhism, everything will get better after this tribulation. Respected old Benefactor, you need not worry too much. I shall write you a prescription; ensure she takes the medication as instructed for a while.”

“Thank you, Master,” thanked Grandfather Lin gratefully.

“Benefactor, you have been very kind to the temple, so there’s no need to be overly polite,” returned Hui Zhen politely.

“Master, my sister says she has forgotten many things. What is that all about?” asked Lin Changshu anxiously.

Ever since their parents passed away, even though they had their grandfather as an elder, he was old. Lin Changshu felt it was his duty as the eldest grandson to look after his two younger sisters and their brother.

Changshu had been blaming himself for his sister’s injury and had hardly slept for several nights.

“Young Benefactor, what all can you recall?” After hearing Changshu’s words, Master Hui Zhen checked Lin Ziyin’s head wound again, then gently asked her.

Ziyin felt a bit nervous, worried the old monk might spot something amiss about her. Shortly, however, she regained her composure and admitted, “My head really hurts. I only remember my name, knowing the members of my family, everything else has slipped my mind.”

Tears welled up in Lin Zige’s eyes as she observed her little sister’s pitiful appearance.

“As long as you remember your family that’s what matters; ignore the forgotten things.”

“Yes, it’s alright to forget,” added Lin Changshu. Lin Changshu’s sister-in-law, Guo Huiniang, had already been quietly wiping her tears.

“The young lady has suffered a head injury, it seems she has amnesia,” Master Hui Zhen finally declared, “Amitabha, whatever comes will go, everything is destiny.”

“Master, when will she recall her past?” implored Grandfather Lin, getting a bit desperate. He feared that the word might get out about Ziyin’s amnesia, thus complicating her future marriage arrangements.