After Escaping an Arranged Marriage, Hiding in the Mountains to Survive the Years of Disaster

Gu Shiyi, a modern university researcher specializing in agricultural experiments, suddenly loses consciousness while working in the field and awakens in the body of a fifteen-year-old orphan girl in the Great Zhou Kingdom. The original owner of this body had just fled an arranged marriage after her father, a hunter, died from a wolf bite. Her stepmother, Cui Shi, immediately revealed her true greedy nature and sold Gu Shiyi to an elderly wealthy man named Liu Yuanwai as a concubine. With the help of her stepbrother, Gu Shiyi escaped into the deep mountains, carrying only a few clothes, some copper coins, and a jade pendant left by her deceased mother. She is accompanied by three dogs: Ah Hui, a capable hunting dog; Ah Hua, a maternal female dog; and Xiao Hua, their young pup.

While fleeing, Gu Shiyi tumbles down a slope and injures her ankle. As she tends to her wounds near a hidden cave entrance, the jade pendant glows and transports her consciousness into a mysterious spatial dimension. This space contains a small plot of land, a pool of water, and a stone tablet that displays weather forecasts and space functions. Gu Shiyi discovers that the space can heal injuries, preserve food indefinitely, and accelerate plant growth, with crops like chili peppers maturing in just twenty-four hours. Although the space is initially small and cannot contain the larger hunting dog Ah Hui, it provides her with a crucial advantage for survival in this unfamiliar ancient world.

Gu Shiyi finds refuge in a hidden sinkhole where her father used to stay. The location is well-equipped with a thatched courtyard, a kitchen stocked with rice, flour, cured meats, and various spices, as well as firewood and bedding. Realizing she has enough supplies to last a month, she decides to settle there temporarily while she recovers and plans her future. She explores the surrounding mountains, gathering wild vegetables, mushrooms, hawthorns, and potatoes. Her dogs prove invaluable, helping her hunt wild chickens and rabbits, and leading her to a large patch of wild grapes and bamboo rats.

Back in the village, Cui Shi pretends to be a grieving mother when Gu Shiyi goes missing. She orchestrates a search party to maintain her innocent facade, but privately she is furious and anxious about losing the twenty taels of silver deposit paid by Liu Yuanwai. When Cui Shi visits Liu Yuanwai’s residence to negotiate, she discovers his secret vulnerability and manipulative nature. Instead of returning the money, she enters into a secret arrangement with him, engaging in an illicit relationship to avoid repayment and secure additional income. Liu Yuanwai, satisfied with the arrangement, agrees to let the matter drop, effectively covering up Gu Shiyi’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, Gu Shiyi thrives in her secluded life. She uses the space to dry and preserve her harvests, including grapes for wine and wild mushrooms. She learns to process the bamboo rats her dogs catch, deciding to sell them in the county town to generate income. Her foot heals completely within the space, allowing her to venture out freely. She plans to buy seeds and supplies to establish a sustainable farm, leveraging her modern knowledge and the space’s magical properties. The story follows her transition from a desperate fugitive to a self-sufficient survivor, navigating the dangers of the wilderness while evading the grasp of her stepmother and the corrupt official.

As winter approaches, Gu Shiyi prepares for the harsh season by storing ample food and firewood. She continues to explore the sinkhole, discovering its vastness and potential for expansion. The space grows slightly larger after she processes her harvests, hinting at future upgrades. Her relationship with the dogs deepens, and they become her primary companions in this isolated environment. While Cui Shi and Liu Yuanwai continue their secret dealings in the county, Gu Shiyi remains unaware of their schemes, focusing instead on building a stable life in the mountains. The narrative sets the stage for her eventual return to society, armed with resources and skills, ready to confront the threats that still linger from her past.