Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Oh dear! How unfortunate my fate is to have such a daughter-in-law! All she does is eat and drink, never lifting a finger!"

"Oh, Mother, Sister-in-Law just gets up late."

"Tired? What's she tired from? I work from dawn till dusk without a moment's rest, cooking and working the fields. And her? She hasn't even given birth to a child yet. Tsk! A hen that doesn't lay eggs!"

In the 1970s, houses were made of earth with no soundproofing. Xu Yuqing, annoyed, turned over in bed but didn't leave her room.

The less she responded, the more brazen the people outside became, their voices growing louder.

"Disobedient to her mother-in-law, unkind to her brothers, and unable to bear children. When the eldest son returns, I'll make him divorce her!"

The shrill voice penetrated the door, leaving Xu Yuqing unable to sleep any longer. She sat up; the wooden door creaked faintly, suggesting her mother-in-law, He Xiuhua, was right outside, likely accompanied by her sister-in-law, He Yuezhu.

Xu Yuqing had been hearing these accusations of laziness for over half a month now. She no longer cared; after all, it wouldn't change anything.

She got out of bed. The room was spacious, but it was practically bare.

It was stiflingly hot in October in the south. After waking from an afternoon nap, her back was drenched in sweat. She picked up the teapot from the only chest in the room that served as a table, too lazy to pour it into a cup, and drank directly from it.

The house was a single-story tile-brick structure with a small window that let in little light. The room was dim, with a portrait of a great leader on the wall.

There was a mirror atop the chest, which belonged to her predecessor. Xu Yuqing picked it up and took a look.

Aside from the sallow complexion due to malnutrition, her features were exquisitely refined, exuding a pitiful charm. It was similar to her former self, and if well-nourished, they would be identical.

Yes, after this half-month, Xu Yuqing had fully accepted it—she had crossed over.

And not just anywhere, but into a book, a period novel.

The reason for the two women's anger outside was because Xu Yuqing had gone to the post office yesterday morning to collect her husband's allowance. This time, however, instead of giving the second son's family their usual monthly contribution of one yuan, she gave them four extra, making it five yuan in total.

She didn't hand over everything.

Her mother-in-law, He Xiuhua, and her sister-in-law, He Yuezhu, reacted like snakes whose tails had been stepped on, immediately lashing out.

Xu Yuqing intended to solidify her reputation as the wicked supporting female character. In the book she had crossed into, a domestic drama set in a specific era, Xu Yuqing was the villainous supporting female, while the protagonist was her soon-to-be third sister-in-law.

Both the protagonist and her predecessor were educated youths, but the protagonist had a high school education, was hardworking, and treated her mother-in-law with utmost care, treating her sisters-in-law like sisters.

The predecessor, on the other hand, was lazy and fickle, ultimately dying alone and sick after a divorce.

The predecessor married the eldest son of the Xie family, currently the most promising man in the family, a soldier. During the educated youth movement, the predecessor lived in a remote mountain village. While gathering wild vegetables, she found Xie Junli unconscious in a trap set by the villagers. With no one around, moved by kindness, she rescued Xie Junli and sought help from the village's only barefoot doctor, paying twelve mao for medicine.

When Xie Junli woke up, he happened upon the predecessor being bullied and, despite his injuries, chased the bully away. Under the village's gossip, the predecessor couldn't stay and begged Xie Junli to take her away.

Thus, the predecessor and Xie Junli had only the name of marriage, not the reality.

After marriage, the predecessor dared not follow her husband to his military base and returned to Xie Junli's hometown, where she was bullied by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, unable to even fart in protest. The reason why giving only five yuan caused such anger was that previously, every month, the twenty yuan Xie Junli sent was entirely handed over to her mother-in-law.

Even the wedding banquet for her sister-in-law a month later was paid for with this money.

The protagonist in the book was named Sun Meiyu. Though also an educated youth, her father was the deputy director of the county's garment factory. As the eldest sister with a younger brother and sister, she had no choice but to go to the countryside, but she managed to find a village closest to her home through connections.

Therefore, Sun Meiyu, the educated youth, was the best possible wife candidate in the village.

After marrying in, Sun Meiyu was virtuous and diligent, tutoring her young nephew in his studies, sweet-talking everyone. In stark contrast was the penniless predecessor, who barely spoke.

Later on, the predecessor would run away with a truck driver, caught by the villagers, beaten, thrown out of the village, and then died of illness.

These few words summed up Xu Yuqing's life.

Ironically, they used the money sent by Xie Junli for food and drink. Later, when Xie Junli was injured during a mission, her mother-in-law slapped the soldier who came to deliver the compensation, complaining about its inadequacy.

With the predecessor's memories, Xu Yuqing immediately concluded that the predecessor would never run away with a truck driver.

Simply put, the predecessor was extremely timid, preferring stability, and could not possibly be lazy. She had come here because the predecessor had worked herself to death.

Returning from work to an empty table, her food rations taken by her mother-in-law, she had money she dared not use, leaving her with nothing to eat but cold water. Her body, weakened from a day's labor, was frail.

In short, the predecessor and Xie Junli were merely NPCs, useful only for providing money and promoting family harmony.

It remained to be seen whether the family would remain harmonious now that she wasn't cooperating.

Xu Yuqing returned to bed and pulled out all her money from a hidden compartment beneath it.

Fifteen freshly acquired yuan from today, plus the money saved by her predecessor. Altogether, she had eighty-seven yuan.

For Xu Yuqing, who had been an independent food blogger in her previous life, this was truly meager.

She placed the money in a black cloth bag sewn together and tucked it into her chest, though she was uncomfortable with it. However, last night, she saw He Xiuhua sneak into her room, likely searching for the fifteen yuan.

Angry, she locked her door today.

Xu Yuqing patted her chest. Soon, very soon, in another half a month, Xie Junli would return. By then, no matter what, she would follow him to the military base and then plan her divorce.

Putting her thoughts aside, Xu Yuqing opened the door and walked out. The first thing she saw was dirt. Scattered around were some green onions, and larger plants that were probably vegetables. The courtyard was vast, making He Xiuhua and He Yuezhu stand out.

He Xiuhua put down the vegetables in her hands. Seeing Xu Yuqing's face, her anger flared. "Oh, you finally decided to get up. Anyone would think I married a goddess home!"

Xu Yuqing glanced at He Xiuhua and the gloating He Yuezhu beside her. Calmly, she said, "Mother, before I fell ill, I did all these chores."

Unconsciously, she rubbed her hands. The rough calluses were prominent, making Xu Yuqing feel uncomfortable.

Ignoring He Xiuhua's choked anger, Xu Yuqing headed to the kitchen to boil some water.

Behind her, He Yuezhu, who hadn't spoken a word, gently patted He Xiuhua's back. "Mother, don't be angry. If Sister-in-Law doesn't understand your hardships, I do."

Upon hearing this, He Xiuhua's triangular eyes, which were usually squinted in suspicion, relaxed slightly. She looked at He Yuezhu with satisfaction. He Yuezhu was from her side of the family, and though their kinship was distant, they shared the same surname, making her feel more at ease and comfortable around her own flesh and blood, unlike that wretched girl who only knew how to cause trouble.

Seeing her mother-in-law pleased with her, He Yuezhu smiled triumphantly. Looking at Xu Yuqing in the kitchen, she thought her to be utterly foolish, but then again, it was better for her to be simple-minded so that there would be something left for her to gain.

She had entered the household early, having been caught up in a passionate affair with Xie's second son, tasting forbidden fruit and conceiving a child. Later, she lost the child and damaged her health. The family, not wanting this scandal to be known, married her off hastily. Initially, He Yuezhu felt insecure and guilty before her mother-in-law.

But then, the eldest daughter-in-law who came later seemed like a complete fool, obediently doing work for money and following orders. Now, although she had become a bit more astute, she had also incurred the displeasure of the in-laws. Sighing, He Yuezhu shook her head with a smile, continuing with her chores. She thought about the child growing in her womb and planned to have her mother-in-law send a telegram to her eldest brother-in-law once the baby was born, hoping for at least a twenty-dollar red envelope.

Now that she craved sour foods so much, it must be a sign of a boy, the first grandchild.

Thinking about this, she glanced at her eldest sister-in-law, whom she had never seen with her husband even after being married for so long, and threw her a look of pity. Then, she felt that her own life was too good, and decided that she should reward her second husband tonight.

Xu Yuqing emerged carrying a pot of boiling water. She saw He Yuezhu's strange expression, as if she wanted to laugh but dared not, her face contorted as if in a fit. Xu Yuqing looked around but didn't see her mother-in-law, He Xiuhua, assuming she had gone out to chat again.

Calmly, Xu Yuqing returned to her room with the water, locked the door, and lay back on her bed to catch her breath.

Xu Yuqing pondered what to do next. For now, she could only pretend that her previous self had rebelled too much, but she couldn't overdo it, or else...

Suddenly changing one's behavior—

In any case, she needed to be cautious.

As for Xie Junli, it was ironic that despite his height, the original body's memories did not include his face, only his chest muscles.

Though those chest muscles were undeniably alluring...

Thinking about that scene, Xu Yuqing, who had never been in a relationship, blushed uncontrollably and buried her face in the blankets, feeling embarrassed.

It was indeed due to her long absence of a boyfriend that she was so easily flustered. Xu Yuqing patted her cheeks, trying to compose herself, reminding herself that there was still an entire family outside.

For dinner, Xu Yuqing did not join them. She knew deep down that this family did not welcome her.

Her father-in-law had passed away due to an accident before she married into the family. The only men left at home were Xie's second and third sons, among whom Xie's third son, Xie Yunli, was the protagonist.

He was naturally gifted but lazy, worldly yet naive. After marrying the female lead, she transformed him into a capable man, a plot point that many readers found endearing.

However, based on Xu Yuqing's observations during this time, this Xie Lao San was simply idle and gluttonous, merely clever enough to mask his true nature.

Xu Yuqing found some peach cookies in the cabinet, a rare treat in this era. With a gentle bite, the fragrant crunch spread from her tongue to her throat, the sweetness satisfying her as she closed her eyes in contentment.

If she had known she would transmigrate, she wouldn't have bothered with dieting, Xu Yuqing lamented inwardly.

In the courtyard, the Xie family sat together, eating a bland dinner of clear soup and watery porridge, steamed buns, and a plate of pickled radish. Each member ate without relish, the meal consisting mostly of liquid.

"Mom, why is it like this today?" Xie Yunli asked in confusion. Today wasn't supposed to be a meatless day, and he had been waiting since morning, almost starving.

Hearing this, He Xiuhua's already sour mood worsened, and she snorted coldly. "Just eat what you're given! After all, someone doesn't consider us family!"

Confused, Xie Yunli looked at his second sister-in-law, and with a quick turn of his mind, combined with the empty chair, he instantly understood.

"It's alright, we can survive on bran and wild vegetables. Mom, you should eat something finer." With that, Xie Yunli took the ladle and scooped out the thicker part of the porridge for He Xiuhua. There was only a small handful of rice in the pot, and after giving some to He Xiuhua, he took two more scoops for himself. By the time He Yuezhu hurried to scoop some, there was nothing left but rice water in the pot.

...He Yuezhu was furious. She glared at her younger brother-in-law, but just as she did, He Xiuhua noticed. Having just been moved by her youngest son's filial piety, she saw her daughter-in-law's reaction and immediately lashed out, "You shallow-eyed thing! Your old mother works hard every day, what's wrong with eating a little rice? And you dare to glare at me! Good thing my third son cares for me!"

The sharp scolding made He Yuezhu lower her head, and only when He Xiuhua stopped did she pick up the ladle again, scraping half of the remaining rice into Xie Yunli's bowl. "Eat, you do heavy work and are tired. This amount is enough for your mother."

He Yuezhu gritted her teeth, watching her husband, who was stupidly munching on a few pieces of pickled radish with the wild vegetables. Filled with anger, she reached out and pinched him, frustrated that her mother-in-law favored her youngest son without considering who worked harder daily. Moreover, she was pregnant and couldn't even have rice, only rice water! The more He Yuezhu thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and her grip tightened.

"Wife!" Xie's second son cried out in pain, looking at He Yuezhu in confusion.

This led to another round of scolding.

Amidst the commotion outside, Xu Yuqing enjoyed a peaceful moment in her room.