Chapter 1 – The Cannon Fodder Reincarnated

Chapter 1 - The Cannon Fodder Reincarnated

As October began, the villagers of Xiahe Village were bustling with activity under the leadership of their village chief, all focused on the autumn harvest!

Suddenly, a figure plunged into the paddy fields on the eastern side of the village!

"Xiuxiu? Oh my, Xiuxiu, what happened to you? Aunt Wang? Someone from the Wang family! Help, quick, Wang’s eldest daughter-in-law has collapsed in the field!"

Someone shouted, and soon a crowd gathered.

A man rapidly approached from a distance. He was tall and thin, around six feet, with an attractive face that outshone even the village maidens. Without a word, he furrowed his brow and pushed through the crowd.

He scooped up the unconscious woman and sprinted towards the village clinic without uttering a single word.

"What happened? What's wrong with my daughter-in-law?" Outside the crowd, Zhao Guifen asked irritably.

"Your eldest daughter-in-law fainted in the field. Your eldest son just took her to the clinic," one of the onlookers informed her.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guifen’s expression changed dramatically.

That gluttonous and lazy fool of an eldest daughter-in-law! She always feigned fainting when it came time to work!

"Mom, what’s going on? I heard something happened to my sister-in-law?" Another woman, young and fresh-faced, perhaps in her early twenties, rushed over from the fields.

Seeing her youngest daughter-in-law approach, Zhao Guifen’s expression softened. "Why are you here? Your sister-in-law will be fine. Don’t worry about her; we’ll see at lunch."

Zhou Jiaojiao hurriedly followed her mother-in-law.

She wondered what had happened! She had only married into the family yesterday, and her husband, Old Fifth, was the youngest. Last night, he had told her about his eldest sister-in-law: how she was both greedy and lazy, with a bad temper. She bullied others in the family because she had given birth to twins.

The second sister-in-law was soft-spoken and had only a daughter, which made her feel inferior and vulnerable to the eldest sister-in-law’s bullying.

The third sister-in-law had a fiery personality but was straightforward and easy to get along with.

The fourth sister-in-law came from a wealthy urban family. They were well-off, and for her wedding, Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law had provided many valuable items.

However, as a newcomer, Zhou Jiaojiao decided not to involve herself in these family matters.

She didn’t marry into the family to meddle in their affairs. Her husband promised her a good life and vowed never to let her suffer any injustice!

News of the eldest daughter-in-law fainting in the field quickly spread throughout the village.

However, the urgent need to finish the harvest meant no one paid much attention.

In contrast to the quiet in the fields, Bai Xiuxiu, who had just regained consciousness in the clinic, felt like her world was exploding!

Who could understand? After decades as Wandering Spirit, she suddenly reincarnated back in time!

"Xiuxiu... drink some water." Wang Qinghe, having fetched hot water from the village’s barefoot doctor, Old Man Zhang, cautiously handed the enamel cup to Bai Xiuxiu lying in bed.

Bai Xiuxiu didn’t want to drink anything!

Her mood was terrible!

In her previous life, she died in the third year after her fifth sister-in-law joined the family. She drowned while watching a commotion by the river, pushed by someone unknown!

After her death, a large screen mysteriously appeared, detailing her life and the future events in the Wang family.

From this, she realized that her death was orchestrated because she obstructed the path of the Heavenly Father’s beloved daughter—her fifth sister-in-law!

Their world was actually set in a novel from a different era.

They lived in what later generations referred to as the Sixties.

It was popular in later times to travel back to this era and lead one’s family to prosperity.

Her fifth sister-in-law, however, wasn’t a time-traveling protagonist but an original character blessed with good fortune!

The fifth sister-in-law was naturally lucky, beautiful, kind-hearted, and hardworking!

Those who favored her would experience increasing good luck, while those who opposed her would suffer misfortune.

And she, the eldest sister-in-law, was the villainous cannon fodder in the story!

From their perspective, she was lazy, bullied her sisters-in-law, and was mean-spirited.

She also spread rumors about them outside and, out of jealousy towards the fifth sister-in-law, secretly reported her for illegal trading.

She was portrayed as both stupid and evil, deserving of punishment!

Eventually, she met her end by “accidentally” drowning.

After her death, her husband, Wang Qinghe, believed the Wang family had caused her demise. He became obsessed with avenging her, transforming into the main antagonist of the story, ruthless and heartless.

He neglected the upbringing of their children.

The fifth brother and his wife, the protagonists, thrived. After her death, Zhou Jiaojiao, the fifth sister-in-law, discovered a bracelet in a chest left behind by Bai Xiuxiu.

This bracelet seemed to have a spirit of its own, attaching itself to her wrist and refusing to come off. Moreover, it contained a space where she could grow medicinal herbs at an accelerated rate.

Zhou Jiaojiao believed it was a divine gift but also resented Bai Xiuxiu.

How selfish to possess such a treasure and not share its benefits with the family!

Zhou Jiaojiao used her bracelet to lead the family to prosperity and wealth!

Seeing this on the screen nearly made Bai Xiuxiu spit blood. What nonsense! She had no idea what kind of space that bracelet held!

To Bai Jiaojiao's surprise, her man, Wang Qinghe, was also quite successful. After the general situation improved, he started doing business as well. Compared to Zhou Jiaojiao, who had the spatial bracelet, his business flourished even more!

However, while she did it for prosperity, he did it to create trouble for the protagonists!

Thus, her man became the biggest villain in the book.

He almost forced the protagonists to their deaths, but unfortunately, before he could succeed, he suddenly fell ill and died.

Their two children were left orphaned.

The moment she understood the plot after her death, she felt terrible! That unlucky man didn't take good care of her two children!

She didn’t believe that her man, Wang Qinghe, had such deep feelings for her, yet she wanted to curse at this damn screen!

What kind of twisted thing was this?

She hadn’t fought with her fifth sister-in-law at all! On the contrary, the seemingly frail and harmless fifth sister-in-law, Zhou Jiaojiao, secretly caused her trouble!

Appearing amicable and sensible, she was actually calculating!

Why did she report Zhou Jiaojiao for speculation? It was because Zhou Jiaojiao wanted to secretly do business in the black market due to a lack of funds! When she persuaded her mother-in-law, Zhao Guifen, to borrow money from Bai Xiuxiu and was refused, she grew resentful.

She then colluded with a trafficker, almost abducting Bai Xiuxiu’s two precious children!

Reporting Zhou Jiaojiao for speculation was minor! If not for her sudden drowning, she would have retaliated!

As for being sharp-tongued, she barely interacted with the Wang family except during meals!

Her good mother-in-law, Zhao Guifen, always tried to extract money from her and gain advantages!

Her father passed away early, and her mother raised her and her sister. Her sister married a capable man and now followed him into military service.

In her earlier years, her mother served a kind young lady, who gave her many valuable items.

Both she and her sister received substantial dowries when they got married!

Upon marrying into the family, her mother-in-law immediately targeted her dowry!

She would often provoke her with insinuating remarks!

As for chores, she indeed didn’t know how to do them, but her man, Wang Qinghe, helped her. The couple did most of the household work, big and small.

They were like donkeys for the production team, or something similar!

How did this damn screen portray her as sharp-tongued, stupid, and wicked, and her man as ruthless?

Bai Xiuxiu couldn’t understand and was highly suspicious!

However... as a Wandering Spirit, she didn’t reincarnate after death but instead floated around her man.

She witnessed everything described in the book turn into reality one by one.

Her usually quiet man went crazy fighting against the family.

She watched him plan step by step, watched him suffer misfortune as he climbed up. His normally clear eyes became increasingly dark and terrifying after her death, watching as her and his children grew astray due to his neglect.

She wished she had a physical form so she could strangle him and make him come to his senses!

In the end, everything followed the book’s trajectory. Her man died, and her children turned out unaccomplished, learning bad habits.

Then, she was reborn.

In her memory, this was the second day after her fifth sister-in-law married into the family?

Bai Xiuxiu looked at her man, Wang Qinghe, the eldest son of the Wang family. While alive, this man didn’t have any particular strengths, except for his good looks! He was more handsome than any girl in the village, no, in the entire county!

However, despite his smart and good-looking face, he was usually as silent as a sealed jar.

He didn’t talk much!

Regardless of major or minor family matters, he remained quiet and uncommunicative!

Her mother-in-law, Zhao Guifen, favored her younger son and assigned all the dirty and tiring work to her man.

However, he never let her do any of those tasks.

Another advantage of his was that he listened to her! Whatever she wanted, he always found a way. He never complained about anything she asked him to do.

While alive, this man hardly spoke,

So, she didn’t realize until her death that he loved her obsessively.

People of this era didn’t care about love; she learned about it only during her years as a Wandering Spirit from the younger generation!

Seeing his wife staring at him strangely without moving, Wang Qinghe frowned in concern. He cautiously took a sip of water, sat down beside the bed, and patiently coaxed her: "I've already blown on it; it’s not hot. Drink some water quickly. Uncle Zhang said you fainted from exhaustion.

Didn’t we agree? I’ll do your work, so why did you exhaust yourself?"