Chapter 1: Crossing Over, Repaying Debts is Heaven’s Will!

**Chapter 1: Transmigration 101 – Pay Your Dues!**

Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, but couldn’t believe what she was seeing—

An oil lamp sat on the old desk at the foot of the bed. In the corner stood a mid-century high-low cabinet (a dual-height storage piece). A thin curtain with a traditional “Magpie Greets Spring” pattern hung from the wooden window frame. The fabric was so light it let in full sunlight, making the room bright and airy. A portrait of a leader was pasted on the white wall beside the curtain. The bed she lay on felt like a coir mattress, and the wall next to it was covered in yellowed newspaper clippings… None of this could possibly belong to the year 2024.

Su Xiaoxiao rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up, exhausted. She felt something pressing down her arm. She turned her head—and froze. There was a child in her bed?!

A toddler, maybe three or four years old, clung to her arm, sleeping soundly. His trusting little face made it seem as if Su Xiaoxiao were his real mother. She wanted to ask, *Who are you?* But suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed her head like a needle, and a flood of memories—not her own—rushed in.

After absorbing the memories of the body’s original owner, Su Xiaoxiao felt terrible. She had woken up transmigrated into that stepmother-themed novel she’d been reading before bed—and she wasn’t even the female lead. She was the doomed original wife of the male lead, Su Xiaoxiao.

Yes, what a coincidence—the tragic wife shared her name. But the original Su Xiaoxiao’s family situation was complicated.

In the novel, Su Xiaoxiao’s grandfather was born in the old society. He sold newspapers, shined shoes, worked as a rickshaw puller, and later joined the revolution. During the Northern Expedition, unwilling to see countrymen fight countrymen, he spent a few years in the cause, saved up some money, then returned to the capital to buy a small courtyard, marry, and have a child.

That child was a girl. Not wanting the family’s hard-earned wealth to fall into outsiders’ hands, Su Xiaoxiao’s grandfather arranged for his daughter to take in a matrilocal son-in-law—Su Xiaoxiao’s father.

Su Xiaoxiao’s father had originally planned to revert to his original surname and seize the family assets after his father-in-law’s death (three-generation reversion). Unfortunately, the old man saw through him. While his daughter and son-in-law were at work, he transferred the property deed to Su Xiaoxiao and made her swear to protect the family at all costs.

Worried that Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t manage alone, the grandfather asked around to find her a suitable husband.

Through an old comrade’s friend, Su Xiaoxiao met the male lead—a border soldier. Marrying him meant long separations and the possibility of early widowhood. Under these circumstances, the grandfather proposed that any future children take the Su surname, with Su Xiaoxiao and the child remaining in the Su household. The male lead had no objections.

He could have refused—with his qualifications, finding a wife wouldn’t have been hard. But he didn’t. He agreed. The grandfather, willing to believe his grandson-in-law was sincere, held on just long enough to see Su Xiaoxiao married before passing away peacefully.

In the novel, Su Xiaoxiao, touched by her husband’s family’s understanding, was deeply grateful. So when her in-laws asked for money, she gave it; when they needed help, she never refused.

At her parents’ home, Su Xiaoxiao saw herself as the eldest sister—dutiful to her parents above and caring for her younger siblings below. Within four years of marriage, she became the epitome of filial piety—daughter, in-law, sister, all in one. She martyred herself so her family wouldn’t lack a thing—and they repaid her by bleeding her dry, literally working her into an early grave.

Su Xiaoxiao had transmigrated into the original host’s body on the very day she dropped dead from sheer exhaustion after arranging her younger sister’s wedding. While reading the novel late at night, Su Xiaoxiao had even joked about the female lead: *With so many problematic characters around the male lead, is this marriage really necessary?* Now that it was her turn, her first thought was: *Divorce—ASAP!*

But the male lead was a border soldier who was rarely home, and his salary went entirely to her. Where else could she find such a good deal?

It was 1974—an era of scarcity. The average worker earned about twenty yuan a month, but the male lead sent her eighty (a small fortune at the time). Even if she and the child ate out every day, they couldn’t spend it all.

Without him, would she be eating husks and pickles?

She was no Wang Baochuan! (A reference to the self-sacrificing heroine of Chinese folklore.)

Besides, the real reason Su Xiaoxiao had transmigrated wasn’t because the male lead was trash—it was because his original wife had been *too* virtuous.

To live well, she had to treat *herself* as the priority.

But Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t just focus on herself—there was also the little one beside her. Gazing at the child’s innocent sleeping face, she couldn’t resist poking his cheek gently. “So soft. Listen, kiddo, from today on, I’m your mom. Don’t worry—if I eat meat, you’ll eat meat!”

Yet given the current situation, neither she nor the child would get even broth, because every cent the child’s father sent monthly had been gobbled up by both her in-laws and her own family.

For her sake and the child’s, Su Xiaoxiao decided to deal with the parasites around her—starting with her own family.

Speaking of her family, even while reading the novel, Su Xiaoxiao had found them unbelievable. Now, facing them firsthand, it still felt absurd. Out of the eighty yuan she received each month, her in-laws took at most thirty—the rest was sucked dry by her own relatives.

A family more parasitic than in-laws? That was a first for Su Xiaoxiao.

Even worse, Su Xiaoxiao’s parents had once tried to claim the house. Fortunately, the original host’s filial piety—and fear of disturbing her grandfather’s peace in the afterlife—kept the deed firmly in her hands, no matter their coaxing or threats.

Before the grandfather’s death, Su Xiaoxiao’s father had even vowed by his deathbed never to change the children’s surnames. Yet barely a week after the funeral, he took his three other kids and did just that. Only Su Xiaoxiao refused. Her mother not only failed to stop him but called Su Xiaoxiao a fool for refusing.

Who needed a mother like that?!

Su Xiaoxiao threw off the covers and prepared to get up. Footsteps sounded outside, followed by a clinking noise that made the child stir uneasily.

Though Su Xiaoxiao didn’t have children of her own, she was a devoted aunt. During her university years, she had spent every winter and summer vacation looking after her nieces and nephews. She gently patted the child, comforting him without words that his mother was nearby, and the little one soon drifted back to sleep.

"Why isn’t breakfast ready yet? Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao—"

Yeah, right! Can’t you lift a finger? Are your hands broken or your legs crippled? Su Xiaoxiao muttered under her breath. Covering the child’s ears, she called out toward the door, "Coming!"

She slipped into black pants, found a red-and-white plaid shirt, changed into new cloth shoes, and braided her long, dark hair into a thick braid. Looking herself over carefully to make sure everything was in order, she took a deep breath and whispered to herself, "Su Xiaoxiao, don’t be afraid. So what if it’s fifty years ago? You can handle this! Your husband’s a soldier—he’ll stand by you. Do whatever you want, and do it boldly! Believe in yourself!" She clenched her fists for encouragement, exhaled deeply, then opened the door.

A chilly breeze carrying the crispness of autumn greeted her, making her shiver slightly as she took in her future home—a traditional layout of three central rooms facing south, flanked by three side rooms each to the east and west, with another three rooms to the south, one on each side and a passageway in the middle.

Her parents lived in the main rooms, while she and the child occupied the side room next to the kitchen. Across from them were the rooms of her younger sister, younger brother, and sister-in-law.

Apart from a few brick pathways, every inch of the courtyard was used for growing vegetables. At the moment, only cabbages, radishes, greens, onions, and garlic remained. Cucumbers, eggplants, and tomatoes were already out of season.

"Stop staring and get cooking!"

A man’s roar startled Su Xiaoxiao. She turned to see a tall, dignified-looking man in his fifties stepping out of the main hall wearing a Mao suit (Zhongshan suit).

This was Su Xiaoxiao’s father.

Despite his height and good looks, Su Xiaoxiao’s grandfather had never approved of him. Though her father behaved obediently in front of the old man, her grandfather always sensed something insincere about him. Unfortunately, Su Xiaoxiao’s mother was smitten and refused to marry anyone else.

As it turned out, the grandfather’s instincts were right.

Ever since the original Su Xiaoxiao refused to change her surname, her father had treated her with nothing but disdain.

Su Xiaoxiao ignored him and went straight to wash her face and brush her teeth.

"Since when can’t I scold you?" Frustrated by her indifference, Su Xiaoxiao’s father raised his voice.

At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao’s mother walked in from outside carrying a bedpan. "Keep it down. What’s all the shouting so early in the morning? Today’s a happy occasion—don’t give the neighbors something to gossip about."

Today was the day Su Xiaoxiao’s younger sister would return home after her wedding. Her sister had married well—her father-in-law was a mid-level manager in a state-owned enterprise, and her mother-in-law worked for the All-China Women’s Federation. No wonder her mother was on edge.

Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her mother, surprised to see a kindly-looking old woman.

Looks like the saying “the face reflects the heart” isn’t always true.

After washing up, Su Xiaoxiao headed to the kitchen.

Seeing the tightly sealed stove, she scoffed in frustration. They got up so early but couldn’t even open the stove? She unsealed it, washed her hands, and started washing rice to make congee.

Once the metal pot was on the stove, she returned to her room. The child sat on the bed, looking around sleepily, as if wondering, "Where did Mommy go?"

Su Xiaoxiao sighed softly. "Such a good kid." From what she remembered, this child was always obedient—maybe he was a little angel sent to repay her.

Hearing her voice, the child turned, his eyes lighting up as he reached up with chubby arms and smiled sweetly. "Mommy!"

Su Xiaoxiao’s body moved instinctively, picking him up. Without thinking, she asked, "Do you need to pee?"

The child nodded. She carried him to the bedpan at the foot of the bed. After he finished, she dressed him in long johns and a jacket.

Noticing the patches on the child’s elbows, Su Xiaoxiao’s chest tightened. A family that received eighty yuan a month (a meager sum even then), yet the child wore clothes like this—it was downright shameful.

She looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat so she wouldn’t lose her appetite. "Time to wash up, sweetheart."

The child nuzzled against her shoulder, refusing.

Su Xiaoxiao said, "I'll cook you something tasty."

The child immediately wrapped his arms around Su Xiaoxiao's neck, looking obedient.

Su Xiaoxiao was torn between laughter and irritation, carrying him out.

The door across the hallway opened, and two people emerged. The woman in front had delicate, pretty looks, with fair skin tinged with a healthy glow—unlike someone who grew up in hard times. She had a noticeably large belly, appearing about six or seven months pregnant. This was Su Xiaoxiao's sister-in-law. The man supporting her from behind was Su Xiaoxiao's younger brother, Liu Xu.

Liu Xu was three years younger than Su Xiaoxiao, now twenty-three. He should have gone to the countryside for re-education after middle school, but Su Xiaoxiao's parents couldn't bear to send him away. They constantly urged the original Su Xiaoxiao to write letters to her husband, who pulled strings to get Liu Xu a job at a food factory.

As Su Xiaoxiao glanced over, her brother Liu Xu also noticed her and called out, "Sis!" before asking, "Is the food almost ready? Xiao Xue is hungry."

Su Xiaoxiao almost retorted sarcastically—*Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear I just got up?* But seeing the child in her arms, she swallowed her words, not wanting to scare him.

"It’s almost ready," Su Xiaoxiao replied.

Her brother frowned slightly. "Why did you get up so late? Oh, and don’t forget to steam a bowl of egg custard for Xiao Xue."

Biting back the urge to slap him, Su Xiaoxiao carried the child to the kitchen. The weather was cold, so she didn’t dare wash the child’s face with cold water. She used warm water from the kitchen to clean his face and had him rinse his mouth before carrying him back to the room to rub vanishing cream on his face.

The child sniffed his little hands and happily showed them off. "Mommy, it smells nice! I smell good!"

"Does it smell good?"

The child nodded, revealing two dimples.

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile.

"We’ll use this every day now," she said. In Su Xiaoxiao’s memory, the original Su Xiaoxiao only occasionally remembered to apply it to the child. When she was too busy, the child’s face would become as rough as sandpaper. "Now, come with Mommy to the kitchen."

In the kitchen, Su Xiaoxiao opened the cupboard, took out three eggs, cracked them into a bowl, and whisked them. Once the pot boiled, she poured the eggs in and placed a steamer rack on top to heat up some wotou.

She left the lid slightly ajar to prevent the porridge from boiling over. After about ten minutes, she pulled out some pickles from the cupboard and told everyone to grab their bowls and chopsticks to serve the meal.

As for Su Xiaoxiao, she held the child with one hand and carried the egg custard with the other, heading to the main room first.

Inside the main room, she sat the child beside her, feeding him bites of egg custard while taking bites herself.

When Su Xiaoxiao’s parents, brother, and sister-in-law sat down, they saw this scene. Her brother stared, dumbfounded. "Th-this… wasn’t this made for Xiao Xue?"

"Did I say it was?" Su Xiaoxiao shot back.

Her brother was stunned. "But—Xiao Xue’s pregnant! She needs the nutrition!"

Su Xiaoxiao nodded. "Yes, but she’s carrying the Liu family’s child, not the Su family’s. Why should I care?"

Su’s father froze for a moment before reacting. Turning to his daughter, he angrily demanded, "What do you mean by that? Are you blaming me for making Xu change his surname?"

The child shrank back, scared. Su Xiaoxiao pulled him closer, continuing to feed him while eating herself. "Eat first—it’s getting cold."

"Spit it out!" Su’s father slammed his chopsticks down, startling the child again, who clung tighter to his mother.

Su Xiaoxiao gently pressed her forehead against the child’s cheek. "It’s okay!" Then she turned to her mother. "Should I say it now?"

Her mother barely recognized her daughter. But recalling her daughter’s usual temperament, she assumed it was because of her husband’s earlier scolding that she was deliberately provoking them. "Xiaoxiao, don’t anger your father—"

"I’m asking if you want me to say it now," Su Xiaoxiao interrupted.

Su’s mother choked back her words, feeling displeased. "Say it!" she snapped, as if daring her to speak.

Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help smiling.

Su Xiaoxiao's sister-in-law felt uneasy and hurriedly said, "Big sis, if you want the egg custard, go ahead and eat it. It's fine if I skip a meal."

Su Xiaoxiao gave her a disdainful glance. "Your turn will come. Mom, you told me to speak. Remember what you said when my husband first sent me living expenses? You said you and Dad had low salaries, and our family wasn’t well-off, so you asked me to hand over the money. I told you that the money came from my husband’s blood and sweat and shouldn’t be touched."

The original person hadn’t said these words, but she had indeed hesitated for a long time back then.

Su Xiaoxiao was sure they had all forgotten, and continued, "You said it counted as borrowing from me. Last night I did a rough calculation—about fifty out of every eighty yuan each month went to you. This is my fifth year of marriage. At four hundred a year, that comes to eighteen hundred over five years. Mom, when are you planning to pay me back?"

"What?" Su's mother exclaimed.

The child nearly choked. Su Xiaoxiao quickly put down the basin and checked on him. "Keep your voice down!"

Su's mother sat up straight, glaring at her daughter. "You're asking me to pay you back?"

"Paying debts is only right and proper!"

Su's father sneered, completely unfazed by his daughter’s threat. "Listen to you! I've never heard of a child demanding repayment from her parents. Aren't you something!"

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t bother arguing with him and turned to her sister-in-law. "Xiaoxue, how could a girl from a good family like yours fall for my brother, an ordinary worker? Was it because your father studied abroad, your family had political problems, you had no job in the city, and if you were sent to the countryside, it would have been to some poor, remote area? Your parents were afraid you might not come back alive, so they married you off to my brother?"

Chen Xiaoxue, Su Xiaoxiao’s sister-in-law, suddenly felt a chill run through her and instinctively gripped her husband’s hand. She cautiously asked, "Sister, what exactly do you mean?"

"Has your father’s issue just recently been resolved? What do you think would happen if I went to his workplace now and told them his daughter is living off a widowed family’s resources? Would your father end up herding cattle in the countryside—or sent to a reform-through-labor school?" Su Xiaoxiao asked, smiling sweetly.