Chapter 9: Lu Zhaodi is Reborn

Chapter 9: Lu Zhaodi Is Reborn

Half the village flocked to witness the spectacle involving Lu Xiang and Fu Qinhui.

Meanwhile, the old Lu family residence lay deserted. Grandma Lu and Eldest Aunt Lu bickered, each blaming the other: "This is all your bright idea! We should have just taken that three hundred back then!"

It wasn't just about the three hundred. They had initially received three hundred from Old Mr. Li as a token of gratitude, and with the additional three hundred from Lu Zhaodi's marriage, the total amounted to six hundred. Now, all of it had gone down the drain, leaving Grandma Lu fuming with anger.

Eldest Aunt Lu was no pushover either: "It wasn't solely my idea back then—you agreed to it too. Why are you putting all the blame on me now?"

Grandma Lu ignored her protests, relentlessly demanding that Eldest Aunt Lu repay the six hundred yuan.

Exasperated by Grandma Lu's unreasonable nagging, Eldest Aunt Lu felt her anger surge. She retorted, "If you're so capable, why come to me? Why not confront your granddaughter Lu Xiang instead?"

The mention of Lu Xiang redirected Grandma Lu's fury. With so much chaos earlier and the aggressive pressure from the Fu family, they had been thrown into disarray. The biggest unexpected factor had been Lu Xiang. Lu Xiang, usually quiet and reserved, had unexpectedly refused to back down in such a situation.

While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law traded accusations, Lu Zhaodi remained largely unresponsive. After her earlier crying spell, she had felt dizzy and lay down for a while. In that brief interlude, she experienced a strange and vivid dream.

In the dream, Lu Xiang and Fu Qinhui's affair was exposed, leading to widespread condemnation. Unable to bear the pressure, Lu Xiang soon went mad. Meanwhile, Lu Zhaodi moved to the city and became a saleswoman at a meat processing plant. Later, she married Li Yucai, and they had a son and a daughter. By the 1990s, she returned to the capital, living a stable life.

The dream was so beautiful that she yearned to stay in it. It felt incredibly real, as if it had truly happened. But soon, she awoke, and the recent memories came flooding back.

Lu Zhaodi sat up abruptly. Lu Xiang had openly broken ties with the Lu family, exposing the truth about the marriage swap in front of the entire village. Li Yucai, having discovered their scheme, had left in anger.

Before this rebirth dream, Lu Zhaodi had been just a simple village girl. She had been willing to marry Fu Qinhui, but Grandma Lu's overwhelming authority had prevented her from objecting. Her parents favored boys, and with two younger brothers, she survived in the family by constantly trying to please them. The plan to have Lu Xiang take her place in the marriage had been orchestrated by her mother and grandmother.

She had initially felt regretful about her situation, but then she had that wonderful dream. In it, she moved to the city and became the enviable Mrs. Li. She drank red wine, ate imported chocolates, wore dresses from Guangzhou, and silk scarves from Shanghai. This dream ignited a deep longing within her!

With her newfound ambitions, she naturally disdained the village match arranged for her. As long as she remained unmarried, things would work out. Although there had been some misunderstandings with Li Yucai, as the old saying goes, "Good things are worth waiting for."

Hearing her mother and grandmother arguing over six hundred yuan filled Lu Zhaodi with disgust. They were truly village folk, short-sighted and making such a fuss over such a small sum. If she were to give them six thousand yuan in the future, wouldn't they worship her like a goddess?

Right now, Lu Zhaodi had only one thing to confirm.

Lu Xiang was her cousin, always timid and cautious, like a frightened rabbit. She would get scared if anyone raised their voice even slightly. How could someone like her openly argue with Grandma Lu, completely disregarding her reputation?

Since experiencing this rebirth, Lu Zhaodi couldn't help but speculate.

Once the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't stay still. Lu Zhaodi put on her shoes and went to find Lu Xiang. From afar, she saw a crowd of people who had come to watch the drama. The villagers, noticing Lu Zhaodi’s arrival, quickly asked her what had really happened.

As a reborn person, Lu Zhaodi would never say anything that could harm her. She simply claimed she didn't know, and if pressed further, she would start crying. The aunties and older women present couldn't bring themselves to press her further.

When Lu Zhaodi approached, she noticed Fu Qinhui was also there. Although she wanted to marry Li Yucai and, after a few years, live an upper-class life, she couldn't help but feel attracted to Fu Qinhui upon seeing him. Fu Qinhui was extremely handsome, with a refined and scholarly demeanor. His clothes were neat and impeccable. Not just in the village—his demeanor stood out even in the county town. Even Li Yucai was slightly less handsome in comparison.

The thought of such an outstanding person ending up with Lu Xiang by accident made her somewhat jealous. She then called out, "Brother Qinhui," with a hesitant tone.

Fu Qinhui didn't respond.

Lu Zhaodi gave him a reproachful look, as if conveying a multitude of emotions. But Fu Qinhui was still upset about Lu Xiang’s words about separating. Lu Zhaodi’s coy look was wasted.

Not receiving a response didn't discourage Lu Zhaodi. Having lived through a rebirth, if nothing else, she was more thick-skinned than most young girls. Ignoring the silence, she knocked and entered the house.

As soon as she stepped inside, she said, "Uncle, Auntie, I’m so sorry. I had no idea Grandma would do such a thing. She didn’t just hurt my cousin Lu Xiang—she hurt me too. What they did has ruined my reputation as well."

Lu Danian and Lu Xiang’s mother had initially blamed her, but seeing Lu Zhaodi speak so apologetically softened their hearts.

Lu Xiang had no idea what she was up to but didn't interrupt her.

Lu Zhaodi said, "Even though I didn’t do this, it happened because of me. I’d like to formally apologize to Xiangxiang. Let’s talk in the backyard."

Lu Xiang followed her to the backyard, where it was quieter and less crowded. Lu Zhaodi tested her knowledge: "What kind of productive force is science and technology?" This was a phrase widely printed and displayed on posters in the future.

Lu Xiang instantly understood—Lu Zhaodi’s apology was just a pretense; she was really here to test her. If she could say something like this, it seemed she had also been granted a special opportunity.

Lu Xiang grew annoyed.

It appeared Lu Zhaodi wasn’t innocent—in the book, she had intentionally advanced by stepping on others. People like her were either foolish or malicious. Lu Xiang replied, "I have no idea what you’re talking about."

Lu Zhaodi tested her with a few more questions about future developments, but seeing Lu Xiang’s confused expression, she grew even more delighted. Clearly, not everyone had been granted this chance to be reborn!

Lu Xiang, now being cautious, wasn’t about to let herself be fooled by a few probing questions. Instead, Lu Zhaodi inadvertently revealed much about herself. Lu Xiang basically deduced that she was reborn.

Lu Xiang had read that period-era novel from beginning to end. It depicted the rapidly developing era from the 1980s to the 1990s. Although Lu Zhaodi, reborn from the 1990s to the 1980s, had a small advantage over ordinary people, many of her ideas were still quite limited.

But Lu Xiang was different. She was fully aware of the future internet age and had a much larger knowledge reserve than Lu Zhaodi. If Lu Zhaodi dared to make a move, Lu Xiang wasn’t afraid to confront her.