Chapter 1 - 10

The setting sun cast long shadows, dividing the courtyard in two. Smoke curled from the chimney, making the courtyard half-lit and half-shadowed.

Zhou's mother was chopping vegetables in the shadows, the vibrant green leaves transforming into thin, emerald-green shreds under her skillful knife work. After chopping a pile, she grabbed a handful and scattered them on the ground.

An old hen and her brood of fluffy yellow chicks chirped and scrambled for the scattered vegetable shreds.Full novel: After transmigrating into the book, she became wealthy in the 1980s. — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠

"Mom, I'm taking Jiang Xia to the clinic." The man's deep voice broke the courtyard's tranquility.

Zhou's mother nearly cut her finger!

She put down the knife and frowned: "What's wrong now? Didn't she wake up?"

She had just heard the couple talking.

"She has a fever, a bit delirious. I'm taking her to the clinic." What Zhou Chenglei didn't say was: he suspected Jiang Xia had suffered brain damage from the fever.

They were all talking nonsense.

When asked his name, and something about "transmigrating into a book and becoming a cannon fodder female supporting character?"

, he didn't understand a word of it.

He couldn't bear to listen anymore.

Zhou's mother frowned: "Can't you just give her a packet of fever-reducing powder?"

Zhou Chenglei shook his head. A flicker of

annoyance crossed Zhou's mother's mind: "Then let's go!"

"What? To the clinic again? A fever won't kill you, why go to the clinic? Fourth brother, do you think we have too much money or do you think we have a gold mine waiting to be mined?" Tian Caihua emerged from the kitchen, holding a pair of smoking fire tongs, her mouth spewing out a torrent of words like a machine gun: "She was just discharged from the hospital after attempting suicide by jumping into the sea yesterday, and now she's back at the hospital? What did she do today? Did

she jump into the sea or hang herself? Did she bang her head against the wall or cut her wrists?" "Fourth brother, do you know I'm afraid to go out now! Every time I go out, everyone I meet asks me, 'Did your Jiang Xia run away with a man and get caught red-handed by your Zhou Chenglei, forcing her to jump into the sea to commit suicide?' Is it true that your fourth brother's new, beautiful, and educated city wife eloped with someone?"

"You say she's only been married for a few days? She's already gone through a whole series of dramatic events: crying, making a scene, threatening suicide, eloping, jumping into the sea, and banging her head against the wall! What does she want? She's completely disgraced the Zhou family! You may not feel ashamed, but I do! My four sons still have to go to school! Even the teachers are getting curious!"

Mrs. Zhou was incredibly annoyed. "Alright, stop talking."

She was also very dissatisfied with her newlywed daughter-in-law, but her son had already suffered enough from marrying such a woman.

It was all her fault for not investigating properly, assuming that her son's former boss thought highly of him and arranged the marriage.

If she had known Jiang Xia was such a troublemaker, she wouldn't have agreed to the marriage in the first place.

She only thought her son was capable; he joined the army before graduating from junior high, went to university while in the army, fought on the battlefield, made numerous merits, and even became a battalion commander. Although he was discharged due to injury, he was still qualified to marry the daughter of a factory manager.

"I never expected to marry such a self-important, arrogant woman who looks down on us because we're from the countryside and sell fish!

" Tian Caihua was even more unhappy. "If she can be so dramatic, why can't I say anything? What kind of person is she? If she doesn't want to marry me, she shouldn't have! She doesn't do any work, fine, but she's always making a scene, and Fourth Brother can't even get into the bedroom. What kind of wife is this? Does she think she's a princess?!"

"Fourth Brother, give me a straight answer, when will your wife stop causing trouble? Is this even possible?"

Zhou Chenglei was silent for a moment: "Sister-in-law, I'll take her to see a doctor first, and we'll talk about it when I get back."

Tian Caihua was finally satisfied, but she still couldn't help but say, "Why go to the clinic for a fever? Does going to the clinic cost nothing? One packet of fever reducer and even a dead person would come back to life! She's just a rich girl, running to the hospital every few days, spending ten or eight yuan each time!"

Zhou's mother forcefully slammed the cleaver into the wooden cutting board.

Tian Caihua immediately shut her mouth.

Zhou's mother looked at Zhou Chenglei: "Take her to the clinic, get her treated, and then send her back home."

Zhou's mother just wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

This ancestor was someone their Zhou family couldn't afford!

Zhou Chenglei didn't speak, turning and going back into the house.

Tian Caihua couldn't help but say again, "Mom, remember to get the dowry back along with the medical expenses when you divorce her. Don't lose out!"

Zhou's mother gave her a cold glare and pulled out a kitchen knife.

Tian Caihua quickly went back to the kitchen, muttering under her breath, "I wasn't wrong. She married into the family, and my fourth brother hasn't even held her hand. Isn't it a loss not to get the dowry back in the divorce?"

Two thousand yuan—that's almost enough to buy a wooden boat.

Zhou's mother ignored her and continued chopping vegetables.

~

In the festively decorated new house, Jiang Xia heard the entire conversation outside.

She looked at the several very vintage items in the room: a South China brand sewing machine, carved wooden windows, light bulbs, an old-fashioned kettle with a big red flower design, and an enamel mug.

The conversation was too vivid, the scene too real.

It took her over ten minutes to confirm that she wasn't dreaming but had actually transmigrated into a book.

Moreover, she had transmigrated into a period novel called "Reborn in the 80s, My Richest Husband Spoils Me Every Night," becoming the male lead's cannon fodder ex-wife. The

male lead's ex-wife was also named Jiang Xia, a brainless and idiotic character created by the author, a cannon fodder supporting character who squandered her advantages.

In the book, the original owner came from a wealthy family; her father was a retired soldier working in the government, and her mother was the manager of a garment factory.

Her marriage to the male lead was arranged by her father, who personally went to his old superior to act as matchmaker. At that time, the male lead was still in the army, a young battalion commander with a promising future.

Who knew that he would be seriously injured during a mission, losing hearing in one ear and having to retire from the army?

Retiring was one thing, but he was already a regimental commander upon retirement; even after retirement, he could have a very good job. She heard that in the city, he would be at least a department-level cadre, and in the town, a secretary-level official—how prestigious!

Everyone around her envied her, making her smug.

Who knew that after registering their marriage and marrying into the Zhou family, she would discover that the male lead hadn't arranged a job for her.

He was a restless person, disliked government jobs and office work; he wanted to go into business.

And by "going into business," he meant fishing.

Wasn't that being a fisherman selling fish?

The original owner couldn't accept it, couldn't accept being a fisherman's wife, couldn't accept living in the countryside. So, on their wedding night, she started making a scene, refusing to share a bed with the male lead and demanding a divorce.

Later, she was even tricked by the sweet talk of the abusive male supporting character, pretending to elope with him to find her childhood sweetheart. However, before they even left the village, they were caught by the male lead.

The man, seeing the male lead, was so frightened he ran away, and in his panic, pushed her into the sea, which is how Jiang Xia transmigrated.

Jiang Xia looked at the powerful man who pushed open the door.

The man's posture was as imposing as an unshakeable mountain, stern and aloof, his aura overwhelming.

Zhou Chenglei came to the bedside, looking down at Jiang Xia. His nearly 1.9-meter-tall, upright figure made him look like a mountain, cold and solemn, with a powerful and aggressive aura.

Jiang Xia also looked at him.

Zhou Chenglei noticed that Jiang Xia's gaze towards him was different. Before, it was full of disdain, but now...

he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it unfamiliarity? But how could it be unfamiliarity?

He didn't delve into it: "I'll take you to the clinic."

"Oh, okay, thank you." Jiang Xia didn't try to be strong. This body was probably still running a fever, and her whole body ached.

Now that she had transmigrated, she couldn't just lie there and wait to die. If she felt unwell, she had to get treatment as soon as possible.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her again. After they got married, she thought he had lied to her, and no matter how he explained, she wouldn't believe him. She had never spoken to him so politely before.

Jiang Xia threw off the covers and got out of bed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her vision went black, and the world spun around her...

A strong arm supported her.

"I can walk by myself." She subconsciously pushed him away and stood up, but her body wouldn't obey her commands; she had no strength at all.

Jiang Xia pushed him away, and he let go.

Jiang Xia felt dizzy again and slumped against him, as if she had hit a wall.

Even though the dizziness hadn't subsided, with her forehead against his chest, she could clearly feel what an impenetrable wall was; if it weren't for the warmth, it would have felt like leaning against a wall.

She tried to stand up, but Zhou Chenglei frowned and simply picked her up, carrying her quickly back to the bed, worried she might find it offensive.

"I'm going to the production team to borrow a tractor."

With that, Zhou Chenglei strode out of the house, not even hearing his mother ask where he was going.

*

Ten minutes later, Jiang Xia sat on the rumbling tractor, wrapped tightly in a thin blanket.

Zhou Chenglei had wrapped her in the blanket and carried her onto the tractor.

Tian Caihua watched Zhou Chenglei bustling around, pursing her lips and thinking: She doesn't even care about him, yet he treats her like a treasure; he's practically a masochist!

She couldn't help but say, "Jiang Xia seems quite energetic. Doesn't she need to go to the hospital? Everyone gets a fever sometimes. It'll pass if you just tough it out. Why waste money at the hospital?"

Jiang Xia, leaning weakly against the tractor's trailer, replied, "Sister-in-law is right. You don't need to go to the hospital for a fever. Just tough it out, and she might get better. If I'm lucky, I can save ten or eight yuan. If I'm unlucky and end up mentally impaired, you can support me for life. If I'm really unlucky and die from the fever, you can take care of my parents."

Tian Caihua: "...Looks like she's really quite sick. Go! Go quickly, and don't come back until she's better!"

Anyway, it's not her money being spent!

The tractor rumbled and lurched along the bumpy country road.

On the road, they encountered several women carrying hoes, vegetable baskets, or buckets of water. Seeing Zhou Chenglei driving a tractor with Jiang Xia, they asked curiously, "Chenglei, where are you going so late?"

"Driving a tractor out, are you going to the city?"

Everyone's eyes couldn't help but fall on Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia didn't recognize any of them and didn't greet them, only maintaining a polite smile.

"Just going out for a bit," Zhou Chenglei replied, and the tractor chugged past.

The women behind them couldn't help but start discussing.

"Do you think Zhou Chenglei sent her away overnight?"

"Absolutely! Jiang Xia ran off with someone else, Zhou Chenglei's head is practically stained with green, why would he want her? I would have kicked her out long ago!"

"Just by looking at that woman, you can tell she's not a dutiful wife. They're probably getting a divorce."

"The Zhou family is well-off, they've built a new house and have a boat. Zhou Chenglei is also capable, why wouldn't she like him?"

"What's the Zhou family? If Zhou Chenglei hadn't given his job to his second brother, he'd be fine. Now he's just a fisherman. Jiang Xia is from the city, I heard her father is an official, her mother is a factory manager, she's educated, and her family is rich, naturally she wouldn't look down on Zhou Chenglei."

"So you should marry someone of equal social standing. What's a fisherman doing marrying an educated woman? An educated woman doesn't seem like she knows how to manage a household. Even if you marry her, you won't keep her, and you don't even know if you can get the dowry back after a divorce."

"I heard the dowry was two or three thousand?"

"Who knows? Anyway, they gave her a lot. But Lei is deaf in one ear, so he had no choice but to come back to fishing. I called her to ask her about it. I happened to be in the production team at the time and overheard Zhou Yongfu asking him if he had asked his parents-in-law and Xia Xia's opinions. I don't know what he said on the other end of the phone, but Zhou Yongfu replied that as long as he had asked and Xia Xia had no objections, that was fine. They had already agreed to let her come back to fish, but now she complains after she marries into the family. What's this? What's wrong with fishing? Is fishing shameful? We're not stealing or robbing!"

The tractor rumbled on, but

Jiang Xia didn't hear the village women's gossip. She leaned against the edge of the tractor's trailer, admiring the vast fields on either side of the village road bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The air was wonderful; even the wind was incredibly gentle, carrying a faint scent of the sea.

Jiang Xia knew from books that this was a fishing village, very close to the ocean, and most of the villagers made their living by fishing.

Suddenly, the tractor stopped, a strong, unpleasant odor wafting on the wind, and Jiang Xia also heard the bleating of sheep.

She peered out and saw a young woman in a white floral dress blocking a flock of black sheep from crossing the road.

The young woman stopped the sheep and smiled sweetly at Zhou Chenglei, saying, "Brother Zhou, you go first."

Zhou Chenglei stopped the tractor. He hadn't heard what she said, but he guessed. He pointed to the other end of the road: "You go first."

After saying this, he subconsciously glanced back.

He almost forgot!

Jiang Xia hated encountering flocks of sheep. Wherever they went, they left behind a trail of black droppings, each one a tiny, unsightly speck, and the smell was overwhelming.

Last time, on their return trip home from the bride's parents' house, after getting off the bus, he led her home through this area, and she almost vomited.

But Jiang Xia, now three years old, had grown up in the market with her grandmother; what smell hadn't she encountered? She didn't find it strange at all, instead curiously observing the girl herding sheep before her.

In the book, the heroine was a shepherd girl.

Her family raised a flock of black sheep.

Every day after school, she had to herd the sheep, and if she didn't take good care of them, she would be severely beaten by her stepmother.

So, was this fair-skinned, sweet-looking girl, who didn't resemble a country girl at all, the heroine Wen Wan from the book?

True to her name, she was quite beautiful, with a delicate and slender figure, and a serene, otherworldly air.

A flock of black goats, a girl in a white dress, a vast expanse of green fields behind them, and a magnificent sunset on the horizon—it was a beautiful pastoral scene.

Even Jiang Xia was stunned by the sight.

However, Jiang Xia knew she was more beautiful than the

female lead. In the book, the original owner of this body believed she was prettier and had a better figure than the female lead. After being abused at home, she regretted it and went back to Zhou Chenglei, thinking he would change his mind. But the female lead slapped her in the face.

Jiang Xia sized up Wen Wan, and Wen Wan sized up Jiang Xia in return.

She had been reborn yesterday and had unintentionally witnessed Zhou Chenglei catching Jiang Xia eloping

with Wu Qizhi. She knew Zhou Chenglei would divorce Jiang Xia.

After all, what man could tolerate his wife cheating on him?

In her previous life, Zhou Chenglei was the richest man, so she had heard many stories about him.

She also knew that after their divorce, Zhou Chenglei never remarried and remained single until old age.

But last night, she dreamed that she married Zhou Chenglei.

She became the wife of the richest man, living a life of luxury—living in a mansion, raising foreign dogs, and riding in luxury cars—a life everyone envied.

She felt that dream was her lucky charm.

She had deliberately changed her sheep-herding spot today, hoping to run into Zhou Chenglei in the Zhoujia Village area. Unexpectedly, she

actually did.

This proved that she and Zhou Chenglei were destined for each other.

Seeing that Wen Wan wasn't leaving, and fearing that Jiang Xia couldn't stand the smell of the sheep, Zhou Chenglei drove off in his tractor.

Wen Wan watched the tractor disappear into the distance: after Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia divorced tomorrow, she could openly pursue her own happiness.

This man was hers!

After the tractor drove away, Jiang Xia saw the female lead still looking in their direction and asked, "Do you know each other?"

She had just heard the female lead call him Brother Zhou, but she remembered the book saying that the male lead saved the female lead from being swept into the sea by a wave when they first met.

Zhou Chenglei's right ear was injured during a mission, and his hearing in that ear was almost zero. The tractor engine was loud, and he vaguely heard Jiang Xia speak, but couldn't make out what she said. He turned his head and shouted, "What did you say?"

Jiang Xia shouted back, "Do you know that woman from earlier?"

Zhou Chenglei replied, "No."

"Oh," Jiang Xia responded and didn't say anything more.

Zhou Chenglei was a man of few words; if she didn't speak, he wouldn't initiate conversation either. He just focused on the road, trying to avoid potholes.

There was no road from the village to the town yet; the dirt road was full of potholes of varying sizes, uneven and bumpy.

The tractor stumbled and jolted all the way to the town's clinic.

Jiang Xia felt like she was about to fall apart from the jolting and felt nauseous.

They had only been traveling for about ten minutes!

Zhou Chenglei parked the tractor and intended to help her off, but seeing her pale face and white lips, he feared she might faint. He simply lifted her off the tractor and carried her quickly into the clinic.

The clinic was a very simple two-story building.

It was nearing closing time, and there weren't many people there.

The old doctor on duty in the emergency room saw Zhou Chenglei carrying someone in and assumed she was seriously ill. He quickly stood up and, with the help of a nurse, pushed a hospital bed over.

After a series of examinations,

it turned out the patient only had a fever and motion sickness!

37.1℃!

It didn't really matter whether she had a fever or not!

The old doctor, with a dark face, prescribed a packet of fever-reducing powder, told them to go home and drink plenty of water, and then sent them away.

The two walked out, their faces flushed.

Jiang Xia didn't realize that her fever had subsided so quickly after waking up, and she felt much better now.

The old doctor sterilized the thermometer by inserting it back into the brown bottle beside him, and couldn't help but mutter, "He was being all mysterious, telling me the guy was delirious with fever, and suggesting we do a checkup to see if he'd damaged his brain. Is someone with brain damage really that mentally unstable? I think he's the one with brain damage! 37.1℃ and he's this nervous!"

He really wanted to smash the man's head with his stethoscope to see if his brain was filled with water!

The nurse on duty was a young woman, deeply in love and discussing marriage. She understood perfectly, laughing, "Dr. Xu, you don't understand. They're obviously newlyweds. That man clearly adores his wife. Didn't you notice how worried he looked at her? He's probably obsessed with her." Her boyfriend

looked at her the same way when she was sick!

The old doctor scoffed, "His brain is full of brain matter. If it's full of his wife, isn't that love-struck brain? That's a mental illness, and illnesses need treatment!"

The old doctor was unaware that he had inadvertently uttered a future buzzword.

His conversation with the nurse reached Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei's ears through the air.

Zhou Chenglei wished he could go deaf.

He supported Jiang Xia, unconsciously quickening his pace.

Zhou Chenglei was nearly 1.9 meters tall, while Jiang Xia felt she was only 1.65 meters at most. One step he took was equivalent to two or three steps for her, and besides, she was still weak from her fever!

Jiang Xia gently tugged at his sleeve: "Zhou Chenglei, slow down, I can't walk."

Zhou Chenglei paused, glancing down at her: her face was pale again!

Had they encountered an incompetent doctor?

He simply picked Jiang Xia up horizontally, glancing back at the emergency room, wondering if he should have the doctor do another thorough examination.

The old doctor rolled his eyes when he saw Zhou Chenglei pick her up again, and immediately picked up a newspaper from the table to cover his face.

Zhou Chenglei: "."

Jiang Xia just wanted him to slow down, but she didn't expect him to pick her up again.

However, since he had already done so, she naturally wouldn't say anything more, to avoid making things more awkward for both of them.

She was indeed so weak that she could barely walk.

The man had strong arms and a steady gait, but carrying her in a princess carry wasn't exactly comfortable. His arms were digging into her back, and she was tired from craning her neck the whole way, not daring to get too close.

Jiang Xia couldn't take it anymore, so she simply reached out and hugged his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, which finally made her a little more comfortable.

He was a soldier, she was an ordinary citizen; he was serving the people, Jiang Xia comforted herself.

Zhou Chenglei stiffened, even more convinced that the doctor from before was a quack.

She had always avoided him like the plague, but now she was actually hugging him on her own initiative, as if she had become a completely different person.

What else could it be but a fever?

"Let's go to the city hospital, get an X-ray, and do some tests." Luckily, he had driven a tractor, which had headlights, so he wasn't afraid of driving at night.

Jiang Xia: "."

He wasn't afraid of losing face, but she was!

"My fever has gone down, and I feel much better. You were walking too fast just now; I'm still a little weak from the fever and couldn't keep up with your pace. There's no need to see a doctor again." After Jiang Xia finished speaking, she simply closed her eyes, found a more comfortable position, and pretended to be asleep.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at the woman feigning sleep in his arms. Her breath, hot and cold, brushed against his neck; the burning sensation had subsided, as if her fever had broken.

He had checked her breath earlier, and it had been scalding.

Zhou Chenglei hesitated for a moment, then listened to her and carried her out.

The young nurse exclaimed, her eyes sparkling, "That's wonderful! Is that man a soldier? He's so strong!"

Her boyfriend was also a soldier, and they usually only communicated through letters. She wondered if he was strong.

She'd write to him after work tonight to ask.

The old doctor shook his head, "It's an eyesore! These young people nowadays!"

The young nurse said, "Dr. Xu, the spring breeze of reform and opening up has blown in. They're a couple; isn't it natural for a husband to take care of his sick wife? What's so eye-catching? Don't be so old-fashioned!"

The old doctor's lips twitched, "Don't let the spring breeze of reform and opening up be blown astray by you!"

*

The tractor chugged away from the hospital. Passing the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhou Chenglei saw it was still open, so he stopped the tractor and went inside.

Jiang Xia wanted to see what the supply and marketing cooperative sold in this era, but remembering she had no money, she gave up.

Zhou Chenglei quickly returned with a glass bottle of Sarsaparilla, the cap already removed.

Jiang Xia thought he was thirsty, but she was thirsty too.

She'd heard that Sarsaparilla in this era smelled like Tiger Balm, but she didn't know if it was true; she'd never tried it.

Jiang Xia saw him put the Sarsaparilla on the truck bed and then take out the packet of fever-reducing powder prescribed by the doctor.

Jiang Xia: "..."

Was he planning to use Sarsaparilla as water to give her medicine?

Was he really going to be so irresponsible?

The result was even more outrageous than she'd imagined!

Zhou Chenglei poured the entire packet of fever-reducing powder into the Sarsaparilla.

Jiang Xia was utterly shocked! The powder immediately started

bubbling and hissing.

Then Zhou Chenglei handed her the bottle of bubbling Sarsaparilla: "Take your medicine."

Jiang Xia looked at the bubbling Sarsaparilla: "..."

Was he planning to poison her before marrying the female lead?

Jiang Xia stared at Sha Shi as if it were some kind of deadly poison.

Zhou Chenglei chuckled and said, "Don't worry, it's not poisonous. Taking fever-reducing powder this way won't be bitter."

Jiang Xia took the bottle of Sha Shi with suspicion, her beautiful eyes unblinking as she looked at him suspiciously: "You've drunk it before?"

Zhou Chenglei denied it outright: "No, Wen Guang and the others drank it like this when they had fevers. My mom taught me."

Jiang Xia looked at his reddened ear tips and asked suspiciously, "Why are you blushing? You didn't invent this way of drinking it because you're afraid of bitterness, did you?"

Zhou Chenglei: "."

He turned his head to look elsewhere and urged, "Drink it quickly, you have to return the bottle, they're about to close."

Jiang Xia felt she had figured it out; he was afraid of bitterness.

However, Jiang Xia looked at the glass bottle in her hand: "You have to return the bottle?"

"Yes, this glass bottle can be reused and even sold for money."

Hearing this, Jiang Xia didn't want to delay any longer. She gritted her teeth, looked at the now calm Sha Shi with a look of grim determination, then put the bottle to her mouth and gulped it down in one go.

With the spirit of a hero cutting off his own arm, never to return.

So what if he dies? Maybe he'll travel back in time.

Zhou Chenglei's lips curled into a slight smile, which he quickly suppressed.

Jiang Xia finished drinking and handed him the bottle: "Here, hiccup~~~"

Jiang Xia let out a long hiccup,

a burst of sarsaparilla vapor shooting out!

Jiang Xia: (ΩДΩ)

"I'll return the bottle." Zhou Chenglei pursed his lips, trying to keep a straight face as he took the bottle and quickly left.

Just as he turned around,

"Hiccup~~~"

Jiang Xia let out another loud hiccup.

Completely uncontrollable!

And!

Louder!

Brighter!

Longer!

The air was filled with the smell of sarsaparilla carbon dioxide!

Jiang Xia covered her mouth: (⊙o⊙)…

That sarsaparilla is poisonous, isn't it?

Poisonous, isn't it?! !!!

She turned her head to look at a tall, imposing figure.

He must be trying to poison her before marrying the female lead!

Zhou Chenglei quickened his pace involuntarily, this time unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

*

By the time they returned to the village, it was already six o'clock. The sun had completely set, but because it was August, it wasn't dark yet.

The tractor belonged to the village's production team, and they happened to pass by the team on the way back. Jiang Xia accompanied Zhou Chenglei to return the tractor, and then the two walked home together.

The Zhou family was waiting for them to come back for dinner.

Tian Caihua couldn't help but say when she saw them return, "Finally back! I was starving!"

Then Tian Caihua saw that Zhou Chenglei was holding malted milk powder and condensed milk, and her expression immediately changed: "Bringing honor to your ancestors! Your uncle bought you malted milk powder."

She had four sons, named Zhou Wenguang, Zhou Wenzong, Zhou Wenyao, and Zhou Wenzu.

The brothers immediately ran over: "Fourth Uncle, you're so kind!"

When Zhou Chenglei went back to return the Sarsaparilla bottles, he bought a bottle of malted milk powder and two bottles of condensed milk, thinking that Jiang Xia was prone to dizziness, and wanted to nourish her body.

So Zhou Chenglei avoided his nephews' hands and only gave a bottle of condensed milk to his eldest nephew, Zhou Wenguang: "The doctor said your fourth aunt is weak and needs to take supplements. The malted milk powder supply and marketing cooperative only had one can left, so I kept it for your fourth aunt to help her recover. I bought you a bottle of condensed milk."

Jiang Xia didn't expect it to be for her, and the doctor hadn't said she was weak! He had only told her to drink more water.

"Remember to drink it with your sister." Zhou Chenglei glanced at his little niece, who was sitting quietly at the table watching him.

Jiang Xia followed his gaze and looked at the little girl sitting obediently in the room.

The little girl must be Zhou Zhou, the daughter of his third brother, Zhou Chengyan. The book said that Zhou Chengyan died at sea two years ago while fishing, and his wife remarried, leaving behind a five-year-old daughter.

The little girl is now eight years old, sitting obediently at the table waiting for her meal, her eyes looking over, neither fighting nor grabbing.

Jiang Xia thought of himself in his previous life, losing his parents at the age of three and growing up with his grandmother, obediently not daring to cry or make a fuss, and not daring to say anything when bullied at school, afraid of causing trouble for his grandmother.

Five-year-old children are beginning to have memories, a sensitive age.

Zhou Wenguang smiled and accepted the condensed milk, and the boys happily said, "Thank you, Uncle."

Although there was no malted milk powder, condensed milk was still very delicious!

Usually, his mother couldn't afford to buy it for them; it was always his fourth uncle who bought it for them when he came back from the military camp.

Seeing that her son only had one bottle of condensed milk, Tian Caihua's face immediately fell. She glared at Jiang Xia, snatched the condensed milk from her son's hand to prevent the children from fighting over it and dropping it, lest it break.

Her brother-in-law really had too much money to burn; they were about to get a divorce, yet he still bought her so many nice things to nourish her body—wasn't that a waste of money?

She carried the condensed milk back to her room and hid it.

Zhou's mother came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food. She glanced at the malted milk powder and condensed milk in Zhou Chenglei's hand and asked Jiang Xia, "Have you seen the doctor? What did the doctor say?"

Jiang Xia replied, "The doctor said it was nothing, prescribed fever reducers, and I feel much better now, I'm fine."

Zhou's mother nodded, "That's good. When you have a fever, drink plenty of water, eat first, and take the medicine after you eat so it won't upset your stomach."

She couldn't go home empty-handed; the malted milk powder and condensed milk were worth the money.

Zhou's mother just wanted her to get better quickly and be sent away; otherwise, there would be no peace at home.

"Okay, I'll go wash my hands first," Jiang Xia replied.

Zhou's mother didn't say anything more and carried the dishes into the hall.

Zhou Chenglei originally intended to put the malted milk powder and condensed milk back in Jiang Xia's room, but seeing her go to wash her hands, he put the things back in her room himself.

The Zhou family had dug a well and installed a hand-cranked water pump.

Jiang Xia had never used it before, but when Zhou Chenglei carried her out of the yard to see the doctor, she saw Zhou's mother pressing the long handle, and water came out.

Jiang Xia then grasped the handle of the water pump and imitated Zhou's mother, shaking it up and down.

The water pump made a strange, thirsty sound, but no water came out.

She looked at the water pump, at a loss: How do I use it? That old-fashioned textbook didn't teach me!

Zhou Chenglei came out and saw her pressing the water pump in vain.

He went over and scooped some water from the bucket next to him into the water pump, "Try shaking it again."

It turned out that water needed to be added!

Jiang Xia hurriedly shook it up and down, but all the water flowed into the well, and still no water came out.

She looked at Zhou Chenglei blankly, feeling like she'd become illiterate here.

Zhou Chenglei said, "I'll do it, you watch."

Jiang Xia quickly stepped aside.

Zhou Chenglei added water to the pump with one hand and rapidly cranked the handle up and down with the other, causing water to gush up and flow from the pump's outlet.

"You have to crank it faster. The faster the friction, the more suction the pump generates, and the water gets pulled up. Try it a few more times and you'll get the hang of it."

Jiang Xia nodded, then washed her hands in the running water.

Zhou Chenglei waited for her to finish washing, then rubbed his hands with the remaining water.

Jiang Xia stood by, waiting for him to finish washing his hands before going inside to eat with him.

As Jiang Xia crossed the threshold beside Zhou Chenglei, he glanced at her.

The family looked at her in surprise when they saw her come in.

Zhou's mother quickly placed the plate of shrimp in front of her grandson and moved a plate of pickled vegetables from her own plate to him.

Jiang Xia didn't know that after the original owner ate with everyone on her first day after marrying into the family, she refused to come out to eat, and Zhou Chenglei had to bring her to her room.

Not having the original owner's memories was troublesome, but she had experienced much in her previous life and had long since learned to calmly and smilingly deal with any situation.

Facing everyone's gaze, Jiang Xia casually smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sit down and eat," Zhou's father said.

Zhou Chenglei casually pulled a bamboo chair from the corner, adding a seat, and everyone consciously moved to make room.

Zhou Chenglei gestured for Jiang Xia to sit first. Jiang Xia

then realized that there was no seat for her because the original owner hadn't eaten with everyone before, so no one had left her a place.

She calmly sat down next to Xiao Zhouzhou.

Zhou Chenglei sat down next to her, glancing at the pickled vegetables and greens in front of him.

Zhou Zhou called out timidly, "Auntie."

Jiang Xia smiled and patted her little head, "Zhou Zhou is such a good girl."

Zhou Zhou froze, not daring to move. She was a little afraid of this auntie, having seen her slap her uncle.

Seeing her fear, Jiang Xia withdrew her hand.

The Zhou family's dining table was a long table made up of two low eight-immortal tables joined together. At this moment, the eldest son's family of six sat there: Zhou's parents, the orphaned Zhou Zhou from the third son's family, Jiang Xia, and Zhou Chenglei, a total of eleven people, just enough to fill the seats.

Zhou Chenglei's second brother and sister-in-law worked in town and usually lived there, not coming back for meals.

Zhou Chenglei also had an older sister who was married, so there were only eleven people eating.

Jiang Xia glanced at the dishes on the table: flower crab, sea shrimp, mixed fish stew, green vegetables, pickled vegetables, and a seaweed and egg drop soup.

The Zhou family's food was indeed as good as described in the book.

The Zhou family lived in a small fishing village very close to the sea. They owned a fishing boat, and Zhou's father would take Zhou Chengxin and Zhou Chenglei out to sea to fish every day at three or four in the morning. Therefore, the Zhou family never lacked seafood for their meals.

As soon as Zhou's father called out "Dinner's ready!", the four eldest sons' chopsticks immediately reached for the plate of shrimp, all picking the largest ones.

In an instant, the largest shrimp were gone, making the plate seem half empty.

Tian Caihua muttered a curse but then ignored it. She grabbed a handful of shrimp herself, then gave the largest mudskippers from the mixed fish stew to her sons.

Why not eat more?

Jiang Xia was only given vegetables and pickled vegetables, with a large plate of egg drop soup in the middle, making it difficult to reach other dishes—clearly, she was not well-liked.

Jiang Xia casually picked up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks.

At that moment, a peeled shrimp was placed in her bowl.

Jiang Xia looked at Zhou Chenglei and smiled, "Thank you."

Zhou Chenglei didn't look at her, and picked up the largest mudskipper from the mixed fish stew, removed the bones, and handed the fish meat to her, saying, "Eat carefully, I don't know if there are any bones left."

She had choked on a fish bone during her first meal at the Zhou family home, and usually the fish in the food he brought to her room was deboned.

Jiang Xia felt a little embarrassed, thanked him again, and told him to eat by himself and not to worry about her.

Zhou Chenglei then picked up a shrimp, peeled it, and put it in Jiang Xia's bowl as well.

The shrimp was far away from her, and she couldn't reach it.

Zhou's mother glanced at her youngest son and sighed. She should have known better than to move that plate of shrimp; her son wouldn't have been able to eat a single bite.

Zhou's father ate his meal silently, as if he didn't know anything.

Tian Caihua secretly rolled her eyes. Her son was four years old and didn't need to have fish bones removed; spoiled and pretentious!

They were about to get a divorce, so why was he still being so nice to her?

Jiang Xia glanced at the plate of shrimp; it was gone.

There's a reason why it's said that a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home.

The four brothers devoured the meal like it was a fight, even eating shrimp without peeling them, and quickly finished the whole plate.

Seeing that Zhou Zhou hadn't gotten any, Jiang Xia put the shrimp in Zhou Zhou's bowl.

Zhou Zhou seemed a little surprised, turned to look at Jiang Xia, and whispered, "Thank you, Auntie."

Jiang Xia smiled and gave half of the fish to Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou said timidly, "Thank you, Auntie. You eat it yourself, don't worry about me. I can spit out fish bones, I'm not afraid of them."

She didn't understand why her aunt was being so gentle today; it was a little scary.

Zhou's mother also peeled a shrimp for Zhou Zhou and picked up a mudskipper. This fish had few bones and tasted good, which Zhou Zhou liked.

She said to Jiang Xia, "Xia, you can eat it yourself. Zhou Zhou can eat fish by herself, don't worry about her."

Today, this daughter-in-law seemed a little normal, with a smile on her face, not like the whole world owed her money.

Unfortunately, she was usually not normal. She

couldn't be allowed to stay!

Jiang Xia said okay and started eating herself.

It has to be said that this wild seafood was really delicious.

The shrimp meat was bouncy and sweet.

The mudskipper had firm flesh and a delicious flavor.

The flower crab was also exceptionally sweet.

It was clear that these seafood dishes were simply steamed or boiled with a little salt, yet they were all incredibly tasty.

The other dishes were quickly devoured by the Zhou brothers. No one ate the flower crab; they all complained it was too much trouble and had little meat. Jiang Xia, however, particularly loved crab.

Zhou Chenglei noticed her interest and peeled it for her.

Seeing Zhou Chenglei peel shrimp and then crab for Jiang Xia, Tian Caihua couldn't help but say to Zhou Chengxin, "Look how much my fourth brother cares for his wife! I've been married to you for so many years, and I've never seen you peel crab or shrimp for me."

Zhou Chengxin retorted irritably, "Didn't you say flower crabs are worthless and have little meat, and you don't like them? People in the village throw them away when they find them; only Zhou Zhou likes them."

She ate shrimp shell and all, saying peeling them was a waste of time and would result in fewer shrimp being eaten—that's why her sons are like her!

Zhou Zhou: "."

She loved them because she couldn't compete with her brothers for the other dishes, but her brothers didn't bother with the flower crab because they found it too troublesome.

Tian Caihua: "..."

Married a blockhead!

Just looking at him makes me angry!

Zhou Chengxin had also finished eating and walked away.

Jiang Xia was somewhat surprised that flower crabs weren't worth much; in modern times, they were more expensive than some fish.

Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything, silently picking out the meat from the remaining crabs for Jiang Xia and her niece.

So much so that even after everyone had finished eating and left the table, Zhou Chenglei was still peeling crabs for her and Zhou Zhou.

Zhou's parents finished eating and left.

Seeing Jiang Xia eating with relish, Tian Caihua also ate a crab, but she really had no patience. She even ate shrimp shell and all. She stood up and took the opportunity to say, "Fourth sister-in-law, you eat the slowest. After you finish eating, why don't you wash the dishes?"

Since she could get out of bed to eat, why shouldn't she do housework?

"Okay." Jiang Xia didn't mind; the food was cooked by someone else, so it was normal for her to wash the dishes.

Seeing that Jiang Xia was sensible, Tian Caihua couldn't resist pushing her luck and assigning her chores: "Tomorrow, Dad and the others will go out to sea around four in the morning. Remember to get up at three to prepare breakfast and the lunch they'll take. I've been doing it every day for the past few days."

Everyone is a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, so housework should be shared.

Why should Jiang Xia not have to do anything, while she works herself to the bone serving the whole family, and now she has to serve her too?

Before Jiang Xia could speak, Zhou Chenglei interjected, "Sister-in-law, I'll make breakfast tomorrow. Jiang Xia's fever hasn't subsided yet, and the doctor said she shouldn't overexert herself. It'll be a bit of a hassle for you and Mom to handle the chores around the house these next few days."

Tian Caihua's face immediately fell.

She walked out, muttering under her breath, "They're all like pampered young ladies, while I'm just a servant. I'm not as delicate and pampered as them, I'm busy from morning till night and never get sick!"

Tian Caihua went to the kitchen to pour hot water for her youngest son's bath, slamming pots and pans down with a loud bang.

"I'll still get up and make breakfast tomorrow morning!" Jiang Xia said.

Taking turns was fair; she had no objection and wasn't used to eating and drinking for free. These people weren't her relatives and had no obligation to take care of her.

Zhou Chenglei gave her a surprised look, then continued picking crab meat: "No need, I'll get up and make it. Sister-in-law, you just have a sharp tongue, don't take it to heart." She

felt dizzy after walking just a few steps today; how could she get up and do chores?

Even if she didn't faint, she was already determined to get a divorce. She might even go back to her parents' home tomorrow. Why make her get up and cook breakfast for the whole family?

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou were enjoying the cool air outside in the yard when they heard Tian Caihua's commotion. Mr. Zhou frowned: "Ask Cheng Lei later if he wants a divorce. If he does, then get it over with."

Mr. Zhou was fed up with this constant turmoil.

Mrs. Zhou thought Jiang Xia seemed to have changed: "Why don't you take another look? Didn't you notice Jiang Xia seemed different while you were eating? They've only been married a few days. Getting a divorce so soon would make them a laughingstock."

"Forget it! Haven't you made a laughingstock of yourself yet?" Mr. Zhou waved his hand and shook his head with disdain.

Changed? Old habits die hard.

And looking at his daughter-in-law's delicate, helpless appearance, Mr. Zhou felt that divorce was the right thing to do; staying would only bring more suffering.

His son took care of everything for her, and she still complained. He washed her clothes and practically fed her. This wasn't marrying a wife; it was marrying a princess!

She should marry into a wealthy family and become a young mistress.

Their Zhou family is too small to support a princess like her.

In the countryside, when choosing a wife, one must find someone sturdy, tall, strong, and capable of working.

*

After peeling the crab, Zhou Chenglei went to the kitchen, scooped two buckets of hot water from the large iron pot, adjusted the temperature, and then carried them into the shower room.

Jiang Xia and Zhou Zhou had just finished eating. She told Zhou Zhou to go play with her brother while she cleaned the dishes.

Zhou Chenglei came in and took the dishes from her: "I'll clean them up. The hot water is in; you go take a shower first. Others will need to shower later, so try to be quick."

The Zhou family has many members, so showering always requires queuing. Zhou's father and eldest brother are going out to sea tomorrow, and several nephews need to go to school and go to bed early. Jiang Xia always takes more than an hour to shower, and if asked to wait for others to finish, she throws a tantrum.

The whole family is afraid of her.

Jiang Xia didn't say anything more. They've already prepared the bathwater for you; how can you refuse?

She went straight back to her room to find clothes and shower.

Without running water or a bathroom heater, Jiang Xia found it inconvenient and a little uncomfortable, but she was adaptable and simply took off her clothes to shower.

Zhou Chenglei added water to the large iron pot and continued boiling it so that his parents and niece would have hot water to shower later, then he washed the dishes.

Tian Caihua, after dressing her youngest son, came out and saw Zhou Chenglei washing the dishes, and pursed her lips.

Only her brother-in-law had such a good temper, spoiling his wife so much.

Jiang Xia had already cheated on him, yet he was still so good to her.

If she were the brother-in-law, she would have slapped him long ago, would she still be so nice to her? Not kicking her out with a broom was already merciful.

She asked, "Brother-in-law, you haven't forgotten what you said this afternoon, have you?"

He said he would give everyone an explanation.

Zhou Chenglei glanced subconsciously at the shower room and replied, "I haven't forgotten."

Tian Caihua was satisfied and added, "Remember to get the bride price back after the divorce. Don't be foolish; you haven't even held hands yet, don't lose out! Your sister-in-law is doing this for your own good. Get that two thousand yuan back, and you can marry someone better. Jiang Xia doesn't deserve your kindness! And the medical expenses, get everything back."

When she married him, her brother-in-law was just a teenager, and she treated him like a son, which is why she said this.

Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything; he didn't agree with his sister-in-law's words, so he simply remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Tian Caihua thought he was ungrateful and went out to find her sons to go home to shower and sleep.

Those brats had all disappeared after dinner!

Zhou's parents came in and saw their sons washing the dishes.

Zhou's father was displeased and even more determined in his decision.

Zhou's mother was displeased and helpless, but seeing that her son was almost finished washing, she didn't go forward to help anymore. She sighed, "Ah Lei, come to my room later, I have something to say to you." Zhou

Chenglei replied, "Okay."

Zhou Chenglei put the clean bowls in the kitchen cupboard and went to his parents' room.

He had to give his family an explanation tonight.

When

Jiang Xia came out after showering, there was no one in the courtyard.

She didn't see any laundry detergent or soap, and didn't know what they used to wash clothes in this era. She planned to ask later, so she carried the clothes and the enamel basin back to her room and put them in a corner.

This was the basin she had seen in her room; it was new and must have been bought when they got married, which was why she dared to bring it in.

Zhou Chenglei came out of his parents' room and saw that the bathroom door was open, knowing that Jiang Xia had finished showering and gone back to her room.

He went to the door and knocked gently.

This was originally his room, but after getting married, he had been sleeping on the floor in his nephew's room. He only came in tonight because he had something to say to Jiang Xia.

In the room, Jiang Xia sat at her vanity, drying her hair. There was no hairdryer, so she had to let it air dry.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was delighted to find that the original owner of her body looked exactly like her modern self. She was, after all, a stunning beauty!

Even more surprising was that her skin was better now—smooth, delicate, and virtually poreless, without any blemishes.

In her previous life, she had stayed up late a lot, so while her skin was fair, it wasn't as good as it was now; her pores were larger. This body was younger, only 20 years old, with soft, poreless, and glowing white skin.

Her figure wasn't as voluptuous as in her previous life, but it was still tall and shapely. Jiang Xia measured herself with her hand; in her previous life, she was a C cup, but now she was only a B. However, a B was enough. Too big, and it would be uncomfortable to run, and tight clothes would make her look heavier.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. She quickly lowered her hand and replied, "The door's unlocked."

Zhou Chenglei then pushed the door open and entered.

Zhou Chenglei looked at the woman sitting in front of the dressing mirror. Under the dim light, her skin glowed white, more dazzling than the light bulb above her head.

He glanced at her and then looked away, saying directly, "Let's get a divorce!"

Jiang Xia was already mentally prepared; she had overheard Tian Caihua's conversation with him.

Jiang Xia turned and calmly looked at him: "Okay."

Zhou Chenglei wasn't surprised by her quick agreement; her previous fuss was all about wanting a divorce.

He continued, "My household registration and grain ration are still in the military camp and haven't been transferred back yet, so we can't get a divorce certificate for now. We can only get the divorce certificate after my household registration is transferred back. If you don't want to stay here, I'll send you back to your parents' home tomorrow. If you can bear it, you can leave after the divorce certificate is issued."

The last sentence was purely out of politeness.

He knew she couldn't wait to leave tonight.

But until the divorce certificate was issued, she was his wife, and he couldn't kick her out, so he gave her a choice.

Jiang Xia thought for a moment: "Then I'll leave after I get the divorce certificate."

Now that she didn't have the original owner's memories, it would be easy for her to be discovered if she rashly returned to the original owner's parents' side.

Moreover, at this time, ID cards hadn't been introduced yet, and staying in hotels required a letter of introduction, which was inconvenient. Therefore, staying at the Zhou family's house temporarily before getting the divorce certificate was the best choice.

Give her a month or two. Once she's earned enough money, she can buy a house in the village. Even after the divorce, she'll have a place to stay. Then she can slowly get to know the original owner's parents.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her with some surprise: Wasn't she eager to go back to the city?

It seemed like she'd really changed after the fever.

Jiang Xia knew he was suspicious and explained, "My parents won't agree to our divorce. I'll go back after we get the certificate, and they can't do anything about it."

Jiang Xia had a basis for saying this.

In the book, the original owner's parents did indeed disagree with her divorce. When the original owner divorced the male lead and returned home, Jiang's parents wouldn't even let her in the door, forcing her to go back and live with the male lead.

The original owner was homeless and didn't want to go back to the male lead, so she had no choice but to go to the abusive man and follow him without any status, leading to a series of tragedies.

This made sense. He also knew that Jiang's father would definitely not agree to their divorce. Zhou Chenglei nodded: "Okay."

Being strangers, the two fell silent.

An awkward silence filled the air.

Seeing that she had nothing to say, Zhou Chenglei said, "Go to sleep early."

"Oh, you go to sleep early too," Jiang Xia replied.

Zhou Chenglei turned and walked out, noticing the basin of dirty clothes by the door, and took it out.

Jiang Xia didn't know how to wash clothes, so he had washed all her clothes since they got married.

Jiang Xia was lost in thought and didn't notice him taking her clothes.

After Zhou Chenglei went out, he washed Jiang Xia's clothes in the courtyard.

Tian Caihua had just put her youngest son to sleep when she came out and saw her brother-in-law washing his wife's clothes again. She rolled her eyes, then remembered that he had just come out of his parents' room and then gone into Jiang Xia's room. She asked, "Fourth brother, have you and Jiang Xia discussed it?"

"Yes."

"So are you planning to get a divorce? When are you going to get the divorce certificate? You can do it tomorrow, Friday. If you don't do it tomorrow, you'll have to wait until next Monday."

"Not for now. My household registration hasn't been transferred back yet. We can only get a divorce after the household registration is transferred back."

Tian Caihua was a little unhappy when she heard this.

But she also knew that when they got their marriage certificate, Zhou Chenglei hadn't been discharged from the army yet; he had even applied for discharge, but he lost hearing in one ear after a mission and had no choice but to leave.

"So she's going back to her own home tomorrow, right? They're getting a divorce anyway, she can't just let us eat, drink, and live here for free, can she?" Tian Caihua really couldn't stand Jiang Xia and didn't want to serve that spoiled brat.

Zhou Chenglei paused, then said, "She'll leave after the divorce certificate is issued."

Tian Caihua's face immediately darkened. "Leave after the divorce certificate is issued? When will that be?"

Zhou Chenglei paused for a moment, recalling his superior's words upon his discharge from the army…

This divorce would likely be difficult, probably taking more than a month or two. Even if he filed an application, a divorce so soon after the wedding wouldn't be approved; it could drag on for at least six months.

"It'll probably take about six months."

"What? Six months? She's going to stay in our house for another six months, eating and drinking for free? Is that even a divorce? In another six months, she could have given birth!"

The thought of having to serve a sister-in-law who couldn't do anything for six months made Tian Caihua furious.

Zhou Chenglei's older brother, Zhou Chengxin, returned from outside and said in a low voice, "Why are you yelling? When did it become your business to interfere in your fourth brother's affairs?"

"You think I want to interfere? If I don't have to serve her, see if I do or not!" Tian Caihua stormed into the house, her face dark.

She couldn't take it anymore; she had to endure it for another six months!

Who knew if they would still be divorced after six months?

Why was it that everyone was a daughter-in-law of the Zhou family, while she did everything, and she, because she couldn't do anything, didn't have to?

Zhou Chengxin said to Zhou Chenglei, "Don't worry about your sister-in-law. You and your fourth sister-in-law can discuss things yourselves. She's just complaining about doing a little extra work, but even without your fourth sister-in-law, she still has to cook. What difference does it make whether she cooks one more or one less? She's just being nosy! I'll talk to her and that'll be enough."

"I know," Zhou Chenglei replied.

Zhou Chengxin went back inside to appease his wife, afraid that her commotion would overhear their parents and Jiang Xia, making things difficult to handle. Zhou

Chenglei worked quickly, washing and hanging the clothes to dry in no time.

He made a decision and was about to tell his parents when Jiang Xia came out.

Tian Caihua had been so loud; Jiang Xia couldn't have missed it. She came out and, seeing that Zhou Chenglei was hanging her clothes to dry, felt a little embarrassed. She said, "I'll move out tomorrow."

Jiang Xia had just sorted through the original owner's belongings and found over a hundred yuan, enough to stay in a guesthouse for a while, so she wouldn't be destitute.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her: "Let's talk inside."

The two went back to their room one after the other.

Zhou Chenglei asked directly, "Where do you plan to move to?"

She had just said "move away" instead of "go home," so he guessed she wasn't planning to go back to her parents' home.

Jiang Xia truthfully replied, "I'll stay in a guesthouse or hotel in the city, but I'll need you to help me get a letter of introduction from the village chief."

Zhou Chenglei frowned upon hearing this and refused without hesitation, "No need. I plan to separate the household. After that, we can move out together."

Since the divorce certificate hadn't been issued, they were still husband and wife. It was perfectly reasonable for her to stay at his home. Besides, Jiang's father had been a mentor to him; he had been a soldier under Jiang's father when he first joined the army, and he had taught him many things. He couldn't let Jiang Xia stay in a hotel alone, nor would he feel comfortable letting a young woman stay in a hotel by herself.

Jiang Xia looked at him, "If you want to separate the household because I'm not going back to my parents' home, then there's no need. I can stay in a hotel temporarily; you just need to help me get a letter of introduction from the village chief."

She didn't like owing others; she was willing to leave. She had hands, feet, and brains; she wasn't going to starve.

However, she didn't have her household registration booklet, and the village chief didn't recognize her, so she had to ask him to help her get a letter of introduction; otherwise, she would have left directly.

Zhou Chenglei truthfully said, "It's not entirely because of you. We'll have to separate sooner or later. My second brother has already separated, and my sister-in-law also has opinions about me. I also want to separate the family."

He knew that ever since he arranged a job for his second brother, his sister-in-law had had opinions about him.

His sister-in-law was actually trying to separate the family. It

was better to separate sooner rather than later, to avoid their disagreements growing stronger while living together.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at Jiang Xia and added, very firmly, "Until the divorce certificate is issued, if you don't go back to your parents' home, I can't let you stay alone in a guesthouse. You have to stay with me."

Jiang Xia paused for a moment and asked, "Separation of the family? Where are we moving to?"

Jiang Xia didn't want to stay, but at least other transmigrators would inherit the original owner's memories, but she didn't. She

had no memories at all!

She didn't even know which way her parents' house was facing, so how could she go back?

Therefore, Zhou Chenglei wouldn't give her a letter of introduction, so she had no

choice but to stay. "The old house is decades old and very dilapidated, it can't compare to this house, and it's closer to the sea, so it'll be a bit damp. I don't know if you can stand it." Zhou Chenglei told her the truth, letting her choose, so she wouldn't make a fuss.

Jiang Xia didn't care, as long as she had a place to stay: "I'm fine."

Zhou Chenglei didn't think she didn't care. She wasn't used to this new house, she probably couldn't stand the old one even more.

But if she couldn't stand it, she could go back to her parents' house.

"I'll go talk to Mom and Dad about the separation of the family, you go to sleep early."

Then Zhou Chenglei went out.

After Zhou Chenglei left, Jiang Xia waited until her hair was dry, but he didn't return. He probably wasn't coming back to sleep, which was fine; they weren't close, and sharing a bed would be a little awkward. She closed the door, turned on the light,

and went to sleep. Half-asleep, she felt someone come in and touch her forehead before leaving again.

Fever tends to relapse at night, so Zhou Chenglei, worried, came to check on her. Seeing that her fever had subsided, he went back to his nephew's room to sleep on the floor.

The next day, Jiang Xia was woken by the crowing of roosters. It was still dark, probably around 5:30, but she had gone to bed around 10 pm the night before and woke up feeling refreshed. She could

already hear hushed conversations and sounds of work outside. Jiang Xia didn't like to stay in bed, so she got up and went outside.

In the courtyard, Tian Caihua was shredding sweet potatoes to cook porridge. Seeing Jiang Xia up so early, she paused for a moment, then greeted her with a smile, "Fourth sister-in-law, so early? You're not feeling well, a little more sleep will make you feel better."

She was clearly in a good mood; she already knew Zhou Chenglei wanted to separate the family property, so she decided not to argue with Jiang Xia.

Zhou's mother was chopping vegetables to feed the chicks. Seeing Jiang Xia's troubled expression—she'd ruined the family!

—she still asked with concern, "Has your fever gone down?"

Her youngest son had said last night that he wouldn't divorce her and would separate the family. No matter how dissatisfied Zhou's mother was with Jiang Xia, she had to endure it; otherwise, her son would be caught in the middle and suffer.

Her son had joined the army in his teens, gone for over a decade, fought on the battlefield, and returned alive after countless near-death experiences—not to be caught in the middle.

Others might not care about her son, but she did!

As long as Jiang Xia was willing to live a good life with her son in the future, she would tolerate any of her faults.

After all, her son couldn't bear to divorce her.

When others spoke with concern, Jiang Xia wasn't ungrateful. She greeted them with a smile, "It's settled, Mom, don't worry. What are you making for breakfast, sister-in-law? I'll make it!"

Calling Zhou's mother "Mom" still felt a little awkward, but since they couldn't get a divorce yet, she had to call her that even if she wasn't used to it.

Upon hearing this, Zhou's mother immediately said, "You don't need to make it. I'll be grateful if you don't cause any trouble!"

Her resentment towards her was unconsciously revealed.

Jiang Xia: "..."

Tian Caihua also felt that Jiang Xia couldn't cook and was just talking the talk, but since they were going to separate the family soon, she wouldn't have to serve her after today's work, so there was no need to argue.

She was in a good mood today and said with a smile, "No need, no need, it'll be ready soon. I'll put the

sweet potato into the porridge and cook it a little longer, then it'll be ready to eat. Go wash your face!" Tian Caihua deftly poured the shredded sweet potato into the white porridge cooking on the small stove, added more firewood, and increased the heat to cook the porridge quickly.

Once it was cooked, they could eat breakfast, and after breakfast, they could separate the family.

Jiang Xia went to wash her face and brush her teeth. Just as she finished, Zhou Chenglei returned from outside, covered in sweat, clearly having run back.

Zhou Chenglei was visibly taken aback when he saw Jiang Xia up so early, and subconsciously asked, "Why are you up so early? Are you dizzy? You still don't have a fever?"

Jiang Xia had never experienced receiving so much concern so early in the morning, even though she knew few of the people were truly sincere. She smiled and said, "I'm fine, much better."

Seeing her rosy complexion, Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything more and fetched two buckets of water to shower and brush her teeth.

The porridge wasn't ready quickly, so Jiang Xia helped Zhou's mother chop sweet potato leaves, asking if they were for feeding the chickens.

Zhou's mother was initially worried Jiang Xia would chop her own hand, but was quite surprised to see how quickly and well she chopped. "No, it's for cooking pig feed later."

"Oh, does pig feed need to be cooked?"

Seeing Jiang Xia's interest, Zhou's mother started talking to her, teaching her a few things.

Her son had separated from her family and moved out, so she knew more, making things easier for him.

Then Jiang Xia learned that the Zhou family raised three large, fat pigs, a cow, a dozen chickens and ducks each, and a flock of chicks that had just hatched ten days ago.

Pigs need to be fed, while cows can be let graze freely; herding cows is usually done by the children in the family. Ducks can be herded to the beach and they'll find small fish and shrimp on their own; you just need to bring them back later. Chickens can be let out into the bamboo grove in the morning to find their own food, but they still need to be fed in the evening.

Chicks need careful care; feed them chick rice, and if you're feeding them vegetable leaves, chop them up. Once they're a bit older, the mother hen can take them out to forage. No one steals them; every household does it this way. You just need to mark the chickens, geese, and ducks, for example, by cutting off their tails or a tuft of feathers from their heads, or tying their feet with rope. After

the two of them finished cutting a large pile of sweet potato vines, Jiang Xia cleaned the yard, and the porridge was ready—breakfast was ready.

Breakfast was only sweet potato porridge, but it was delicious, with the sweet and soft texture of sweet potatoes and the savory aroma of dried shrimp. Jiang Xia ate two bowls.

After breakfast, Guangzong Yaozu and Xiao Zhouzhou walked to school with their schoolbags on their backs. Zhou's father called the family into the living room to discuss the division of the family property.

"You brothers are all married and have your own families now, it's time to divide the property. The second brother bought a house in town recently, so he's the first to be divided. When he bought the house, your mother and I contributed two thousand yuan, and we agreed then that after the division, the house would have nothing to do with them."

Tian Caihua pursed her lips. Why was she dissatisfied? It was because of this! She and Zhou Chengxin were uneducated and unemployed. Zhou Chenglei, after being discharged from the army, could have worked for the town government, but he didn't take the job. Not only did he not take it, but he even gave the job opportunity to the second brother, completely disregarding his eldest brother who was still fishing at home.

The second brother was a cadre in the brigade at the time, he already had a job!

Why didn't Zhou Chenglei give the job to his eldest brother? Did he look down on his eldest brother who only graduated from elementary school?

Then Zhou Chenglei married Jiang Xia and brought her home. She didn't do any housework; she cooked for the whole family, took care of the elderly, and looked after the couple. Why did she receive no benefits and have to serve them?

Zhou's father continued, "Chenglei said this new house is for Chengxin; he and Jiang Xia will move to the old house."

Tian Caihua's eyes lit up!

Tian Caihua's eyes lit up. This red brick house was only two years old; it was still brand new!

They didn't have enough money to build it, and half of it was sent back by Zhou Chenglei. She hadn't expected him to refuse it and give it to them.

Tian Caihua finally felt a little better.

"Then this new house will go to Chengxin, and the old house to Chenglei. Xia, do you have any objections?" Zhou's father looked at Jiang Xia.

Tian Caihua glanced at Jiang Xia. What objections could she have? They were both planning to divorce, and she wouldn't be staying long anyway!

Last night, Zhou Chenglei told Zhou Chengxin that he was afraid his parents wouldn't agree to the division of the family property, so he kept it a secret from them, saying they wouldn't divorce, only divide the property.

Actually, she felt that Zhou Chenglei was worried that if his parents knew they were getting a divorce, they wouldn't treat Jiang Xia well anymore.

After all, they weren't family anymore; who would want to support her for free?

Besides, her brother-in-law was getting on in years, twenty-eight years old, almost thirty. If Jiang Xia stayed at home for six months before the divorce, she would be twenty-nine.

Even after a divorce, he might not be able to marry again immediately. If he delays, he'll be thirty soon.

His in-laws definitely won't agree; they've always wanted him to get married and have children quickly.

It's just that he's an honest and kind man, and he's supporting a woman who wants a divorce for half a year!

Jiang Xia smiled and said, "Dad, I have no objection. Whatever Cheng Lei says goes. I'll listen to Cheng Lei."

Her statement that she would listen to Cheng Lei softened Zhou's father's expression.

That's how a daughter-in-law should act!

Tian Caihua, having received a benefit, didn't mind saying nice things and smiled, "Dad, Fourth Brother is capable, and Fourth Sister-in-law is educated. They'll definitely be able to earn enough money soon to build a Western-style house, even bigger than this one."

Zhou Cheng Lei's face remained expressionless, while Jiang Xia, sitting beside him, simply smiled.

Father Zhou continued, "The family's fields and land."

Tian Caihua immediately said, "Dad, when the production team distributed the land, all four brothers, Guangzong Yaozu's sons, were entitled to a share. At that time, the fourth brother's household registration wasn't there!"

Zhou Chengxin glared at her: "Dad hasn't finished speaking, don't interrupt!"

The fourth brother had already given them the new house, what more did this woman want?

Wouldn't she give the land to the fourth brother and his wife?

That's too much!

Tian Caihua glared at Zhou Chengxin. He himself was incompetent, yet he didn't fight for anything. Did he think he was rich?

Didn't he know he had four sons to support?

These half-grown sons were eating their fathers out of house and home; if they had less land, what would they eat?

Besides, she was telling the truth; Zhou Chenglei indeed hadn't received any land because his household registration wasn't there.

Father Zhou ignored Tian Caihua. How could the division of the family property be truly fair? He could only try his best.

The house was given to her, and although what she said was true, the land naturally had to be given to the fourth brother and his wife. He couldn't let her get all the benefits.

"The family's fields, private plots, vegetable garden, and bamboo grove are divided equally among you three brothers. Your mother and I will keep one mu of land and two plots, which will be left to Zhou Zhou later."

Tian Caihua was dissatisfied upon hearing this and blurted out, "Your second brother's family and Zhou Zhou also get land?"

She had benefited from the house, and she could tolerate the land being given to Jiang Xia, but her second brother and his wife were both government employees, so they also got land? And Zhou Zhou, a girl, will get married in the future, so why should she get land too?

Shouldn't the land belonging to the elders belong to the eldest son's family in the future?

Since ancient times, there has been land for the eldest son. After the elders pass away, shouldn't the land be left to the eldest son?

Zhou Chengxin: "Shut up! Or we can divide the house equally." Can't

you just say less? Zhou Chengxin was about to be driven crazy by his wife. She wasn't even as sensible as Jiang Xia.

Look at Jiang Xia, she didn't have any objections at all. When asked, she only said, "Listen to Cheng Lei."

Tian Caihua finally fell silent, but she was furious inside.

She married a useless man who was pretending to be generous!

He didn't know he had four sons. If the house is divided equally, where will his sons live after they get married?

Does he have the ability to build another house?

Zhou's father asked again, "You have no objections to the fields and land, right?"

Zhou Chengxin replied, "Dad, we have no objections. This is how it should be divided."

He tugged at Tian Caihua's clothes, and Tian Caihua had no choice but to say, "Whatever Dad says, we'll divide it."

Their family had plenty of land; this division would be enough to feed them.

Zhou Chenglei: "No."

He didn't care about the land; he didn't have much time to farm it, and Jiang Xia didn't know how to farm it either. She was too delicate to manage, and besides, they were getting a divorce soon, so Jiang Xia wouldn't care.

Zhou's father looked at Jiang Xia, who hadn't spoken.

Jiang Xia: "I have no objections either."

Zhou's father continued, "The family boat..."

Tian Caihua became anxious again.

Only with a boat could they go out to sea to fish and earn a living!

They, the couple, knew nothing and were uneducated; how could they survive without a boat?

If the three brothers divided it, or even divided it into four parts, how would their eldest son's family survive?

"Dad, is the boat half for us and half for my fourth brother?"

Zhou Chengxin: "Can you please not interrupt?"

Tian Caihua pouted: "Can't we even speak?"

Zhou's father pretended not to hear and said calmly: "The three of us, father and sons, will each take a day to operate the boat, in rotation."

This time, Tian Caihua had no objection. Although she wanted the two brothers to each take a day, Zhou's father was still young and capable, and she couldn't stop him from operating the boat. What if she had to support him?

Besides, this boat was a semi-new boat that they had recently bought from the production team. At the time, the family didn't have enough money to buy it, and Zhou Chenglei had contributed part of the cost.

She was just worried about giving the boat to Jiang Xia.

Father Zhou continued, "The pigs, cows, chickens, and ducks at home. Each of you brothers gets one pig, and your mother and I each get one. Your mother will raise the cow; you can use it if you need it, and split the profits 50/50. The chickens and ducks are also split 50/50. Those chicks are hard to care for, so your mother should raise them."

Tian Caihua had no objection; she smiled and said, "Whatever Dad says." "

As for the tables, chairs, farm tools, and bowls and chopsticks, Chenglei, when you move them over, take a set with you." There were many people in the family, and two sets of eight-immortal tables were piled up in the storage room, only used when the siblings gathered for holidays, but they were all old.

There were extra tables and chairs, and Tian Caihua had no objection to them.

Anyway, the living room already had new furniture, so Zhou Chenglei had no reason to take the set from the living room.

Father Zhou: "As for the money..."

Tian Caihua shifted her position, sitting up straight.

Mother Zhou looked at her two daughters-in-law; one was calm and composed, while the other couldn't hide her petty schemes, looking as if she was afraid of being taken advantage of.

Compared to this, Zhou's mother didn't find Jiang Xia so distasteful anymore.

It seemed having some education was a good thing. Even if she was educated and carefree, she wondered if she could make it work with the fourth son. She hoped her son's sincere feelings wouldn't be wasted!

Her son had divided the family property just to keep her.

Zhou's father glanced at Zhou's mother, "Take out the money."

Zhou's mother snapped out of her reverie and pulled a large bag of money from an old cotton-padded coat.

Jiang Xia glanced at it; it was quite thick!

Then Jiang Xia watched as Zhou's mother unwrapped the money layer by layer from various layers of paper: the outermost layer was yellowed plastic film, then newspaper, then faded homespun cloth, and finally a handkerchief—five layers in total before revealing the large sums of money inside.

Jiang Xia: "..."

Tian Caihua stared intently at the stack of ten-yuan notes in Zhou's mother's hand, trying to estimate how much money it contained.

Zhou's Mother: "There's still 1200 yuan left in the house."

Tian Caihua: "Is that all?"

Zhou Chengxin tugged at her clothes.

Zhou's father ignored her and took the stack of ten-yuan notes from Zhou's mother: "This 1200 yuan is 300 for the eldest son, 600 for the fourth son, and the extra 300 is for the fourth son to repair his house. The remaining 300 is for me, your father, and Zhou Zhou. Do you have any objections?"

Zhou Chengxin quickly interjected, "No objections."

Tian Caihua rolled her eyes. She did have some objections. She felt that repairing the house didn't require 300 yuan, and although the house was old, it could be moved into after a cleaning, so repairs weren't necessary.

But she had gotten a new house, which had cost over 3000 yuan to build, and she was embarrassed to say that, so she let it go. She

'd just accept the loss; she wouldn't care so much.

"I have no objections either," Tian Caihua said reluctantly.

Zhou Chenglei didn't care about these things; he had quite a bit of savings of his own.

Jiangxia, who was only staying temporarily, had no objections.

Zhou's father said, "Then the money is divided like this, and the division of the family property is settled!"

Tian Caihua panicked. Just settled like that? It wasn't even finished yet!

She blurted out, "Then Mom and Dad, you and Zhou Zhou will be living with Fourth Brother and his family from

now on, right?" Everyone in the room fell silent.

Zhou's parents hadn't expected Tian Caihua to say that and were stunned.

Zhou Chenglei frowned. He thought his sister-in-law didn't want to live with him and his wife, but it turned out she wasn't happy about living with his parents either.

What kind of environment was the old house? What kind of environment would the new house be like?

The old house was dilapidated and leaky!

Zhou Chengxin angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about! Of course Mom and Dad live with us!"

Tian Caihua immediately added, "I also want to live with Mom and Dad, but this house only has six rooms. Wenguang and the others are getting older. It's okay for the two brothers to share a room now, but it won't be enough when they get older. Wenguang is already in junior high school and will get married in a few years. Besides, Zhou Zhou won't be able to sleep with Mom and Dad in a couple of years, right? This house simply can't accommodate so many people."

She couldn't even support her own four sons, let alone a niece.

The two elders have more than one son; why should they continue to live with them?

Zhou Chengxin: "You don't need to say anything more. Dad, Mom, and Zhou Zhou all live with us."

Tian Caihua got angry: "I didn't say anything, what's wrong with you? You're making me seem like I'm unfilial! I've been married to you for over ten years and I've lived with my parents for over ten years, taking care of them for over ten years. They don't only have me as their daughter-in-law. Did I say anything? It's not that there aren't enough rooms, there are extra rooms in the old house, right? I didn't say I wouldn't take care of my parents in the future. Besides, I'm also thinking about my fourth brother. Dad and my fourth brother will live together, and after my fourth brother and Jiang Xia divorce..."

Zhou Chenglei interrupted her: "Dad, Mom, and Zhou Zhou all live with me."

After saying that, he realized he hadn't asked Jiang Xia's opinion.

Actually, since they were about to get divorced, whether she was happy to live with her parents or not was irrelevant, but Zhou Chenglei was afraid she would make a scene.

He turned to look at Jiang Xia.

The division of the family property was started because of her, and Jiang Xia felt quite embarrassed. When she saw Zhou Chenglei looking over, she went along with his suggestion and said, "Mom and Dad, and Zhou Zhou, why don't you live with us? There are plenty of rooms in the old house, and you and Zhou Zhou can fit in. I don't know anything about farm work, so I'll have to trouble Mom to teach me."

She spoke sincerely, which was pleasant to hear, unlike her usual way of speaking. Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but glance at her again, feeling a sense of relief.

Tian Caihua also breathed a sigh of relief. She was also worried that Jiang Xia would cause trouble, and that her in-laws would continue to live with her. She quickly smiled and said, "Fourth brother and sister-in-law are thinking ahead. Fourth sister-in-law doesn't know anything, and having Mom and Dad live with you can help you with a lot of things. Later, when fourth brother has children, Mom can also help him take care of them. Zhou Zhou is also a diligent child and can help with housework. With Mom and Dad and Zhou Zhou helping you with chores, fourth brother and sister-in-law will have a much easier time."

Her sons were also raised by her mother-in-law, who was indeed very diligent and easy to get along with. But she herself was also a diligent person, and she could handle the small amount of housework herself.

Besides, she had lived with her in-laws for over ten years. Her in-laws had several sons; they should take turns supporting them, right?

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou didn't actually want to live with either of their sons, not wanting to cause them any trouble. However, the house only had two rooms, and their eldest daughter-in-law clearly didn't want to live with them. Mr. Zhou looked at Jiang Xia, unsure whether her words were sincere or not.

Jiang Xia then said, "Dad, Cheng Lei and I are sincere. You, Mom, and Zhou Zhou should all come and live with us! I don't understand anything, and I need you all."

They had already agreed to divorce, and since Zhou Cheng Lei wanted to live with his parents, she went along with his suggestion and tried to persuade him.

Jiang Xia thought about how she had a weak bond with her parents and relatives in her past life.

When she was three years old, her father had an affair, and her mother, in a very violent way, dragged her father down with her, along with the other woman. Later, they had to pay a lot of money to the other woman's family, and they lost their home. After

starting junior high school, her grandmother also passed away.

At that time, she felt like the world had shrunk to just her. The small basement, though crowded, also felt huge, incredibly vast.

She was terrified of going home alone in the basement.

Later, she gradually got used to being alone.

Jiang Xia's words, "We, as a couple, need you," touched Zhou's parents.

As people age, their greatest fear is not being needed by their children, and of being a burden to them.

Zhou's father nodded, "Then my wife, Zhou Zhou, and I will stay with you two for now."

Their youngest son was capable; once he built his new house, the two of them would live on their own, not with them.

Jiang Xia smiled, "Okay."

Seeing Jiang Xia's sincere smile, without a hint of displeasure, Zhou's mother breathed a sigh of relief and felt a little happy. Her youngest son didn't have children yet, and she wanted to live with him so she could help them in the future.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at her, and for some reason, he sensed she had just been a little sad.

It wasn't because she was unhappy about living with his parents, but rather a feeling of loneliness and sorrow, which she hid deeply, even fleetingly, yet he could sense her sadness and loneliness.

Like an orphan missing their deceased parents, but why did she feel this way?

His parents-in-law are both alive and well. Or perhaps he misunderstood, and she's just homesick?

The division of the family property is settled then.

Father Zhou added, "As for our living expenses, we can still work now, so you don't need to pay. You can give us money when we can't anymore!"

Tian Caihua smiled and said, "Okay."

Father Zhou continued, "Today is the first day of the month, so there's no need to choose an auspicious day. Cheng Lei and I will clean the old house, and Xia Xia and your mother will help divide the belongings and tidy up. We'll move in today."