“You’re nothing but a hen that doesn’t lay eggs—stop clinging to my son! Now that you’re divorced, get out of here and go back where you came from!”
A frail woman with a plaited braid, wearing a yellow-and-white floral blouse and blue cotton trousers, was driven out of the Qian household.
A crowd gathered around, pointing and whispering.
“I hear she was just a village girl to begin with. The Qians spent three hundred yuan to marry her, and even gave her a bicycle and a sewing machine, but she hasn’t given the family a single child in three years of marriage!”
“What’s the point if she can’t carry on the family line? If it were me, I’d have hung myself from a tree long ago!”
“Everyone, keep your distance from her. Don’t let her bad luck rub off on you!”
The woman clutched her bundle, tears streaming down her face. “No, it’s not like that. It’s not my fault…”
……
All manner of taunts and jeers echoed in Jiang Fusheng’s mind. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she found herself lying in a brick-and-tile house.
The scene before her had a distinctly vintage feel.
Especially the two lamps sitting on a low cabinet not far away—they were exactly like the cobweb-covered kerosene lamps in the corner of the storeroom back home!
Those were the sort of things her grandmother’s generation used!
Where on earth was she?
Hadn’t she been in the kitchen?
“This…”
A shrill voice suddenly rang out: “Mum, Big Brother, Lai Di’s awake!”
Lai Di?
What a sexist name!
My head hurts so much…
Strange memories assaulted her brain.
Good grief!
Jiang Fuseng sat bolt upright, her face a mask of bewilderment as she struggled to process the memories.
She, Jiang Fuseng—the ‘Goddess of Cooking’ who had taken the world by storm in the 21st century, capable of charging a staggering 100 million yuan for a single meal—had actually been transported into a novel?
Not only had she been transported back to the early 1980s, but she’d also become Jiang Laidi—a disposable female supporting character destined to die at the very start of the story?
According to the book, this original body, Jiang Laidi, was the fifth daughter of the Jiang family, a small farming household in Pinghe Village, with four older sisters who had already married.
Three years ago, she had also married Qian Weidong, the eldest son of the Qian family—a small-scale livestock farmer in the county.
What outsiders don’t know is that the Qian family married her merely to exploit her, to absorb the good fortune she was born with, so that the Qian family’s business could grow step by step, becoming the first family to amass a fortune of ten thousand yuan!
Over the past three years, Qian Weidong has looked down on her for being from the countryside and has consistently refused to touch her, merely putting on a show of marital bliss for others to see.
Just yesterday, Qian Weidong took her out to seal a partnership deal, instantly making them the largest livestock farmer in the country; it is estimated that it won’t be long before they become the wealthiest family in the nation.
Having achieved their ends, the Qian family returned home and deemed the original owner no longer of any use to them. They casually fabricated the excuse that she was ‘barren’ and forcibly pressured her into a divorce, even kicking her out onto the street!
Upon returning home, the original owner was also shunned by her own family; no one believed she was still innocent.
They even forced her to return to the Qian household to continue toiling away, solely so she could scrape together a few extra coins from the Qians to send back to her parents’ home.
The original owner refused. In utter despair, she chose to hang herself in a deserted spot, only to be rescued by the Xiao family, who happened to be out hunting in the mountains.
Good heavens!
She was a model citizen of the new era, working hard and striving to better herself every day—how could the heavens treat her like this?!
A voice full of concern rang out: “Lai Di, you mustn’t be so impulsive in future. Life is so precious—how could you just give it up so easily…”
As the voice trailed off, the light in the room was blocked.
Jiang Fusheng turned her head and caught her breath.
The room, which had seemed quite spacious due to the sparse furniture, was instantly filled by the three people who had entered: Mrs Xiao, Xiao Changhe, and his sister Xiao Changhong.
It was Mother Xiao who had spoken to her just now.
Her gaze swept back and forth, finally settling on the tallest man.
So tall, and with six-pack abs!
Wait a moment—isn’t that Xiao Changhe?
The taciturn, fierce tough guy who appeared right at the start of the book!
Standing at 1.95 metres tall, he had eyebrows as thick as ink, eyes as dark as pools, a high, straight nose, and a face with sharp, angular features, exuding a cold, imposing aura.
His body was built with powerful muscles, and numerous veins bulged prominently on his hands.
Years of labouring in the fields, exposed to sun, rain and wind, had given his skin a healthy, tanned hue; and as he occasionally ventured into the mountains to hunt, his body was covered in fierce-looking scars!
She had a vivid impression of him, not only because of his fearsome appearance, but also because in the book he was an unsung hero who punished evil and upheld justice!
But most importantly of all, he had saved her life!
“Lai Di?” Mother Xiao waved her hand in front of her face.
“Eh?” Jiang Fusheng snapped back to her senses and swallowed hard. “Aunt Xiao.”
In Peace Village, the Xiao family was a presence feared by the entire village.
The Xiao family had been farmers for generations, with hunting as a sideline. Due to their physical build and genetics, every member—men, women and children alike—was burly and powerful, each one capable of taking on two men. To outsiders, they were simply beasts on two legs.
They even exuded a wildness that would strike fear into the hearts of prey.
She’d scoffed at the idea when reading the book, but now that she’d seen them in the flesh, she was terrified too!
These were people capable of smashing a skull to a pulp with a single punch!
“Once the fever’s gone, there won’t be any major issues.” Mother Xiao placed her hand on Jiang Fusheng’s forehead; her large palm completely covered her brow.
Jiang Fusheng felt the warmth radiating from Mother Xiao’s palm and recalled the plot of the book.
Next, the Jiang family would discover she hadn’t returned to the Qian household; after searching everywhere, they’d find out she’d been rescued by the Xiao family, and then they’d come to coax her back home.
The Jiang family knew of her unyielding nature, so they planned to squeeze every last drop of value from the original host, selling her off for a mere twenty yuan to some old geezer!
The original owner was a young, innocent woman! Once married off, she’d be abused day in, day out!
This simply wouldn’t do!
Jiang Fuseng immediately sought a solution. Suddenly, she looked up and spotted the burly Xiao Changhe. She instantly grabbed Xiao’s mother’s arm. “Aunt Xiao! Do you want a daughter-in-law or not?”
“Eh? What nonsense are you spouting, you little girl!”
Mrs Xiao was taken aback, and even the Xiao siblings, who had been standing silently nearby, were startled.
Jiang Fuseng said urgently, “Aunt Xiao, Brother Changhe hasn’t found a wife yet. I can marry into the family!”
Mrs Xiao’s breathing grew heavier as she came to her senses. “You’re willing to marry my son Changhe? That…”
“I’m willing, I’m very willing! And I won’t ask for a dowry!” Jiang Fuseng didn’t notice the dark look in Xiao Changhe’s eyes; she simply smiled and nodded. Fearing that Mother Xiao might refuse, she hurriedly added, “Auntie Xiao, I’ve even got money to bring as my dowry!”
“Well… Changhe…”
Before Xiao’s mother could finish, her daughter, Xiao Changhong, pulled her aside and muttered under her breath, “Mum, I’ve heard she was cast out of the Qian family because she can’t have children. If she can’t bear children, how will we carry on the family line?”
“Your father and I aren’t just limited to your eldest brother as our only son. It won’t be up to him to carry on the family line, so don’t worry about that. As long as your eldest brother is willing to marry her, there’s no problem.”
“But…”
“At the moment, every girl for miles around looks down on your eldest brother, thinking he looks as terrifying as a wild beast. It’s rare to find someone like Lai Di who doesn’t mind! And she doesn’t even want a dowry!”
“You’re right. Big Brother is nearly thirty…”
Just as the mother and daughter were murmuring to each other, Jiang Fuseng suddenly remembered something. She quickly threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. “Aunt Xiao, I’ve just remembered there’s something else I need to do. I’ll be back in a moment…”
Her voice trailed off abruptly, for someone was blocking the doorway, preventing her from leaving.
“Er, Xiao… Brother Changhe, could you let me through?”
“No.”
Jiang Fusheng grew impatient. “What do you mean ‘no’? I really do have an urgent matter to attend to!”
Xiao Changhe pursed his lips. “If it’s urgent, why not take a moment to… hang yourself.”
Jiang Fusheng: “……”
The book only said Xiao Changhe was taciturn; it never mentioned he stuttered!
“Xiao Changhe, I genuinely have something I need to do right now, I’m not lying! May my whole family die if I’m lying!”
“You mean… marrying me?”
“Exactly! I won’t ask for a dowry, and I’ve got my own belongings. You just need to provide food and lodging.”
Xiao Changhe remained silent.
“Never mind, I’ll come back later and discuss it with you all!”
Jiang Fuseng paid no heed to his stammer and simply ran past Xiao Changhe towards the door. She didn’t notice the threshold, tripped slightly, and lurched forward.
“Whoa!”
Just as she thought she was about to take a face-plant, her wrist was suddenly gripped, her body spun round, and she was swept up into a horizontal embrace.
The sudden lift into the air made Jiang Fuseng panic; she hurriedly wrapped her arms around Xiao Changhe’s neck.