“Girl, listen to Mom’s advice. We really can’t marry that Feng Xiao. He’s eleven years older than you, not to mention he has two children. Though those two kids are martyrs’ orphans and not his biological ones, so marrying over wouldn’t count as a second marriage, but you’d still be a stepmother. Being a stepmother isn’t easy. Why should our fine young unmarried girl go be a stepmother…”
“Yes, girl. Even if Regiment Leader Feng has a good family background with a general for a grandfather, we can’t just look at that. You’d be marrying so far away—what if you get bullied later? What then…”
“If that Feng Xiao was really as great as Qiao Hui said, why didn’t she marry him herself? Why give this marriage to you? That girl has been sly since she was little, always wanting to one-up you. Her acting so out of character this time, suddenly giving you the Feng Family marriage, definitely means she’s up to no good!”
…
In a brightly lit house with a tiled roof, though the room was fully furnished and the environment very neat, the stone-paved floor and the sounds of chickens, ducks, and livestock coming from outside the window made it clear this was a rural home.
However, even if it was just a farmhouse courtyard, this house definitely belonged to one of the wealthier families in the village.
And that was indeed the case.
This was the Village Chief’s home. Old Village Chief Qiao’s family was the richest in Qiao Village.
The fully furnished room, which even had a luxurious vanity, belonged to Old Village Chief Qiao’s youngest granddaughter from the third branch of the Qiao Family, Qiao Shu’s boudoir.
In the countryside, it was one of a kind for a girl to have her own room filled with so many luxury items.
Not to mention the girls in the village—even girls in County Town rarely had such things.
Looking at her Qiao Family parents who anxiously tried to persuade her, the person involved, Qiao Shu, truly felt a bit helpless.
She knew the words from these two middle-aged people made sense; they were all said for her sake.
Marrying a man eleven years older than her who had two martyrs’ orphans under his name was indeed not a good choice.
But…
She couldn’t help it—she wasn’t the original owner but a sudden transmigrator, an impostor from another world!
Qiao Shu slightly pursed her lips, lowered her head, and a flash of confusion and grievance passed through her eyes.
Heaven knew how panicked she had been when she first transmigrated. With no defenses at all, she went from the 21st century of the future to this backward 1980s era lacking food and clothing, short on supplies, where advanced technology hadn’t developed yet.
On the first day after transmigrating, once she realized she wasn’t dreaming but had truly crossed to the 1980s—and was about to marry an old man and become a stepmom to two kids—she rejected this marriage 100%.
After all, she had never even dated, and now she had to suddenly become a mom and marry a man she hadn’t even met. That was completely terrifying!
However, before she could open her mouth to refuse the marriage the original owner had already agreed to, she discovered… the Spirit Spring Space that had trapped her at home in her previous life had followed her to this backward era!
After a day of testing, the good news was that the spiritual spring water in the space no longer made people frailer the more they soaked.
But the bad news was… even though she had transmigrated to the 1980s and changed bodies, the frail constitution that had plagued her previous life came along too!
Thinking of how, in her previous life, because of this Spirit Spring Space, she had been confined indoors and forced to become a shut-in otaku girl, she felt utter despair!
In her previous life, due to her weak body and lack of a healthy physique, she had been abandoned by her parents at birth and left at an orphanage’s doorstep.
Because she lacked a healthy body, the frail her from childhood desperately wanted a strong one.
So when she accidentally bought a jade pendant one day and unlocked a Spirit Spring Space, she was overjoyed. After all, the spirit spring spaces in novels were immortal treasures that could cleanse tendons and marrow, enhancing one’s physique.
After discovering the spiritual spring water healed her wounds, she naturally started bathing in it daily without hesitation to improve her constitution.
She originally thought it would strengthen her body, but who knew…
Her spirit spring made her skin fairer and more delicate just like in the novels, but differently—her frail body didn’t grow healthier; instead, it grew frailer!
Only when she belatedly realized something was off with the space’s spirit spring did she discover her already weak constitution had become even more delicate and sensitive!
Just like the Princess and the Pea in that fairy tale, every inch of her skin couldn’t tolerate the slightest grievance. She needed the finest silk to wear and could only eat the most refined grains.
And even more terrifying, she who was already beautiful slowly grew more and more stunning because of the spirit spring.
In the end, even after she stopped soaking, she couldn’t halt her beauty from peaking, beautiful like a fairy descending from heaven. Just stepping out caused a commotion and drew countless covetous gazes.
Beauty at that level brought her endless troubles. As a little orphan girl with no family background, having such looks gave her no sense of security.
So after graduating university, she decisively chose to stay home, becoming a novelist who worked and earned from home, isolating all troubles and dangers…
She thought she would live alone as a shut-in forever, but who knew after just sleeping once, she awoke from the 21st century to the 1980s!
Transmigrating onto a little village girl with the same name, about to suddenly become a stepmom with both son and daughter, marrying an ‘old man’?!!
If possible, she didn’t want to marry an ‘old man’ and be a stepmom either.
But… she clearly understood in her heart that marrying that ‘old man’ might be her best choice.
After all, judging by how her current body was gradually being assimilated by her previous life’s constitution, neither her beauty that might recover to its extreme nor that excessively delicate body could be borne by the Qiao Family villagers.
Not to mention other things—just clothing and food couldn’t satisfy her.
Though the Qiao Family was wealthy in the village, they were still poor folk.
They couldn’t provide her with the softest, finest fabrics for clothes, much less expensive refined grains for every meal.
So… that ‘old man’ with impressive family background, outstanding personal ability, and great prospects became her current best choice.
Perhaps the original owner agreed to this marriage for a better life, to become a regiment leader’s wife and a Capital person.
But she did it for survival, to not burden the Qiao Family.
“Dad, Mom, don’t persuade me anymore. I’ve decided to marry him, and Grandpa’s letter has already been sent. This matter can’t be reneged on.”
Though she had only transmigrated a few days ago, Qiao Shu, who had never felt parental love before, truly sensed that thick affection from her Qiao parents.
Because of that, she sincerely treated these two as her own parents.
If not for her damned previous-life constitution coming along, she actually wanted to stay by Qiao Father and Qiao Mother’s side, continuing to feel the family love she had never had…
Seeing her little daughter’s resolute look determined to marry Feng Xiao, He Meijun didn’t know what to say for a moment.
After all, she had said and advised everything she could…
“…Girl! Y-you’re really muddleheaded!”
“Sigh, if the girl wants to marry, then let her. The Feng Family is at least someone our dad knows well, and with Dad’s life-saving grace, our girl shouldn’t suffer much after marrying over…”
Qiao Chang knew his little daughter couldn’t be persuaded, so he changed his tone to console his wife.
But mentioning Old Master Qiao, the culprit, only gave He Meijun an outlet, and she immediately exploded.
“It’s all your dad’s fault! Your dad wants to ally with that damned Feng Family—why send my daughter! If he’s so capable of arranging a childhood betrothal, why didn’t he have a daughter himself!”
Hearing his wife curse loudly like that, Qiao Chang panicked and tugged at He Meijun.
“Wife, keep it down, keep it down…”
…
Amid a bout of arguing and tugging, He Meijun and Qiao Chang left Qiao Shu’s room.
Seeing her parents leave, Qiao Shu sat listlessly in front of the vanity mirror.
Looking at the fair and pretty face in the mirror, growing more like her previous life’s self, Qiao Shu blinked her eyes in a daze.
It seemed… she looked even prettier today…
Thinking of her previous life’s bewitchingly beautiful appearance, Qiao Shu grew even more determined to marry that prominent ‘old man’!
“The soldiers in this era should all be pretty busy… Even after marriage, they probably won’t meet often. Having a husband should be about the same as not having one…”
As for the kids… she heard there was a nanny caring for them, so… she probably wouldn’t need to do anything…
While Qiao Shu stared at her reflection lost in thought, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
“Knock knock knock!”
“Shushu, I’m coming in.”
The knock hadn’t waited for Qiao Shu’s response before the person pushed the door open and entered.
Seeing the visitor barge in uninvited, Qiao Shu speechlessly tugged at the corner of her mouth and inwardly complained, ‘This person really is… a bit polite, but not much.’