Time Travel & Rebirth : Prosperous Life in the 1980s

Chapter 2 The mine collapsed!

"Who knows if she ends up with someone unreliable. If she gets pregnant and doesn't understand, it will be a lifetime affair."

During the New Year, speaking such disgusting words, Zhi Jiaojiao thought her meddlesome aunt was crazy. She abruptly sat up and glared at the old woman speaking.

Zhao Weiya was truly displeased. Without caring that her niece, Li Shengnan, was present, she retorted sharply, "Zhao Weiran, has your filthy mouth sewn shut? With all the nonsense you spout, you still think you're qualified to be an elder? If you can only spew garbage, then you should just leave and never come back."

Zhao Weiya was genuinely angry. This person always caused trouble during every visit. Previously, it was comparisons of children's grades and husbands' salaries; now, it was speaking ill of Jiaojiao.

Zhi Jiaojiao was the apple of Zhao Weiya's eye. Zhao Weiya loved her daughter and found her beautiful and endearing, even when she pouted and acted cute.

Seeing her precious daughter, Zhao Weiya's heart softened. Her tone became gentle, "My dear, did I wake you up with my shouting?"

Zhao Weiran, taken aback by her sister's scolding, felt wronged and tried to speak up, but was stopped by her daughter.

Li Shengnan, discontented, whispered, "Mom, could you not be so excessive? Aunt's good temper can't handle you."

Seeing her sister so angry, Zhao Weiran felt a bit guilty. She grumbled, "I only said it for her own good." Under her daughter's restraint, she obediently fell silent.

Zhi Jiaojiao nuzzled against her mother's shoulder, making Zhao Weiya smile happily. She adored her daughter, who was her little treasure, and felt content with their close relationship. Zhao Weiya touched Zhi Jiaojiao's hair and said, "Oh, you're grown up but still cling to Mommy."

Zhi Jiaojiao replied seriously, "No matter how old, I'm still Mommy's child."

Zhi Jiaojiao found it strange how fate had worked out. She had just read a big heroine story and ended up transmigrating into the same-named supporting character in the book. The couple in the story, who looked exactly like her own parents, felt like her real mom and dad.

The heroine in the book was Li Shengnan, the daughter of Zhi Jiaojiao's meddlesome aunt. Zhi Jiaojiao's aunt, Zhao Weiran, favored sons over daughters and had only one child due to health issues. She strictly demanded that Li Shengnan excel.

Li Shengnan had lived up to those expectations, working as an accountant, later starting her own business, and becoming a powerful figure in the county. The book focused on her success, luck, and how various admirers pursued her.

Zhi Jiaojiao was a mere foil to the heroine, known as cannon fodder. Despite her pretty appearance, she was lazy and eventually punished for her jealousy towards her sister Li Shengnan's success.

Zhi Jiaojiao decided to embrace her new life calmly. She didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the original character. Her goal was to live happily as an "extra" while shining in the heroine's path.

She made a plan with a "three don't" policy: don't anger the heroine, don't obstruct her, and don't interfere too much—just focus on living her own small life.

Zhao Weiran was taken out by Li Shengnan. With the outsiders gone, Zhao Weiya expressed her disdain openly, quickly climbing into bed and cuddling with her precious daughter. She complained like a child, "I just find her annoying, always causing trouble. And speaking ill of you—ugh, you can't expect anything good from someone like her."

Zhi Jiaojiao patted her mother's hand with an enlightened demeanor, "What can be done? Aunt doesn't look as good as Mom, and her temper is terrible. She probably compensates by trying to assert herself in other ways."

Hearing this, Zhao Weiya felt Zhi Jiaojiao made sense. She immediately felt better, "Indeed. She wasn't so irritating when she was younger. Ever since moving to the city, she's become increasingly troublesome. She'll eventually get a taste of her own medicine."

Zhao Weiran, oblivious to this, found a new target for her criticism outside. Zhi Jiaojiao's younger brother, Zhi Rongrong, was caught urinating in a corner. He hurriedly pulled up his pants and looked warily at his strange aunt.

Zhao Weiran, now smiling kindly, approached him, "Rongrong, you're here?"

Zhi Rongrong looked up at her, feeling uneasy. Although he liked the treats she brought, he didn't like her. Her smile seemed more like that of a kidnapper.

The five-year-old Zhi Rongrong picked up a stick defensively and faced Zhao Weiran. When Zhao Weiran reached out to hug him, Zhi Rongrong quickly slipped away, leaving her empty-handed.

Zhao Weiran was not upset. She happily patted her daughter's arm, "Look at your brother, so clever. Oh, I wish I had a son. It seems I'm destined never to have one."

Li Shengnan rolled her eyes, annoyed at her mother's obsession with having a son. In modern times, women could hold their own just as well as men, and gender shouldn't matter.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside. A plump woman in a gray coat appeared at the gate of the Zhi family's courtyard, her face tear-streaked and steps unsteady.

Zhao Weiran, seeing the commotion, nudged her daughter and said, "Look at this woman, crying so much. Oh, she looks so ugly, so fat and strong..."

At this moment, the woman had already rushed in. Standing in the yard, she began to speak with a sobbing tone, "Jiaojiao's mom, come out quickly, something terrible has happened. The mine collapsed! Wuwuwu."

Zhao Weiran's mouth was quicker than her brain. Upon hearing the key words, she began to wail, as if she had already seen her brother-in-law's corpse. "My poor sister! How did you end up in this situation? What will you and your child do in the future? Such bad luck at New Year's! My poor sister!"

Note:

Zhi Rongrong: Zhi Jiaojiao's younger brother.