Zhou Mingzhu woke up with a splitting headache. Reaching up to the source of the pain, she felt a large bump and a scab on the back of her head.
She sat up and looked around at the spartan surroundings.
There were faded white-washed walls, a wooden door painted in yellow, and wooden window sills painted in blue. Opposite the single bed Zhou Mingzhu was lying on was another single bed. Its red-and-white checkered bedsheet, though new, reeked of a bygone era.
Zhou Mingzhu glanced at the desk sitting between the two beds.
Crucially, the calendar on the desk clearly displayed the year 1978.
Just then, a weeping voice approached from afar. "I was only discussing it with her. Who knew she had such a fiery temper and would fly off the handle like that? I'm her own mother, would I intentionally harm her? Who could have expected her to... oh, what are we going to do!"
With that, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman cried out with a beaming smile, "Mingzhu is awake!"
Two men and two women crowded into the room, which was less than ten square meters in size.
"Mingzhu, look at you. Mom is telling you, Gu Yan is a company commander. If you marry him, you'll be a military dependent. How glorious is that!"
"Besides, his family's financial situation is quite good, and Gu Yan's father is a high-ranking cadre. In the future, even if you don't follow him to his post, having his family secure a big-city household registration for you will be as easy as saying a word."
"You're naturally healthier than Mingyue anyway, so let your sister have your exam results this time. You can always take the exam again next year."
"You know how frail your sister's body is—she was robbed of her nutrients by you while still in the womb! Just yield to her, won't you? I'm begging you!"
Zhou Mingzhu stared in astonishment at the woman, who was sniffling and weeping profusely, as the reality finally dawned on her.
Had she transmigrated into a book?
In the twenty-first century, she had been a doctoral student in materials science, working day and night under her advisor on a research project concerning bulkhead materials for renewable cell culture chambers.
A junior student had recommended a toxic villainess novel where the character shared her exact name, urging her to balance work and rest, warning her that her constant heart discomfort was surely the result of neglecting sleep and food, and cautioning her not to work herself to death.
The junior had even joked that if she did drop dead from overwork, transmigrating into a novel would basically mean getting a second life for free.
After that, Zhou Mingzhu had listened to an audiobook titled *Seventies Military Marriage: My Husband Spoils Me Rotten*. After finishing dinner, her heart had still felt a bit uncomfortable, so she had gone to sleep.
And upon waking up, the joke had come true—she had transmigrated into the novel!
In the story, Gu Yan was a second-generation military officer who had been severely injured in battle.
As for the original owner, she had a father who worked in a steel rolling mill, a biased mother, a twin sister who had stolen her university entrance exam scores, and a younger brother who had never been close to her.
The original owner had never been favored at home. Because she and her sister were born at the same time, yet she was healthier than her sister, her parents had decided she was selfish to her core, having stolen her sister's nutrients in the womb and thus causing her sister's poor health.
The toxic villainess who was the original owner received a lot of page time in the book, but the fact that she was forced into an arranged marriage swap to marry the male protagonist was never mentioned.
Zhou Mingzhu cast a cold glance at her father, who was frowning with an expression of disgust at her lack of sense, and asked, "Dad, do you also agree to let me give up university for my sister and marry that severely injured Company Commander Gu in her place?"
Father Zhou sighed and sat down on the single bed opposite Zhou Mingzhu.
Zhou Mingzhu's younger brother, Zhou Jianye, stepped forward, frowned, and pointed a finger at her. "If you want to take the exam next year, you can just take it again! Why are you being so selfish? Sister Mingyue's health is bad, so what's wrong with letting her have the university spot?"
"Why don't you give your things to Sister Mingyue? You always accuse me of not sharing, but I've never once seen you give your own things to her!" Zhou Mingzhu retorted unyieldingly.
Mother Zhou wiped away her tears, glared angrily at Zhou Mingzhu, and snapped, "Is that any way to talk to your brother? He's the male heir of the family and the youngest. You're the oldest, so you ought to give way to your younger siblings. Is that wrong? Have you read all those books for nothing?!"
Zhou Mingzhu looked coldly at Mother Zhou and asked, "Since you're all so reasonable, whose doing is the injury on my head?"
Mother Zhou was choked up, her lips stammering, "Your... your brother didn't mean it."
Right now, it was the spring of 1978. The national college entrance examinations had only just been reinstated at the end of 1977.
Because the original owner had been forced to do all the housework at home since childhood, she had never received any appreciation.
When her younger siblings bullied her, her parents either took their side or blamed her instead.
Consequently, the original owner had pinned all her hopes on this exam.
Her academic performance had always been decent, and she had hoped to use these exams to finally win praise from her family, get into university, and start a new life.
As it turned out, today the results had been posted, and the Zhou family had gone early to check them.
Regrettably, on the long red notice board, there was only the name Zhou Mingyue, while Zhou Mingzhu was nowhere to be found.
The original owner had instantly snapped. Zhou Mingyue's grades had always been poor; how could she possibly have scored first place in the entire county?
Yet her own brother, Zhou Jianye, spurred by a single word from their mother—"Stop your sister, don't let her run her mouth!"—had lunged forward in a single bound and shoved Zhou Mingzhu to the ground.
Zhou Mingzhu looked at the patch of dried blood on the pillow, then coldly gazed at Mother Zhou, Father Zhou, and Zhou Jianye, who showed not a shred of guilt, alongside Zhou Mingyue, who was watching her timidly with triumph hidden deep in her eyes.
"If Zhou Jianye didn't mean it, do I have to die for you all to be happy?" In truth, Zhou Mingzhu suspected that when the original owner struck her occiput against the stone and bled so heavily, she probably hadn't survived long after being brought back.
Mother Zhou's expression, previously somewhat guilty, darkened as well. "Was it right for you to scream and shout wildly at the place where the scores were posted? Didn't you shame our family?"
"Besides, Mom already told you, marrying Gu Yan is a fine prospect. He's a company-level cadre with a monthly salary of ninety yuan. Isn't that much more comfortable than going to university?"
Zhou Mingzhu laughed out of sheer anger. "If this blessing is so great, why don't you take it? Gu Yan is severely injured right now. If he were in good health, would you let me take Zhou Mingyue's place and marry him?"
Mother Zhou's face darkened further, but Father Zhou chimed in, "Is that any way to talk to your mother? Back then, your grandfather helped Gu Yan's maternal grandfather, which is why we managed to secure such a good match for you. Gu Yan was wounded in the line of duty—are you now looking down on him because he's hurt and refusing to marry him?"
"Our Zhou family does not harbor ungrateful people like you!"
Zhou Mingzhu stared in astonishment, watching Father Zhou's righteous expression.
If you ignored the facts and just listened to his words, it was indeed a speech filled with lofty values.
Zhou Mingzhu had no intention of swallowing this bitter pill. "Ever since Gu Yan went into the military, you've been constantly pulling Zhou Mingyue aside, telling her she wouldn't have to work so hard in the future and could enjoy a life of ease by marrying Gu Yan. You never once said this match was meant for me."
"Now that Gu Yan is injured, you slap the label of ingratitude on me, and if I refuse to marry, I'm an ungrateful wretch? I truly never realized that the principles taught in this family could be so utterly shameless."
Mother Zhou turned pale, clutched the hem of her shirt, and wiped her tears. "How can you say such things to your father and me? You're in good health—if you take good care of Gu Yan, you'll live in comfort later on. How could your sister's frail body take care of Gu Yan?"
"I'm begging you, what else will it take for you to agree?"
Zhou Mingzhu nodded. "Fine. I'll marry! But I have conditions!"