"Dad, I’ve decided not to swap brides. Let my cousin Guolin marry the village chief’s daughter as planned. I want to consummate my marriage with the educated youth, Song!"
"Guolin, have you lost your mind? Song’s family has been labeled as class enemies. If you marry her, won't our family be dragged down to ruin?"
"Dad, what do you know? Her parents will be exonerated one day! When that time comes, with a high-ranking official as my father-in-law to help me, once the... ahem, once the reform and opening-up policies begin, I’m destined for greatness!"
...
Li Yuemin lay on the bed. The alcohol caused his stomach to churn, but his mind remained clear. He could hardly believe that a car accident had caused him to be reborn forty years into the past—back to the very day he and his cousin, Li Guolin, were both getting married.
Looking at how Li Guolin had just nearly let slip the words "reform and opening-up," it seemed clear that he, too, had been reborn.
Li Yuemin remembered his previous life. He had run into Li Guolin, then working as a bricklayer at a construction site, on a street corner. Seeing how scrawny and pathetic he looked, Li Yuemin had kindly taken him out for a meal. Over drinks, Li Guolin’s emotions had spiraled. Looking at the well-dressed, successful Li Yuemin, he had said with reddened eyes:
"Cousin, if I had another chance, I wouldn't have swapped brides with you back then. My first wife was named Zhang Chuntao—do you remember her? Back then, I told you that you were drunk and went to the wrong bridal chamber, but I lied. It was my father and I who drugged your wine and sent you to Song Mengyao’s room. That’s how it happened: I married Zhang Chuntao, and you married Song Mengyao."
"Zhang Chuntao?"
At the mention of that name, Li Yuemin’s heart trembled violently. The mistake of that marriage was his eternal pain. Zhang Chuntao had been his first love; they were childhood sweethearts and had quickly set a wedding date. As fate would have it, Li Guolin was marrying the educated youth Song Mengyao on the same day. Li Yuemin had intended to marry Zhang Chuntao, but because he was drunk and went to the wrong room, he had been forced to marry Song Mengyao against his will.
Li Yuemin had always assumed he was the one who had made the mistake, only learning today that it had been his cousin’s scheme.
He knew that ever since Zhang Chuntao had been tricked into marrying that wretch in his previous life, her life had spiraled into misery. While her father, Zhang Wanshan, the village chief, was alive, she had a protector. But after he passed away, her life fell apart. She worked tirelessly at the Li household, and to make ends meet, she would stay up all night sewing for money.
Yet, greedy Li Guolin was never satisfied. After falling into gambling debt, he forced Zhang Chuntao to sell herself to pay him back. When she refused, he abused her with vicious words and physical violence. Eventually, unable to bear the torment, Zhang Chuntao suffered a miscarriage from starvation and despairingly ended her life at only twenty-three.
Thinking of her fate, a flash of fury crossed Li Yuemin’s eyes. Suppressing his rage, he asked, "Li Guolin, if you didn't want to marry the educated youth, why did you propose to her in the first place? Were you just bored?"
"Cousin, you can't say it like that! Do you know? I was forced into it! I was caught kissing her in a haystack by some other educated youths. Under the pressure of public opinion, I had no choice but to marry her."
At this point, Li Guolin drained his beer and said with palpable resentment:
"Back then, I was so angry seeing you marry the village chief’s daughter. I thought, why should I marry a 'black category' person with no future, while you get to be the village chief’s prized son-in-law? I wasn't reconciled to it, so I plotted to swap your bride, Zhang Chuntao. I thought I could ride the village chief’s coattails to the top, but who knew he would die a few years later? I didn't get any leverage; instead, I was stuck in that small village forever, failing at everything. You, on the other hand, hit the jackpot. Song’s father was exonerated shortly after, and you used that powerful father-in-law to join the military and enter business, becoming a billionaire. Your life was truly enviable!"
*Heh.* Li Yuemin gave a cold, internal laugh.
*What was so great about Song Mengyao?* If he could do it all over again, he wouldn't marry her, even if it meant being a bachelor for life. The ignorant Li Guolin saw only the superficial glory, unaware of the bitter truth.
Before Song Mengyao married into the Li family, she had already been over a month pregnant. The whole story about being caught in a haystack was a farce she designed to find someone to take the blame. Li Yuemin, a naive young man, had been fooled by her sweet talk on their wedding night, believing the lack of evidence of her virginity was normal. It wasn't until years later, when he donated blood to his sick son, that he realized he had been wearing a cuckold’s horns for over twenty years. Not only that, but the two children he had with Song Mengyao were not his.
And the idea that he owed his success to his father-in-law was laughable. Song Mengyao’s father, Song Rensong, had looked down on his peasant son-in-law from day one. After his exoneration, his first act had been to demand that Song Mengyao divorce him. It was Li Yuemin’s own merit—his hard work and excellence in the military—that eventually forced the vain Song Rensong to shut up. When the reforms began, Li Yuemin had the business acumen to retire and start his own venture. Song Rensong had ignored him, thinking him a disgrace, only attaching himself after Li Yuemin became successful, telling everyone that Li Yuemin had achieved greatness only because of the Song family’s support.
Li Yuemin had long since cut ties with the Song family. To hear his cousin claim his success was due to them was so absurd it actually made him chuckle. Seeing Li Guolin’s bitter expression, Li Yuemin couldn't be bothered to argue; he got up, paid the bill, and left.
To his surprise, Li Guolin stumbled out after him, shouting in a crazed frenzy:
"Li Yuemin, you stole my life! The one who should be a listed company owner is me! You should have never been able to afford a wife, working as a laborer on a construction site! I should be the one married to Song Mengyao, driving luxury cars and living in a mansion!"
Seeing Li Guolin’s drunken state, Li Yuemin didn't want to engage. But the madman wouldn't let it go, shoving him on the street. At that moment, a massive truck barreled down the road, striking them both.
Because Li Guolin had been hit first, he passed away before Li Yuemin, returning to the seventies ahead of him. Seeing that the dead-drunk Li Yuemin clearly hadn't been reborn yet, Li Guolin was determined to seize everything his cousin had.
With that thought, unable to contain his excitement, he hurried toward Li Yuemin and said triumphantly:
"Cousin, Zhang Chuntao was always your bride; consider it returned to its rightful owner. From today on, I’m marrying the educated youth, and the successful one will be me!"