Late 1980s.
Lingu Village, Dagua Town.
"Shen Yuchu fell into the river!"
"That lazy daughter-in-law is done for!"
"Old Mother Lin, hurry up and carry your daughter-in-law back home..."
"Her hands and feet are already cold. Is she dead?"
"..."
Everyone chattered noisily as they carried Shen Yuchu toward the Lin family's house.
Shen Yuchu's mind was in a haze. She was a Ph.D. graduate who had returned from studying economics abroad, carrying a complete financial proposal with her. She never expected that her plane would run into severe turbulence in midair and crash.
Through a daze, Shen Yuchu saw people moving back and forth in front of her, wearing loose, long-sleeved shirts and trousers.
"Old Mother Lin, look, we've brought your daughter-in-law back. She just fell in the river."
The person called "Old Mother Lin" was none other than Shen Yuchu's mother-in-law, Shen Chunfen.
At that moment, Shen Chunfen was busy packing sweet potatoes and peanuts from her cellar for her daughter.
Her daughter, Lin Hui, worked in the city and was said to be married to the son of the canned food factory director. Yet, Lin Hui ran back to her maiden home every three days, and every time she came back, she kept taking things away, even though she clearly lived in the city. All day long, she complained that life in the city was hard.
"..."
Shen Yuchu was carried into the Lin family's bedroom and laid on the brick bed, still half-conscious.
The eldest sister-in-law held her child, walked over, and gave Shen Yuchu's leg a couple of kicks. "She's not dead yet. She's been eating our Lin family's food for three whole years, and she hasn't even laid a single egg."
Mother-in-law Shen Chunfen finished packing the last item—sweet potatoes—for her daughter Lin Hui, and even used a woven snakeskin bag to help load them onto the tricycle.
"Xiaohui, I'm putting this cotton quilt right on top. You and the child can sit on it so you won't be cold. Cover up well now, Mom is taking you to the station."
Lin Hui settled the child in, turned around, and caught sight of the hair clip in Shen Yuchu's hair. She strode over in two steps and plucked the hair clip right off Shen Yuchu's head.
Lin Hui shook it back and forth in her hand, muttering, "Damp." Then she put it in her own hair and asked Shen Chunfen, "Mom, look, does this look good on me?"
Whenever Shen Chunfen looked at her daughter, she was utterly infatuated with her, constantly bragging to everyone about how capable her daughter was, and how her daughter was a college student from ten miles around.
In those days, it was no easy feat for a woman to attend university, which was why Shen Chunfen bragged to everyone about how brilliant and clever her daughter was.
Yet what about her son? She had made him attend a junior college instead. Even though her son had tested into a regular university, she had bluntly told him, "Your sister is already studying, where would we get the money to send you? What does it matter if you drop out for a year? It's all college anyway."
Because of this, her son ended up attending a military junior college. Fortunately, after graduating, her son Lin Xuan went straight into active service, climbing all the way up from platoon leader. Word was he had already reached the rank of major and served as a battalion commander.
However, Shen Yuchu had not seen a single cent of his military allowance in three years, even though people said Lin Xuan sent his allowance home regularly.
Right then, Shen Yuchu was already dizzy and lightheaded when Lin Hui's aggressive yank on her hair gave her scalp such a violent pull that it shocked her completely awake.
Shen Yuchu knitted her delicate brows and opened her eyes.
...Where...
...Where was she?
...Wasn't she on the plane?
After Shen Yuchu sat up, the biting winter wind blew in, completely clearing her mind.
Damn it, she had transmigrated.
At first, she thought she was reading a novel. Now she realized she had actually transmigrated into that very book, becoming a character who shared her exact name: Shen Yuchu.
The moment Shen Yuchu opened her eyes, she saw her mother-in-law Shen Chunfen signaling Lin Hui to get on the tricycle.
Shen Yuchu shuddered. "Achoo!" Feeling the chill, she couldn't help sneezing.
Anyway, since Lin Hui was leaving, she was freezing cold and didn't care to bicker with her—she just wanted to get away.
Who would have thought that her sneeze, mixed with nasal mucus, would spray right onto Lin Hui's clothes?
"Yuck!" Lin Hui shrieked in disgust. "Shen Yuchu, why are you so gross? This is a new outfit my man bought me at the department store! What do you think you're doing?"
Shen Chunfen, who had already climbed onto the vehicle and was ready to leave, scrambled back down from the tricycle. Without asking a single question, she strode over and slapped Shen Yuchu across the face. "You barren hen who hasn't laid an egg in three years! You eat our food and drink our drink every single day, and now you've ruined your eldest sister's new clothes? Have you got a death wish?!"
Shen Chunfen's heavy slap completely dazed Shen Yuchu.
Damn it...
As a proud Ph.D. in economics from abroad who could tally accounts in the blink of an eye, she wasn't about to let this miserable old hag walk all over her.
Even as a social elite who loved to slack off and lie flat, she had never suffered such indignity. Yet now, she had actually been slapped by Shen Chunfen.
Shen Yuchu instantly flew into a rage. Ignoring her own soaking-wet clothes, she pounced on Shen Chunfen like a wild bear.
She grabbed a handful of Shen Chunfen's hair, snatched a shoe off the floor, and swung it right at her face.
*Whack, whack, whack!* A flurry of blows landed.
"Aah, aah, aah... She's beating her mother-in-law!"
"A daughter-in-law is actually rebelling and beating her mother-in-law!"
"Aah, aah..."
Beaten down to the ground, Shen Chunfen shrieked at the top of her lungs.
Beating your mother-in-law in this era was considered a grave offense, especially in the countryside.
Though the villagers here loved to gossip, they were fortunately still deeply influenced by traditional teachings and understood that *filial piety comes first!*
However, having transmigrated from the modern era, Shen Yuchu followed only one rule: treat me well, and I'll treat you well.
Treat me badly, and I will definitely treat you worse!
Seeing this, Lin Hui was struck dumb. She had never seen Shen Yuchu act like this before.
The old Shen Yuchu had always been a doormat—timid, submissive, and even helpful enough to hold the bag wide open when her mother-in-law doled out sweet potatoes.
But look at her now—she had actually resorted to physical violence!
After standing frozen in shock for a long moment, Lin Hui decided to go to the rescue of her dear mother. Rushing over, she grabbed a handful of Shen Yuchu's hair. "Shen Yuchu, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit Mom?"
Shen Yuchu was straddling Shen Chunfen, laying into her with gusto, when suddenly someone grabbed her hair from behind.
She whipped her head around and spat right in Lin Hui's face with a loud *ptoo!*
Disgusted, Lin Hui let go of her hair and frantically wiped her face with her hand. "Shen Yuchu, are you insane?!"
"You crazy bitch, how dare you spit on me?"
"Ugh—so gross!" Lin Hui shrieked as she wiped.
Meanwhile, Shen Yuchu grabbed Shen Chunfen's head and slammed it hard against the ground with a sickening *thud*, leaving the older woman seeing stars.
Then she scrambled off Shen Chunfen and charged straight at Lin Hui!