Chapter 10: The Original Storyline Has Nothing to Do with Me

“Fourteen years old?!”

“High school graduate? That’s impossible!”

Qi Zhijun questioned her age, while Liu Yan doubted her education.

Realizing that her tone had come off too sharp, Liu Yan quickly smiled and explained, “Little sister, I’m not doubting you. It’s just… how could you have finished high school at fourteen?”

Qi Zhijun, however, took another look at Ming Dai—her slender frame, her petite height—and found it completely believable that she was only fourteen.

What he couldn’t understand was how her parents had been willing to send someone so young to the countryside.

The only one who remained silent was Fang Rou. She studied the girl across from her, searching her memory, but found nothing about her.

Since she had no recollection of this person, she concluded that Ming Dai wasn’t an important character. Without giving it another thought, she turned away and gazed out the window, lost in contemplation.

Ming Dai rolled her eyes inwardly but maintained a serious expression. “Yes, I’m really fourteen. I started school early and skipped two grades.”

Noticing that Qi Zhijun’s interest in Ming Dai was growing, Liu Yan hurriedly steered the conversation elsewhere to keep his attention on her.

Meanwhile, Ming Dai simply continued staring blankly at the table, mentally refreshing the plot of the novel.

Fang Rou, observing everything unfold before her, also fell into deep thought.

The Fang family had a military and political background, but unlike other distinguished families, they had no promising successors in the next generation. Their current prestige relied entirely on the social connections of the retired Elder Fang to maintain the family’s status.

In her past life, she had failed to see the bigger picture, foolishly growing up in Beijing without a care. When she came of age, she married Qi Zhijun, who had grown up in the same courtyard.

Unfortunately, the Qi family faced the same predicament as the Fang family—neither their children nor grandchildren were capable of carrying on their legacy.

In that life, she had also been sent to the countryside, but it was two years later, and she had been forced to go. By then, the Fang family was already in decline. Elder Fang had passed away, and the family was on the verge of being evicted from their once-prestigious courtyard.

The entire courtyard had mocked the Fang family’s downfall, including the Qi family, who had just arranged her engagement.

Her beloved mother-in-law had even considered breaking off the engagement, hoping Qi Zhijun would marry someone else instead.

However, she had misjudged Qi Zhijun’s obsession with her. He was so determined to marry her that he willingly left his family behind.

It wasn’t long before the Qi family collapsed as well. Just like the Fang family, they were forced to leave the courtyard in disgrace.

Afterward, they were sent to the countryside.

One day, by sheer accident, she fell into the water and was rescued by Luo Cheng, a retired soldier from the village.

Soaked to the bone, she was carried back to the village in his arms. Luo Cheng, bound by his sense of responsibility, wanted to marry her to “take responsibility” for what had happened.

But back then, she had looked down on country folks and adamantly refused.

At that moment, Qi Zhijun stepped forward, saying he would honor their engagement. Thus, they hastily got married in the countryside.

It wasn’t until after the wedding that she realized the harsh reality of being married to a spoiled young master. Qi Zhijun loved to have fun and had been indulged by his family all his life. He earned very few work points, often sneaking off to the city instead of doing any labor.

While he had the support of his family, she did not. The Fang family had already fallen into ruin, thanks to her father’s reckless ways, and could no longer provide for her.

With no other choice, she was left to struggle in the countryside, working tirelessly to earn enough work points to survive.

Both she and Qi Zhijun had been pampered since childhood, so she could barely handle the hard labor.

At first, Qi Zhijun helped out a little, but he was soon overwhelmed by the grueling workload. In the end, he gave up entirely, only doing the bare minimum to earn the lowest work points. He never lifted a finger to help her, yet he still expected her to return home, cook, wash vegetables, and clean up after him.

During that time, Fang Rou had no idea how she managed to survive.

Fortunately, she eventually noticed that someone had been secretly helping her with her work. After careful observation, she discovered it was Luo Cheng.

He was incredibly considerate, coming and going quietly without leaving any room for gossip.

Unfortunately, he later got married—to a supposedly virtuous woman from the neighboring village. But no matter how capable that woman was, she wasn’t as beautiful as Fang Rou.

Then came the reinstatement of the college entrance exams. She and Qi Zhijun began preparing together.

However, just before the exam, she found out she was pregnant. The severe morning sickness affected her performance.

She failed the exam, but Qi Zhijun passed.

And just like that, Qi Zhijun returned to the city, leaving her behind in the countryside to raise their child while preparing for the next exam.

He did send her money, but it was barely enough for basic living expenses—there was no way she could afford any nutritional supplements.

In the end, she gave birth to a frail, kitten-like daughter.

After entrusting the child to an elderly woman in the village, she threw herself into studying. Finally, during her second attempt at the college entrance exam, she passed.

But because she had neglected her daughter, the child developed a high fever that left her mentally impaired.

When she brought her daughter back to the city, the Qi family refused to accept them. The relationship between her and Qi Zhijun quickly deteriorated.

Not long after, Qi Zhijun cheated on her, and they got divorced.

She had struggled alone, balancing school and raising her daughter. Every time exhaustion overwhelmed her, she would think, If only I could do it all over again.

If she had another chance, she would never choose Qi Zhijun—she would marry Luo Cheng instead!

Not long ago, she had seen Luo Cheng on the street, completely transformed. He was dressed in a sharp suit, holding a massive Da Ge Da (brick phone), and rumors had it that he had made a fortune in business.

Beside him was his wife, adorned in the latest fashion, wearing gold and silver, and holding the hand of a strong, healthy little boy.

That was the life she should have had. That was the man she should have married.

And then, as if the heavens had finally shown her mercy, she was reborn—back to when she was 18.

This time, she proactively applied for the countryside movement. Before the Fang family collapsed, she secretly gathered as much wealth as she could and took it with her.

After all, her gambling-addicted father would have lost it all anyway—she might as well take it and give it to Luo Cheng to start his business.

Thinking about this, her eagerness to see Luo Cheng grew stronger.

Meanwhile, Ming Dai was reading the rebirth version of events—essentially, the events of this lifetime.

The novel A Sweet and Pampered Little Wife in the 1970s told the story of Fang Rou’s second chance at life. After her rebirth, she finally saw things clearly and decisively went to the countryside to marry Luo Cheng.

Later, he made money in the black market while she focused on preparing for the college entrance exam. In the end, he built a successful business, she was admitted to Beijing University, and they even had a pair of adorable twins together.

The story was sweet and full of love—but it had nothing to do with Ming Dai.

Still, the two people she met today were quite interesting. With Fang Rou’s encouragement, Liu Yan actually did end up marrying Qi Zhijun.

However, Qi’s mother looked down even more on Liu Yan, whose background and appearance were equally unimpressive.

This led to an ongoing battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, with Qi Zhijun caught in the middle. Unable to handle the pressure, he soon cheated on Liu Yan.

Unlike Fang Rou, though, Liu Yan didn’t have the courage to divorce him. Instead, she stayed in the Qi family home with their daughter, enduring constant arguments but refusing to leave. They spent their entire lives in endless fights.

Qi Zhijun, due to his troubled family life and questionable character, amounted to nothing in the end. The Qi family completely collapsed.

After reading all this, Ming Dai came to a simple conclusion:

The female lead came back just to get married. Has nothing to do with me.

The second male lead came to chase after the female lead and just happened to meet his future wife. Has nothing to do with me.

The female supporting character was here to fish for a rich husband. As long as I don’t talk to her, it has nothing to do with me.

Final verdict: None of this concerns me. Perfect!

After reaching this conclusion, Ming Dai let out a relieved sigh. Seeing that it was about time for lunch, she leisurely reached into her bag and took out her meal.

Fang Rou and Qi Zhijun did the same, while Liu Yan remained still.

Ming Dai had no intention of depriving herself. She unwrapped a thick pancake, stuffed with stir-fried chili and small fish, accompanied by crispy sanzi. Even without heating, it smelled and tasted delicious.

Fang Rou and Qi Zhijun ate together, their meal consisting of sliced bread with ham—a very Western-style lunch, which made Liu Yan envious.

But neither of them had any intention of offering her any food.

With no other choice, Liu Yan reached into her bag and pulled out a rough, black cornmeal bun, taking small bites.

She didn’t have much food with her, and the journey ahead was still long. She could only afford to eat one per meal.

As she watched the three of them enjoy their meals, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Fang Rou could understand why she and Qi Zhijun had good food to eat, but why did Ming Dai also have such a nice meal?

With this thought in mind, Liu Yan casually remarked, “When we go home to visit family in the future, we can meet up and hang out in Beijing. We’re all from the east side of the city, right?”

Ming Dai raised an eyebrow. Oh? Trying to stir things up?

Qi Zhijun nodded. “Xiao Rou and I are from the military compound in the east.”

Liu Yan’s eyes immediately lit up.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she covered her mouth apologetically. “Oh, sorry! I forgot—Ming Dai isn’t from the east. She’s from the west side.”

In an instant, all three turned their gaze toward Ming Dai, who was still munching on her pancake.

Qi Zhijun’s eyes held a hint of sympathy. In these times, living in the east usually meant belonging to a military or government family like his, or at the very least, being part of a well-established worker’s household. The west side, on the other hand, was home to many temporary workers and those who had been reassigned to the city. While it still had many working-class families, it was also known for its disorder, as distant relatives often tagged along to live there.

Fang Rou, however, barely spared Ming Dai a glance, uninterested.

Liu Yan’s eyes, on the other hand, sparkled with blatant schadenfreude.

Ming Dai wiped her greasy lips and, without hesitation, responded, “Yeah. So what? You got a problem with that?”

The three of them immediately shook their heads.

Ming Dai sneered and went back to wrestling with her oversized pancake.

Liu Yan’s face flushed red from the comeback. Her own family wasn’t much better—only her father was a full-time worker, while the rest were temporary laborers. The only difference was that they happened to live in the east.

Qi Zhijun, meanwhile, felt that Ming Dai’s temper was too blunt, lacking the softness and charm expected of a proper young lady.

As for Fang Rou? No memory of her. Not important.