Chapter 2: 1970s: Reborn as the Doomed Burdened Child (2)

His hand was still around Jiang Qingqing’s waist, and his face was full of awkwardness:

“Comrade, I’m Liao Zhengguo from the police station. Just now I wasn’t trying to take advantage of you—you were drowning and unconscious, and I was giving you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save you.”

Jiang Qingqing’s expression didn’t change. She reached her right hand out of the water, the droplets on her face sliding down her fair skin. She roughly wiped the water from her face.

“Comrade, thank you for saving me. Please let go first, let’s get to shore.”

Liao Zhengguo’s face flushed as he released his hand from her waist.

“Sorry about that. We’re still quite a ways from shore—comrade, are you okay to swim that far?”

“My name is Jiang Qingqing. Thank you, Comrade Liao, for rescuing me. I can manage this distance. I slipped and fell into the river just now—I can swim back.”

—

Jiang Qingqing paddled forward in a doggy-paddle motion while Liao Zhengguo guarded her from behind, worried.

The two of them finally made it to the riverbank.

—

Liao Zhengguo quickly swam toward the opposite side.

“Comrade, take care of yourself. For the sake of your reputation, let’s go ashore separately.”

From what he said, it was clear he didn’t intend to appear together in public.

Jiang Qingqing let out a breath of relief.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you, Comrade Liao. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”

—

As soon as Jiang Qingqing got close to the shore, a few women came over and helped pull her out of the water.

Fortunately, the sky was getting darker, and though her clothes were soaked and clinging tightly to her body, it wasn’t too obvious.

It was so dark, and the rain was falling heavier and heavier—no one even noticed that someone had gone missing in the river.

—

Madam Zhang came running over in a panic. Feeling guilty, she opened her mouth and began scolding:

“You’ve really turned the heavens upside down! I’m doing this for your own good, so why are you trying to kill yourself? The match your uncle found for you is one of the best in the whole county—what more could you possibly want?”

Under the moonlight, Jiang Qingqing stood still, her eyes full of cold disdain.

“He’s a fool. What kind of normal family would marry their daughter off to a fool?”

Wang Defen felt a bit guilty.

“Your Uncle Zhang raised you all these years—it wasn’t easy. You should know how to be grateful. Otherwise, how are you any different from an animal?”

“Shut up. You still want to lie to me? The Zhang family only raised me because they were getting the military subsidy meant for me.”

“W-What subsidy? You’re confused, child. Your Uncle Zhang pitied you because you had no father, that’s why he took you in and raised you, even paid for your schooling. You can’t be so ungrateful!”

“Wang Defen, don’t even try to fool me. My father was a soldier, and I’m a minor. That means I was supposed to receive a monthly allowance. All these years, you’ve been taking that money and still treated me like a servant.”

“Making me work like a mule for the whole Zhang family, serving everyone.”

“And now you want to sell me to some fool? Have you no conscience? Aren’t you afraid my brother will come for me?”

Wang Defen looked at the girl before her. The secret she had kept hidden for over ten years had suddenly been exposed.

Shamed and angry, she raised her hand and slapped her.

“Turned the heavens upside down, have you?! I’m your mother! I raised you all these years—did I raise an enemy instead?”

Earlier, while retrieving the original owner’s memories, it became clear—she had fallen into the river because her own biological mother forced her. And now, seeing that same woman putting on such a disgusting act again…

Jiang Qingqing couldn’t tolerate it for even a moment longer.

She reached out her right hand and grabbed Madam Zhang’s wrist—crack!

Wang Defen let out a miserable scream. Her right hand had been broken.

“My hand is broken… You unfilial wretch… How did I end up with such a hard life? I raised you eating husks and swallowing bitterness, and this is how you repay me?!”

“Would someone please report this to the police and say that a woman at the Shihe Ferry tried to commit murder for money?”

“No one’s calling! This is a family matter!”

—

Wang Defen stared at Jiang Qingqing with hatred in her eyes.

Back then, that bastard Jiang Jianjun had been stationed with the army but refused to let her join him as a military spouse.

He left her at home to suffer under his mean old hag of a mother.

Wang Defen struggled to raise their two children on her own. After Jiang Jianjun died in service, the Jiang family’s grandparents took the eldest son, Jiang Zhiyuan, away.

For the sake of the military compensation, Wang Defen kept infant Jiang Qingqing by her side and remarried a factory worker named Zhang Weiguo.

Over the years, Wang Defen had to fawn over the son and daughter left behind by Zhang Weiguo’s ex-wife, and still made time to give birth to a son of her own.

Jiang Qingqing, the daughter left behind by her first husband Jiang Jianjun, became the pitiful leftover.

No father to love her, no mother to care. Bullied by her step-siblings, ignored by Wang Defen.

Life was hard for Wang Defen, so Jiang Qingqing became her punching bag. For years, she endured the beatings and scolding—her life worse than a dog’s.

Every day, she did laundry and cooked meals. Whatever time was left, she spent reading and going to school.

She was about to turn 18 when the ^[1]Down to the Countryside Movement was a policy in China during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) where millions of urban youth were sent to rural areas to work and learn from peasants, often under … Continue readingDown to the Countryside Movement suddenly began.

With so many people in the Zhang family, the first to be cast aside was naturally Jiang Qingqing, who had no blood ties to them.

In order to secure a job position, Zhang Weiguo shamelessly planned to marry Jiang Qingqing off to the factory director’s foolish son, all so that his own son could get a formal job.

Jiang Qingqing was about to reach adulthood, and the military subsidy would stop at 18. Continuing to support her after that wasn’t “cost-effective.”

Wang Defen had long been unwilling to keep raising her.

So when Zhang Weiguo suggested marrying off Jiang Qingqing, along with a bride price of 500 yuan, and promised to give Wang Defen 100 yuan as private savings—just like that, the deal was settled.

Not only would it secure a job for her stepson, but it would also make her look good in front of her husband. Most importantly, they could finally get rid of this eyesore.

Who would’ve thought that the always obedient and easily manipulated Jiang Qingqing would suddenly rebel—and even dare to resist?

How could Madam Zhang tolerate that?

“Jiang Qingqing, you ungrateful girl! Do you know how much effort your uncle and I put into finding you this marriage? We did it so you wouldn’t have to go suffer in the countryside, and this is how you repay my motherly kindness?”

Wang Defen cried as she tried to play the pitiful victim.

Saying it was all to spare Jiang Qingqing from being sent to the countryside made it sound like she actually had a mother’s heart.

The onlookers began to persuade Jiang Qingqing instead:

“Little girl, your mother did it for your own good. No matter what, you should speak properly. Don’t do anything foolish again, and don’t hurt your mother. Quickly take her back and get her hand bandaged, or it might leave a lasting injury.”

Jiang Qingqing actually wanted to leave.

Unfortunately, the original owner had just turned 18, and her household registration booklet was still kept at the Zhang family’s house.

If she ran away now, she’d be considered a vagrant. If caught, she’d be sent down for labor reform.

No matter what, she had to return to the Zhang household at least once.

Jiang Qingqing tugged at the corner of her lips and forced a smile:

“Thank you, aunties, for your concern. I understand. I’ll have a proper talk with my mother. It’s getting colder—everyone should head home soon.”

When the crowd saw Jiang Qingqing smile, they felt their good deeds had doubled in merit and quickly turned to advise Wang Defen again:

“There’s no lasting grudge between a mother and daughter. You’re the mother—if you speak calmly, your girl will understand.”

Wang Defen, clutching her injured hand, looked pale. She didn’t dare make a bigger scene and forced a smile in return.

But the pain twisted her face, baring her teeth—making her look terrifying.

The onlookers were caught off guard by her ghastly expression. They quickly stepped back and found excuses to leave:

“Uh… well, my kid’s waiting for me to cook dinner, so I’ll head off now.”

“My family’s also waiting for me—can’t delay any longer.”

—

These aunties were all factory workers. They loved to gossip, but they also earned wages. Most rode bicycles, often with one or two family members in tow, and soon enough, everyone on the riverbank had more or less gone home.

The fake smile on Wang Defen’s face finally disappeared.