Chapter 1: The lion opened its mouth

“Miss Shen… we’ve arrived.”

Supporting her belly, Shen Mingzhi stepped down from the car. Looking at the red-brick, black-tiled courtyard so popular in the 1980s, she finally accepted the fact that she had transmigrated into a novel.

She had entered a tragic period romance she once read, and become the pitiful female lead a life filled with suffering.

Orphaned with no father or mother, she married a soldier, but before they even got their marriage certificate, her husband died in action the very next day, leaving her pregnant with twins!

Her mother-in-law despised her as a bringer of misfortune and even doubted the children’s parentage, eventually driving her out of the house.

Fortunately, before leaving on his mission, her husband had entrusted her with a letter, asking her to remarry his comrade, Jiang Shaoan.

But the original Shen Mingzhi had a weak personality. Before she even met Jiang Shaoan, his younger sister Jiang Yinyin had already driven her out, leaving her to wander the streets and die in childbirth.

When she saw that ending, she had only complained a few times… who knew Heaven would punish her by throwing her into the book? Since she was here now, she had no intention of dying. And those two children she would never let them die either.

Walking into the main house, Shen Mingzhi saw an old sofa from the 1980s, a black-and-white television, and a radio.

This family was wealthy. Her unseen husband had indeed found her a powerful backer.

“Dad! Look at her! Her shoes are filthy, and she just walked straight in like that!” a sharp female voice rang out, dripping with dissatisfaction.

Instinctively, Shen Mingzhi drew back her foot and turned toward the voice. Not far away stood a girl in a white blouse and army-green trousers. Behind her was a man in his early fifties, dressed the same way.

The man’s eyes held a trace of scrutiny, though his tone remained gentle. “You are Zhang Ping’s widow?”

“I am.”

Shen Mingzhi met his gaze head-on.

The middle-aged man gave her a once-over. He had thought she would be nothing more than an ordinary peasant woman, weathered from the hardships of her husband’s family, and certainly not attractive.

But the woman before him was striking her skin smooth and delicate, not coarse in the least. Though her face was pale and disheveled from travel, it couldn’t hide her beauty. Especially her eyes bright, steady, carrying a strange power that put people at ease.

At first glance, she looked like a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. Even in this county town, not just in some backward village, she was the kind of woman who made people turn their heads.

But…

She was a widow and pregnant!

The man pressed his lips together, silent for a moment before saying slowly, “My eldest son also died in the line of duty half a month ago. Before he passed, he said if anyone came looking for him, we should help. So… what is it you want?”

Shen Mingzhi froze. She hadn’t expected Jiang Shaoan to already be dead and even less that the Jiang family had no intention of recognizing this marriage arrangement.

Arranged and blind marriages were common in this era, but she still found it hard to accept. Still, for her children’s sake, she was willing to try.

If the Jiang family was willing to take her in, she would repay them after safely giving birth. If not, it didn’t matter she had been a corporate executive in the modern world and understood the economic opportunities of this time. She might not become rich, but supporting her children wouldn’t be a problem.

Now, though, the Jiang family clearly showed reluctance. She didn’t pull out the letter from her pocket, instead quickly thinking about how to use it to secure temporary safety for herself and her children.

Before she could speak, another voice cut in. “Big brother said he would marry, not merely ‘help.’ Since he’s gone, I’ll marry her.”

Shen Mingzhi looked up and saw a tall, handsome man descending the stairs.

He stood at least 1.85 meters, dressed in a shirt and vest, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His skin wasn’t the pale complexion fashionable in modern times, but a healthy wheat color. With his sharp features and commanding presence, he radiated raw masculinity.

Their eyes met, and his gaze darkened slightly.

In the novel, there had been mention of another Jiang son Jiang Shaochen. To be moving about the house so casually, this man could only be him.

He had been trapped by his superior’s daughter, doomed to a loveless marriage. In the original story, the author had only described him with a few words: “high-ranking, extraordinary, noble, like the bright moon in the sky.” Yet those words already said it all.

He was the Jiang family’s pillar and pride how could he possibly marry a widowed, pregnant woman?

“She’s about to give birth. If you throw her out, where can she possibly go?”