Chapter 2: The Best Kind of Mother

The woman in front of her looked to be in her forties or fifties—dark, thin, with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles. Her face had a kind and gentle look, though her actual age might be younger. Su Tao Tao couldn’t even bear to look directly into those eyes that were full of hardship yet full of pleading. How much suffering must she have gone through to have eyes like that?

Su Tao Tao’s gaze dropped, and the woman was holding a child in her arms, so thin it was almost shocking. The child’s features were delicate, but the expression was dull. His large, lifeless eyes seemed to be looking at her, but they also appeared to be gazing through her, unfocused.

Su Taotao had encountered children with similar expressions during her volunteer teaching trips to remote mountainous areas during her summer and winter breaks in the past. They were children with autism who had been left behind, but in the 21st century, they at least had enough to eat and wear. They wouldn’t be this thin and frail.

The child before her was practically just skin and bones.

Su Taotao had only seen such thin children with such heartbreaking expressions in documentaries about refugee camps in war-ravaged countries, where families had lost everything due to conflict.

After all, this child was part of her — her own flesh and blood. Perhaps it was the blood bond, but Su Taotao’s eyes suddenly welled up.

She glanced at her own hands, delicate, soft, and smooth, with no signs of hard work. They looked well-nourished, showing she hadn’t experienced any real hardship, let alone hunger.

What kind of mother could allow her child to suffer like this? How could she be so cold-hearted, letting her mother-in-law endure such misery while she lived comfortably? Su Taotao felt an overwhelming urge to slap the original owner of this body, all for the sake of this elderly woman and the child.

She recalled how Fu Zhengtu had left a substantial sum of money before going on his mission. Even if she hadn’t worked in the fields, that money should have been enough to provide for basic needs in the countryside. But the original owner had been wasteful, often indulging in lavish food and drinks in the town. She must have squandered it all.

Su Taotao clenched her teeth in fury.

Zhou Linglan, unaware of the change in Su Taotao’s heart, looked at her with concern, misinterpreting her red eyes and angered expression. Fearing that Su Taotao might cause another scene, she quickly changed her tone. “Taotao, if you don’t want to, then forget it. If you really want to leave, I…”

Realizing that addressing her as “Mom” might no longer be appropriate, she quickly corrected herself, “I’ll ask the old party secretary to write you a recommendation letter so you can return to the city. But please, don’t do anything reckless again. Your life is more important than anything else.”

As she spoke, tears began to well in her eyes.

Zhou Linglan wasn’t one to cry easily, but…

Her husband died in the war, and she didn’t shed a tear. She raised her two sons alone, with the younger one born after his father’s death, never knowing him.

Her elder son had been gone for more than two years without word, but she never cried. She firmly believed he hadn’t abandoned them and would come back as promised. They just couldn’t contact him at the moment.

When Su Taotao came into the family, especially after the elder son left, there was constant turmoil. Su Taotao would often rant and stir up trouble, using every means possible. But even then, Zhou Linglan never cried or held grudges. She understood widowhood and hardship better than anyone. And since the beautiful young woman had given birth to the Fu family’s wonderful grandson, Zhou Linglan had forgiven her for everything.

But today, when Su Taotao had attempted to drown herself and was barely saved, Zhou Linglan wept uncontrollably. The elder son had left when Su Taotao was pregnant, without knowing about it. The poor child had never met his father, and now, if he lost his mother too, how tragic that would be.

Hearing this, Su Taotao couldn’t help but feel even angrier at the original owner. She silently cursed her, calling her a heartless fool.

“Taotao?”

Zhou Linglan was concerned that Su Taotao might have been in the cold water too long, noticing her sudden shift in expression but saying nothing.

The early spring chill was harsh, and falling into the river at this time of year could have serious consequences.

Su Taotao snapped out of her thoughts and gently shook her head at the concerned woman. “I’m fine. When I fell into the river, I realized many things I’d been confused about. I was immature before and made a lot of mistakes. Now that I think about it, I’m quite ashamed.”

Whether she liked it or not, Su Taotao knew she had to take responsibility for the mess she was in.

Zhou Linglan was so shocked she almost dropped Chenchen. She looked at Su Taotao in disbelief. “Are you really alright? I’ll call Huang Liu right away and have him check your pulse. You should lie down…”

Zhou Linglan rushed out, her face pale as if she had seen a ghost, not even letting Su Taotao speak. Su Taotao couldn’t stop her, even if she wanted to.

Sighing, Su Taotao knew she had frightened her. If not for the possession, how could the original owner say such things?

Su Taotao lay back down, her mind racing. Though she knew she should stay calm and make the best of things, the priority now was figuring out how to survive in this era.

She had read the plot before and remembered the general outline. Fu Zhengtu would be returning soon. According to the story’s progression, the original owner would abandon her child and go back to the city. Fu Zhengtu had left suddenly, missing their planned marriage registration day. In this era, people valued wedding banquets and official marriages, so they were technically an unmarried couple.

After she returned to the city, the original owner kept her marriage and child a secret from her childhood sweetheart and quickly remarried him.

But the childhood sweetheart wasn’t much better. After moving to the countryside, he married the production team leader’s daughter, had a child, but never officially registered the marriage. Later, he used an opportunity to return to the city and abandoned his wife and child.

When you’re comfortable and well-fed, desires change. The original owner was stunning—pale skin, striking features, a perfect figure, and long legs. With the pressure of life lifted, other women no longer attracted the childhood sweetheart’s attention. He sought out the original owner, and the two of them, like fire meeting dry wood, immediately rekindled their affair.

But their marriage was doomed from the start.

When Fu Zhengtu returned and discovered the situation, he quickly obtained a document from the village proving the dissolution of their marriage, ensuring both could remarry without issue. He then took his entire family and left. Later, when the original owner and the childhood sweetheart’s life grew difficult and they tried to reunite, they couldn’t find anyone.

Su Taotao turned her thoughts inward, considering her own situation. It was still 1973, with over four years until the college entrance exams resumed. Without marrying her childhood sweetheart, there was no realistic way for her to return to the city. Even if she went back to the city with Chenchen now, she had no job, no home.

The original owner’s family lived in a cramped 20-square-meter room in a traditional courtyard house shared by multiple families. Her elder brother had only dared to marry after she moved to the countryside to free up space. The book didn’t focus much on her family, and the original owner wasn’t particularly close to them. In short, the path back to the city was blocked.

The best choice was to stay here and wait for her so-called “husband.”

After what felt like hours, Su Taotao drifted back to sleep in a half-dream. It seemed that Zhou Linglan had brought in a local doctor to check her pulse, and a warm hand gently brushed her forehead. When Su Taotao woke again, it was already dark.

As she opened her eyes, she was startled to find herself face to face with a little boy sitting by her bed. Only then did she realize the child was her son.

Su Taotao’s heart softened, and she reached out to gently touch his face. “Chenchen, what are you doing?”

The little boy, with his delicate features, pursed his lips and glanced up at her with his long, thick lashes fluttering like tiny fans. Then he turned his gaze away, returning to playing with his toy.

Su Taotao watched him closely, careful not to breathe too loudly. She hadn’t seen her reflection in a mirror yet, so she had no idea what she looked like now, and she couldn’t recall what Fu Zhengtu looked like either. She was deeply curious about what kind of parents could have produced such a beautiful child.

She reached out to hold his hand, but when she saw what he was holding, she froze in shock…