The second year after Yuan Chun left with the big house, Ma Laoer and his wife ran off to the county town to do business. They first set up a street stall, selling dried mushrooms and wood ear fungus, chicken, duck, goose eggs, and other agricultural products collected from the village.
In three months, the couple earned nearly a thousand yuan, bought a shop in the county town, and opened an agricultural products store. Ma Laoer was responsible for harvesting in the countryside, while Wang Cui managed the shop and sold goods.
A few years later, Ma Laoer’s family settled in the county town, purchasing five or six shops and two houses, living a thriving life.
However, as Ma Laoer’s days got increasingly prosperous, Han Conghui lost his job.
The supply and marketing cooperative closed down.
Han Conghui became unemployed.
Ma Xiangling and Han Conghui lived solely on Han Conghui’s salary. Once he lost his job, the household lost its source of income.
To support three children, Han Conghui sought work everywhere, but he couldn’t be bothered with ordinary jobs, and good jobs... well, there were no good jobs — state-owned enterprises were laying off employees, none were hiring.
Private companies had strict requirements, and Han Conghui was used to a leisurely work life, couldn’t bear the strict supervision in private companies, even for drinking tea secretly; he quit after two days and went home.
Later, Han Conghui followed his previous black market friends to the South for business, earned money, even opened a company, and became a small boss.
However, after becoming a big boss, Han Conghui learned to keep a mistress. He was egged on by his lover to come back and divorce Ma Xiangling.
Fortunately, Han Conghui still had some conscience, giving Ma Xiangling a large sum of compensation at the time of divorce, and the house the couple bought was transferred to Ma Xiangling’s name.
After crying for a few days, Ma Xiangling took the money, dressed extravagantly every day, and went to restaurants to eat lavishly, but after the money ran out, she went to Han Conghui to ask for more.
Han Conghui refused, so Ma Xiangling cried and went to her two children to ask for money.
In summary, she ended up a nuisance.
...
After separating from the previous world, Yuan Chun hadn’t entered System Space, instead stepping into the next small world.
A surge of memory suddenly struck her.
When she opened her eyes, there was a knock at the door from outside, "Yuan Chun, get up and cook, it’s daylight."
"Big Brother, wait a moment, I’m getting dressed," Yuan Chun, after sorting the memories in her mind, grabbed the coat next to her and put it on.
This is 1972, the original owner’s name is Wei Yuanchun, and she is 18 years old this year.
This is her big brother’s house who works at the provincial steelworks. The original owner came to help her brother take care of the child.
Her big brother, Wei Yuanfang, is a formal employee of the steelworks, while sister-in-law Zhao Dongxiu is a temporary worker. Since both have to go to work, with no one to take care of the child, they called upon the just high school graduate original owner to help them with childcare.
In her past life, the sister-in-law looked down on this village girl, the original owner. While helping them with childcare, she had to always watch the sister-in-law’s expressions, getting bullied by her. The original owner put up with grievances for fear of troubling her brother, not daring to confront her sister-in-law, and remained silent.
At school, the original owner started a secret relationship, hiding it from her family. The man was named Guo Changming, a city dweller. After graduation, Guo Changming’s family pulled some strings to help him get a temporary job at the steelworks.
After being wronged, the original owner secretly sought out Guo Changming to complain, which deepened their relationship, but shortly after, Guo Changming suddenly suggested breaking up.
Before the original owner could accept the fact of being abandoned, Guo Changming married the daughter of the director from the first workshop of the steelworks.
Heartbroken and desperate, the original owner agreed to marry the person her sister-in-law introduced.