"Fu Xiaoxiao, I was thinking, once we get married, and the workplace allocates housing, we can bring my parents to the city. It hasn't been easy for them to raise me, and now that I'm grown up, it's time for them to retire!"
"Your conditions are a bit lacking, but you look good, and though your education is a bit below mine, it's okay, I don't mind. Once we're married, you'll handle things at home and I'll manage outside. Once we have kids, you can enjoy staying home and raising them."
"Moreover..."
Fu Xiaoxiao listened to the average-looking yet very confident man in front of her talking incessantly about their life after marriage, and she nearly couldn't resist rolling her eyes at him.
They're not even married yet, and he's already planned life after having kids, wanting to bring his parents from the countryside to the city and entrusting filial duties to her.
Really, thanks to his ancestors!
With a basic polite smile, Fu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes in her heart and silently recited the Three Character Classic eighteen times.
Others time-traveled with golden opportunities, either having money or owning land, while her time-travel landed her directly in a dating drama with eighteen challenges, each more daunting than the last.
The original character was the second child at home, unloved by both parents, sandwiched between an older brother and a younger sister, stuck in the middle, feeling helpless.
In the seventies, getting a stable job was nearly impossible—each position had one person only, with no extra spots for her—and her family was just an ordinary working-class family. Five people crammed into a sixty square meter room, using public toilets, with only a wall separating them from their neighbors, fully aware of whatever was happening next door; such a residence was commonly called a tube building.
The original character had just turned twenty and was working as a temporary worker at the grain bureau. Coincidentally, the state was calling for educated youth to go to the countryside, each household had to send one. Both she and her brother had jobs, so the freshly graduated high school younger sister seemed suitable.
Clearly, compared to the timid and clumsy original character who couldn't please her parents, the parents favored the coquettish and crying younger sister, straightforwardly asking her to give her job to the younger sister and for her to go to the countryside instead. If she didn't want to go, she should hurry up and marry, the betrothal gifts were hers to keep.
When she time-traveled here, her parents had already decided to transfer her job to the younger sister, with only seven days left until the educated youths went to the countryside.
If she didn't get married within the seven days, she'd have to go to the countryside for the younger sister. In this era where introductions were needed for everything, escape was impossible, and getting caught would result in a bad reputation.
As the unloved second daughter of the family, Fu Xiaoxiao had no power to refuse, so her immediate priority was to see if she could find a reliable man and get married immediately to escape her current predicament.
If she couldn't find anyone within seven days, she'd obediently go to the countryside.
Today was already the last day; Fu Xiaoxiao felt she might be unlucky. Rather than marry the man in front of her, she'd prefer to choose going to the countryside.
Sitting on a park bench, Fu Xiaoxiao appreciated the reserved nature between men and women in the seventies, allowing her to sit with two empty seats between them, pretending to listen attentively while her gaze wandered.
Liu Guang wore a neat Zhongshan suit, hair meticulously groomed, with a hint of pride in his eyes. He glanced at the girl beside him, determined to win her over.
Upon first seeing her, he was captivated by her.
The girl standing in the sunlight had a face as delicate and smooth as white jade, with a faint pink glow. Her eyes were like a clear spring, pure and shimmering, full of enchanting playfulness.
With long eyelashes, a small and straight nose, slightly red lips that were tender yet pure, a hint of girlish shyness when pursed; her hair was black and shiny, cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, occasionally strands mischiefly brushed her cheeks, adding to her lively charm.
As the sunlight enveloped her, she was like covered in a golden halo, where innocence and seductive charm perfectly melded.
Upon seeing her, Liu Guang immediately thought of names for their future children.
Confident as a peacock trying to impress Fu Xiaoxiao, he was steadfast in his belief that a man as good as him wouldn't be refused by her.
But he didn't realize that Fu Xiaoxiao was already drawn to another pair dating not far away.
Though they weren't far apart, Fu Xiaoxiao could even hear the shocking conditions set by the woman.
"Getting married right away isn't out of the question, I want three hundred yuan as a betrothal gift, and all the 'three turns and one sound' must be included."
"Okay."
"I also want to furnish my family with a set of furniture!"
"Alright."
The girl gave the man a satisfied look, and the man slowly spoke.
"I can agree to your conditions, but you need to listen to mine too."
"Go ahead," the girl determined to agree to anything.
"I already have two kids. After we marry, you must look after their daily needs. And I won't have any more children with you. If you agree, we can immediately get the marriage certificate." The man's cold tone made him seem distant.
"You're married to make me your kids' stepmother?" The girl widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Yes."
"That's just bullying! Who wouldn't want to have kids of their own but be a stepmother instead?" The girl pointed at the man, trembling with anger, and ran off crying.
The man watched her leave, merely sighed, stood upright in the sun, and crossed off a note in his book.
Fu Xiaoxiao's interest was piqued, looking at the book in the man's hand; could it be...
Soon, another girl approached him, and the same scenario replayed, another girl infuriated by his conditions left crying.
Same story again, no girl would marry just to become someone's stepmother.
Fu Xiaoxiao's eyes twinkled with an idea, a bold thought glowing in her mind.
She needed a man to marry, he needed a woman to care for his kids but couldn't have more children, so they wouldn't have relations!!!
She just had to take care of two kids, could it get any better!
Wasn't it a perfect match for her?
Her wonderful culinary skills could finally be put to use.
Fu Xiaoxiao felt this opportunity couldn't be missed, immediately stood up, startling Liu Guang who was still talking non-stop. She nodded towards him as her thirty-seven-degree smile uttered words at a frosty thirty degrees.
"Liu Guang, you're great, but we're not very suitable, sorry! Sorry for wasting your time."
Liu Guang's heart suddenly felt cold, how could they not be suitable?
He thought they were a perfect match, practically made for each other.
Liu Guang hadn't had time to say anything to persuade her when Fu Xiaoxiao suddenly briskly walked over to the man who had just finished dating next to him.
He heard her say to him.
"Man, let's get married!"