"Zhenniang" - The Three of Us (Thirty-Six)

After returning home, Zhao Zhenniang immediately found an iron box, which was originally used to store candy, but she was now using it to store some important things.

Jian Yu'an was always very careful with the notes exchanged between his third aunt and second sister, disposing of them whenever he found them. However, Ye Xiqing never cared, and many of them ended up in Zhao Zhenniang's hands.

Since her third aunt and second sister left, Zhao Zhenniang has carefully preserved this, as it is the only thing her third aunt and second sister left her.

Before, when I saw simplified Chinese characters, I thought my aunts and uncles were truly amazing, knowing that the font would be simplified in the future.

Now she suddenly realized a possibility: is it possible that her third aunt and second sister came from the future?

Once this concept was grasped, all the mysteries were instantly solved, and Zhao Zhenniang's mind had never been so clear.

She put the note back into the box and closed it, then leaned back in her chair, still holding the box.

"Have your third aunt and second sister returned to where they belong?"

...

The story ends, and Ye Xiqing returns to the system space.

Because of the live stream delay, Zhao Zhenniang's last face could still be seen on the big screen.

He let out a long sigh and sat back down on the system's sofa.

I've returned to where I belonged, but you all have to go on.

...

Zhao Zhenniang opened her eyes, and why did she feel like she had become younger?

The difference between a young body and an old body is enormous. The moment Zhao Zhenniang regained consciousness, she sensed the difference, and there happened to be a mirror in front of her.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Zhao Zhenniang widened her eyes slightly; the person in the mirror wasn't her.

A person who was supposed to die of old age would naturally feel fear if they were suddenly resurrected in a strange body.

Fortunately, Zhao Zhenniang had seen a lot and didn't lose her composure, especially since there were other people around.

An older woman, looking very agitated, said, "How could you be so stupid? It only takes so long to get dressed up!"

Hearing her words, Zhao Zhenniang couldn't help but look in the mirror again, wondering if she should get dressed.

The girl in the mirror was very thin, extremely thin. She wasn't this thin even when she had nothing to eat or wear.

The sliver of leg peeking out from under the long skirt was thinner than her arms.

Zhao Zhenniang couldn't tell where she was dressed, but her entire body exuded exquisiteness.

Her long, slightly wavy hair was swept to one side, and regardless of her attire, her tall stature and slender neck added to her elegance.

Zhao Zhenniang had never seen this style of dress before, but she could tell at a glance that it was beautiful. Was she a celebrity?

There seemed to be a special kind of visual appeal to it. Zhao Zhenniang couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she instinctively guessed that.

She wasn't a celebrity, but Jian Yu'an was indeed the school beauty that her classmates talked about in private when she was in school.

Just by looking at her, outsiders would assume that she must have a constant stream of suitors and never lack boyfriends.

However, Jian Yu'an is actually quite conservative and barely spoke to any male classmates during her four years of university.

Her natural beauty placed her on an undue pedestal, with others always placing excessively high expectations on her.

But in reality, she is a very ordinary person.

He comes from an ordinary family, has ordinary abilities, and even has ordinary luck.

When she graduated, her classmates all thought she would find a good job, or even if it was an ordinary one, she would marry a rich man and live a good life.

In reality, she only found a regular clerical job locally, earning four thousand a month.

Her beauty didn't bring her any real benefits, but it naturally put her in a position where she couldn't get down.

In order to avoid outsiders seeing her dejected state, she wanted to create a seemingly regretful but actually secretly pleased atmosphere, saying things like "Even the school beauty is living like this."

She tries her best to make her life exquisite with the least amount of money, so as not to show her weakness in public.

But outward pretense cannot mask inner turmoil.

Jian Yu'an was constantly giving up on herself. How could her life be so bad? It seemed like she could never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her mother suddenly arranged a blind date for her. For a modern woman, this was especially true given the prevailing opinion online that marriage is a woman's grave.

Modern women don't take pride in marriage, and she felt a slight resistance to going on blind dates right after graduation.

But those women who can openly declare their single life are either from good families or have successful careers.

Shouldn't someone like her, who lives such a muddled and unproductive life, stop thinking about unrealistic things and just be honest, follow the crowd, get married, and find someone to rely on?

The only asset she possesses that makes her unwilling to settle for mediocrity is her beauty.

But she can't find a way to monetize her beauty. Celebrities and internet celebrities envy her, but they can't reach the threshold.

The only option left open to her might be marriage.

I can't imagine living a life of a mere 4,000 yuan a month, forever a parasite at home, dependent on others, and having to listen to her mother's sarcastic remarks.

She longed to leave this home and have her own little nest.

Even if the home is provided by the man, there's nothing wrong with that.

Despite his reservations, Jian Yu'an dressed up carefully because of various concerns, determined to go and see what would happen, no matter what.

But unexpectedly, just as she was about to go on a blind date, Zhao Zhenniang transmigrated into her body.

Zhao Zhenniang, who had just entered, was completely bewildered by the current situation and could only obediently follow behind Jian's mother.

Throughout the journey, Jian's mother's critical voice never stopped. Zhao Zhenniang had heard her father scold her like that many times when she was a child, so it was a habit.

But after so many good years, it sounds jarring now.

She felt very uncomfortable, and she didn't know what the original owner of this body was like or how she would react.

But seeing that the woman kept talking and didn't seem to realize that her daughter had changed at all, the original owner of this body probably remained silent when she heard these words, just like she is now.

Zhao Zhenniang silently endured the harsh words, but thankfully she understood that she was going on a blind date.

When they arrived at the destination, Jian's mother's nagging, filled with disappointment and frustration, finally stopped, replaced by a bright smile as she greeted the person she was to meet today.

Jian Yu'an's blind date was also accompanied by her mother.

The mother and son were elegant and poised, and handsome and dashing. Jian's mother was overjoyed at the sight of them and praised them repeatedly.

Turning to Zhao Zhenniang, he ostensibly introduced them, but in reality, he was praising them: "These are the people I'm introducing to you. Do you know where they're from? They're from the famous Zhao Family Village!"

"Do you know which Zhao Family Village is? It's the hometown of the famous Lady Zhao. These two are genuine descendants of the Zhao family!"

Zhao Zhenniang suddenly looked up: Who?

...

The two mothers exchanged pleasantries and then made an excuse to leave, giving the two children some alone time.

Zhao Zhenniang was so caught up in her own thoughts that she couldn't stop things from happening, so she could only look at her blind date in front of her.

The man was indeed young and handsome, but Jian Yu'an had come reluctantly, and Zhao Xiang on the other side hadn't come voluntarily either.

Zhao Xiang is a descendant of the Zhao family village, the purest and most authentic descendant.

Their ancestors were neither adopted orphans from Zhao Family Village nor people who joined the village after its merger; they were the original inhabitants of Zhao Family Village.

However, according to the rules set by the ancestors of Zhao Family Village, villagers, whether they are daughters who stay at home or wives from outside the village, can only have one child, and any extra children will not be given a share of the property.

Therefore, Zhao Xiang was born a few years later than his sister, and thus completely lost his right to inherit the shares in Zhao Family Village.

Originally, Zhao Xiang's mother did not plan to have a second child. However, due to a contraceptive failure and the advancement of reproductive technology, childbirth was no longer as dangerous as before, and she eventually gave birth.

She couldn't go against the village's will, but what mother wouldn't love her child? Zhao Yinglan still tried her best to help her youngest son.

He had everything he needed for his wedding – a motorhome and a car – and even a wife had been found for him.

After they get married, she will continue to support their little family. She has things to do herself and will not be a troublesome mother-in-law, so the young couple can rest assured.

To outsiders, this would be considered a very open-minded mother, but Zhao Xiang still harbored resentment.

Why is it that just because he was born a few years later, he gets nothing?

He wanted to go out and start his own business, while his sister was born wanting everything.

While other places have allowed three children per family and divided all assets equally among the children, Zhao Family Village still maintains its ancient rules. Their stubborn village rules are even greater than the national law!

Zhao Xiang was filled with resentment, but the power of speech in Zhao Family Village was controlled by Yi Taizi, so he had no say.

Although Zhao Family Village is a collectively operated enterprise, it is not a publicly owned economy; rather, it is a privately owned enterprise under collective management.

How to distribute stock dividends to children is a family matter and has no legal jurisdiction.

Zhao Xiang dared not complain about his mother, but he didn't need to hold back when it came to his blind date.

She picked up her coffee, her mouth movements concealed, but the words still spilled out unhindered: "There's nothing wrong with women liking to wear perfume, but it's best not to wear cheap perfume."

"Spraying on cheap perfume will make you smell cheap, and you'll look even cheaper than if you didn't wear any."

Zhao Zhenniang: ...

Zhao Xiang was very satisfied with her reaction. The women at home were annoying, but the women outside were very interesting. She was about to shed tears, wasn't she?

Zhao Zhenniang tried her best to suppress her anger, but after a long time, she couldn't hold back any longer. She stood up and spoke directly to her two mothers, who were happily creating a private space for the two of them.

“Aunt Zhao, your son thinks I smell cheap perfume and that I’m not good enough for your Zhao Family Village.”

"If you feel you're not good enough for her, then don't come to this blind date."

"Haven't you Zhao family members had enough of being local tyrants in your own little corner of the world? Now you want to come out and make fun of us ordinary folks?"

Zhao Xiang: ...

Zhao Yinglan: ...

Chen Xiangyuan: ...

None of the three expected Jian Yu'an to say such things in public. Zhao Xiang also realized something was wrong and immediately jumped up to deny it: "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't say that!"

Zhao Xiang's bullying the weak and fearing the strong, vicious yet cowardly young master's face was so familiar that Zhao Zhenniang wouldn't be surprised under normal circumstances.

But now, Zhao Zhenniang's heart and eyes are filled with turbulent waves.

He's a member of the Zhao family! He's a member of the Zhao family!

...

A perfectly good blind date ended in a very ugly way.

When Chen Xiangyuan got home, she was indeed furious. Her youngest son, who was playing video games in the room, yelled at her to keep her voice down, so she lowered her voice a little.

"What do you want to do!"

"What kind of family is the Zhao family? Not only do they own businesses all over the place, but their ancestors also had such a background."

"Not only is their family large and prosperous, but because their ancestors were women who ran the household, they treated their wives well."

"You only have this opportunity to go on a blind date because your ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke. What on earth is going on?!"

Zhao Zhenniang suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, and she looked intently at Chen Xiangyuan.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Did I start this conflict? Or do you not believe what I said is true?"

Chen Xiangyuan heard it, of course, but what's the big deal about saying a few words?

She knew about the boy's background; he was quite pitiful, having been excluded from the family business from birth.

When a man is not successful, he will naturally feel unhappy. What does it matter if he vents a few words?

If he hadn't been such a scoundrel, their family wouldn't have had the chance to marry into Zhao Family Village.

Although Zhao Xiang was excluded from the family business, he was still from a large family and received support from his mother and sister.

With this connection, he's much better than other men. When it comes to marriage, it's not just about marrying a man, but also about considering his family background.

With such an open-minded mother and sister, even if the man is a bit of a scoundrel, life is still manageable. Why can't you just put up with it?

Are you going to end up marrying into a poor, unpleasant family with a difficult mother-in-law?

Who is she really trying to help by insisting that she marry him?

Although Chen Xiangyuan's words were harsh, it was clear that she genuinely cared about her daughter to some extent.

But such "good intentions" sound even more bewildering.

Times have changed, people have come and gone, but the words have remained the same.

What year is it now...?