Co-Parenting Agreement for a Reorganized Family in the 1950s

Jiang Zhen transmigrated from the apocalypse to the winter of 1949. Arriving in an unfamiliar world, she blended into a crowd of refugees and, in order to secure a legal identity, took the place of a deceased woman who bore a striking resemblance to her. In exchange for this favor, she took on the responsibility of caring for the woman’s two children. Along the way, she encountered a military unit suppressing bandits and helped treat several wounded soldiers.

Upon arriving at the Fancheng base, the deceased woman’s live-in husband sent divorce papers to sever ties. Jiang Zhen didn’t hesitate to sign them. To stay in Fancheng and provide for the two children she had taken in, she threw herself into the city’s matchmaking scene.

Gu Liancheng had died during a bandit-suppression campaign in the first year of liberation. After his death, his older brother’s two children met tragic fates—one became a murderer under the care of his ex-fiancée, the other lost her mind chasing love. One died, one went mad.

Gu Liancheng was reborn on the day of the bandit-suppression operation. Surviving this time, he returned to his unit. At his wedding, his fiancée threw a tantrum and refused to marry him. Remembering the tragic fate of his brother’s children, he decisively called off the marriage. But the kids still needed someone to raise them, so Gu Liancheng reluctantly ventured into the matchmaking market.

His conditions for a potential partner were:

— “I’ll cover all household expenses and give you thirty yuan a month, which you can spend freely.”

— “No children for the first ten years. If you’re still here after a decade, my entire salary will be yours to manage, and we can have as many kids as you want.”

— “I won’t easily file for divorce, but if you mistreat the children, I’m sorry—it’s over.”

Gu Liancheng was promptly cursed out by several women: “You may be handsome, but you’ve got no shame! Only a madwoman would agree to your terms!”

Meanwhile, in the next booth, Jiang Zhen laid out her own conditions:

— “No children for the first ten years. Once all our kids are adults, I might consider having one more—if you insist.”

— “Pay me thirty yuan a month as a salary. I’ll cover half the household expenses, but you’ll do half the chores.”

— “Don’t you dare abuse me or the kids—or I might just kill you.”

The men she met were furious: “You may be pretty, but you’ve got two ‘burdens’ in tow! Who’d agree to such outrageous demands? Only a man kicked in the head by a donkey!”

Overhearing Jiang Zhen’s terms, Gu Liancheng seized the opportunity. He approached her, saluted, and asked, “Comrade Jiang Zhen, care to sign a co-parenting agreement?”

Jiang Zhen nodded. They got their marriage certificate and began raising their kids together at the military base—a life far better than either of them had expected.