Chapter 8: Who Doesn't Want to Be a Landlady? One had to admit, the scene was utterly ridiculous. The newcomer had the face of a delicate white flower, yet she was humming and warbling a song Qian Qing had never heard before. Qian Qing was slightly bewildered; what in the world was she supposed to do now? Truth be told, she had never intended to keep that thousand yuan for herself. Wan Zhenzhen hadn't received any reward from the System, yet the money still appeared. What did this signify? It meant that all the money Wan Zhenzhen had acquired in her dream originally belonged to someone else! Qian Qing suddenly recalled an incident from her dream: after swindling her once, Wan Zhenzhen had casually bought a bag of roasted chestnuts on the street, only to find ten thousand yuan hidden inside. Qian Qing sighed inwardly: What a sin. So, in her previous life, Wan Zhenzhen hadn't just swindled her; she had also relied on a host of nameless individuals working behind the scenes to build her wealthy life?
While Qian Qing questioned the very meaning of existence, Tian Xue, who had just dug the money out of the ground, was brimming with excitement. This version of Tian Xue, now inhabited by a soul from another world, had initially believed her transmigration to be ordinary—until yesterday, when her elder sister came to the oilfield to find her. Witnessing the lively collective wedding ceremony held at the small square of the No. 2 Oil Production Plant and hearing the names of the newlywed couples recited on stage with such emotion, she was struck as if by lightning.
Suddenly, she remembered a period novel she had read before transmigrating. That novel depicted the heroine, Wan Zhenzhen, who, through the opportunity of rebirth, obtained a "Get-Rich-Quick System."
The System allowed her to bind herself to one person; after much hesitation, Wan Zhenzhen chose her neighbor, Qian Qing. Relying on Qian Qing's continuous misfortune, Wan Zhenzhen successfully amassed a vast fortune, eventually bearing both a son and a daughter, and ascending to the pinnacle of life. The comment section of that period novel was flooded with criticism, with most readers picking apart its flaws. — "To be blunt, the supporting female character didn't really harm the heroine; she was merely a bit arrogant. Wasn't it somewhat unethical for the heroine to bind her immediately?"
— "Although the male lead is just a backdrop and doesn't matter, seriously, even a backdrop should be good-looking! What was the author thinking by making the male lead ugly?"
— "The money the heroine received literally belonged to others! This stingy System's method of dispensing rewards is downright despicable!"
— "These days, truly anyone can become a heroine."
…… However, a minority stood by the author's side, and Tian Xue was one such exception. She wielded her keyboard like a weapon, charging in and out of the comment section seven times over. — "Please, if you want moral perfection, go read a textbook! Do web novels really need to be picked apart so much? Were you a eunuch in your past life, specializing in picking fish bones for the emperor?"
— "Aren't you supposed to identify with the heroine when reading? The heroine earns money and levels up throughout the story; where's the problem? It's not Qian Qing's fault she's a supporting character and not the heroine!"
— "You already admitted the male lead is just a backdrop, so why care about him at all? Besides, career success is a man's finest suit. Didn't the male lead ultimately become a senior engineer through his own abilities? Capability is what matters most!"
— "I simply enjoy watching Wan Zhenzhen take the money and go on shopping sprees. If you don't like it, just click the 'X'."
…… Perhaps because Tian Xue was too immersed, she woke up one morning only to find herself exiled into the very book she had been defending. Facing the modest living conditions of the 1980s, Tian Xue complained briefly at first, but all her grievances vanished the moment she looked into the mirror. I am truly beautiful! Tian Xue gazed obsessively at her reflection, captivated by her delicate, white-flower appearance. In her previous life, she had been utterly ordinary, with a mediocre family background matched by an unremarkable looks—a combination that was both infuriating and tedious. Never did she expect that upon transmigrating, heaven would grant her such a pitifully charming appearance. While satisfied, Tian Xue began harboring other thoughts. Although she had defended the author in the comments, in truth, Tian Xue merely envied Wan Zhenzhen's life. With a golden-finger System at her disposal, she could earn money without lifting a finger; her husband would be honest, obedient, and steadily climb the career ladder; her job would be respectable and honored; she could occasionally spar with her mother-in-law; and the two children she bore would be exceptionally promising.
Most importantly, Wan Zhenzhen's profession was exactly the career Tian Xue had always dreamed of.
"Landlady! Who the hell doesn't want to be a landlady? They say in the 1980s you could just bend over and pick up money, but Tian Xue figures: if we can earn it standing tall, why bother bending? Isn't being a landlady wonderful?"
Fortunately, while reading the book, what she paid most attention to was Wan Zhenzhen's daily routines for getting rich. So although she skipped through the slice-of-life chapters, she knew exactly how Wan Zhenzhen leveled up. Come to think of it, Wan Zhenzhen's first pot of gold even had something to do with her! The original host, Tian Xue, came from a well-off family. Her stepfather was a railway executive; besides her older stepsister, she also had a younger brother from the same mother. After divorcing his first wife, her stepfather married Tian Xue's mother. The stepsister had originally lived with her own mother, but after that mother passed away, the stepfather brought her back to live with them. This one thousand yuan was given by the stepsister's maternal uncle. Although Tian Xue's mother coveted her stepdaughter's belongings, she didn't dare withhold the money. Instead, she handed it to the original host, instructing her to deliver it to her sister.
But when the original host met her sister, they quarreled. In retaliation, she threw the money by the riverside and stormed off in a huff. That departure ended up benefiting Wan Zhenzhen. By the time the original host returned to look for the money, Wan Zhenzhen had already pocketed the entire thousand yuan and swaggered away. Tian Xue slapped her thigh in fury. What a mercury-brained fool! That was a thousand yuan! Now she cared about nothing else; she marched straight over and retrieved the money. Once it landed in Tian Xue's pocket, no one would ever make her spit it out! Qian Qing watched as Tian Xue dug up the money and walked away humming a tune, feeling somewhat unsettled. Judging by Tian Xue's words just now, the money should have been buried by her, yet she also spouted all sorts of nonsense about "female leads"
and "halos,"
which Qian Qing couldn't understand. Still, she shrugged; it hardly concerned her anyway. She had only come to verify her own hypothesis. Henceforth, as long as she could hold her own, Wan Zhenzhen would have no chance to siphon money from others. ***** Wan Zhenzhen was completely agitated. It was already past eight o'clock, yet Wang Hua showed not the slightest intention of leaving home.
"Wang Hua… when are we going?"
Today was the day for a newlywed wife to return to her natal home. Her husband wasn't on a business trip; if they didn't go back, what would the neighbors think of her family? Wang Hua held his bowl, sipping the millet porridge Wan Zhenzhen had risen early to cook. He was still angry. Although last night Wan Zhenzhen had explained everything to him, claiming it was for his own good, he still felt uneasy. After a long silence, Wang Hua finally set down his bowl. No matter what, they had to save face. Wan Zhenzhen had already embarrassed him; he couldn't afford to embarrass himself too.
"Let's go."
Wan Zhenzhen stared at Wang Hua in disbelief.
"We're going like this?"
Shouldn't they bring something—milk powder, malted milk, or at least some peach cookies and fruit candies? Wang Hua snorted coldly, his expression icy: "Do you earn any money? If you don't contribute financially, what right do you have to demand this and that? Our family is in these circumstances; we don't have so many things to ship back to your natal home!"