Second Marriage in the 1970s

**3.5 "Your Average 1970's Kinda Chinese Novel" Stars**

Pretty chill, I would say.

If you're a fan of these CNovels:

- *Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs* (but not as repetitive/long)
- *Bai Fumei in the '70s* (but less of the angst/romantic drama)
- *Transmigration: The Peasant Makeup Artist* (but less business/child-rearing)

... then I think this would be up your alley. They all feature a hardworking Female Lead (FL) lifting up the Male Lead (ML) and bringing her family into prosperity. Also, *The Peasant Makeup Artist* has the same translator—thanks so much for introducing us to these sweet slice-of-life stories!

**TRANSLATION**

The translator notes that it's edited Machine Translation (MTL) in the beginning and that English isn't their first language. It could use some proofreading but is definitely a step up from MTL. They're very open to feedback in the comments. In general, the harder bits to follow were mistaken pronouns, lack of quotation marks for dialogue, odd sentence syntax/structure, and repeated paragraphs with different translations. Sometimes the main messages of the dialogue went over my head because of how it was written, but the important bits are there.

**WHAT TO EXPECT**

Nothing really makes this novel stand out among the 70's transmigrator novels, but it's overall very wholesome. Here's a list of what to expect getting into it:

- **Minimal drama**: The ML and FL fall in love easily and without prejudice.
  - I like how both Jiahui (FL) and Donglin (ML) were both divorcees. Neither of them held it against the other and came in with good expectations from the marriage. The FL just wanted someone to take her out of her mother's household so she wouldn't be a burden, and the ML wanted someone to take care of his children. They were compatible from the beginning, even with gossip surrounding each other.
  - Did I like that the FL ended up being a virgin? Eh, felt like a conservative take (coming from someone who grew up reading English bodice rippers where the FLs were always budding virgins and the MLs were rakish heathens). But it wasn't like an overt "ML was her only" message. I liked that the ML went into the marriage not caring about the FL's "infertility" and being with someone else beforehand.
- **You get to watch the FL & family become successful**
  - The FL gets her family ready for the college exam and moves them to the city. She's a little all over the place—good at sewing, cooking, teaching, English, etc. So all her ventures are short-lived (she doesn't really stick to anything except her translation job at the end), which is a pity. It felt like the author was picking and choosing useful skills for her.
  - The end was basically about the FL setting up her family to become successful. Not gonna lie, my eyes were glazing over reading about land reform and planting seedlings and whatnot. It's nice that they all led good lives, but can we skip to the good parts, lol?
- **Not much character growth**
  - FL is useful/smart/capable from beginning to end. ML is always an upstanding figure from beginning to end. Everyone basks in their glory. Ya see what I'm saying?
  - On the upside, everyone (except the antagonists) were pretty level-headed from start to finish.
  - It was still an enjoyable story without the growth/depth.

**WHAT I EXPECTED AND DIDN'T GET**

- **More character depth**
  - Honestly, I felt more invested in the FL's sister-in-law's romance compared to the main couple. They (the main couple) pretty much like each other from the start and are compatible. The ML is smart too but is in the background compared to the FL who makes business moves and the important decisions in the family. His biggest personality factor is being a military guy who loves his wife.
- **Less women on women fighting**
  - All the people causing drama were women (second sister-in-law, the ex-wife, and the random sister-in-law at the end). It's all petty stuff, but towards the middle, I was just like "aw shit, here we go again" and had to read about some trouble a woman would cause the family. The FL's ex-husband kind of provided some drama, but it was barely there.
- **More childcare, lol**
  - I think the children had pretty minimal page time, but their appearances were always cute. I loved the progression of the older son Heidan opening up to the FL as his mother. The ending was mostly about how they turned out.
- **Less inconsistencies**
  - The author purposefully kept the FL's background before transmigrating a blank slate so she could insert "she was good at this" whenever she wanted. Okay then.
  - ML's age was all over the place; one minute he's older than FL by 10 years, and the next it's by 8. I think in the beginning, FL was 21 (3 years after her first marriage at 18) and ML was around 27-30 (10 years after he joined the army at 17 or so). The FL's original age is one year younger than the body she transmigrated into, I think.
  - Also, while the FL treated her stepchildren really well, there was a line where she was subconsciously biased towards her own child, which made me side-eye. The line talking about caring for them out of a sense of responsibility cheapened their good mother/children relationship, IMO, and wasn't necessary.

**OVERALL**

Sweet and simple transmigration into the 70's and raising a successful family story. Not much character development or intense emotion, but it was a wholesome and chill slice-of-life CNovel. While there were a couple of "rah rah patriotism" lines, it wasn't heavy messaging and seemed apropos for the time period.

**TL;DR Read this if you're into:**

- Smart FLs who carry their families into success
- Minimal drama (mostly from inconsequential women that get dealt with)
- Drama-free couples that like each other from the beginning and don't have misunderstandings
- Wife-worshipping ML
- Cute kids that appear here and there
- A happily ever after!

Interesting premise, poor execution.

I usually don't have issues with slow-paced slice-of-life novels with minimal conflict. However, this one became increasingly dull as I progressed through it.

My issues:

- Primarily, the poor translation. It reads like a machine translation, and the quality deteriorates with each chapter. At times, even basic punctuation like quotation marks for dialogue is missing.
- The story squanders its potential. It often remains superficial, and characters come across as flat and one-dimensional.
- The main character (MC) lacks depth. Her status as a "transmigrator" feels like a convenient plot device to justify her unique abilities. There's no exploration of her inner conflicts or adjustment to life in the 1970s, which should be a significant challenge but is glossed over in a few paragraphs.
- The male lead (ML) starts off okay but quickly becomes cliché. He seems to be another character who "wants to protect the little lotus." His development is weak, making him appear shallow and opportunistic, treating his wife better only because of her virginity.
- The interactions between the ML and MC are lackluster. There's no real chemistry beyond their perceived perfection in the eyes of the village.

This novel has squandered its potential. There should be more substance to the story, but it fails to maintain my interest or make me eager to see what happens next.

It might just be your cup of tea.

It was a delightful read. The story started off a bit slow, but it really picked up once they entered university. Watching the main couple and their various relatives achieve success was incredibly satisfying. I only wish it hadn’t ended so soon; I would have loved to read more about their children.

This was such a fun story, a classic reincarnation tale set in the 70s, but it feels grounded in reality. The protagonist isn’t overpowered just because she’s from the future, and the relationships are well-developed and balanced.

I just wish there had been a scene with her meeting her grandmother from her first life; it would have added a lovely, wholesome touch.

10 out of 10

This novel is good, but reading it subjectively makes me angry because there are so many things I can't accept. It makes me hate all the characters. I think if I were to transmigrate into this novel, I would rather commit suicide than bear it. Well, this novel just isn't my preference.

Sure, here is the rewritten content:

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Like a worse version of "Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs," which I really enjoyed. This one feels like it just jumps around a lot, especially in the later chapters where new characters are introduced by the dozens (like distant relatives) only to never be mentioned again. Most characters, except the main lead (ML) and their closest relatives, are barely developed, and a lot of things just seem to happen without any payoff.

It started out pretty well, but then nothing really happened, which kind of ruins the initial promise.

Additionally, this novel really makes you question certain aspects of Chinese culture, particularly the communist elements, which aren't necessarily bad but feel oddly presented as positive. There's a general agreement that Maoist China was a nightmare, yet there's also a strange love for Mao. The Gang of Four is often used as a scapegoat to avoid blaming Mao himself, which can seem almost laughable. Maoist China seems to have produced some of the worst individuals, characterized by constant jealousy of anyone doing well and a tendency to blame others instead of themselves. It’s as if killing off the intelligent and allowing the lazy to abuse the idea of equal shares led to this toxic environment.

That said, some other reviewers' views on the characters seem rather odd. I hope they never have children of their own if they think leaving them behind to wear pretty dresses in the big city is an acceptable action just because the husband works a lot.

A more grounded, no-crazy-hacks time-slip slice of life.

The story is fairly streamlined, but I loved the gentle ups and downs.

It’s a mild yet highly engaging novel to keep you going if you’re in the mood for it. (TL; DR: If you're looking for intense action and explosive romantic relationships, please look elsewhere)

No over-the-top dramatic scenes, so definitely more Josei-oriented.

The antagonists are mere passersby in the protagonist's life—perhaps an annoying relative you can relate to, or that 'one person' from a group of coworkers or friends.

They are akin to the popcorn kernel stuck in your molar for the entire duration of the movie, annoying if you let them be. It provides a good example of how to mentally handle such people in your life.

Childcare is realistically written, albeit somewhat lacking. There’s none of the clichéd 'I care for mommy because mommy is so silly' nonsense.

I’m especially fond of the eldest son, who, under the given circumstances, couldn’t help but mature faster than other children his age but maintained a different kind of innocence compared to his siblings.

The main character (MC) is a genuinely hardworking and caring person, more so than many other female protagonists in family-centered stories.

I love the tender loving care she puts into her family and how they reciprocate.

If we were to talk about cons, it would be the extreme speed of her adaptability to her new life in the 1970s, and the forced virgin image the author maintained for the MC.

While mentioned in the summary, it still unnecessarily makes divorced women look bad.

There’s a weird double standard where a divorced man is great if he gets his life in order, but a divorced woman is always a no-go.

Whenever someone wants to criticize the MC, they focus on her divorce, often overlooking the one-time divorced male lead (ML). Spoiler:

The mother-in-law had strong objections when the ML first mentioned the MC.

Later, he became more enthusiastic about her after finding out she was a virgin. I’d prefer if he and his family accepted her based on the situation itself.

Regarding the ex-wife of the ML, the story keeps it simple. Everything that needed to be said has been said, so there’s no need for her to come back and cause too much trouble for the main couple and their children.

Her circumstances were undoubtedly tough, but she passed on the pain of betrayal to her kids, leaving me with no sympathy for her. This wasn’t meant to be a dramatic novel, so the antagonists have a sense of propriety. Overused, brain-dead malicious characters are unwelcome here.

You could say that the ML’s younger brother’s ex-wife (the first antagonist) was similar, but she was merely too childish. Even if she picked a physical fight, it was only with her birth sisters.

But on that note, hell yes to men in this story getting rid of their toxic wives.

PS: The translation was... eh, readable, but could definitely use an editor or proofreader.

This novel is quite relaxing to read. There isn't too much drama or face-slapping; it mainly revolves around quarrels between relatives due to jealousy.

What I like about the novel:
1. The main character (MC) is not overpowered. She simply transmigrates and uses her knowledge to improve herself. She demonstrates that being a stepmother doesn’t mean she can’t be kind and fair to her stepchildren.
2. The male lead (ML) is sweet and intelligent. He’s not the type of person with low IQ and EQ. He didn’t cling to his ex-wife and instead chose to live an honest life with the MC. He was supportive of her decision to go back to college and remained consistent throughout the story.
3. The children, especially the eldest, were accepting of having a stepmother. They understood the reasons behind it and appreciated how their stepmother loved them.

I don’t really dislike anything about the novel because all the events contribute to the story’s progression. However, I’d like to point out a few things about some characters:
1. ML’s ex-wife. She is incredibly foolish. She married ML but couldn’t handle living a modest life. She should have known that there was a chance ML wouldn’t immediately achieve the lifestyle she dreamed of, yet she still went through with the marriage.
2. MC’s sister-in-law, who is jealous. I forget her name, but I don’t understand why she feels jealous when she acknowledges that her own comfortable life is partly due to ML and MC. I dislike characters who act without a logical reason, even if they are minor characters. I prefer characters whose actions are grounded in realistic motivations.

, I love the novel. The romance is sweet and develops slowly, which I find very appealing. It’s not rushed at all.

I'm annoyed because I hesitated reading this for the longest time due to CasBrin's review. But now that I've read the entire novel, I'm confused. Did they really read the novel? It feels like they were talking about a completely different story.

1. ML didn't keep silent to "keep the peace." In fact, he was the one who suggested separating the family. At the beginning, he did ask his brother to control his sister-in-law when she wronged the MC. However, he also stated that there would be consequences the next time. And he kept his word; he asked for separation the next time his sister-in-law caused trouble. It wasn't even a "three strikes, you're out" scenario. He only warned her once.
2. "Sister-in-law tried to correct herself" — yeah, right. It was clear that she felt so entitled that she couldn't understand why people were upset about her mistakes. It was also mentioned that she showed no remorse at all. And she didn't "discuss a lot" with her husband (ML's brother). The "discussion" was more like one-sided gossip about the MC.
3. The MC is not selfish at all. She's a stepmother who was married to take care of the kids, and she did an excellent job. She made clothes for her husband, her stepchildren, her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, and her sister-in-law (ML's sister). She also taught her sister-in-law (ML's sister) cooking and embroidery. When the college examinations were announced, she insisted that the whole family go to the provincial capital for the family's development. I don't think that was selfish at all. She knew which way the wind was blowing and wanted the whole family to benefit from it.
4. "ML made MC pregnant to prevent her from studying" didn't happen at all. She got pregnant, gave birth, and then the college examinations were announced. She then convinced ML and her sister-in-law (ML's sister) to take the exams with her, and the whole family moved to the provincial capital after they passed. MC and ML agreed not to have another child while they were studying, but MC never got pregnant again even after they graduated. The idea that "ML controlled MC using her pregnancy because he was traumatized from his first wife" sounds like a completely different novel to me.
5. They really made the first wife sound good. "Divorcing the husband to pursue her dream." They probably forgot that she was cheating on ML with another guy who she thought could support her in the capital. There's also the matter of abandoning her children at a very young age. Is it really that admirable to pursue your dream despite using unscrupulous means and abandoning responsibilities?

The story itself is okay. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. It's nice for leisure reading. There isn't much drama, and misunderstandings and conflicts are resolved quickly.

A good, brief, and light read. This typical 70s novel focuses on college life and achieving success afterward. It avoids melodrama. While the trope is overused, the charm lies in the details, as one would expect from a slice-of-life novel.

I'll be generous and give this a 4 because CasBrin's rating and comments on the novel don't make sense.

First of all, Wang Mei (the first wife) is not someone to look up to or say, "Look, be like her and pursue your dreams." No! She is a homewrecker.

Plain and simple.

She not only destroyed her own family but also tried to insert herself as the third party in her ex-husband's new relationship, pushing for him to divorce his current wife. When he refused, she married someone else out of convenience. Then, when she couldn't have a child with her current husband, she went back to her eldest son, who she had traumatized, demanding recognition. And she complains about her youngest daughter, whom she abandoned as a newborn, not recognizing her! How entitled can you get?

If I saw someone like this in real life, I'd want to punch her in the face.

Anyway, I won't argue with all of CasBrin's points because Paperballoon already did a great job addressing them. I just really hated Wang Mei.

Back to the novel, the first part is interesting, but it becomes incredibly boring after the exams. The story just flatlines from there, and even Meixiang's love life can't revive it. I'm not sure why.

It's an okay novel, nonetheless.