Second Marriage in the 1970s

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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.

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.

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

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.

It might just be your cup of tea.

MC was initially shy, but that didn't last. Everything went smoothly, though the later parts of the story were a bit rushed.

, it's a very nice slice-of-life story.

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.

**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!