Strict Wife of the ’70s Manages the Household Chapter 801 Discussion

3.5 but rounded up.

This story feels overly long with a lot of paragraphs elaborating on things that did not need the extra explanation. The author also doesn't seem to understand how money worked in that kind of era.

The MC is Lin Lan, a woman who transmigrated into the body of a country girl who accidentally killer herself. She ends up with an instant family and starts out trying her best while admitting to herself that she doesn't like children. However she adapts incredibly fast and begins planning how to earn money. She doesn't follow the usual route of being good to cook or engaging in black market selling. Instead becoming someone who puts on promotions to teach the local farmers about hygiene, proper behaviour and the like.

The ML is her instant husband. A soldier at first but he quickly shifts jobs while becoming determined to provide a good life for his wife and children. Something he doubles down on once he realizes how his mother has actually been treating them.

Spoiler

His mother, Old Lady Han has been starving the grandkids, fighting with the original host; all while spoiling her two youngest children. In fact, she has the two convinced that the ML loves them more than he loves his wife and that he has been doting on them.

These two are so spoiled that Old Lady Han has gone through 7500 yuan over the ten years the ML was in the military (an astronomical amount for this kind of setting).

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So about the money thing. The MC's family goes through it faster than oxygen. She is sending four (eventually five) kids to school but the ML's salary is 70 yuan a month (not counting tickets) so this shouldn't be a problem. The MC also ends up making a lot of work points in her role as a guidance person. However, they still don't eat meat regularly (or bones for that matter) as it's too expensive. In fact, after the initial large purchase of their home (and housewares), the family is written like they have little money at all. Perhaps she is saving money but it's never stated so it just feels like the author wants the readers to think of them as struggling while already writing them as successful.

That success also makes the story drag. It's really hard to keep cheering for the MC when she's already won.

Spoiler

Her husband dotes on her and is heavily attracted to her.

They no longer live under Old Lady Han which gives her total control over everything in her household.

She has become attached to her kids. All of them no longer act as they did in the novel she read, one has even the makings of being a musical genius.

Her relationship with her twin has improved and there is no conflict with her maternal family.

She has a decent job that doesn't require her to work in the fields.

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Then there are the attempts to bring drama. The MC has fully adapted to being a rural wife but will suddenly question her life there. Kids will behave and then suddenly do something just to bring conflict. The ML will act like he's suspicious of her and then forget by the time they go to sleep.

It quickly turned onto slice of life but without "something" to make it more than bland reading. There are moments that are entertaining but the plot starts to take too long to actually start plotting.

Spoiler

Especially the "is he good now or just pretending" subplot with the brother or the sister's relationship.

It just feels like its setting up something but not focusing enough time to it.

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There are also time skips of several months. Which can be good but when it's right after someone acting suspicious, it gets irritating.

Not included in the rating is there are problems with the translation. Especially in the later chapters. Wrong pronouns and names crop up quite frequently and can lead to some confusing passages (such as when the MC's sister-in-law was going on a date but the MC's name was used instead).

Overall, this isn't a story I would recommend unless you want to see a different take on how a modern woman survives in the 70s (although I imagine it will probably have the usual college theme like the rest).