The original owner had graduated from high school the previous year, and if it hadn't been for the fact that she was unable to take the college entrance exams, her excellent grades would have guaranteed her acceptance into a prestigious university.
In other words, the original owner had the potential to be a top student.
Jiang Li had to admit that the original owner was a classic case of high scores but low emotional intelligence.
However, now that Jiang Li was in the original owner's body, none of these things were an issue, including the original owner's predetermined fate in the plot.
"Why must you learn how to cook?" Cai Xiufeng snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "You could just stay at home and relax. Why would you want to go to Beicheng and suffer by being a Maid to others?"
Jiang Li's brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews all nodded in agreement with their mother (mother-in-law/grandmother).
Jiang Li understood their concern, but she was not the original owner, even if she could perfectly imitate the original owner's personality. There was still a risk of being exposed, so it was better to leave Aoli Village and stay away from her family to avoid any potential harm.
After a year or so, it would be easier to explain her change in personality. She could attribute it to the emotional turmoil of being dumped and then moving to Beicheng to live with a new family. It was only natural that her speech and behavior would adapt to her new circumstances.
Moreover, while Jiang Li didn't mind imitating the original owner's personality and mannerisms,
maintaining this facade long-term would be exhausting.
So, moving to Beicheng didn't seem like such a bad option.
"That's a bit harsh, isn't it? What do you mean by being a 'maid'?"
Captain Jiang frowned and looked directly at Cai Xiufen. "Luo Yanqing is making significant contributions to the nation. Li Bao, as his wife, will help take care of their home, allowing Luo Yanqing to work without worries. This is also an indirect contribution to the country. You're the women's committee head of our brigade; can you please show some awareness?"
Cai Xiufen felt guilty at these words, but when she thought about her daughter's future life, that guilt quickly disappeared. She glared at Captain Jiang and said, "One thing at a time. How am I not aware? All I know right now is that I'm a mother, and I can't bear to see my daughter suffer."
"That's enough. I don't want to listen to your nonsense. Li Bao and Comrade Luo have already obtained their marriage certificate. The matter is settled, and there's no going back."
Cai Xiufen's expression darkened at Captain Jiang's words. "I will never accept this marriage!"
"For heaven's sake, you're usually a reasonable woman. Why are you being so stubborn? Do you want our daughter to be a spinster forever?"
This woman was being completely unreasonable!
"Our Li Bao is so good; how could she be a spinster? Just you wait. I'll definitely find her someone better than that Zhou family scoundrel. Then we'll see who regrets it!"
Cai Xiufen's confidence left Captain Jiang speechless. After a moment of silence, he said, "Are you not aware of Li Bao's health issues? Even if we could find someone in the villages who doesn't mind her difficulty in bearing children, what will happen when she gets older and has no children to take care of her? But if she marries Comrade Luo, his three children are still young. If Li Bao takes care of them wholeheartedly, they'll surely grow close to her. Isn't that as good as having her own children?"
Furthermore, once Li Bao moves to Beicheng, she will have access to Luo Yanqing's bank account and various coupons. With money and coupons, she can buy whatever she needs. Since she can provide for herself and has three children to keep her company, I'm sure Li Bao's life won't be too bad."
In fact, Jiang Li was intrigued by the marriage partner her father had mentioned, based on the book that had briefly appeared in her mind.
Not to mention, Captain Jiang had shown the original owner a black-and-white full-body photo of the man, and he was both good-looking and had a pleasant demeanor—both of which fit Jiang Li's aesthetic.
Most importantly, Jiang Li felt that the three major concerns her parents had pushed for in her previous life—blind dates, marriage, and having children—were all accomplished in one fell swoop.
Even though this was according to the original owner's fate in the novel, Jiang Li knew that her own fate had already changed.
In the novel, when the dragon-twin babies turned five years old, the original owner took them shopping at a department store and accidentally lost them.
Then, when the eldest son grew up to twelve years old, the original owner went out to search for the missing dragon-twin babies, and the eldest son followed. He saw his mother in a daze, about to be hit by a truck, and rushed forward to push her out of the way. Unfortunately, he was hit by the truck and died, leaving the original owner devastated. She coughed up blood and fell unconscious, never waking up again.
Upon learning of his wife and son's tragic deaths, Luo Yanqing collapsed in his laboratory on the very day he completed his research project, unable to bear the grief.
According to the conversation between the male and female leads at the end of the novel, the twin children who went missing when they were young were kidnapped by human traffickers. One was sold to a family in the mountains as a future bride for their mentally disabled son, while the other was sold to a farming family as a son, as they had been unable to have children for many years.
Tragically, when the little girl turned sixteen and learned of her kidnapping, she ran away one night and fell down a valley, dying from her injuries.
The twin brother of the little girl initially had a relatively good life with his adoptive parents. However, when his adoptive mother became pregnant two years later and gave birth to twins, followed by another child two years after that, things changed.
Needless to say, as an adopted child, the twin brother suffered beatings and scolding from his adoptive parents.
He never had the chance to go to school, and at sixteen, his adoptive mother sent him off to work in the city with the other villagers. After working at a construction site for less than a year, he fell from a five-story scaffolding while trying to save a fellow worker and died on the spot.
To be honest, after learning about the tragic fates of the original owner, Luo Yanqing, and their three stepchildren, Jiang Li wanted to curse the author.
Just because they were insignificant supporting characters and served as cannon fodder to advance the plot, did they deserve such cruel endings?
Additionally, in the year the twin babies went missing, the original owner's parents had helped search for them to ease their daughter's guilt. Unfortunately, the third brother lost a leg during the search and was left with a permanent disability, while the little brother went missing and never returned.
Two sons met with misfortune, and their only daughter died. Captain Jiang and his wife suffered a stroke and blindness, respectively, from the grief, and they passed away within a few years of each other.
The original owner was portrayed as a negative character—unkind, uncompassionate, unfilial, and a calamity.
Whenever people in the community had time to chat, they would inevitably compare the original owner to the female lead, looking down on her with disdain and contempt.
Heh! Cannon fodder, indeed!
Although the original owner could be considered an outstanding female supporting character in the cannon fodder world, Jiang Li knew that her own fate had changed the moment she became the original owner.
As for why she still chose to go through with the marriage to Luo Yanqing, it was because she had already checked off the three major life events from her previous life in one go. She also didn't want to put her family in a difficult position or make her father go back on his word.
To be clear, she just genuinely wanted to live a peaceful life as a salted fish!
(End of chapter)