Transmigrating to the ’60s: The Ruthless, Sharp-Tongued Female Supporting Charac

Chapter 2: Marriage

Following the mouthwatering aroma, Xia Zhizhi wandered over to the state-owned hotel.

That day’s menu was posted on the wall: fresh meat dumplings, small wontons, stir-fried pork with green peppers, smashed cucumber, scrambled eggs, stir-fried greens, three-fresh soup, fried peanuts, and rice.

It was dinner time, and the hall was almost packed. Most of the diners were men. People bustled through the narrow aisle in the middle, stepping up to the counter one by one to get their food.

Zhizhi stood to the side for a while, listening in as others placed their orders.

She had a general idea of food prices, but in her original life, she’d rarely handled money, let alone eaten at a restaurant. She didn’t know the exact cost of dining out, and clearly, neither did the body she now inhabited.

Still, she had time to spare. It wouldn’t hurt to ask around. Besides, even though she didn’t have a single coin in her pocket, she was confident. A girl just needed attitude—and she was sure she’d have money in her hands soon enough.

After checking the time, she guessed dinner at home should be about ready and turned to head back.

Outside the house, Li Dongmei was furiously scrubbing a small stove. Clearly, she was trying to vent her anger, but she didn’t dare damage any of the cookware. Her movements were stiff and clumsy, torn between rage and frugality.

The moment she saw Zhizhi come back, her expression darkened further. She opened her mouth to scold her.

But Xia Zhizhi wasn’t about to sit there and take the blame.

She ran over, grabbed Li Dongmei’s arm, and put on her best pitiful expression.

“Mom, you’re back! I didn’t have the key, so I couldn’t get any rice. I waited at your factory to pick you up after work, but I must’ve missed you. You work so hard—and you still come home and cook? You’re amazing!”

Li Dongmei, distracted and a little caught off guard by the praise, said nothing.

She had plans tonight. For once, she’d splurged—bringing home a portion of stir-fried pork from the factory cafeteria, frying four eggs, and mixing a tomato with sugar to make a simple sweet-and-sour side.

“Let me help, Mom. You go rest!” As the eggs finished cooking, Xia Zhizhi grabbed the plate and popped two hot pieces into her mouth.

Delicious. Eggs were eggs, but when fried in oil, they hit different.

In this era, free-range chickens were still fed grains. Their eggs were small but full of flavor.

Then she spotted the meat on the table and grabbed a couple of chunks, eating them straight without seasoning. Her current body had clearly been meat-deprived, so even plain pork tasted heavenly.

Li Dongmei rinsed the pot, set it on the stove to dry, and rubbed a bit of oil on it—iron pots rusted easily if left wet.

Once the dishes were set out, Xia Ruhai, Xia Jianguo, and the two younger sisters burst out of the house like pigs rushing out of a pen.

Xia Ruhai had the typical look of the era: a square face, single eyelids, a broad nose with large nostrils, and thick lips. Combined with his solid build, he looked honest—but a little brutish.

Li Dongmei had a narrow forehead, high cheekbones, a pointed chin, double eyelids, slightly protruding lips, and curly hair with freckles across her cheeks.

Zhizhi glanced at her three siblings. They all had bits and pieces of their parents’ features. The son resembled his mother, the daughters took after their father. All of them had strong builds.

Their family had two incomes and only four kids to raise. The grandparents lived in the countryside and only needed occasional money. Compared to most families, theirs wasn’t doing too badly, and it showed—the siblings looked sturdy and well-fed.

The staple food that day was sweet potato rice—a mix of chopped sweet potatoes and rice, with more sweet potato than grain.

Not bad for a change.

Li Dongmei gave her half a bowl, then paused and added a little more soup—thinking ahead about her plans for later.

Zhizhi’s bowl ended up looking like it had more rice than sweet potato.

Xia Lanlan glanced at the white rice in Zhizhi’s bowl, frowned, then looked at her mother’s expression and said nothing.

“Thanks, Mom! You really do love me,” Zhizhi said sweetly, loading up her bowl with meat and eggs until they nearly spilled over.

The rest of the Xia family stared, each with a different expression. But they’d all been warned by Li Dongmei in advance, so no one dared speak.

After eating, Zhizhi dropped her chopsticks on the table with a clatter, as if she’d finished her shift and was clocking out.

Li Dongmei shot her a glare, teeth grinding, but didn’t say a word. She cleaned up the dishes herself.

Once she was done, she looked at her other three children and said:

“You three, go back to your rooms.”

But Zhizhi spoke up calmly.

“Mom, let them stay. We’re all family, right? Everyone should be in the loop when it comes to family matters.”

What a shame it would be to perform without an audience. The more people, the better her show.

Before Li Dongmei could object, she continued, “I agree to what you and Dad talked about earlier.”

“What thing?” Xia Fangfang asked immediately. She had spent a few days at her grandparents’ place and had missed the first round of family gossip.

“Our parents arranged a marriage for me,” Zhizhi explained. “The man works at the Public Security Bureau. I didn’t agree at first—I thought it wasn’t right. But then I thought about how hard our parents work for this family, and I realized I should lighten their burden.”

Li Dongmei and Xia Ruhai stared at her in surprise. They hadn’t even started trying to convince her again—and here she was, suddenly cooperative.

Could she be scheming something?

“Do you really agree?” Li Dongmei asked suspiciously.

“Mom, I was just being immature before. I’m about to graduate, and neither my brother nor Lanlan has a job. We’re not like other families—we don’t have the money to buy work placements.”

Xia Jianguo and Xia Lanlan had poor grades and barely scraped through junior high. They had no interest in school and wouldn’t pass any employment exams. And their parents didn’t have the connections or the resources to get them jobs either.

Zhizhi held Li Dongmei’s hand gently.

“I thought about it. Director Lu might be a little older, but he’s at the height of his career. He promised to get my brother a job once we’re married. That kind of opportunity doesn’t come around often.”

Li Dongmei still looked unsure. “You don’t mind that he’s old, ugly, has a kid, and used to beat his wife?” She couldn’t believe her daughter gave in so easily—especially after a dramatic hunger strike just days ago.

“As long as he can make money, who cares how he looks?” Zhizhi said with a breezy smile. “Besides, every couple argues. An older man is more mature and stable—probably even more caring. His son’s in high school now, so I won’t have to raise him. Less stress for me. Once I have my own child and win over Director Lu, I’ll get him to help promote Dad too.”

She glanced at Xia Ruhai.

“My dad’s capable, but he’s too honest. Doesn’t know how to kiss up. And in this world, what’s the use of being down-to-earth if no one notices? All the credit gets taken by others. He’s been working all these years and still only earns a second-tier salary.”

That hit home for Xia Ruhai. He always felt that way—like he was overlooked despite his abilities. No one ever selected him during evaluations. His salary had stagnated for years.

Zhizhi turned to Li Dongmei again, eyes soft.

“Mom, once I’m married and have a firm footing, I’ll buy you leather boots, a cashmere coat, and vanishing cream.” She gently touched the corner of her mother’s eye. “You’ve worked so hard over the years, both at home and outside. You’ve even got wrinkles now.”

“I want cold cream and little leather shoes too!” Xia Lanlan chimed in.

“I want new clothes, sugar cakes, and chocolate!” Xia Fangfang added quickly. She was only twelve, still in elementary school, and all she ever dreamed about was food. She used to be jealous of her classmates who got to eat chocolate.

“Of course! You’ll all get what you want,” Zhizhi said with a radiant smile. “Once I’m married and settled, the Lu family’s things will become our family’s. Everything you want—we’ll have it.”