I am the “Dehua” in a Period Novel

Li Qingxiu, a corporate worker from the twenty-first century, transmigrates into the body of a cannon fodder character in a tragic era novel set in 1980s China. The original host, also named Li Qingxiu, was a twenty-four-year-old woman from a rural family in northern China. She had just died after refusing an arranged marriage to Director Wang, a widower known for beating his previous wives to death. Upon waking, Li Qingxiu realizes she is in grave danger and must avoid the fate of being beaten to death by her future husband. Her family, led by her father and manipulated by her second sister-in-law Liu Xianglan, is eager to secure the five-hundred-yuan bride price and view Li Qingxiu as a commodity to be sold.

To escape the marriage, Li Qingxiu feigns insanity. She brandishes a kitchen knife, threatens her relatives, and acts erratically, convincing everyone that she has lost her mind due to the broken engagement. The Li family, fearing she might harm Director Wang or bring shame upon them, decides to send her away instead. They claim she is going to the big city for medical treatment and force her to stay with her eldest brother, Li Weiguo, and his wife, Su Qingyun, in Suzhou. Li Qingxiu extracts three hundred yuan from her family as medical expenses, wiring two hundred to her brother and keeping one hundred in cash, before departing on a tractor to the county town and eventually taking a train to Suzhou.

Li Qingxiu arrives in Suzhou to live with Li Weiguo, the deputy director of a cotton mill, and Su Qingyun, the novel’s tragic female lead. Su Qingyun is a delicate, kind-hearted woman who has been systematically exploited by her greedy aunt. Throughout the original story, Su Qingyun was forced to subsidize her aunt’s family, leading to her own financial ruin and the death of her children. Li Qingxiu, aware of the plot, resolves to change their fates. She immediately takes charge of the household, cooking nutritious meals and using her modern knowledge to improve their diet. She befriends her neighbor, Li Chunhua, and begins to integrate into the community while secretly planning to protect her sister-in-law.

Li Qingxiu discovers that Su Qingyun’s pregnancy is unstable due to severe malnutrition caused by sending her salary to her aunt. She insists on taking Su Qingyun for a prenatal checkup, which reveals the baby is weak and at risk. Li Qingxiu uses this opportunity to seize control of Su Qingyun’s finances, preventing the aunt from collecting the monthly subsidy. She also begins a side hustle, visiting the black market to buy and sell goods, including valuable stamps that she recognizes will appreciate significantly in the future. She befriends a seller named Skinny Monkey and learns the ropes of the underground economy.

As she settles in, Li Qingxiu encounters Ye Zhiqiang, a young truck driver who makes weekly deliveries to the cotton mill. He is reserved and initially rejects her advances, stating he is not interested in women older than himself. Despite this, Li Qingxiu remains pragmatic and focused on her goals. She continues to care for Su Qingyun, ensuring she eats well and rests, while also managing the household budget. The family begins to enjoy better meals, including dumplings and braised meats, which Su Qingyun has never tasted before. Li Qingxiu’s presence brings a shift in the household dynamic, as Li Weiguo grows closer to his sister and Su Qingyun begins to trust her.

The story follows Li Qingxiu as she navigates the challenges of the era while plotting to dismantle the forces that destroyed the original characters. She aims to save Su Qingyun from her abusive aunt, secure a better future for Li Weiguo, and establish her own independence. By leveraging her knowledge of future events and her resourcefulness, Li Qingxiu works to alter the tragic trajectory of the novel, turning a story of suffering into one of survival and empowerment.