Rebirth: Daily Life in a Courtyard Compound [1970s]

Bi Chunliu, a seventy-year-old woman with a background in martial arts, dies unexpectedly after slipping on a slow treadmill. As her spirit hovers over her body, she witnesses her nephew Liu Xu mourning her with exaggerated grief. Before she can be taken by whatever force awaits the dead, a white light envelops her, transporting her back in time to 1970. She awakens on a crowded bus, initially believing it to be an elaborate prank orchestrated by Liu Xu. However, the realistic details—the era-specific clothing, the presence of a live rooster as luggage, and the mention of the Dongfanghong-1 satellite launch—confirm that she has been reborn into her twenty-year-old body. Bi Chunliu quickly realizes she has returned to a pivotal moment in her past. In her previous life, she endured immense suffering from 1968 to 1976, losing both parents, all three of her younger siblings, and her young niece to tragedy, accident, and misfortune. Now, with the knowledge of future events, she is determined to alter her family's fate. Upon arriving at Dashi Commune, she reunites with her three younger siblings: Bi Weiguo, Bi Xiahe, and Bi Qiuguo. The siblings are close and protective of one another, a bond Chunliu cherishes deeply after years of loneliness in her past life. The core conflict emerges immediately upon their arrival at their grandmother's house. Their grandmother, Old Madam Guo, and their Third Uncle, Bi Laosan, have been pressuring Chunliu to relinquish her factory job, which was inherited from their late father. Third Uncle covets the position for himself, hoping to secure a better life in the city and escape the petty grievances of his wife, Cai Juhua, who has just gotten into a violent public fight with the brigade leader's relative over a dispute involving ox dung. The family dynamics are strained by greed and favoritism, with the grandmother doting excessively on her eldest grandson, Weiguo, while neglecting the girls. During a tense confrontation, Third Uncle attempts to manipulate Chunliu into giving up the job by promising to find her a husband in return. Chunliu, no longer the passive victim of her past life, refuses outright. When Third Uncle persists with veiled threats and manipulative arguments, Chunliu takes decisive action. She locks the door, produces a rope, and physically disciplines her uncle, demonstrating her martial arts skills and unyielding resolve. She breaks a stool with her bare hands to emphasize her strength, forcing Third Uncle to back down and abandon his claim to the job. With the immediate threat neutralized, Chunliu focuses on protecting her siblings and securing their futures. She makes a pact with her Third Aunt to ensure Guangyao, her nephew, is cared for in exchange for keeping the job for Weiguo. The chapter concludes with Chunliu reflecting on her renewed strength and the opportunities ahead. She is resolved to use her foreknowledge and physical capabilities to prevent the tragedies that befell her family, ensuring that her siblings survive and thrive in this second chance at life.