[Rebirth Through Time] “The Best Mother in the Era Novel”

Su Taotao, a modern woman with a comfortable life and substantial inheritance, finds herself transmigrated into the body of a notorious supporting character in a 1970s-era novel. The original Su Taotao was a spoiled, lazy educated youth who tricked the most handsome man in her commune, Fu Zhengtu, into marriage. After wedding him, she lived as a parasite, wasting his resources, neglecting her infant son, Chenchen, and constantly causing trouble for her poor, hardworking mother-in-law, Zhou Linglan. The original character’s life ended in despair when she attempted to jump into a river to force her way back to the city, chasing a childhood sweetheart who had written her a vague letter. Su Taotao awakens in this dilapidated rural home, surrounded by the Fu family’s angry relatives who plot to physically restrain her if she attempts to leave. However, her situation is far more dire than she initially feared. The family is impoverished, having squandered Fu Zhengtu’s savings, and her son is severely malnourished and non-verbal, displaying signs of trauma and developmental delay.

Upon realizing the gravity of her circumstances, Su Taotao undergoes a dramatic transformation. She abandons her selfish ways and dedicates herself to caring for Chenchen, whose intelligence she discovers is exceptional, though his silence suggests deep emotional neglect. She also mends her relationship with Zhou Linglan and her younger brother-in-law, Fu Yuanhang, by sharing meals and taking on household responsibilities. Her first major test involves dealing with the village women who had been freeloading off the family’s newly installed toilet. Su Taotao asserts her authority by charging them an egg per visit, effectively ending their harassment and securing a small but vital source of nutrition for her son. This decisive action shocks the family, who had grown accustomed to her passive aggression and laziness, and begins to shift their perception of her from a dangerous parasite to a capable matriarch.

The core conflict revolves around survival and redemption in a resource-scarce environment. Su Taotao discovers a promissory note sewn into her husband’s jacket, a loan of two hundred yuan from her estranged father, Su Donghan, with a contact in the nearby county town. She learns that the borrower, Teacher Cao, has been sent to the countryside for reeducation and is living in squalor. Despite his dire situation, Cao honors the debt and provides her with an address to recover the money. This financial lifeline allows Su Taotao to stabilize the family’s diet, introducing nutritious meals like taro rice and scrambled eggs with tomatoes that win over even the skeptical Fu Yuanhang. Chenchen, touched by her genuine affection and care, begins to speak, breaking his long silence and revealing his high cognitive abilities.

As Su Taotao settles into her new role, she faces the looming return of her husband, Fu Zhengtu, who is still on a secret mission. The original plot dictated that she would abandon her child and reunite with her childhood sweetheart, leading to a tragic downfall for all parties involved. However, Su Taotao’s presence has altered the trajectory of events. She is now deeply bonded with Chenchen and has earned the tentative respect of her in-laws. The story moves forward with Su Taotao navigating the rigid social structures of the 1970s countryside, managing the household economy, and preparing for the inevitable confrontation with Fu Zhengtu’s return. She must balance her modern sensibilities with the harsh realities of the era, all while protecting her son from the stigma of his mother’s past reputation and ensuring the family’s survival until her husband comes home.