Second Marriage in the 1970s - Reviews

I will be writing a lengthy review. , I enjoyed this story, though it did drag at times. I'll focus mainly on the plot points (P&C) and share my final overall opinion.

**Main Characters (MC & ML):** Dong Jiahui, Zhao Donglin

**Children:** Zhao Zhuojun (Heidan), Zhao Xinyi (Yingbao), Zhao Zhuorui (Fangfang)

**Zhao Family:** Zhao Manzhu (father), Zhang Qiao'er (mother), Zhao Caixia (elder sister), Zhao Donghe (second brother), Zhao Meixiang (youngest)

### Pros:
- **Character Development:** The characters are well-written, making it easy to remember them and notice their positive growth throughout the story.
- **Family Dynamics:** The Zhao family is refreshingly portrayed, especially given the 1970s setting. They start as rural villagers struggling to make ends meet but gradually embrace change and achieve wealth with some guidance from the MC and ML.
- **Mother Zhao:** Despite being stubborn and a worrywart, she is incredibly likable. She treats her family well and is a great grandmother and mother.
- **MC's Generosity:** The MC is appropriately generous, showing kindness to the right relatives without being overly indulgent.
- **ML's Development:** While the ML is somewhat tolerable in the first half, my impression of him improves significantly after the family separation.
- **Children:** The children are adorable, and the MC's genuine affection for her stepchildren, especially Zhao Zhuojun recognizing her as his mother, is heartwarming.
- **Emotional Breakthrough:** One of my favorite scenes is when Heidan reflects on the MC's unwavering love for him, even years after being abandoned by his biological mother. The moment he calls her "mom" and they both cry is emotionally powerful.
- **Extended Family:** The nieces and nephews are treated well, even if it takes some time.
- **Societal Change:** The story provides a clear and understandable portrayal of the societal changes in China.
- **Zhao Donghe's Success:** The author gives Zhao Donghe the chance to find his own success, ensuring his son can live well, especially after a messy divorce.
- **Support for Maiden Family:** The MC doesn't forget to help her maiden family (Dong).
- **Zhao Meixiang:** My favorite character with her own compelling arc.
- **Adoptive Elders:** The adoptive god/grandparents are a charming element of found family.
- **Sibling Arcs:** The author ensures each Zhao sibling has a chance to shine.
- **Family Prosperity:** The steady rise of the Zhao and Dong families is sweet to read, as they all deserve it.

### Cons:
- **ML's Tolerance:** The ML's excessive tolerance of Zhao Donghe's (ZDH) stupid wife is frustrating. It took him too long to address the issue, especially after learning what she said to Heidan.
- **Family Separation:** The family separation should have occurred immediately after the remarriage.
- **ML's Lack of Affection:** The ML's lack of affection towards Heidan as a child is irritating. He finally expresses pride when Heidan goes to university, but it feels too late. Why couldn't he embrace and dote on Heidan like he does with Fangfang?
- **Zhao Donghe's Love Life:** The author never gave Zhao Donghe a deserving second wife, and his son deserved a new mother, especially after accepting his biological mother as "dead."
- **Annoying Sister-in-Laws:** The sister-in-laws are overly annoying, serving primarily to make the MC and Meixiang appear saintly.
- **Flat Romance:** The romance between the main couple pales in comparison to Meixiang's romance, which is explored in more depth.
- **Lack of Child Moments:** The story skips over many potential sweet moments with the children. Months or years pass without cute interactions, especially with the youngest child.
- **Youngest Child:** The youngest child is glossed over, making him seem unimportant compared to Heidan and Yingbao.
- **Unresolved Ex-Spouses:** The ex-spouses are mentioned but never given proper conclusions. What happened to MC's ex's family? Did ZDH's ex try to contact their son? Did ML's ex approach Yingbao when she grew up?
- **MC's Career:** Given her skills in sewing and fashion, I expected the author to explore this further, possibly leading to a fashion empire. Instead, the MC takes a simple job involving her English skills.
- **Father Zhao:** Father Zhao is a flat character, mentioned only a few times. It's odd that he stays in the village alone for years without complaint and is rarely mentioned after the last Zhao child marries and the grandchildren grow up.
- **University Arc:** The university arc drags, focusing too much on the MC and ML's legendary status. It would have been nice to shift focus to the children for a change, especially since we barely know the youngest child and Yingbao is developing her own thoughts and opinions.

### Final Thoughts:
The main story is good, but the writing sometimes skips over potential sweet moments with the children and over-explains business prospects. If you prefer the business side of the plot, you might enjoy it more. I wish some plot points were explored more thoroughly or concluded cleanly to avoid lingering questions.

The story would have been more engaging if the author had developed the main romance at a more believable pace, postponed the pregnancy, included more child moments, and written in more side characters. The story is almost entirely family-oriented, which can be a bit crowded and occasionally boring. However, I appreciate the author's gradual implementation of more modern ideals for Meixiang, Zhao Caixia's eldest daughter, and Yingbao, emphasizing their self-worth and career over early marriage.

Despite my nitpicks, this is definitely one of the better time travel/remarriage/decade novels. Everyone is happy, and no one is left behind.

This started out well. The male lead (ML) was initially a respectful partner. However, things took a turn after they got married.

They agreed not to have children for three years. But he secretly decided he wanted another child and, without her knowledge, avoided the contraceptive measures they had been using, resulting in her pregnancy.

His views on marriage are quite traditional. While it’s understandable that he was hurt in the past, he wants to use the baby to steer her away from pursuing a career or further education. He believed that with a baby, she would be unable to focus on studying.

At first, you might blame the ex-wife, but her decision to leave becomes very clear. He was never present, all his money went to his mother, and he expected her to be a submissive housewife. It’s admirable that she stood up for her dreams and left. I wish the main character (MC) had waited another two years before getting married, perhaps until after her college exams.

On the surface, he seems to take care of her, but he prioritizes being a filial son and will wrong her to maintain family harmony, often pushing things to the breaking point.

The second sister-in-law, Zheng, and her husband are portrayed as inferior to the main couple, but they communicate a lot with each other. Zheng actively tries to improve her selfish tendencies, but her only friend deliberately fills her head with negative thoughts about the MC.

The MC is selfish, and that’s okay. She makes it clear that as a modern 21st-century individual, she always puts herself first. The author highlights that the key difference between the sisters-in-law is that the MC knows how to speak and maneuver to get what she wants, while the second sister-in-law is too straightforward for that. I appreciated this dynamic, but later, the author seems to reduce the second sister-in-law to mere cannon fodder.

The MC’s cheap mother is fantastic—I love her. The MC’s mother-in-law is also great. She firmly tells her sons that they are not allowed to hit women, and I respect her for that.

For anyone interested in reading this book, it’s definitely worth it. The plot unfolds slowly, but the wait is worthwhile. However, there were some disappointments. Suddenly, translations became paid content, with no prior warning in the earlier chapters about future paid chapters. Since I don’t have PayPal, this is quite frustrating. I was at chapter 59 and now I have to switch to MTL to finish the book. If I had known earlier, I might not have started. Still, I understand and appreciate the hard work of the translators.

Honestly, I was expecting more from this novel given its high rating, which is why I ended up giving it only 3 stars.

The beginning of the novel is extremely slow compared to others where you typically get past the summary within 2-4 chapters. With this one, it takes at least 10 chapters before it gets to the interesting part.

I also don't like how the male lead's character changes drastically from being somewhat cold and distant with the female lead to suddenly being infatuated with her.

The story leans more towards a slice-of-life genre than anything else.

I concur with saphie's review. The novel has a compelling plot, but its execution falls short. I wished the ex-wife had more screen time to inject additional drama. However, it's still a decent read overall. The plot is charming and light-hearted. I appreciate how the female lead (FL) strives to be a good stepmother. The healthy relationship between the FL and male lead (ML) is also a highlight.

A very nice and mature slice-of-life story set in the 70s. There's no big drama or dramatic face-slapping scenes. I love how the author chooses to have the characters (not just the main character and love interest) be kind and focus on self-improvement to achieve happiness rather than seeking revenge. The interactions between the characters are delightful and teach the reader about filial piety, kindness, hard work, and offer hope that life isn't always tough.

Very entertaining, soothing, and lovely.

If you enjoy well-written novels with a mature main character, this is definitely one to try. The romance is subtle but heartwarming, enough to bring a smile to your face.

First and foremost, a big thank you to the translator for doing their best on this novel; it was great!

I hardly ever review these stories; however, this is a special case. Seeing so many negative reviews about the Male Lead (ML) and his treatment of the Female Lead (FL) really discouraged me from trying this novel. And this ML is leagues better than most of the transmigration stories I have read.

In the reviews I read, it was stated that the ML intentionally made the FL pregnant so that she couldn't take the college entrance exams (since she would be tied down with a toddler). This is not true.

This was an unhealthy thought the ML had after they (the husband and wife) fell pregnant two years before the exams would be reinstated, without taking all the necessary precautions for contraception. Was it a bad thought? Yes. Did he follow through with any of his thoughts? No. It was a passive-possessive move only. This also implied that the ML wanted to smother the FL's dreams and aspirations, which is also a lie.

The ML has always supported the FL in all of her endeavors. Is he self-conscious and has second thoughts? Of course, he does. But does he follow through with them? Nope! Did he continue to be loving and supportive of his wife all the way? Hell yes!

Is he obsessed with having many children? No. Is he obsessed with having a daughter? No. Does he treat his children like wallpaper? No. Does he treat his sons like enemies? No. Is the ML patriarchal? Hell no! Is there some jealousy? Of course, it's human nature. This man followed his wife to take exams at over 30 years old. Like who does that? Even in real life, it's hard to believe.

Also, some reviewers said that the ex-wife should be pitied. She just wanted to follow her dreams... Here is my take on the ex-wife (whose name I do not care to remember): she was an educated youth who apparently had a sweetheart who broke her heart after she left for the countryside or during that time. So she decided to engage the ML in conversations to make a match, as he was a soldier and should have many rich future prospects.

They marry and have kids; however, she is not satisfied since the ML is mostly at work and leaves his paycheck to the Mother-in-Law (MIL), who is bloody awesome, by the way. She’s not a monster-in-law; what one person has, everyone has in their home. She wasn't satisfied with the dynamics.

I only feel a slight level of sympathy for the situation she was put into. She could have taken control of his paycheck another way, but I digress. One day, after all her dissatisfaction reached a peak, she received a letter from a friend saying that her sweetheart would be engaged/married. And she decides then and there that she doesn’t want to be married anymore and doesn’t want to be tied down with kids.

She basically forces the ML (who is a hardened, serious, no-nonsense man who actually really cares for her) to get a divorce. And once it was finalized, she said adios and never came back. So no, she was following a man who never showed up for her. If that was her dream, she should not have "tried out" marriage with an honest man while holding a flame for another in her heart in the first place.

To be brief about the other spoilers: they stated that the second Sister-in-Law (SIL) was turned into a two-bit cheat because of the FL. Which again is false. This woman was instigating the ML's stepson (who was still adapting to the situation) to refuse the FL so that his mother could come back.

This was selfish as hell! Considering that the ML is the primary breadwinner of the whole household, and since they were not legally separated yet, this SIL always had something to say when food, clothes, and labor were distributed, like she had no self-awareness at all. Without the FL, most of this could be brushed off, but once there was someone else to keep her in check, she showed her true colors. The ML even gave her another chance by warning his brother that this would be the last time. And guess what?

Of course, she blew it, by telling the ML's son that since the FL was pregnant, he and his sister were no longer important and would suffer in the future. And guess what? You guessed it! The ML heard everything. So, in short, she was not forgiven, her family was separated, and after more blunders, like thinking she was pregnant, then cursing the community doctor, and getting banned by said doctor, the ML's brother finally grew a pair and decided to divorce her. And adios.

In closing, I just needed to rant because this was a hidden gem that was well thought out and really realistic in terms of the character build and human relationships pertaining to that era. So, please don't shit on a period novel if you can't handle the language or the customs that were viewed as normal during those times. Thank you ?

Good read.

Paperballoon did an accurate review, and it’s clear that casbrin is not reading the same novel.

It felt rushed in some areas where you’d expect more detail.

, it’s not bad, but it could have been a lot better with more work. The translation seems to be machine-generated but is still readable.

This story became a bit dull towards the end, but it was still somewhat refreshing compared to other similar stories where the Female Lead (FL) and Male Lead (ML) live happily and raise their children, with the FL having minimal or no interaction with her in-laws. In this story, however, the FL lives with her in-laws before moving to the city for her studies. She faces all kinds of drama, such as conflicts with her sister-in-law (the wife of the ML's brother) and various rumors that circulate in the village.

Consider this a lighter version of "Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs," but without the fantasy elements. I can't say I particularly enjoyed it, but I didn't dislike it either. , it's more realistic, but it can be a bit boring at times.

I would recommend it as a light read with no dramatic plot twists or overly annoying characters. The communication and love between the male lead (ML) and the female lead (FL) are commendable. The ML respects the FL and tries his best to accommodate her. It’s important to remember that this man is from the 1970s and has experienced things that the FL, as a modern person, might not fully understand. Despite this, he makes an effort to support her.

You can give it a try, but if you've read "Back to the Sixties: Farm, Get Wealthy & Raise the Cubs," you might find yourself comparing the two and feeling that this one is a bit lacking. Choose wisely.

Honestly, this got boring very quickly, and nearly everyone’s romance and life were more interesting to read about than our main couple. Even the cannon fodder characters who encountered the main character and got slapped had more fascinating backstories. They learned lessons, felt regret, or simmered in resentment. The main character came off as a Mary Sue, and while the book was supposed to be realistic, it just kept getting the plot wrong.

Honestly, I didn't like her passive attitude, always adhering to tradition, and I liked ML even less for thinking that MC should just stay at home and take care of the kids.