Transmigration: In the Era That the Shameless Villains Live Long Lives

Meng Yu is reincarnated as a baby in rural China during the summer of 1956, born as one of twin siblings to Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua. She quickly realizes she is a supporting character in a novel where her family serves as villains destined for tragic deaths. The original story features Meng Zhu, the daughter of Chen Rou, as the kind-hearted heroine. Chen Rou is the adopted daughter of Wang Cuilian, the matriarch of the Meng family, who displays blatant favoritism toward her while neglecting her own biological children. In the original narrative, Meng Yu’s siblings die young, and the entire third branch perishes during the famine years, while the heroine survives through the help of a magical jade pendant.

Upon reincarnation, Meng Yu discovers that the fish-shaped jade pendant she was born with contains a secret spiritual realm. This space allows her to store living creatures and plants, and it produces spiritual medicine that enhances health and beauty. Determined to alter her family’s fate, Meng Yu uses her infant abilities to bind the pendant to herself. She secretly consumes spiritual medicine by feeding it to her mother, Xu Chunhua, and later her father, Meng Qiushi, significantly improving their physical conditions. Meanwhile, she begins hoarding the family’s poultry and crops within her spatial dimension, depriving the biased grandmother of resources meant for the heroine.

The core conflict centers on the Meng family’s internal dynamics. Wang Cuilian, the grandmother, favors Chen Rou and her newborn daughter Meng Zhu above all else, including her own grandchildren. She denies adequate nutrition and care to Xu Chunhua and the twins while lavishing Chen Rou with the best food and attention. Meng Qiushi, the father, is aware of this injustice and actively protects his immediate family by secretly stealing food and resources for them. He maintains a rebellious facade against his mother while ensuring his wife and children are well-fed and cared for.

A key turning point occurs when Meng Yu reveals her spatial abilities to her parents. She demonstrates her power by making a heavy chest of money vanish and reappear, eventually bringing her parents into the spiritual realm. They discover hundreds of chickens and ducks multiplying within the space, along with abundant crops. Realizing the potential of this treasure, the family decides to store all their wealth and future earnings inside Meng Yu’s pendant. This act secures their financial safety and provides a reliable source of food and resources, insulating them from the hardships that plagued their original timeline.

As the story progresses, the family’s circumstances improve dramatically. Xu Chunhua recovers her youthful beauty and health, while Meng Qiushi gains strength and vitality from the spiritual medicine. The twins, Meng Yu and Meng Che, develop faster than normal children due to the enhanced nutrition. The family begins to enjoy a comfortable life despite the broader societal hardships of the era. They celebrate the twins' first birthday with a family portrait and a meal at a county restaurant, marking a significant departure from their original tragic fate.

The narrative also explores the complex relationships within the extended Meng family. Meng Qiucan, the twin sister of Meng Qiushi, returns from the city and maintains a close bond with her brother, often defying their mother’s wishes to support the third branch. In contrast, the eldest and second branches remain under the influence of Wang Cuilian’s favoritism. Meng Qiufeng, the eldest son, harbors secret feelings for Chen Rou, adding another layer of tension to the family dynamics. The story highlights the struggle between the biased matriarch and the resilient third branch as they navigate the challenges of rural life in 1950s China.

Meng Yu continues to manipulate events from her infant perspective, ensuring her family remains safe and prosperous. She uses her spatial abilities to hide valuable items and food, preventing her grandmother from seizing them for Chen Rou. The family’s secret wealth and resources allow them to withstand the upcoming famine years, which were catastrophic in the original story. By altering the flow of resources and protecting her parents from the emotional and physical toll of their mother-in-law’s abuse, Meng Yu sets the stage for a different future for her family.

The story direction shifts from survival to thriving. With the spiritual realm providing a steady supply of food and medicine, the Meng family’s health and happiness improve. Xu Chunhua and Meng Qiushi are able to raise their children in an environment of love and care, contrasting sharply with the neglect they experienced in their own childhoods. The narrative focuses on the daily interactions and small victories of the family as they outsmart the biased matriarch and build a secure future for the next generation.

As the famine approaches, the family’s preparedness becomes crucial. The hidden wealth in the spatial pendant ensures they have enough food to survive, while the spiritual medicine keeps them healthy and strong. Meng Yu’s role as the guardian of this secret realm becomes increasingly important, as she balances her infant limitations with her ancient wisdom. The story emphasizes the theme of family loyalty and the power of collective effort in overcoming adversity.

The novel concludes with the family having successfully altered their fate. The tragic endings of the original story are replaced by a narrative of resilience and prosperity. Meng Yu’s actions have not only saved her family from death but have also allowed them to live with dignity and comfort. The story ends on a hopeful note, with the family looking forward to a future free from the constraints of their original villainous roles.