Chapter 44: The Evil Stepmother of the 1970s 11 New Story Started “Mom…

Chapter 44: The Evil Stepmother in the 1970s (11) New Story Published: "Mother..."

Xu Ziyan was diligently working on problems in her room when she suddenly heard the system announcement.

"Congratulations, host, for completing the plot: The Female Lead anonymously wrote a letter to Fang Lihai, warning him that you mistreated his parents and children, prompting Fang Lihai to return home for a visit. Reward: One skill point."

Xu Ziyan was stunned. "What? Xu Xiuyun wrote to Fang Lihai?"

Next door, Fang Lihai's parents were equally confused. Why would Xu Xiuyun write to their son? They didn’t even know each other.

By now, Xu Ziyan had figured it out. "So, in the original plot, Fang Lihai suddenly returned home and coincidentally encountered the wild boar because Xu Xiuyun anonymously reported me, luring him back."

"The added plot details are absurdly meticulous."

Xu Ziyan muttered sarcastically. If she hadn’t angered Xu Xiuyun enough to provoke her into writing the letter—indirectly triggering the system reward—she wouldn’t have known about this. The original plot really skipped the important parts. She had wondered why Fang Lihai would return to the village out of the blue when he was supposed to be in the military. Turns out, he was set up by Xu Xiuyun.

She understood. In the original plot, the Female Lead was pure and kind-hearted. She definitely didn’t intend to harm Fang Lihai—she just wanted to warn him about how the original Xu Ziyan mistreated his family. As for the wild boar, the Female Lead surely didn’t mean to kill Fang Lihai, just injure him. But why?

Xu Ziyan scoffed. "Was she trying to make Fang Lihai get hurt so everyone would blame me for being a 'husband-killer'? After all, she was once labeled 'a widow before even marrying' herself. As her counterpart, I was doomed to the same fate.

I knew it. The Female Lead wouldn’t outright harm anyone. She just wanted to 'teach me a lesson,' but accidentally got Fang Lihai killed. How vile!"

Fang’s parents trembled with rage. How could Xu Xiuyun be so wicked? Their family had been fine. Even if they had conflicts with the original Xu Ziyan, that was their own business. What did it have to do with Xu Xiuyun? In all their years, they’d never met someone so malicious.

Fang’s mother was so angry she cried. Fang’s father quickly comforted her in a low voice, "Don’t upset yourself—your health isn’t good. We have the Immortal helping us now. Fang Lihai will be fine. Besides, now that we know, we won’t let it happen.

Forewarned is forearmed. We should be happy."

Fang’s mother wiped her tears and nodded. "You’re right. But having someone like her constantly watching us is unbearable. I wish I could beat her to death!"

Fang’s father was just as furious, but since nothing had happened yet, no one would believe them. They could only quickly write another letter to their son, urging him to focus on training and assuring him everything was fine at home. This time, they’d write more details to put his mind at ease. They could even send a telegram or call him—anything to prevent disaster.

Once they calmed down, they realized something odd. Why did Xu Ziyan keep calling Xu Xiuyun the "Female Lead"? Was this some kind of story from a storybook?

Thinking back, Xu Ziyan had never actually called herself an "Immortal." Instead, she mentioned things like her past life, her family, and living a good life in the city. Maybe Xu Ziyan was someone who had accumulated great merit who, after death, came to their world to save them?

That must be it. Xu Ziyan had helped them so much—essentially saving their whole family. That was a tremendous act of merit, a form of spiritual practice, like the village shamans who gained supernatural abilities after surviving a mysterious illness. The whole thing was mystical.

In any case, Xu Ziyan was here to help them. That was all that mattered. They had to protect her and keep her secret safe, especially since the government was cracking down on superstition.

Later, they sneaked into the mountains to burn paper offerings at their ancestors’ graves, praying for protection. Then they called Fang Lihai, telling him everything was fine at home and he shouldn’t worry.

Fang Lihai was puzzled. He hadn’t received any letters yet and had no idea what was happening at home. When his parents called, his first thought was that they couldn’t stand Xu Ziyan anymore.

But before he could ask, they assured him everything was fine, leaving him utterly confused.

After the call, Fang Lihai grew uneasy. Should he take leave and go home? Soon after, he received two letters.

The first was a thick family letter. Everyone at home had written multiple pages. The postal worker even joked, "Battalion Commander Fang, your family must miss you terribly—look how much they wrote!"

Fang Lihai’s heart clenched. This much writing had to mean something big. He muttered in response and hurried back to his quarters to read.

To his surprise, his parents’ tone was calm, even cheerful. They wrote that Xu Ziyan was now in charge at home, that she had matured and improved in every way. They praised her for taking good care of the children, who adored her, and mentioned how her reputation in the village had recovered—many past incidents were misunderstandings caused by others.

The entire letter was about how much better Xu Ziyan had become, which shocked Fang Lihai. Then he read the children’s letters—messy handwriting with some pinyin, but filled with 'Mom' this and 'Mom' that, clearly showing their affection. They wrote about Xu Ziyan taking them to the city, buying them soda and candy, and even taking photos. They were thrilled.

He studied the photograph—the children were beaming, and Xu Ziyan looked radiant, a far cry from her previous gloomy demeanor. Finally, he read Xu Ziyan’s letter. It contained some terms of marital endearment that made him uncomfortable, but it was typical of her. She urged him to come home or let her visit, saying couples shouldn’t stay apart for long.

After finishing, he was baffled. There was no emergency—just praise for Xu Ziyan? Then he opened the second letter—an anonymous one, clearly written with the left hand, the handwriting awkward. But the contents stunned him.

The letter claimed Xu Ziyan bullied the children, disrespected her in-laws, caused her parents to split the family, and forced them to sell goods in the city to earn money for her. It said she idled about all day, lounging in a rocking chair, listening to the radio, living like a capitalist’s spoiled daughter while enslaving his family.

It also claimed his parents were so upset they couldn’t sleep but didn't dare speak up, catering to Xu Ziyan’s every whim—killing chickens when she wanted meat, cooking white rice at her demand. The children were made to stand in the sun until fainting for dirtying clothes or bedsheets.

Fang Lihai was appalled. If this were true, his family was living in misery. Why would they say everything was fine? Who sent this anonymous letter? The sender only identified themselves as a 'concerned citizen.' Were they really well-intentioned?

Normally, Fang Lihai would ignore such anonymous accusations. But his economical parents had gone out of their way to call and reassure him. That, combined with the excessively positive family letter, made him suspicious. Had Xu Ziyan forced them to write it?

Something was wrong. Unable to rest easy, Fang Lihai applied for leave and decided to return without warning to see the truth for himself.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziyan spent her days studying, reviewing textbooks, and staying abreast of current affairs. The material from this era was relatively simple for her, especially after enhancing her intellect. Within a month, she had mastered it and had plenty of free time.

Constrained by the times, there wasn’t much else to do. So, she bought newspapers, studied their writing styles, and began submitting articles under the pen name Yu Kai.

At first, her submissions were rejected or ignored. Unfazed, she kept reading different newspapers, analyzing their content and style, practicing her writing, and resubmitting.

Finally, one article was accepted—by the most authoritative newspaper, no less—and she received payment.

The article, "On the Importance of Educating Women," discussed how while women’s living conditions had improved, gender bias persisted. Many parents prioritized sons for education, believing they carried on the family line, even if their daughters were smarter. Sons got jobs, houses, and dowries, while daughters were told studying was useless—they should just marry early with a few quilts as dowry. Numerous intelligent girls were denied education, lost to domestic drudgery and child-rearing.

Xu Ziyan argued that social progress required talent, regardless of gender. Incompetent men given opportunities only held society back. Opportunities must be equal, and the public needed to recognize women’s potential contributions.

She cited successful women as examples, emphasizing that in times of national need, everyone—regardless of gender or age—should step forward for the country’s development.

The article resonated because it aligned with the government’s focus on talent and education, as well as the inefficiency of unqualified individuals in key roles. The topic of women’s education was timely and eye-catching, earning her piece a prominent spot in the paper. The editors hoped it would spark public discussion, paving the way for future policy changes.

The pen name "Yu Kai" became famous overnight. Countless intellectuals remembered it, and even senior officials took notice, praising the article’s alignment with their own views.

Xu Ziyan had planned this meticulously. The topic was sensitive, requiring careful handling. She revised the piece over thirty times before submitting it. Living in this era, she wanted to contribute meaningfully, and this article was just the beginning.

She also prepared a serialized novel. Newspapers had previously published martial arts serials, which were popular. Xu Ziyan chose an untapped genre—family drama, based on her own experiences with the Xu Family.

Just as she mailed her first installment in the city, she heard the system announcement:

"Congratulations, host, for completing the plot: Fang Lihai, concerned for his family, returns home for a visit."