Reborn in 1991: The Meme King of the Era Novel

Jiang Nuan, an intangible cultural heritage creator with tens of millions of followers, works herself to death pulling all-nighters, then opens her eyes to find herself back in 1991.

From the start, it’s a living nightmare: both her parents are dead, her family is dirt poor, and her oddball relatives are discussing selling her to a lame man for a three-hundred-yuan bride price.

Jiang Nuan grabs a broom. “Whoever wants to marry him can do it themselves!”

Bound to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance System, she realizes that in this golden age, knowledge is the greatest golden finger.

And so the county gets the delightfully quirky “Warm Sunshine Pastry Shop”:

· Sell lǘdagun, a rolled glutinous rice cake, with a joke: “Life is like this red bean paste: it may look rustic, but it tastes sweet!”

· Create “Top Scorer Exam Cakes,” sending parents into a frenzy: “Will eating one really get my kid into Tsinghua?”

· Advertise Suzhou embroidery classes: “If you can’t learn, we’ll refund your fee. But you might not want one, because the teacher’s funnier than a stand-up comic.”

Bigwigs from every walk of life gradually find themselves swept up in her antics:

· The aloof former special forces soldier Gu Zhaoyang investigates her “abnormalities” while secretly collecting every new product she makes. “It’s a professional habit. I need to keep a close eye on suspicious targets.”

· Zhou Mingyuan, an architectural designer who has returned from abroad, is inspired while designing an intangible cultural heritage park for her. “The way you knead dough breaks down the essence of Eastern aesthetics!”

· Qin Weidong, a level-eight fitter at the cannery, uses military-grade precision to upgrade her oven. “This girl’s craftsmanship deserves the best machinery.”

· Ma Xiaohua, the owner of a video hall, becomes her chief intelligence officer. “Breaking news! The neighboring county wants to copy your red bean pastries!”

· Lin Weiwei, the daughter of a provincial newspaper’s owner and a reporter, writes a front-page feature about her. “From a pushover to the queen of intangible cultural heritage, she’s making tradition a hit!”