The Villainous Big Shot's Devoted Mom [The 1980s]

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The main story is complete, and the extra chapters are complete too.

A similar story next door: The True and Fake Young Masters' Wealthy Mom [The 1980s]

Qiao Li transmigrates to the 1980s and becomes the wealthy wife of a millionaire in a period novel.

The good news is that her husband is rich and generous. His favorite thing to do is give her money and stay away from home.

The bad news is that both her sons are top-tier villains with major roles in the period novel.

Her favored younger son is a brainless cannon-fodder villain, while her neglected older son is a composed, scheming villain. Both will become obstacles on the male lead's path, and in the end they'll squander the family fortune, leaving her to work away from home in her fifties before dying of illness in a foreign land.

Her older son, Lu Shaoyan, appears mature and steady, but is actually sensitive and starved for affection. His main approach is to ignore the male lead and keep fighting with his younger brother.

Her younger son, Lu Shaoci, is exactly what he seems: a little bossy brat. As an adult, he'll be good for nothing, and the new company he starts will run a deficit every day. The moment someone eggs him on, he'll want to replace his older brother and inherit the family business.

The male lead toys with both sons using one line: "You'll never measure up to your brother/younger brother."

Qiao Li gets it. The problem lies mainly within the family.

So now she'll make the two of them stick together like one solid piece of iron.

First, she'll treat them fairly. In everyone's eyes, Qiao Li has changed. She no longer cleans up Lu Shaoci's messes or buys him snacks, and she doesn't even remind him about things every day. The neighbors are always hearing her praise Lu Shaoyan.

Next comes cooperation and mutual benefit. "Whoever gives me a shoulder massage today gets these five jiao."

"The older one cooks today, and the younger one does the dishes."

"You two carry these fifty pounds of dried dates, peach kernels, peanut brittle, fried dough, and rice cakes home together today."

Finally, they'll advance side by side, competing through cooperation and cooperating through competition.

Then Lu Shaoyan's certificates cover an entire wall, Lu Shaoyan becomes the best cook, and Lu Shaoci washes the dishes the cleanest.

At first, the boys' father had plenty of objections. But after seeing the results, he could only say helplessly:

"She must have her reasons for doing things this way..."

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Lu Shaoci has a father who's a patriotic entrepreneur and a well-off mother. Since his mother favors him, he's the most important person in the whole family.

But lately, he's noticed his mom has changed. No one feels it more than him. After a fight, he goes days without clean clothes. His opponents gang up and come after him, and his lackeys leave when he has no pocket money to keep them around.

He goes to his maternal grandparents to complain.

Mom says, "Why do you think they dote on you? They care about me, so they show you a little affection too."

He goes to Dad for backup.

Mom points straight at Dad's nose. "You didn't get involved when I raised the kids before, so don't think you can get involved now."

To win Mom back from his scheming older brother, surely anyone can wash dishes and cook, right?

And anyone can act cute and well-behaved, right?

And anyone can come first in their grade, right? Anyone can... right?

As it turns out, he's really not very good at that. But when he goes from last place to the top ten in his grade, he finally gets Mom's praise again after all this time.

And he can actually learn! He's not the brainless idiot his classmates say has muscles where his brains should be.

In the end, he stands on the podium and gives a speech: "The person I'm most grateful to is my mother... My older brother too, just a tiny bit."

The boys' dad: ...So I get completely left out of the speech too?

Reader's Guide

1. I'm terrible at writing blurbs, but give it a try. This is a story about raising kids. The villainous big shot in the blurb is the older son, and the boys' dad is the domineering CEO male lead. There are distinct characterizations and a romance plot.

Preview

The True and Fake Young Masters' Wealthy Mom [The 1980s]

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The Marchioness Bo Xin transmigrates and becomes the obsessive wealthy mom in a period novel whose babies were switched at birth.

The real son was mistakenly sent away as a child and raised in a poor, remote village for over a decade, until he was skin and bones. The fake son was doted on from infancy, growing up bright and lively, like a young master.

One day, the truth comes out, and the real son returns home.

She worries that the real son is poor and shabby, while also worrying that the fake son isn't her own flesh and blood.

Her frantic efforts only drive the two boys apart. They fight tooth and nail over the family fortune and both end up ruined.

The fortune goes to the male lead, and she ends her days in misery.

When Bo Xin first transmigrates, she's just decided to hide the real son in the attic and send the fake son out to inherit the estate.

Bo Xin: ...

Why make such a fuss?

The real son is brilliant and excels in both character and academics. Isn't he the perfect heir? The fake son is adorable and carefree. He can stay by her side as a spoiled shareholder, waiting to collect dividends from the family business.

So, in everyone's eyes, Bo Xin's family gains a biological son. She accompanies him to school and tutoring, while she plays and laughs with her adopted son.

She's happy with the arrangement. One child can study away from home and make her proud, while the other can stay by her side and act cute and clingy.

But who knows whether the two children are happy with this arrangement?

Everyone expects the real son to rebel and the adopted son to fight for the family fortune.

But no one expects the two boys to get along so well for so many years. The real son thinks Mom is showing confidence in him, while the adopted son thinks Mom is indulging him.

The only thing anyone can hear them argue about is:

"Mom loves me the most!"

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A little scene

Fake young master: Mom made this sandbag for me herself.

Real young master: Mom made me this book herself: Three Years of College Entrance Exams, Five Years of Practice Tests.

Fake young master, who hates studying: Are you sure Mom isn't picking on you and making you suffer?

The real young master looks at him disdainfully: You don't understand love.

Fake young master: ???

Theme: Family is what matters most