The Foil Female Lead in a Dutiful-Wife Novel [Republican Era]

Bai Xiang had always been Song Zhaodi's foil. They were both concubines in the Li family, but Song Zhaodi couldn't bear a son, so the principal wife voluntarily stepped down. When famine struck their hometown and they fled to Shanghai, Song Zhaodi sold her only daughter for food, all for the sake of the Li family's son and her mother-in-law. But after they arrived in Shanghai, her husband drove her out of the house. Still, she didn't blame fate. After her husband went bankrupt and fell into debt, she put the past behind her and worked tirelessly to help him repay it. In the end, she moved the entire Li family and finally got to live the ideal "happy" life. Bai Xiang also had only one daughter, but she fought for what she wanted and never let her daughter suffer. With her sweet talk, she won over not only her mother-in-law but also the Li family's only son. But when they fled the famine, her true colors showed. Her selfishness made Song Zhaodi seem all the more selfless. After being driven out of the Li family, Bai Xiang immediately remarried with her daughter, making Song Zhaodi seem all the more loyal and steadfast. Not only that, after the Li family fell into ruin, she kicked them while they were down... Of course, she didn't get a happy ending. She ended up destitute, adrift and alone, making Song Zhaodi's happy ending all the more perfect. After being reborn, Bai Xiang was deeply dissatisfied. She'd only been a little unlucky. Otherwise, why would Song Zhaodi ever have had reason to pity her? Knowing that they would have to flee the famine, Bai Xiang sold her shop ahead of time and saved the money. On the journey, she guarded her daughter closely and made sure she didn't go hungry. Once they reached Shanghai, she opened a steamed bun shop, partnered with the shopkeeper next door to open a tailor shop, and invested in a lipstick factory... Bai Xiang's business kept growing, and she was never short of suitors. While Song Zhaodi was still sharing the Li family's hardships, Bai Xiang was teaching her daughter to read and write, and learning to keep up with the times. While Song Zhaodi was helping her son pay off his gambling debts, Bai Xiang was generously supporting people with ambition... This time, luck was finally on Bai Xiang's side. Theme: Love yourself first, then love others.