Back Before My Older Sister Dropped Out [The Nineties]

Looking back on her life, Lin Zhi had cats and dogs, a car and a home. She seemed to have everything anyone could envy, the picture of a winner. Yet in the dead of night, the only thing that kept appearing before her was the rough, gaunt hand of her eldest sister, lying on a hospital bed. That year, her eldest sister was sixteen. She took the county entrance exam and was the only student in the village to get into the county's No. 1 High School. But to support Lin Zhi and their younger brother through school, her eldest sister had to tear up her acceptance letter and head south to find work. Every letter she sent home came with money tucked inside. Five or ten yuan at a time, she paid for Lin Zhi and their little brother to finish college. By the time Lin Zhi could afford to give her sister a better life, her sister was dying of stomach cancer. The once-warm family was left in tatters after her passing. When Lin Zhi woke up, she had returned to 1993. The village loudspeaker was playing “Xiao Fang.” Her eldest sister had not yet developed stomach cancer from scraping together tuition for her and their little brother. And Lin Zhi had not yet fallen out with her younger brother and his wife because the sister-in-law resented having her eldest sister around as dead weight. Their parents were not yet gray-haired, and they were still strong and healthy. Luckily, there was still time to change everything. * Seeing the train ticket her eldest sister had hidden away, Lin Zhi tore it to pieces. This time, no one was allowed to drop out. Her eldest sister frowned at the scraps. “If I don't go find work, how are we going to pay tuition?” “Don't worry. Linjiawan is full of treasures.” The herbs on the hills and even the inconspicuous fine sand in the river could fetch a good price. [Coming soon: “Give Me Back My Rich Third-Generation Life [The Nineties]”] As a child of the nineties, Li Qingyun felt she'd gotten nothing but the worst the times had to offer. Even worse, she had actually been born into a wealthy third-generation family, but her father, a second-generation rich kid who hadn't even figured out how to be one, rushed into starting a business and dragged the family back into poverty. She hadn't even gotten a taste of the good life! When she woke up, little Li Qingyun was sitting in a car on her way to piano lessons. She clenched her tiny fists. This time, no one was going to ruin her life as a wealthy third-generation heiress! After the land she'd helped her grandfather buy cheaply was successfully demolished and redeveloped, Li Qingyun became the Li family's lucky charm and gained a say in family matters. At four and a half, Li Qingyun finally got to enjoy a life of wealth, with a housekeeper at home, a driver whenever she went out, and no limits on her spending. Then one day, her father announced that he wanted to start a business. She shook her head frantically. “No, you don't. You don't want that at all.” She figured her father only wanted to start a business because he had too much free time. So, at her urging, her grandfather sent him off to study, learn horseback riding, and take up wine tasting. His schedule was packed every day, while she carried on enjoying the wonderful life of a wealthy third-generation heiress. Just when her safe was so full of gold bars and property deeds that nothing else would fit, she suddenly realized that her dear father hadn't become a spoiled rich kid after all. Instead, he took her to the biggest horse farm in the city and proudly told her, “Look, I've won all this territory for you!” And her beloved mother, once a spirited young girl, had become the owner of a chain of beauty salons! Li Qingyun was instantly moved to tears. Now she was both a wealthy third-generation heiress and a wealthy second-generation heiress. Lying flat for the rest of her life was no longer a dream! [Coming soon: “The Rivals-to-Lovers Couple in the Seventies.” Please add it to your reading list!] Song Ning'an never expected that after getting divorced, she'd open her eyes and find herself a village girl in the 1970s. Everywhere in the village were slogans about going to the countryside and building a new rural society. Song Ning'an looked down at the fresh blisters on her hands and nearly wept. She'd have to work in the fields every day for work points, and with supplies scarce, she might go ten days or half a month without tasting a drop of oil. Miss Song had never suffered like this in her life. Maybe she should find herself a meal ticket? She heard a new educated youth had arrived at the village youth center. He was from a prominent military family and had only gone to the countryside after a falling-out with his family. Best of all, packages arrived from the capital every few days, full of dried meat, ration coupons, malted milk powder, and all kinds of other goodies. Song Ning'an was tempted. What a perfect meal ticket! One day, Song Ning'an put on a borrowed floral dress and let her long hair down, ready to arrange a chance encounter. But when she finally saw the famous young man from the military compound, she froze. Wait, why did this guy look exactly like her ex-husband? * The people of Hongqi Brigade discovered that the daughter of the Song family was going to marry the new educated youth! Everyone thought the man must be trying to use marriage to get out of work. But after the Song girl got married, she stopped earning work points altogether. The hardworking girl had suddenly turned into a lazy wife! Before anyone could make sense of Song Ning'an's change, they heard that Educated Youth Liang was taking her back to the city to enjoy the good life! Theme: Hold on to your convictions, and you can succeed at anything.