A Divination in a Famine Year: Stockpiling Food and Raising Kids in the 1980S

[Wacky mysticism + raising kids in the 1980s + aloof, devoted companion] The charlatan Jiang Buxian transmigrated to the 1980s and became a starving young widow, saddled with ten hungry mouths to feed. It was hell mode from the start. Luckily, the three copper coins passed down through her family awakened. From then on, she read fortunes with one hand and slacked off with the other, offering expert advice on how to “snatch up bargains” in a famine. Today she’d figure out which fields had the most wild vegetables; tomorrow she’d find out whose hen had secretly laid an egg. With her supernatural cheat, she made her life the envy of the whole village. Along the way, she even took in Gu Sinian, a handsome, aloof man fallen on hard times. He could help her stand up to the village bully and work the fields to earn a full day’s work points. Aside from always calling her a “little fortune-teller,” he was practically perfect. Rumors and gossip? Jiang Buxian calmly pulled out her copper coins. “Quiet. Let me figure out when they’re due for a spectacular run of bad luck!” Later, Gu Sinian’s parents returned, and he was going back to the city to live as a privileged official’s son. Late one night, he cornered her by the granary. His ears were red, but his tone was perfectly serious. “Your reading says I’m destined to be short a wife. So... when should we make it official?” Jiang Buxian studied the reading and fell into thought. “It says you’ll hand over your entire salary, do all the housework, and help the kids with all their homework...” The man replied softly, “Deal!”