Chapter 1: Rebirth (1)

“Ai Wei, you’re still here?”

Susan had just finished packing up and was ready to leave work when she saw Ai Wei still sitting at her desk, a thick stack of documents piled in front of her. There was no sign that she intended to leave anytime soon. Curiously, Susan asked, “Aren’t you picking up your niece today?”

Ai Wei looked up. Her pale skin was partially obscured by the large-framed glasses she wore. She gently adjusted them on her nose and smiled warmly. “She’s staying late at the lab for an experiment today. She probably won’t be coming home. I’ll just finish this proposal, and then I’ll head back.”

At the thought of her hardworking niece, Meilin, Ai Wei’s heart softened.

“You really should take it easy. You’re already in your forties—shouldn’t you start thinking about yourself?” Susan wiggled her brows playfully. “I think David from upstairs has a bit of a crush on you. You sure you don’t want to consider it?”

Ai Wei smiled faintly and shook her head. “No, you know my situation. I really don’t plan on getting married.” She waved Susan off. “Go on, your husband’s waiting downstairs. Don’t keep him waiting.”

Susan smacked her forehead. “Ah! I almost forgot! Alright, I’m heading out. You don’t work too late, okay?” She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the office.

Ai Wei withdrew her gaze and refocused on the documents in front of her, but Susan’s words lingered in her mind.

Ai Wei—her real name was Jiang Laidi.

She had grown up in a small, rural village in China, born in the 1960s—a time of turmoil and hardship. Life had been bitter, filled with struggle, and the memories of her childhood home were nothing but painful. From the moment she understood the world, she had wanted to escape.

Jiang Laidi was the youngest of five sisters. In a family that valued sons above all else, being the youngest daughter meant nothing.

While she and her sisters toiled from dawn to dusk, their uncle’s sons ran free, playing without a care. While hunger gnawed at them, their cousins still had the privilege of eating meat from time to time. Her eldest and second sisters were even forced into miserable marriages—one to a widower, the other to a cripple—just so their parents could afford to secure wives for their precious male cousins.

(TN: ー═┻┳︻▄ξ(╬ಠ益ಠ)ξ▄︻┻┳═一)

Her grandfather was strict and patriarchal, her grandmother domineering and ruthless. Her father was a silent man, obedient to a fault, and her mother—crushed under the weight of giving birth to only daughters—was left without a voice.

Her grandparents had always lamented that their eldest son had no male heir and schemed to adopt one from her uncle’s family. They funneled every last bit of food and resources to the younger son’s household, feeding those lazy, greedy mouths while her own family starved. And her weak, powerless parents could do nothing but watch as their daughters were treated as burdens, as tools to gain wealth for others.

The only warmth in her childhood had come from her sisters. The five of them had clung to each other, surviving through the years of hardship—sharing a single wild vegetable bun among them, finding sweetness in their bitter reality.

A trace of sorrow flickered across Ai Wei’s face.

Her eldest sister had not been so lucky. Young as she was, she had been worn down by her alcoholic husband until life itself abandoned her. She had left behind only her daughter, Meilin.

Ai Wei had made a promise—to raise Meilin well, to give her the life her sister never had.

Perhaps that was why she had never married. With a child to care for, she had no time to consider love or companionship. Time had passed, and before she knew it, she had spent half her life alone.

Coming to the United States had been a deliberate choice—both for a fresh start and to sever ties with the bloodsuckers she called family. Meilin had been a blessing—thoughtful, well-behaved, never giving her any trouble. Over the years, Ai Wei had come to love her as her own. She had never once regretted taking responsibility for the girl.

Shaking off her thoughts, she refocused on her work. She had worked so hard to leave that place behind—why was she thinking about it now?

She had a case to finish. If she completed it soon, she would receive a generous bonus—another step closer to her dream of buying a home in the U.S. and settling down for good.

Her old Nokia phone lit up with a faint glow. The tiny, outdated screen was already slightly scratched. Bringing it closer to her face, she squinted to read the text.

It was from Meilin.

The supermarket near their home was having a sale on frozen goods—great prices, but only for today.

Living expenses in America were high, and with Meilin’s tuition to cover, every penny counted. They were careful with their money, planning their expenses down to the last cent.

Ai Wei quickly tidied up her desk, packed her files into her bag, and got ready to leave. She could finish the work at home. But a supermarket sale? That was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

She headed toward the store, which was in the basement level of a large shopping complex. The upper floors housed various other shops—electronics, clothing, and more.

The supermarket was huge, taking up the entire level. She grabbed a cart and made her way to the frozen food section, scanning for the best deals.

Tuna was on sale.

Meilin loved sashimi, but fresh fish was expensive, and they rarely indulged. Smiling at the thought of Meilin’s excitement, Ai Wei carefully picked out the freshest-looking piece and placed it in her cart.

For the first time in a while, her face softened with warmth and life.

Just as she was about to move to the next aisle—

Panic erupted behind her.

Shouts filled the air.

Gunfire rang out.

Ai Wei froze. A gang shootout? A terrorist attack?

The thought barely formed in her mind before a violent shockwave exploded through the store.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

Her final thought was one of relief—she had made a will. The money she had saved would be enough to get Meilin through college.

1963 – Qingshan Village, China

The Great Famine had just ended. Though the worst was over, people still lived in hardship, their faces gaunt with hunger.

In a small, remote village—

“Please, dear ancestors, let it be a boy. It has to be a boy!”

An old woman paced anxiously, muttering under her breath.

She wore a faded, patched-up blouse and loose pants, both worn from years of use but meticulously clean. Her graying hair was neatly combed back into a tight bun, her stern face lined with worry.

A piercing scream echoed from inside the house.

“Ahhh—it hurts!”

A flimsy partition woven from dried straw separated the laboring woman from the others. Every sound carried through the thin walls.

“Useless woman,” the old man in the seat of honor muttered. His face was dark and weathered, his brows furrowed in displeasure as he took a long drag from his tobacco pipe. “All she does is scream. Not like she’s ever given us a proper heir.”

(TN: Try giving birth yourself let see if you can say that again ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

Beside him, his wife nodded in agreement. “Dahai, listen to your father. Look at your younger brother—he already has two sons. And you? Nothing but a string of useless daughters. If that wife of yours gives birth to another girl, I’m making the decision for you—we’re adopting your brother’s second boy. At least then, the Jiang family name won’t die out.”

(TN: If my math is right 5 is greater than 2, so I think he got it better than his brother)

Outside, a muscular man sat hunched over, his hands clenched tightly over his head. He remained silent.

Inside, a woman lay drenched in sweat, her lips bitten bloody.

‘Please… let it be a boy.’

With one final push, the room filled with the weak cries of a newborn.

Everyone outside held their breath, waiting for the midwife’s announcement.

TN:

I have a great new story for you! Sorry for my TNs—some characters can be triggering for me, but the sisters are absolutely amazing. I’m still in the early chapters, but the story is solid and really engaging so far. I highly recommend it—hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Chapter 1: Rebirth (1)