Non-BL Reading List (BG novels, Non-Romance)

078. Return to 1985

Translator: N/A

Title: 重返1985

Chapters: 128

Tags: family, small town, business management, little bun, double rebirth

Synopsis:

Lin Heping was reborn, back before she was pregnant or had children. Her most beloved younger brother is still alive and everything is not too late. Lin Heping decisively divorce!

Zhou Jianye was also reborn. Back before he retired from the army, and went to the sea for business, and his wife has not had an affair yet. He arrived just in time. Zhou Jianye decisively divorced!

At the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau, holding a divorce certificate, Lin Heping encounters Zhou Jianye holding the same certificate. Both recognized each other as people of the same world. Two strangers meet and decisively gets a marriage certificate. The start of an extraordinary couple in this life!

Impressions: My 60s/70s/80s phase might take a while to pass~~ This is also another good one. Mostly because of the characters esp. ML XD He's very funny. Lol.

So our MC was reborn back to the 80s, she's been married to her (secretly) gay husband for a few years. Of course, she doesn't want to end up like the last life being cheated, so must divorce! Same with ML, in the last life, his wife forced him to change careers from a soldier to a businessman. He became rich but his wife cheated on him, and his son even sent him to jail, so must divorce! MC and ML happen to be in the same Civil Affairs Bureau for the divorce. Since MC is going back to her hometown, ML offered her a ride and they asked for each other's name XD Lololol. Since they were both bigshots in the last life (their affairs were reported in newspapers), they both reacted surprised. Lololol. And confirmed that both of them are reborn. XD

Then they make a deal to get married. MC will surely hear from her parents if she goes back divorced and ML doesn't want his parents to introduce him to a new woman, he wants a wife that won't force him to change careers since he wants to stay as a soldier this time. So MC and ML got married the day after XD

Laters is more on MC's career, she takes over the Food Factory in their town and started selling mooncakes, egg rolls, instant noodles etc, hiring people from her village and improving their lives too. MC and ML live separately, with MC on the factory and ML on the military compound. MC visits ML once in awhile, and ML is slowly attracted to MC. But he knows that MC was hurt by her experience with his cheating gay husband so he takes it slow. 

Then, there is also making up for MC's previous life regrets, her brother stayed as a worker in a small shipyard all his life, her younger sister married an abusive husband and did not dare to divorce, and his youngest brother died in a factory accident while he was still sixteen cos he was desperate to earn money. She asked her brothers and sister to study again (she paid for the tuition) and also improve their lifestyle (more meat, fish etc instead of just gruel/pickles all the time). They broke off their relationship with their mother on this cos MC's mother is sooo stingy and her siblings cannot eat a full meal at home even after MC gave a huge amount of money for living expenses, she also disagreed with MC sibs studying again (waste of money). MC's mother is really okay most of the time, I mean, she scolds MC and their sibs but does not dare to scold ML, so they often use ML as a shield, their family interactions was actually quite funny at first. MC just snapped when their mother bullied her youngest brother to tears cos she found that youngest bro has private money (it was given by MC & ML) and accused him that he stole it. Youngest bro is really MC's biggest regret cos in the previous life, he was desperate to earn money to be rich so he could take MC back from her ex-husband, she was the reason why youngest bro chose to work instead of continuing to study even though he's really smart. So MC's dissatisfaction kind of all broke out while she was fighting with her mother.

They left their parent's house and stayed at MC and ML's home or the school dormitory. Anyway, their relationship with their parents broke over this. MC's brother became a graduate student, her sister became a Teacher and youngest bro went to a prestigious university and became a scientific researcher later. MC finds ways to give her parents a step down. They inform them when youngest bro became the province champion, or the day youngest bro went to University, MC's pregnancy, MC giving birth but na-da, MC Mom is stubborn and doesn't think she's wrong and unwilling to see them. This goes on for many years, until her death, she did not reconcile with MC and youngest bro. 

For ML, he made up his regrets for his career and also for his older brother. In the past life, ML's brother was forced to divorce with his wife by their mother-in-law cos they had no children. They remarried years later after the mother-in-law died (Wow, another extreme mother-in-law). In this life, ML's brother and his wife hid in MC's town, then things happen, and they picked up a child and adopted it. Since they already had a child, they weren't forced to divorce.

Anyways, ML caught up with MC early but their way of getting along didn't change much(?) ML is still as sticky, shameless, childish as ever XD And MC still has a tendency for domestic violence XD. MC's sibs get married one after another (except youngest bro). MC also gives birth to a little bun (Soldiers were only allowed 1 kid). MC parents aren't mentioned much and ML's parents are reasonable folks. The family is happy~~ Little bun is cute and clever (and funny like ML XD) Not sure if this is already completed but last update was last January 2021.

Hmm.. Being set in the 80s does not really affect the story that much, its like modern but no Weibo, and you pay in cash. I suppose the 'countryside setting' that really left its impression on me is when they picked up a baby girl (adopted by ML's brother) cos it was thrown away, or when MC gave birth, she asked her sister to stare at the baby the whole way cos she was afraid that the baby would be switched cos everyone is so desperate to have a son. There was also the part that the villagers didn't know that it was illegal for close relatives to marry. (shocking!)

Overall, this isn't really...that rural cos MC & ML didn't live in the village (no farming/work points etc.) since their house was near the factory or inside the military compound. In the military compound, they only knew ML's neighbor and ML's teacher and has no other contact. MC's business is only the food factory and it isn't that detailed when mentioned so no poor-to-rich either (MC shares ideas to the villagers though, like setting up food stalls or going South to buy and sell clothes.) Focus is really more on MC & ML couple and their family/siblings. No complicated family relationships/fighting with shameless relatives. MC and her mother's cold war is actually quite peaceful, but surprisingly long lasting. Unfortunately, there are few truly romantic moments so I can't really describe it as sweet/fluffy~

Read this for a funny ML and career-oriented responsible Big Sis MC.