Chapter 1: Becoming the Richest Man's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife

Chapter 1: The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife of the Richest Man

The sun slanted westward, casting shadows that sliced the courtyard in two. Wisps of smoke curled from the chimney, leaving the yard half-lit and half-dark.

Mother Zhou was in the shadows, chopping vegetable leaves. Under her skilled knife, the vibrant green leaves turned into thin, emerald ribbons. Once she had a pile, she grabbed a handful and scattered it on the ground.

A mother hen, followed by a group of fluffy yellow chicks, chirped as they scrambled to peck at the scattered greens.

"Mom, I’m taking Jiang Xia to the health clinic." The man’s voice was low and mellow, breaking the courtyard’s tranquility.

Mother Zhou nearly sliced her own finger!

She put down the kitchen knife and frowned. "What’s wrong now? Didn't she wake up?"

She had just heard the couple talking to each other.

"She has a fever, she’s a bit delirious, so I’m taking her to the clinic to get it checked." What Zhou Chenglei didn't say was that he suspected Jiang Xia had burned her brain.

She was spouting nonsense.

When he asked her name, she said things like, "I actually transmigrated into a book and became a cannon fodder supporting character?"

What kind of gibberish was that? He hadn't understood a single word.

And he didn't want to hear any more of it.

Mother Zhou frowned. "Can't you just give her a packet of fever powder?"

Zhou Chenglei shook his head.

A flash of annoyance crossed Mother Zhou’s heart. "Then go!"

"What? Going to the clinic again? A fever won't kill anyone, why go to the clinic? Fourth Brother, do you have too much money, or do you think our family has a gold mine we haven't tapped into yet?" Tian Caihua emerged from the kitchen, holding a pair of smoking fire tongs. Her mouth moved like a machine gun: "She just got discharged yesterday after jumping into the sea to commit suicide, and today you're going to the hospital again? What did she do today? Did she jump into the sea or hang herself? Did she bash her head against a wall or slit her wrists?"

"Fourth Brother, do you know I don't even dare to go out anymore! Every time I step out, people ask me, 'Did your Jiang Xia run off with a man, get caught red-handed by your Zhou Chenglei, and get forced into jumping into the sea?' Is it true that the beautiful, educated city girl your Fourth Brother just married ran off with someone?"

"How many days has it been since she married in? Crying, making a scene, threatening suicide, running off, jumping into the sea, bashing her head—she’s done it all! What does she want? She’s disgraced our entire Zhou family! If you aren't ashamed, I am! My four sons still have to go to school! Even the teachers are starting to get curious."

Mother Zhou was annoyed to death and said unhappily, "Alright, that’s enough."

She was also very dissatisfied with this new daughter-in-law, but it was already frustrating enough that her son had brought such a creature home.

It was all her fault for not inquiring clearly; she had thought her son’s former superior valued him and had taken the initiative to play matchmaker, marrying his daughter to him.

If she had known Jiang Xia was such a troublemaker, she never would have agreed to this marriage.

She had only thought that her son was capable—he had joined the army before finishing middle school, passed university exams while in the service, fought on the battlefield, and earned countless merits, even becoming a battalion commander. Even though he had retired due to injury, he was still qualified to marry a factory manager’s daughter.

She hadn't expected to marry someone who thought so highly of herself, someone with her eyes fixed on her forehead, looking down on them for being country folk who sold fish!

Tian Caihua was even more displeased. "She can act out, why can't I talk about it? Who acts like this? If she didn't want to marry in, she shouldn't have! It’s one thing that she doesn't do any work, but she’s constantly threatening to die—Fourth Brother can't even enter the bedroom. What is this? Is this even a marriage? Does she think she’s a princess?"

"Fourth Brother, give me a straight answer: when will your wife stop making a scene? Can we even live like this?"

Zhou Chenglei was silent for a moment. "Sister-in-law, I’m taking her to see the doctor first. We’ll talk when I get back."

Tian Caihua was satisfied with that, but couldn't help adding, "Why go to the clinic for a fever? Doesn't it cost money? A packet of fever powder and even a dead person would be jumping around! She acts like a pampered miss, running to the hospital every three days, spending eight or ten yuan at a time..."

Mother Zhou slammed the kitchen knife into the wooden chopping block.

Tian Caihua immediately shut her mouth.

Mother Zhou looked at Zhou Chenglei. "Take her to the clinic, get her treated, and once she’s better, send her back to her family."

Mother Zhou just wanted her gone as soon as possible.

The Zhou family couldn't afford to keep this ancestor!

Zhou Chenglei didn't speak; he turned and walked back into the house.

Tian Caihua couldn't help but add, "Mom, remember to ask for the bride price back along with the medical expenses when they divorce. We can't take a loss!"

Mother Zhou gave her a cold glare and pulled out the knife.

Tian Caihua hurried back to the kitchen, muttering under her breath, "I’m not wrong. She married in and Fourth Brother hasn't even touched her hand. If we don't get the bride price back in a divorce, isn't that a loss?"

Two thousand yuan—that was almost enough to buy a wooden boat.

Mother Zhou ignored her and continued chopping the vegetables.

~

In the festive, newly decorated bedroom, Jiang Xia had heard the entire conversation outside.

She examined the items in the room, which were full of a sense of the era: a South China brand sewing machine, carved wooden windows with glass panes, a lightbulb, a bright red vintage thermos, and enamel mugs.

The dialogue was too vivid, the scene too real.

It took her over ten minutes to accept the fact that she wasn't dreaming, but had transmigrated into a book.

And not just any book, but a period novel titled *Reborn in the 80s: The Richest Husband Spoils Me Every Night*, where she had become the male lead’s cannon fodder ex-wife.

The male lead’s ex-wife was also named Jiang Xia—a character written by the author as an idiot without a brain, a cannon fodder supporting character who played a winning hand into a disaster.

In the book, the original owner’s family background was excellent. Her father was a retired veteran working in a government department, and her mother was a garment factory manager. Her family was well-off.

Her marriage to the male lead had been a good match arranged by her father, who had personally sought out his old superior to play matchmaker. At that time, the male lead was still in the military, a young battalion commander with a limitless future.

Who knew the male lead would be severely injured during a mission, lose hearing in one ear, and be forced to retire and change careers?

Retiring would have been fine—he was already a regimental commander when he retired, so he could have had a very good job. People said he could have been at least a division-level cadre in the city, or a secretary-level official in the town. How prestigious would that have been?

Everyone around the original owner envied her, making her feel smug.

Who knew that after getting the marriage certificate and moving to the Zhou family, she would find out the male lead hadn't taken the arranged job?

He was a man who couldn't sit still; he didn't like government work, didn't like sitting in an office—he wanted to go into business.

And the "business" he spoke of was fishing for a living.

Wasn't that just being a fisherman who sold fish?

The original owner couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept being a fisherman’s wife, couldn't accept living in the countryside, so on their wedding night, she started making all sorts of scenes, refusing to share a bed with the male lead and demanding a divorce.

Later, she was tricked by the sweet talk of a domestic-abusing supporting character, pretending to elope with him to find her childhood sweetheart, only to be caught by the male lead before she even left the village.

The man was so scared when he saw the male lead that he ran away, pushing her into the sea in his panic—which was how Jiang Xia transmigrated into her body.

Jiang Xia looked at the man with the powerful presence pushing open the door.

The man’s posture was as straight and unshakeable as a mountain, stern, cold, and imposing.

*Author's Note: The male lead did not deceive her into marriage! The male lead did not deceive her into marriage! The male lead did not deceive her into marriage! Important things must be said three times!!!*

(End of chapter)