Chapter 1: Becoming an Old Lady

In the golden month of October, under the brilliant sun, the season for racing against the sky to harvest crops arrived once again. It was only after the sun had dipped behind the western mountains and vanished from sight that the villagers finally trudged home, clutching their hollow, aching stomachs.

Seven or eight men, their arms adorned with strips of black mourning cloth, walked in the same direction.

"I still can't believe Old Man Cheng is gone. He was only fifty—the same age as me."

"Who would have thought? I heard the Cheng family is practically tearing each other apart over that job vacancy."

"That’s a position in town with a steady salary, unlike us, facing the dirt and baring our backs to the sky all day. Who wouldn't fight for it?"

"If you ask me, it’s definitely going to the fifth son. Old Mrs. Cheng has always been biased toward him."

"That’s for sure!"

The gate to the Cheng household—the very subject of their gossip—stood wide open. Su Li, also known as Old Mrs. Cheng, sat in the center of the courtyard, staring up at the sky.

"Big sister, Grandma is watching us again."

In the kitchen, a young girl squinted and curled her lip. The meat was practically labeled with her uncle’s name; she wouldn't dare steal a bite.

"Shh—don't let her hear you. Hurry up with the cooking; they’ll be off work any minute."

The two girls, both around ten years old, pushed up their patched sleeves. One stood by the half-meter-high stove scrubbing a pot, while the other crouched to tend the fire, whispering back and forth.

Su Li strained her ears to listen.

Damn it, she couldn't hear a thing! What deity had she offended? Transmigration was fine, and living in an impoverished era was manageable, but what was the point of becoming a fifty-year-old grandmother? She had been a high-level corporate executive with a massive salary, beautiful skin, and a fit physique. She had merely left a comment on a video of an elderly woman throwing a tantrum: "Look at that, once you get old, you really have no shame in doing anything."

And the next time she opened her eyes, she was here. Inside the body of a woman whose husband had just passed away.

After spending a day and a night accepting the reality of it, she realized: it was just a large family. What was there to be afraid of? She could manage hundreds of employees at her company; couldn't she handle fifteen people?

"Mom—are you feeling any better? You’re finally up; I was worried sick!"

The fifth son, Cheng Junguo, had a face full of feigned distress. Tears welled up instantly, and he sprinted toward her, sliding to his knees right beside her.

Su Li glanced at him. This was her youngest son, seventeen years old, who had graduated from junior high over a year ago and had spent the last thirteen years being a complete layabout. His catchphrases were: "Mom, I missed you to death," "Mom, I was worried sick about you," or "Mom, I’ll make big money to support you."

"Mom, you can’t be sick. I just lost Dad; what would I do if something happened to you?"

Cheng Junguo’s tears dripped onto Su Li’s arm. He had slid too hard, and his knees were beginning to ache. Why hadn't his mother told him to get up yet? Usually, she would have been fussing over him by now.

"My... good boy..."

Su Li caught herself just before calling him "Little Cheng" and patted her "precious son" on the back of his hand with feigned emotion.

Cheng Junguo nodded, tears streaming down his face, and shifted his weight to stand up. He knew his mother loved him the most; that job vacancy was surely his.

"Good boy—your father came to me in a dream and said you should kneel for a little longer."

Before Cheng Junguo could even register the shock, Su Li pressed him back down with one hand. She then turned her head to look at the rest of the family returning to the courtyard.

"You’re all back. Go wash up first. We’re having an emergency family meeting after dinner."

Su Li stood up as she spoke.

"Ouch—"

She had risen too quickly, forgetting her fifty-year-old lower back. Su Li steadied herself, clutching her stiff waist. Back in her prime, she was a powerhouse in the gym. Now... she could barely get off a heated brick bed!

"Mom, let me help you!"

Cheng Junguo reached out to support her, but as soon as Su Li regained her balance, she slapped him back down.

"You stay there and kneel a while longer. Your father really misses you."

Cheng Junguo couldn't for the life of him figure out what his father missing him had to do with kneeling longer. Could his mother be doing this on purpose? No, that was impossible. She loved him the most; she must have actually had that dream.

The other four families exchanged looks. The old lady was actually making the fifth son kneel? Usually, if the fifth son so much as scraped his skin while walking, the old lady would stir up a storm and force them to repave the entire path. Was the sun rising in the west today, or were the mother and son playing a game of "bitter meat" to keep them from fighting over the job?

Each family held their own secrets, bowing their heads as they washed up to prepare for dinner.

The large family was split between two tables. There was sorghum rice, a large basin of potato soup, a bowl of braised cabbage and tofu with pork slices, and a plate of leftovers from the old man’s funeral. This was a feast; they wouldn't have dared eat like this if they didn't need the strength for the autumn harvest.

Everyone sat down, eyes locked onto the pork in the basin, ready to strike.

Su Li didn't need to fight for food. There were four very fatty pieces of pork belly on her bowl, which she regarded with disdain. To maintain her figure, she never ate fat, nor did she enjoy it. She decided to give it away later.

"Go ahead and eat."

At her word, chopsticks flashed across the table, and the meat vanished from the basin in an instant.

Su Li picked up a piece of fatty meat. The aroma hit her nose without warning, and her mouth naturally began to salivate.

"Mom—"

The fifth son, Cheng Junguo, lifted his bowl, waiting for his mother to give him the meat. The others were used to this; they just curled their lips and said nothing, grabbing what they could.

Su Li’s chopsticks suddenly veered, and she bit into the meat. It was delicious! After the first piece came the second, and just like that, all four pieces were gone. Even after finishing them, Su Li felt she hadn't had enough. It must be that her body needed the fat, not that her willpower was failing.

Cheng Junguo stared blankly at the side. By the time he came to his senses, all that remained in the basin was cabbage soup.

"I’m mixing this with my rice!"

The second son, Cheng Junnan, grabbed the basin and scraped it clean. In seconds, all three basins on the table were spotless. Cheng Junguo sat there clutching his bowl of rice—choking on every dry mouthful. What had just happened?

After the meal, others cleared the dishes. Su Li sat steadily in the old matriarch’s... dilapidated chair.

The sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters stood or sat around the room, each with different expressions, all waiting for her to speak.

Actually, being an old lady wasn't so bad. She didn't want to date or have children; she had skipped all those stages and was now the supreme ruler of the house. It was quite satisfying.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

The children had left, leaving only the five sons and four daughters-in-law. The fifth son, Cheng Junguo, who had been kneeling for quite a while, was the only one unmarried.

"Your father died saving someone in the river. You all know that the other party provided a job vacancy and three hundred yuan in compensation."

"I was muddled for the past two days, but I’ve finally come to my senses. We need to settle this quickly. People leave and tea cools; if we wait too long, the favor won't be worth anything."

Su Li raised her eyes and continued, "Tonight, all of you go back and think about who is the most suitable for this job and why. Prepare a summary... think it through, and tomorrow night, tell me at the meeting. I will then decide who goes."

"Alright, the meeting is over. You are dismissed."

Su Li rose slowly. She had almost said "PPT"—a habit from her days of corporate meetings. Forget it, who cared? She was the one in charge anyway. With her hands behind her back, Su Li leaned against the wall and headed back to her room.

Outside, the rest of the family remained stunned by what they had just heard.

It wasn't going directly to the fifth son? They all had a chance?