“The state encourages keeping weddings simple and returning marriage to its true essence—love. If you truly love me, you should offer zero bride price.”

“Twenty thousand in dowry—that’s support for our little family; not a penny less!”

“And one more thing: I took out a mortgage for the wedding home, so you’re responsible for all the renovations. Oh, by the way, that car you drove today will also belong to our little family after we get married.”

City A, at an outdoor table in the Seine Riverside Cafe, a wrought-iron table adorned with intricate carvings, holding two glasses of plain water.

Su Wan stared at the man across from her, who was talking nonstop, still a bit dazed. Just yesterday, she was in City S, negotiating product selection with the general agent of Ou Mouya China.

But now, looking around at the unfamiliar streets, she instinctively reached for her phone—iPhone 7? She hadn’t used a fruit phone since starting work. Pressing the Home button at the bottom of the screen, the phone switched from recording mode to the home screen. The date “August 2, 2016” struck like a bolt of lightning, jolting her awake: Had she been reborn?

No car accident, no suicide, no despair. If there was any regret, it was that in her previous life she’d always sought stability. Only when she finally wanted to buy a house in City S did she realize rent was rising faster than her salary, leaving her pocket as empty as her face.

She took a desperate gamble by entering the short-video arena, only to be battered by reality. For two years she drained the resources of her parents and siblings, finally figuring out the rules—but by then the top streamers had already secured the lion’s share of traffic. She worked herself to the bone, yet could only scrape into the “mid-tier” ranks.

Mid-tier might not sound so bad, but behind it lie countless nights of “almost giving up”: Every time she saw stagnant analytics, thought about the family support she still hadn’t repaid, doubted whether she was truly cut out for this, yet forced herself to keep posting another video. She questioned her own effort while still smiling and pushing forward. She kept changing her content over and over, but the buzz always fell just short.

Well, enough thinking—this life is about winning effortlessly through rebirth. According to the usual plot, a system-level cheat code should pop up in three seconds, right? One, two, three… She opened her eyes, but the air was still quiet, no pop-up window on her phone, no notification tone in her head. “What the heck? Nothing at all,” Su Wan rolled her eyes internally. “Fine, if I’m going to go in naked, so be it. After all, my last life ended pretty ingloriously anyway.”

“Our local custom is to get pregnant first, then register the marriage and hold the wedding banquet. Let me be clear: you can only register if you’re having a boy,” the man continued, oblivious to her distraction, even ratcheting up the demands.

Su Wan picked up her glass of water but didn’t spill it—after all, it cost five yuan a cup; that would be such a waste. She took a gentle sip, her tone calm yet mocking: “Mr. Wang, isn’t it? You sound so self-righteous—I almost thought you were here for a matchmaking meeting, not a robbery. If you want to help the poor, please go to the National Poverty Alleviation Office. After all, ‘targeted poverty alleviation’ comes with policy support, which is far more reliable than finding a girl who demands dowry, renovation costs, and a car.”

Wang Hao’s face turned red with embarrassment, his voice rising: “How dare you speak like that? So petty! No sense of sentiment at all! I actually thought you were reasonable, but who would’ve guessed—”

“Guess what? Not wanting to be taken for a sucker means being petty?” Su Wan cut him off. “First get pregnant, then register, and you have to have a boy? I suggest you go to the hospital and get yourself a uterus implanted. After all, it’s better to rely on yourself than on others—just give birth yourself and have as many kids as you want to bring honor to your ancestors.”

As soon as she said this, several tables nearby couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The once-stealthy glances became blatant, and murmurs began to drift over: “This guy is really outrageous!” “This girl’s right—this is marriage or poverty alleviation?” “Guess the hospital’s fetal-preserving technology really was too advanced back then.”

End of Chapter 1: A Bizarre Blind Date