Second Marriage in the 1970s - Reviews

3 Stars



I must say, the story isn't as comforting and chill as I was expecting. Honestly, this feels like a more snapshot-esque, far shorter, lower-intensity version of "Back to the Sixties, Get Wealthy, Raise Cubs." The characters are less vibrant and have less personality than those in the other story. There is less detail in everything as well. Kinda meh about it overall, but I was at least engaged enough to read until the end.

In the first part, the bad guys are super annoying! Since the bad guy is the sister-in-law, and they live in close quarters, they have a lot of page time :(. The MC is a tolerant and side-stepping kind of person, so there isn't any face-slapping from her. The face-slapping isn't satisfying because the bad guys don't learn or understand it. After the initial fear and alarm of the face-slapping, they very quickly become more entitled. Like punching cotton. Sigh, the suffocating tight feeling of annoyance is present throughout most of the story because the face-slapping is not thorough enough to clear the air. When the final, more satisfying face-slapping happened, it took a few chapters to complete. And there were some time skips before it was done. Sigh, why so many time skips willy-nilly.

Writing/Translation

The translation I read is from Shanghai Fantasy. Very enthusiastic but the translation is still kinda eh. Better than machine translation, but not good. There are quite a few sentences where I don't know who's who or their feelings towards anyone; I just don't understand. I can somewhat decipher the sentences but don't wish to use my brain so much. Until the end, not sure if it's a translation issue or just the writing, but I still don't understand some paragraphs. It also has a lot of pronoun errors. And random repeated paragraphs. And sometimes, there are two paragraphs of the same meaning but explained slightly differently, not sure if the translator forgot to delete the other one. And missing double quotes for dialogue sometimes. So, sometimes I don't know if the sentence is someone thinking or if it's dialogue.

As for the writing, the style is not quite in the head of the MC every single chapter. I feel like this story is written in such a way that it is just depicting the lives of people in that time period that just happen to be the MC and her family. It doesn't follow them 100% of their lives but picks important events to show. So you don't feel as close to the MC as in "Back to the Sixties, Get Wealthy, Raise Cubs." Especially in the latter parts of the story. Personally, I don't like the author's style of introducing a bold idea for someone to make money, doing some setup/decision-making for the business, then writing a few paragraphs of what happened regarding the business years in the future, which is basically, became a tycoon and made millions of money, then coming back to the present time to resume the business idea. I feel like the flow is interrupted all the time.

Pacing

The beginning is surprisingly quite slow. It took 16 chapters for the couple to meet and agree to be married. They finally get married in chapter 25+. Lol. The pacing is a little weird because we don't follow every single day-to-day life of the MC, but the main events we go into detail, then skip some months or half a year or almost a few years before we go into detail about the next big event. Sometimes, I feel that the event is too long lol. Like the weddings. Also, in the same chapter without any section dividers, we can go from one scene to suddenly years in the future without realizing it. The time skip is not clear. I feel like the story is a journal instead of an in-depth story.

Plot

I feel the ending of the story focused way too much on the side characters. Especially for the youngest sister-in-law's wedding. The POV wasn't the MC anymore but the side characters. I like them fine but am not that interested in their wedding details or the romance they had.

Themes/What Story Tried to Achieve

I thought there would be more business ideas, but that honestly isn't the major part of the story. The business details are there with planning, projections, profit, and stuff, but we don't go into the day-to-day or the nitty-gritty of it all, which is sad. At the end, lots of the relatives were given ideas to make money. The execution of the business idea felt too unrealistically smooth. There were no true objections by the old-fashioned relatives. I would have thought that there would have been more pushback or some diversity in how they reacted. It was too much wish fulfillment at the end. Especially like the eldest sister and her husband. Their characters until the end are too rural and too easily bullied to handle something like a high-end luxury hotel. The business and the people are too clashing.

For the romance, unfortunately, in bed, the MC is that shy blushing wife that the husband will go crazy in bed for. When she says anything discouraging in bed, the husband gets even more excited about doing it. So the next day, everything aches, and the MC angrily beats him. But the husband just grins and takes it as a joke and congratulates himself by saying overindulgence is also good *rolls eyes hard*. Other than that, the ML is pretty good as a husband. I actually like his personality here more than the ML in "Back to the Sixties, Get Wealthy, Raise Cubs" because over there, the male ego and daughter adoration are worse lol.

My Created Lists (I include my rating and review in the list itself XD)

- All Novels I've Read Sorted By Rating - Where I ranked every single novel I read on NovelUpdates.
- Economic Reform! 50's-90's
- Heartwarming or Feel Good or Wholesome Stories I Liked - As stated haha

MC was initially shy, but that didn't last. Everything went smoothly, though the later parts of the story were a bit rushed.

, it's a very nice slice-of-life story.

Very simple premise. A modern individual transmigrates to the past. She doesn't cause much of a stir, except for handling gossip skillfully. She adapts easily to the challenges of 1970s life. The story feels more like an idealized portrayal of nostalgic modern China rather than a magical fantasy. Good people are depicted as hardworking and generous, while the wicked are shown to be gossipy and envious. There's nothing overly dramatic about this narrative; it serves more as a window into the life of an ordinary family in 1970s China under ideal conditions.

It was a relaxing read. While there were a few mistakes here and there, the translator was cute and worked hard to update frequently. I appreciated their hard work so much that I even paid for the chapters, which I usually don't do; I tend to support with Ko-fi instead.

Anyways, about the book, it was interesting and a leisurely read. However, the ending was quite disappointing.

**Spoiler**
The main character (MC) was good at business, so I thought she'd become a business tycoon or something, but nope, she ended up as a translator. No matter how the author tries to glorify the translating job—like the MC translating for foreigners and whatnot—it's still just a translating job. What about the business ideas and money-making ventures she was so good at before? Additionally, the male lead (ML) was pretty useless. The author tried to make him appear smart and capable, but in the end, his younger brother, who used to be nowhere near as competent as the ML, became much more accomplished.
**[End Spoiler]**

I liked the interaction between the leads. I also appreciated that the author didn't spend too much time on the cuteness of the children. I don't really care how perfect fictional children are; I just want the plot to flow. Some novels spend way too much time on such details. , I really enjoyed it. Not the best novel, but definitely enjoyable.

I don’t usually post a comment, but this is in response to one of the comments already posted: I really have a hard time understanding how someone can twist a story so much.

1) According to the commenter, the main character (MC) unilaterally decided to wait at least three years before having a child, then stopped using contraception and got his partner pregnant without warning her. This is already bullsh*t because it’s clearly stated that they both agreed to wait before having children. If he didn’t use other contraceptive methods besides withdrawal, and if he stopped doing it, she would have definitely noticed. She wasn’t oblivious to what was happening for the entire year before she got pregnant.

2) You can’t blame him for hoping that having a child would make him want to leave his family to go to the city, especially since:
   a) It was before the exam results were confirmed.
   b) She hadn’t informed him of her intention to move the whole family to the city when they were studying.
   c) When she told him about her plans, he not only accepted them but also helped convince the rest of his family.

3) The dumbest comment: His ex-wife, Wang Mei, had a lover in town from the start, married the main lead (ML) with the intention of joining her lover in town later, and left ML to join her lover. It’s even clearly specified that she had hoped ML would live a miserable life after their divorce. Despite the fact that she had already remarried, when she saw ML’s living conditions, she suddenly wanted to restart her life and that of the children she had abandoned. So, no, I really can’t see how she should inspire any pity.

It started out great. I loved the vibe it gave off, reminiscent of my own rural lifestyle where everyone knows each other and talks about everything.

I enjoyed the FL and ML; they worked well together as a unit.

However, I lost interest around chapter 80 and beyond. The story shifted to a money-making scheme, a get-rich-quick plot that I find tedious when it becomes the primary focus, rather than a backdrop as it was in the earlier chapters.

By then, I found myself skimming through the content, and the ending was also underwhelming.

If chapters 80 and beyond had been more engaging, I would have added this to my list of favorite books.

Good plot, poor execution. I can see where the author was aiming, but things quickly spiraled out of control, resulting in a messy, albeit completed, work. The story flowed smoothly after the sister-in-law scene, but there was an almost complete lack of conflict. I found myself wishing the ex-wife would make a scene, and while she did appear, her presence was so brief that it barely made an impact. Despite some heartwarming moments, the overall boredom and flatness made it unenjoyable.

Loved it! I MTLed it, so some details about time skips and the kids' ages weren't clear, but it was a great slice-of-life read overall.

It gives you great insight into how family isn't always defined by blood. When someone loves and cares for you like the FL did for her step-children, they are more than qualified for you to proudly call them family <3

The only thing I didn't like was how messy the second brother's marriage and divorce became. There was definitely a better way to handle the entire situation.

I apologize for any mistakes in my English; it’s not my native language. Thank you for the translation! ??? I really enjoy this story; it’s not boring at all! ? I don’t understand why some people dislike it. ☹️ This story isn’t bad; perhaps the author is young and still learning. ? Sometimes, in the middle of the story, she adds spoilers, which can be a bit confusing if you’re not paying close attention. ?? But overall, the story is quite simple and doesn’t involve any heavy drama or angst. You won’t feel irritated or depressed while reading it! ??

The story revolves around two people. The Male Lead (ML) was already married but spent most of his time away from home because he was in the military. He only returned home during his one-month leave. According to his ex-wife, whenever he came back from the military, he would often visit his friends, and their relationship was mostly physical. ? His ex-wife had ambitions and wanted a better life, so she decided to divorce him and left their two children—a son and a daughter—behind. She begged the ML to agree to the divorce, and he eventually signed the papers, focusing on working hard for his family. After the divorce, he moved back home to raise his children. His mother wanted him to remarry, and many girls were interested in being his second wife and helping raise his children. However, the ML was hesitant, fearing that a new wife might not be good to his kids. ?

Then, he met the Female Lead (MC), and it was love at first sight! ? The MC was also a divorcee because she couldn’t have children. The ML thought it was okay as long as she could take care of his kids. When he inquired about the MC, he learned about her background. The original host of the MC’s body had already passed away, and the MC had transmigrated into this poor girl’s body. Due to constant gossip and bad-mouthing, the MC didn’t refuse when her mother asked a matchmaker to find her a husband. When she met the ML, she also had a crush on him, so she agreed to marry him. ?

On their wedding night, the ML discovered that the MC was still a virgin, which surprised him. He felt both excited and unsure of what to do. When he asked his wife about it, she was just as clueless. From that moment, the ML vowed to cherish, protect, and love his new wife. His mother-in-law was also very kind to the MC, especially when she found out that the MC was still a maiden. ?

In the Zhao family, only the second daughter-in-law was mean and jealous. Eventually, her husband divorced her, and she got her comeuppance. ? The second son, who was previously treated poorly, became successful and wealthy after the divorce. He focused on his family and his son. The MC’s ex-husband was impotent and hoped that marrying another woman might help him. He was also a mama’s boy and treated the MC badly for three years, accusing her of being infertile. ? The original host of the MC’s body, unable to bear the mistreatment, jumped into a river and died. Her soul left, and the MC possessed her body. The ex-husband and his mother received their karma, with his second wife turning out to be a slut. ??

I also love the second couple! ?

Wow, I found a gem. I think this story is seriously underrated. I love the story and the characters so much (except for a few annoying sister-in-laws).

I especially love how selfless the main character (MC) was. She didn't only improve her own family's situation; she also did it for her husband's family. She encouraged the younger members of her husband’s family to take the college entrance examination so they could have a better life together.

In the end, MC and her husband (ML) both became government officials with high positions (MC in foreign affairs and ML in economic affairs). As for ML's brother, Donghe, he surprisingly did well in a business venture (I think he was far richer than ML's family now).

I initially wondered why MC and ML didn’t go into business themselves, given that MC came from the modern era and had many ideas. However, upon reflection, their current jobs really suited them well. ML had an upright character and loved contributing to the country. With his knowledge, he strived to improve the lives of common people. I also don’t think MC wanted to be a business tycoon from the start. If she had, she would have focused on building her business in the village, where she had many opportunities with her skills alone. Instead, she focused more on her family.

I also love the mothers in this story. Almost all of them were good moms.

MC's mom didn’t despise her daughter just because she was divorced by her first husband. She even prevented MC from remarrying some random men because she was afraid MC would end up in another bad situation. She didn’t care about what others said behind her back; she only worried that MC might become sad.

ML's mom was also a good mother-in-law. She treated her daughters-in-law kindly, even the terrible Zheng Yuefen (ML's second brother's wife). She was so different from other mothers-in-law in the countryside who often treated their daughters-in-law like slaves.

This story also had "villains," but these characters were minor and received their comeuppance relatively quickly.

MC's ex-husband's family, especially her ex-mother-in-law, didn’t have a good time after MC's ex (Lu Chenyuan) married a new wife. Mrs. Lu forced Lu Chenyuan to divorce MC just because she didn’t get pregnant after three years of marriage, despite the fact that MC was still a virgin and Lu Chenyuan had erectile dysfunction. Lu Chenyuan was too cowardly to admit his condition to his mother, and MC took all the blame in the end. However, his new wife was domineering and didn’t give Lu Chenyuan or his mother any respect, leading to constant quarrels. She even made Lu Chenyuan a laughingstock and got pregnant with another man's child. I feel a bit sorry for Lu Chenyuan. I know he was wrong to divorce and ruin MC’s reputation, but it must have been difficult for him with that kind of problem as a man in that era. He must have been frustrated but too ashamed to seek help. His mother also contributed to his cowardice by being overly domineering and controlling.

Wang Mei was a city girl sent to the countryside who secretly longed to return to the city. She was betrayed by her boyfriend and married ML, who had a promising future. However, she wasn’t satisfied with her life in the countryside and, when she had the opportunity to return to the city, she divorced ML without hesitation, leaving her children with him so they wouldn’t hinder her future in the city. Wang Mei is really foolish. She could have discussed her desires with ML, and given his character, I think he would have tried to fulfill her wishes so she didn’t have to abandon her family. Instead, she chose to run back to her ex-boyfriend, who only treated her like a mistress (she deserved it). In the end, she married another man for convenience, but they didn’t have a good relationship.

Zheng Yuefei was another foolish woman. She had a kind husband and mother-in-law who could tolerate her temper, but she didn’t appreciate it. She kept causing trouble, and after receiving numerous chances to change, ML finally couldn’t take it anymore. He separated the two families, and in the end, Donghe also divorced her. Speaking of Donghe, he’s a bit pitiful because, after his divorce, he never found anyone he truly loved until the end.

It's an easy and quick read, Mel. The pilot is smooth, and the characters are fairly well-developed. It does get a bit boring later on, but it’s still manageable.

The comment section can be confusing at times, which is why I rarely read it. I prefer to explore and judge the story myself. With the number of novels you've read, I'm sure you can usually tell if a novel is good, average, or not from the early chapters. Anyway, thanks to @PAPERBALLOON for countering some of the negative or nonsensical comments.