Chen Sidi

Biodata

Background / History

Family circumstances and previous life

Chen Sidi is the fourth child of Chen Aiguo and Su Hongmei, and an older sister of Chen Haichao. Her mother delayed her daughters’ marriages partly because the household depended on their work points while the younger children were still small. Sidi’s marriage was also expected to follow that of her older sister, Chen Pandi 1 3 4 5.

In Chen Haichao’s previous life, the production brigade leader’s grandson drowned during a dispute involving the Chen family. The family exhausted its savings paying compensation, and Sidi’s marriage was sacrificed as part of the settlement. Haichao remembers her later becoming worn down, sorrowful, and resentful. In his new life, he rescues the child before he can be swept away 1 3 4.

Interrupted education

Sidi completed junior high and taught herself from senior high textbooks. Her family allowed her a full year away from work to prepare for the college entrance examination, but she failed twice. Her mother then refused to support further attempts, and Sidi appeared to lose confidence 11.

She nevertheless continued studying privately while working. Her childhood friend Lin Zhiyu noticed her open textbooks and told Haichao that she probably still wanted another chance. Sidi later admitted that she had kept studying but feared burdening the family by asking to take the examination again 11 37.

Family seafood sideline

Sidi helps gather, wash, boil, and dry shrimp for the family’s concealed sales venture. Initially, she questions whether the tiny shrimp can be sold at all, pointing out that even the aquatic products purchasing station will not buy them fresh 14 23 26.

While her parents and brother continue harvesting at the shore, she takes responsibility for processing sacks of shrimp at home with help from Lin Zhiyu and her grandmother. She also helps maintain the explanation that the family is drying extra seafood for its two married daughters 22 23 24 26.

Becoming Chen Sitian

Haichao proposes changing his sisters’ names after learning that their great-grandmother had insisted on names containing “di” because she wanted a male heir. Sidi welcomes the possibility but admits that she had previously feared being scolded and publicly mocked for requesting a change 29 30.

She and Pandi persuade their father to take them to the village fortune-teller. Sidi considers Chen Sisi, but adopts Chen Sitian after the fortune-teller recommends it as a reminder to “remember the bitterness and think of the sweetness.” Delighted with the new name, she hugs the family’s newly purchased cloth and twirls around the room 33.

She subsequently accompanies her father to town to update the household register. During that visit, she discovers a recruitment notice at the aquatic products freezing plant 34 35 38.

Factory employment and another examination attempt

The plant’s temporary positions offer an opportunity for rural applicants with production brigade recommendations. Sitian and Pandi take the recruitment examination together. Pandi struggles with the questions, while Sitian performs well 35 36 37.

Before the results are announced, Haichao reveals that Sitian still wants to take the college entrance examination. Pandi offers to postpone marriage and work for another year to support her. Sitian proposes combining paid work with study and, if necessary, recommending Pandi to take over her temporary shift near examination time. Their parents ultimately agree to one final attempt 37.

Sitian wins the weighing recorder position against dozens of applicants. Her success brings congratulations and marriage proposals from villagers, while her mother firmly corrects anyone still using her old name 38 39.

Appearance

Sidi is described as gentle-looking, youthful, and pretty, with a bright, relaxed expression before the hardships Haichao remembers from his previous life 4.

• Hair: Worn in braids at her first in-person appearance 4.
• Clothing: Usually wears her older sisters’ hand-me-downs before the family can afford new outfits 29.
• Winter condition: Complains that the skin on her hands and face is cracked and peeling, prompting a request for clam-shell cream 29.
• Work outfit: Wears a new padded jacket for her first day at the freezing plant 40.

Personality

Sitian is lively, teasing, and sociable. She jokes about Pandi’s matchmaking date, nudges Haichao for information about his romantic interests, and enjoys exchanging banter with Lin Zhiyu. She is especially eager to witness village gossip firsthand, running ahead of Haichao to catch Wang Zhiwen and Liu Chunlan’s public self-criticisms 6 23 28.

Her ambition coexists with insecurity. Although she keeps studying after two examination failures, she hesitates to tell her parents because she fears wasting family resources. Once they agree to support another attempt, she becomes openly affectionate and promises to make the most of the opportunity 11 37.

She remains concerned about household responsibilities even after securing paid employment: while celebrating, she worries about leaving the family with unfinished shrimp-shelling work. She also defends Pandi angrily when Wang Zhiwen’s family tries to revive the rejected marriage arrangement 38 43.

Abilities & Skills

Academic study and arithmetic

Sitian’s continued study prepares her for competitive written examinations 11 38.

• Completes junior high and independently studies senior high material 11.
• Continues studying alongside work rather than abandoning her university ambitions 37.
• Passes the freezing plant’s literacy and arithmetic recruitment examination 35 38.

Seafood processing and household work

She handles substantial portions of the family’s shrimp-processing workload 23 26.

• Washes shrimp, removes debris, boils batches, and prepares them for drying 23 26.
• Helps turn drying shrimp at the threshing ground 30 31.
• Arranges access to drying trays and asks Lin Zhiyu’s family to reserve its sewing machine for the Chen family’s New Year clothes 23 29.

Relationships

• Chen Haichao — Younger brother. His rescue of the brigade leader’s grandson prevents the disaster associated with her previous-life marriage. He later advocates for her education and celebrates her recruitment success 1 3 37 38.
• Chen Pandi / Chen Panpan — Older sister and roommate. Offers to delay marriage to support Sitian’s studies; Sitian later defends her against Wang Zhiwen’s renewed marriage demands 6 37 43.
• Chen Aiguo — Father. Takes her to obtain her new name, supports another college entrance examination attempt, and encourages her to balance diligent factory work with studying 1 33 37 38.
• Su Hongmei — Mother. Initially opposes further examination attempts after two failures, but eventually agrees to a final chance. Proudly celebrates Sitian’s employment and allows her to retain half her wages 1 11 37 38.
• Lin Zhiyu — Close childhood friend. Maintains their friendship after entering college, helps with household work, and alerts Haichao that Sidi has not stopped studying 11 12 23 36.
• Grandmother Chen — Helps her process shrimp and gives her an egg as a good omen before her first day at work 26 40.
• Chen Xiaoliu and Chen Xiaoqi — Younger twin siblings. Sitian teases and supervises them, warning Xiaoqi to watch the dark road and joking about their ability to disrupt household work 28 31.