Chapter 3: Break Away

In the 21st century, Jiang Miao was once pressured by her parents and relatives to get married to the point where she didn’t even want to go home for the Chinese New Year. Having seen a lot of negative social news, she often felt that staying single and childless was a way to ensure safety. Before crossing over to another time, she had already developed a tendency towards being against marriage.

For those who understand and respect others’ choices, this open-minded approach to marriage, although not very traditional, can be understood as long as both parties accept it without deception or harm to others.

Jiang Miao observed quietly and felt that Mrs. Zhang Ya and Mr. Coso seemed to have no intention of breaking up their families at all. Gradually, she let go of her worries and started living a carefree life.

Both Mrs. Zhang Ya and Mr. Coso were extremely attractive. Although Jiang Miao hadn’t seen many people due to age limitations, based on her aesthetic from the 21st century, she considered this couple to be quite good-looking, with high parental “face value.”

Fortunately, Jiang Miao’s appearance was even more outstanding.

In terms of genetic physical appearance, Mrs. Zhang’s East Asian genes dominated the primary features. Jiang Miao inherited Mrs. Zhang’s black hair and black eyes. However, compared to the faces of genetically purer East Asians, her appearance was evidently modified with a hint of mixed-race enhancement.

According to Jiang Miao’s own sense of aesthetics, the blending of her mixed-race features was highly successful. By paying attention to the compliments from Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Coso, Jiang Miao was convinced that in this interstellar era, her face was in line with mainstream beauty standards.

In simple terms, this reincarnation resulted in her becoming a beautiful embryo!

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It all began with Mr. Coso teaching her how to read.

The Gita Republic had various official languages, but luckily, the most commonly used and widely spread language happened to be Chinese. Although the Chinese characters of this era had changed to the point that Jiang Miao found them somewhat unrecognizable, after all, it was her native language that she had used for over twenty years, so she quickly recognized and adapted to them.

On this day, Mr. Coso taught Jiang Miao to say “dad” and “mom.” Jiang Miao cleverly pointed at Mr. Coso, calling him “dad,” and then pointed a bit farther to Mrs. Zhang’s silhouette, shouting “mom.” She then said, “Dad and Mom get married. Dad, Mom, and Mary are a family.”

Heaven knows how exhausting it was for her, an adult, to imitate such a childish tone!

Mr. Coso blinked in surprise, exclaiming, “Wow!” and turned around, calling, “Zhang, Zhang, come here quickly!”

Mrs. Zhang quickly walked over, asking, “What’s going on?”

Mr. Coso excitedly told her, “Mary actually knows the word ‘marriage,’ she’s so smart!”

Mrs. Zhang exclaimed, “Really? How would she know that word?”

Mr. Coso said, “Good girl, tell Mom again.”

Mrs. Zhang’s expression gave Jiang Miao a faintly uneasy feeling, but she also felt that the previous statement didn’t seem too inappropriate. In the Earth era, a child over two years old who had been taught by parents or early education classes might be able to say something like “Dad and Mom get married.” Her cousin’s child could sing the “Family Song” at a very young age.

Jiang Miao repeated the same sentence.

Mrs. Zhang was a bit surprised; she lifted her up and asked, “Mary, you’re so clever. Where did you learn such a rare word as ‘marriage’?”

Jiang Miao: … Rare? Marriage?

But as a time traveler, she felt a bit guilty and weakly said, “From TV…”

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said to Mr. Coso, “Maybe she heard it while watching historical dramas.”

She turned back, pinched Jiang Miao’s adorable cheek, and praised her, “Mary is so smart, learns quickly.”

Jiang Miao breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard Mrs. Zhang continue, “But Dad and Mom haven’t married…”

Jiang Miao: …

The adorable human cub making that expression was simply cute squared. Unable to resist, the two adults each gave her a kiss on one cheek, then laughed, once again refreshing Jiang Miao’s worldview:

“We haven’t married; we’re not a couple. We’re parenting partners.”

Colorful and confusing, in a daze.

Later, Jiang Miao remembered that back in the 21st century on Earth, she had indeed come across news reports about a trend in a Western country where men and women were choosing not to marry or be in romantic relationships, instead forming groups solely for the purpose of having children.

Jiang Miao hadn’t expected that what was considered avant-garde and unconventional in that era had become a common societal form in the Gita Republic of this interstellar age.

Through pretending to be innocent and asking her parents questions and discreetly querying the household AI, Jiang Miao finally understood.

In the Gita Republic, those who married were the minority; being unmarried was the mainstream. If people wanted to have children, many, like Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Coso, sought a parenting partner, and they would have children together.

Some people were casual about having children, not considering genetic issues and having children without much thought. Or, due to insufficient genetic quality within themselves, they couldn’t meet the criteria for genetic optimization, and children born under such circumstances were all referred to as “natural individuals.”

Jiang Miao was fortunate; she was born as an elite through the “Optimal Parenting Program.”

Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Coso were elites themselves, both having excellent genetic ratings. After paying social security for five years and submitting various documents such as property and income proof, and enduring a challenging process of waiting and lottery for nearly a year, the two were matched through the government’s “Optimal Parenting Program” system.

After getting to know each other and conducting evaluations, they were satisfied with each other and became parenting partners, collaboratively giving birth to Zhang Mary.

Parenting is also an important stage in life, and in this instance, both Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Coso were very satisfied with the process and the outcome.

However, in the Optimal Parenting Program, there was a mandatory provision from the government. Both parties in the collaborative parenting agreement were entitled to a parenting leave of up to one year and six months, and they had to live together until the child turned three.

This also meant that when the child turned three and entered kindergarten, the collaborative parenting partners were not obligated to continue living together.

It was Mr. Coso who left. Because in the collaborative agreement signed by Mrs. Zhang and Wayne Coso, it had been agreed long ago that after Jiang Miao turned three, she would be raised by Mrs. Zhang.

After Jiang Miao started kindergarten, Mr. Coso and Mrs. Zhang’s parental leave was over. With the care provided by the kindergarten, both of them could return to their normal work routines.

Initially, Mr. Coso occasionally stayed away for a day or two. Gradually, the time he spent away from home extended to a few days, then weeks, and soon it became a monthly visit to see Jiang Miao.

While he frequently had video calls with Jiang Miao, expressing happiness at seeing her cute face and asking about her day at the kindergarten, Jiang Miao, as an adult, still keenly felt the gradual “detachment” process between her and Mr. Coso.

It was slow but clear.

Jiang Miao felt a bit saddened.

It wasn’t about one person not being able to live without the other, but as long as someone is alive and breathing, there will be emotions. Jiang Miao had traversed to this world, from a body so weak it couldn’t even turn over, to being able to run and jump—all under the careful care of this person for a full three years. Naturally, emotions would inevitably develop.

Considering their blood relationship, this kind of emotion is commonly referred to as familial love.

Although Jiang Miao understood that the social structure of this era was completely different from the Earth era, when facing it directly, she couldn’t help but feel sad.

She couldn’t resist asking Mrs. Zhang, “Is Dad not coming home anymore?”

“This isn’t his home, Mary,” Mrs. Zhang calmly and patiently explained, “Coso has his own home.”

Jiang Miao only then realized that the place she had lived in since birth, which she considered home, was actually owned by Mrs. Zhang.

Compared to Mr. Coso, Mrs. Zhang’s life was more refined, with more miscellaneous items. It would be quite troublesome for her to move into someone else’s house. On the other hand, Mr. Coso was simpler; he could move in with just a bag.

So, after negotiation, the two of them chose Mrs. Zhang’s house as the place for giving birth to and raising Jiang Miao.

Now, the mandatory three-year cohabitation period enforced by the government has ended, and Mr. Coso has returned to his own home to live his own life.

Of course, he will timely and according to the agreed-upon amount, provide for Jiang Miao’s living expenses and regularly visit her—these are legal obligations that must be fulfilled.

However, evidently, whether it’s Mr. Coso or Mrs. Zhang, neither feels the same sadness that Jiang Miao experiences from this separation.

As Jiang Miao grows up, she gradually realizes that including Mrs. Zhang, the people here value themselves more, and familial love is relatively indifferent. Few people get married, and most live alone.

For couples in love, at most, they cohabit. It is said that the deepest expression of love is reflected in the will. The one who receives the most assets in a person’s will signifies who they loved the most.

But when it comes to having children, even for couples deeply in love, they still seek out others with more suitable and compatible genetics to collaborate with.

Jiang Miao, as a time traveler, initially wanted to be cautious and conceal her advanced knowledge, fearing that others would discover she was “precocious.” However, reality hit her straight in the face.

Upon entering kindergarten, she discovered that these genetically superior children had already completed the coursework equivalent to her era’s elementary school.

Shocked, she quietly consulted the household AI and learned that these genetically excellent children, during their six years in primary school, would cover coursework nearly equivalent to the high school level of the Earth era. Upon entering junior school in the seventh grade, the difficulty of the coursework reached the level of Earth era universities.

The genetic and technological levels of this era far surpassed those of the Earth era. Jiang Miao finally realized that perhaps she didn’t need to conceal anything here—under the Genetic Optimization Program, it was common for exceptionally intelligent children to be born, and people in this era were accustomed to it.

Freed from the burden of being a time traveler, Jiang Miao began to strive without any reservations.

Jiang Miao, initially cautious about concealing her advanced knowledge as a time traveler, fearing that others would discover her “precocious” nature, found herself confronted with reality.

Upon entering kindergarten, she realized that these genetically superior children had already completed coursework equivalent to that of her era’s elementary school.

Shocked, she discreetly consulted the household AI and discovered that these genetically excellent children, during their six years in primary school, covered coursework nearly equivalent to the high school level of the Earth era. Upon entering junior school in the seventh grade, the difficulty of the coursework reached the level of Earth era universities.

The genetic and technological levels of this era far surpassed those of the Earth era. Jiang Miao finally realized that she might not need to conceal anything here—under the Genetic Optimization Program, it was common for exceptionally intelligent children to be born, and people in this era were accustomed to it.

Having shed the baggage of being a time traveler, Jiang Miao began to work hard without any reservations.

Jiang Miao was a top student even on Earth. Pursuing her Ph.D., she avoided the onslaught of marriage pressure from her family by not returning to her hometown during the Spring Festival. Instead, she hid in the school laboratory, conducting experiments. Little did she know that an explosion would occur, catapulting her into the interstellar age six thousand years later.

But no matter the era, Jiang Miao remained committed to her studies; after all, early efforts lead to early success.

In this era where nobody pressures you to get married, Jiang Miao was full of anticipation for her future life.

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