1970s Remarriage: She Married into a Better Life Leaving Her Ex-Husband in Chaos

Ruan Qiaoqiao awakens from a coma in a 1970s county hospital with no memory of the past three years. She is confronted by Su Mai, a man she does not recognize, who accuses her of attempting to drown his friend, Duan Fangya. Believing the accusations are false and desperate to escape her abusive stepfamily, the Liu family, Ruan Qiaoqiao demands a divorce. Su Mai, who has long grown cold toward her hysterical behavior, agrees immediately. Within thirty minutes, they are divorced. As she leaves the commune, she is intercepted by her stepfather and stepsister, who force her into a marriage with Fu Wenzhou, a man her stepsister was originally betrothed to. Fu Wenzhou is a sent-down intellectual with a poor political background, a disability, and two young sons, living in extreme poverty in a remote village. Ruan Qiaoqiao, however, has experienced prophetic dreams of the future and knows Fu Wenzhou will eventually be rehabilitated and rise to power. She agrees to the marriage as a strategic move to secure her independence and restart her medical career.

Ruan Qiaoqiao travels to Houliuhang Village to meet her new husband. She discovers that Fu Wenzhou’s apparent poverty is a carefully constructed facade. While their home looks dilapidated, it contains hidden stocks of food, money, and valuable items. Fu Wenzhou reveals that he is not the disabled man rumors suggest and tests Ruan Qiaoqiao’s intentions. She remains composed, offering to be a practical partner who helps raise his children and manage the household without demanding emotional intimacy or biological children. Impressed by her directness and lack of pretense, Fu Wenzhou accepts her. Their relationship begins to shift from strangers to allies as she takes charge of the household, improving their diet and caring for his son Kangkang, who suffers from a heart condition. She uses her medical knowledge to stabilize the boy’s health, earning the cautious trust of his older brother, An’an.

The couple’s new life is disrupted by the arrival of Su Mai and Duan Fangya, who visit Fu Wenzhou under the guise of a family connection. Duan Fangya is Fu Wenzhou’s distant relative, and Su Mai reveals his lingering attachment to Ruan Qiaoqiao. Ruan Qiaoqiao coldly dismisses her ex-husband, declaring her loyalty to her current husband. Meanwhile, she uncovers that the Liu family stole sixty-eight yuan from Fu Wenzhou, which was meant as bride price. Determined to reclaim what is hers and protect her husband, she confronts the village bullies who beat Fu Wenzhou after they mocked his perceived impotence. Using her knowledge of local politics and her family’s heroic medical legacy, she forces the village chief to mediate. She orchestrates a scene where she pretends Fu Wenzhou is critically injured, leveraging the threat of police involvement to extract a public apology and financial compensation from the attackers.

Ruan Qiaoqiao’s luck appears extraordinary; she discovers valuable wild ginseng in the mountains, which she plans to sell to improve their financial situation. However, her peaceful life is interrupted when she accidentally witnesses Fu Wenzhou violently beating a man in the woods at night. Terrified that he is a murderer, she flees, but Fu Wenzhou catches her. Instead of silencing her, he reveals his true nature and asserts dominance, consummating their marriage to solidify their bond. He warns her to trust him and stay by his side, promising to protect her if she remains loyal. The incident marks a turning point in their relationship, shifting from a pragmatic arrangement to a deeper, albeit complex, partnership. As Ruan Qiaoqiao navigates her new role as a stepmother and wife, she prepares to use her foreknowledge of the future to help Fu Wenzhou rebuild his life and secure their family’s future, while keeping her past with Su Mai firmly behind her.