1970s: The Stoic Soldier's Marriage

Song Nian, the daughter of a once-wealthy family that has fallen from grace, stands at the altar on her wedding day, waiting for a groom who is late. The marriage is not one of love but of necessity and obligation. Two years prior, Xu Jin, a promising military commander, was saved from death by Song Nian during a flood. His father, a respected war hero, had promised his son’s hand to the girl in gratitude. Now, with the Song family politically disgraced and exiled to a remote backwater, Song Nian seeks refuge through this arranged union. Xu Jin, cold and distant due to the recent death of his twin brother and his unrequited feelings for his brother’s widow, Anya, arrives disheveled and indifferent. The wedding is subdued, attended only by close relatives, reflecting the Xu family’s clear disapproval of the match.

Xu Jin’s mother, Xue Suwan, reveals the true purpose of the marriage to Song Nian: she must bear an heir to continue the Xu lineage, as Xu Jin’s father and younger brother are both deceased. Song Nian accepts this role, viewing it as her only means of survival and a way to eventually help her parents. Their first night together is awkward and tense. Xu Jin establishes strict boundaries, treating the marriage as a contractual arrangement. He provides her with financial resources but refuses emotional intimacy. Song Nian, though heartbroken by his coldness, resolves to fulfill her duty. She decides to find work to support her parents independently, refusing to rely solely on her husband’s charity.

After a humiliating encounter with a lecherous official during a failed interview for a piano teaching position, Song Nian secures a job as a seamstress at the Red Flag Garment Factory. Her skills are recognized, and she is hired despite the hostility of Zhang Yalan, a team leader who mistakenly believes Song Nian attempted to seduce her husband. At the factory, Song Nian encounters Xu Jin, who is serving as the military representative overseeing uniform redesigns. He ignores her in public to maintain professional decorum, deepening her sense of isolation. Despite workplace bullying and the prejudice of her relatives, Song Nian remains dignified and competent, earning the respect of some colleagues like Liu Pingping.

Family tensions escalate when Xu Jin’s cousin, Xu Nan, and his wife, Lin Li, visit with their young son, Xu Yuan. Lin Li, who favors Anya as a potential bride for Xu Jin, openly mocks Song Nian’s background. The conflict peaks when Xu Yuan deliberately kicks Song Nian in the stomach while pretending she pushed him. Lin Li accuses Song Nian of abusing the child, but Xu Jin, after hearing both sides, chooses to believe his wife. He orders his cousin’s family to limit their visits, marking a subtle shift in his attitude toward Song Nian. This act of trust brings them closer, though Xu Jin remains emotionally reserved.

The consummation of their marriage is fraught with awkwardness and misunderstanding. Xu Jin struggles with his own desires and sense of duty, often retreating to the bathroom after intimacy. Song Nian, meanwhile, navigates the complexities of factory life, standing up to bullies and building friendships. She discovers that Xu Jin is secretly using his connections to investigate her family’s political situation, hoping to clear their names. This revelation softens her view of him, suggesting that his coldness may mask a deeper sense of responsibility and hidden care.

As Song Nian adapts to her new life, she faces challenges from both her in-laws and her own relatives, who are embittered by their own decline. Her aunt, Hu Xiuyun, lives in poverty and offers Song Nian financial help, which Song Nian refuses to accept, insisting on her independence. The story follows Song Nian’s journey from a vulnerable bride seeking shelter to a resilient woman establishing her identity through work and moral integrity. Xu Jin’s gradual opening to her is slow and tentative, hindered by his grief and societal expectations. The narrative explores themes of duty, survival, and the slow erosion of emotional barriers between two people bound by circumstance rather than passion.

The central conflict remains the tension between Song Nian’s desire for genuine connection and the pragmatic constraints of their marriage. While Xu Jin fulfills his role as provider and protector, he struggles to express affection. Song Nian, though hurt, finds strength in her work and community. The story hints at a potential reconciliation of their emotional worlds, as Xu Jin’s actions begin to speak louder than his words. However, external pressures from political upheavals and family scheming threaten to disrupt the fragile peace they have found. The narrative concludes with Song Nian firmly rooted in her new life, balancing her duties to her husband, her family, and herself, while Xu Jin slowly learns to see her not just as a vessel for his family’s legacy, but as a partner.