1970s: You Took My Man I Took Your Lucky Guy

Shen Jiaqi, a modern woman who died in a cruise ship accident, transmigrates into the body of a cannon-fodder character in a novel set in 1970s rural China. The original owner of the body was a foolish girl obsessed with Jiang Shiyan, an educated youth, who drained her family’s resources to support him. In the book’s timeline, she is manipulated by the reborn heroine, Ye Zhaozhao, leading to her family’s ruin and her tragic death. Upon waking after jumping into a river to escape her fate, Shen Jiaqi finds herself in the body of a girl with a vicious reputation, surrounded by a loving but impoverished family who dote on her despite her past behavior.

Her first act of defiance is to publicly cancel her engagement to Jiang Shiyan, mistaking the burly, muscular Lu Zheng for him initially before realizing her error. Lu Zheng, Ye Zhaozhao’s fiancé, is a poor peasant known for his cold demeanor and physical strength. Shen Jiaqi, uninterested in Jiang Shiyan, finds herself attracted to Lu Zheng’s physique. She immediately begins to dismantle the original character’s destructive habits, refusing to give her family’s savings to Jiang Shiyan and instead focusing on saving her family from the tragic fate outlined in the novel. Her first major test comes when her nephew, Xiaobao, suffers from a high fever. Acting on modern medical knowledge, Shen Jiaqi treats the child with a folk remedy of sesame oil and cold compresses, preventing the brain damage that occurred in the original story. This act begins to shift her sister-in-law’s hostility, though suspicion remains.

Shen Jiaqi’s transformation continues as she confronts Jiang Shiyan and his scheming ally, Ye Zhaozhao. Jiang Shiyan attempts to provoke Shen Jiaqi’s fourth brother, Shen Huaiqing, into violence to ruin his chances at university, a plan Shen Jiaqi thwarts by intervening and kicking Jiang Shiyan, effectively ending his romantic prospects and physical vitality. She also discovers a portable space system that allows her to store items and access modern goods, provided she earns goodwill points from others. Her initial goodwill score is deeply negative due to the original owner’s cruel actions, but her efforts to help her family and treat illnesses begin to generate positive points.

Night after night, Shen Jiaqi ventures into the mountains to forage for wild ginger and catch fish, utilizing her space to store the bounty. During one such expedition, she is attacked by a non-venomous snake but is saved by Lu Zheng, who reveals his hidden strength and kindness. Their interaction marks a turning point in their relationship, as Lu Zheng begins to see her differently, offering her medicine and helping her carry her harvest. Meanwhile, Shen Jiaqi works to repair her relationships with her brothers and sisters-in-law, addressing past grievances and establishing a new family dynamic based on mutual respect and care. She also takes steps to prevent the future tragedies that befell her family in the original novel, such as the miscarriage of her third sister-in-law and the eventual downfall of her father and brothers.

As Shen Jiaqi navigates the complexities of village politics and the schemes of Ye Zhaozhao, she gains the support of her family, who are bewildered but delighted by her sudden maturity and competence. The story follows her efforts to build a better life for her family, leveraging her modern knowledge and system abilities to overcome the hardships of the era. Her relationship with Lu Zheng evolves from mutual suspicion to a tentative alliance, with both characters hiding their true intentions and past grievances. Shen Jiaqi remains determined to change her fate and protect her family from the cruel twists of the original plot, setting the stage for a confrontation with Ye Zhaozhao and a redefinition of her own destiny.