Ye Qiu transmigrates into the body of an eighteen-year-old girl in 1974 China, inheriting a life of poverty and familial neglect. In her past life, she was a downtrodden worker who died after finally buying a home, only to wake up as the third daughter of the Ye family. The Ye family is struggling to survive in Jin City, where her father works as a level-five fitter and her mother at a canning factory. The central conflict arises from the government policy requiring young adults to be sent to the countryside unless they secure a job or marry. The Ye family has four children: the eldest son Ye Chun, who already holds a factory job; the second daughter Ye Xia, who is assertive and protective; Ye Qiu herself, who is perceived as timid and weak; and the youngest son Ye Dong, who is the favored child. The family argues daily over who will take over the mother's job and who will be sent to the countryside. Initially, the family plans to send Ye Xia, believing her strong personality will help her survive, while Ye Qiu takes the job. However, Ye Xia suddenly refuses, having experienced a precognitive dream in which she foresaw a miserable future in the countryside, including a bad marriage and failure to return to the city. This dream alters her behavior, causing her to cling to the job. Ye Qiu, recognizing the impossibility of changing the policy and her family's dynamics, voluntarily offers to go to the countryside. She has a strategic plan: she intends to use the three years before the reinstatement of college entrance exams to study and retake the test, thereby securing a way back to the city. Additionally, she possesses an Alien Energy Collection System that allows her to exchange anomalous energy for supplies, giving her a hidden advantage. Her family, though biased toward their sons, prepares extensive supplies for her departure, including food, clothing, and money from Ye Xia, who promises to send five yuan monthly for three years. Ye Qiu departs for Qingshan Production Brigade in Sichuan Province, traveling with three other educated youths: Su Qing, Hu Kang, and Qu Tong. Qu Tong is revealed to be another transmigrator who recognizes the setting as a novel and aims to attach herself to the local villain, Jiang Yi, a poverty-stricken but ambitious young man. Upon arrival, Ye Qiu encounters the harsh realities of rural life, including dilapidated housing, heavy labor, and social tensions with veteran educated youths. She navigates these challenges with a mix of feigned weakness and hidden competence, managing to avoid excessive labor while maintaining a low profile. The story follows her adaptation to village life, her interactions with the Jiang family, and her preparation for the upcoming college entrance exams, all while leveraging her system to improve her circumstances.
