A 60s-Born Woman Married a Chef and Enjoys a Delicious Meal at a Mountain Retreat

Ye Qing, a survivor of a catastrophic apocalypse, dies after ten years of starvation in a desolate wasteland. She awakens in the body of a twenty-year-old village girl in Shilinggou Village, northern China, during May 1968. The original Ye Qing was abused by her father and stepmother, who sold her into a forced marriage to pay off debts. After the original girl fell into a river, she was rescued by Xiao Yang, the youngest son of the impoverished Xiao family. The Ye family exploited the incident, demanding a large bride price and threatening Xiao Yang’s government job, leaving the Xiao family in dire poverty. Ye Qing, now inhabiting this body, refuses to accept the original owner’s despair and resolves to survive in this peaceful, food-abundant world.

Upon waking, Ye Qing consumes five bowls of millet and sweet potato porridge, shocking the Xiao family with her appetite but also demonstrating her recovery. She confronts her sister-in-law, Shi Fengxia, regarding the bride price, clarifying that she received none of the money and refusing to be blamed for her parents’ greed. The matriarch, Chen Xiuzhi, offers Ye Qing the choice to leave or stay, emphasizing that the marriage is not forced. Ye Qing decides to remain with the Xiao family, recognizing their kindness and the stability they offer. She begins to recover her strength, discovering that her supernatural abilities from the apocalypse, particularly her enhanced strength, have transferred to this new body.

A mysterious voice introduces itself as a system, revealing that Ye Qing has entered the world of a novel where she is destined to be the male lead’s “white moonlight.” The system tasks her with supporting the male lead, who is an educated youth sent to the countryside, by washing his clothes, cooking, and protecting him. In exchange, she would eventually enjoy a life of comfort. Ye Qing rejects this subservient role, viewing the male lead as incompetent and unnecessary. She attempts to destroy the system stone but discovers it possesses a two-cubic-meter storage space. She agrees to keep the system under strict conditions: it must remain silent unless necessary.

Ye Qing’s primary goal becomes securing food and resources for the winter. She learns that the mountains surrounding the village are rich in wild game, herbs, and edible plants, though villagers avoid the deep woods due to fears of bears and tigers. Confident in her survival skills, she decides to venture into the mountains herself rather than rely on the male lead’s luck. After a few days of rest, she announces her full recovery and heads into the hills, leaving the family to work in the fields. She encounters a young girl named Xiao Swallow, who warns her of the dangers, but Ye Qing proceeds deeper into the forest, marking her path with stones to ensure she can return safely.

As she explores the mountain, Ye Qing finds the environment familiar and comforting compared to the apocalypse. She collects wild resources and observes the terrain, planning to stockpile food and supplies. Her recovery is rapid, and she begins to integrate into the Xiao family’s daily life, helping with chores and sharing meals. The family, though poor, treats her with warmth and fairness, creating a harmonious household dynamic that contrasts sharply with her previous life. Ye Qing’s determination to survive independently drives her actions, as she prepares for the coming winter by leveraging her knowledge of the wild and her hidden abilities.

The narrative establishes Ye Qing’s resilience and strategic mindset as she navigates her new life. She balances her integration into the Xiao family with her secret plans to exploit the mountain’s resources. The conflict between her past survival instincts and her current domestic situation shapes her interactions, particularly with Xiao Yang, who remains shy and distant due to the forced marriage. Ye Qing’s refusal to follow the novel’s plot highlights her agency and desire to carve her own path, setting the stage for her independent survival efforts in the 1960s Chinese countryside.