A Sacrificial Bride for the River God? I’ll Use My Space to Farm, Counterattack, and Right the Wrongs of the Court

Jiang Liuli, a supreme commander from a brutal apocalyptic future, dies after being betrayed by a trusted subordinate and transmigrates into the body of Jiang Dani, a sixteen-year-old girl in ancient times. The original owner was a victim of severe familial abuse, bearing a disfiguring birthmark and subjected to bullying by her own relatives. Upon waking, Jiang Liuli finds herself in a torrential river, dressed in a red wedding gown, having just survived a ritual sacrifice where she was thrown into the Swallowing Sky River to appease a mythical River God. Using her spatial abilities, she rescues a falling woman, Zhao Shi, who is revealed to be her mother in this new life. Jiang Liuli discovers that her spiritual spring space has degraded to level one, limiting her powers, but she retains her combat skills and modern knowledge.

The original Jiang Dani was sold by her grandmother, Jiang Qianshi, for ten taels of silver to serve as a human sacrifice. Jiang Liuli returns to the Jiang family residence, where her father, Jiang Yinbao, lies critically injured from a beating, and her eldest sister-in-law, Xu Shi, is in premature labor. The family is divided into three branches, with the second branch, to which Jiang Liuli belongs, being the most oppressed. The eldest and third branches, led by the patriarch Jiang Laotou and matriarch Jiang Qianshi, have historically exploited the second branch for labor and resources. Jiang Liuli uses Spirit Spring Water to heal her father and stabilize Xu Shi during childbirth, successfully delivering a healthy baby boy despite the transverse position of the fetus. Her actions shock the family, as the usually timid Zhao Shi begins to stand up to the abusers, demanding money to save their lives.

Conflict escalates when Jiang Qianshi and the other branches attempt to seize Jiang Liuli to burn her alive as a failed sacrifice. Jiang Liuli fights back with a wooden stick, incapacitating Jiang Qianshi, Jiang Jinbao, and Jiang Tongbao. The village chief, Liu Lizheng, and a local fortune teller known as Zhang Witch arrive with men to capture her. Jiang Liuli exposes their scheme, revealing that the River God sacrifices are a fraud used to murder young women and steal their dowries. She calls upon Li Chunhua, her original friend, who had been the intended bride before her name was swapped. Li Chunhua, pressured by Jiang Liuli and the growing anger of the villagers, confesses that Liu Lizheng and Zhang Witch have been killing girls for years and bribing families with silver to keep quiet.

The truth sends the villagers into a frenzy. Led by Wei Laogen, whose daughter was a previous victim, the mob storms the Liu family home. They discover a hidden cache of silver and a ledger detailing the murders and embezzlement over the past several years. The villagers beat Liu Lizheng, his family, and Zhang Witch, exacting violent retribution for the deaths of their children. Jiang Liuli watches the chaos unfold, having secured the safety of her immediate family. She returns home to find Zhao Shi and her sisters-in-law guarding their hut, now transformed from victims into a united front. Jiang Liuli resolves to use her remaining resources and combat experience to protect her new family and establish a new order in Stone Village, leaving the corrupt village leadership in ruins.

As the dust settles, Jiang Liuli faces the reality of her new existence. Her space is limited, and she must navigate the political landscape of the ancient world without her full powers. The Jiang family structure is shattered, with the abusers defeated and the second branch now holding leverage. Jiang Liuli begins to plan her next moves, knowing that while the immediate threat is gone, the broader challenges of survival in a backward era remain. She tends to her father’s injuries and supports her mother, who is beginning to find her own strength. The story concludes with Jiang Liuli standing as the matriarchal figure of the second branch, ready to face whatever comes next in this dangerous new world.