Abandoned by Husband’s Family, Reborn in the 1970s to Marry Your Father

Wen Qiao returns from the dead to the moment she arrives in the city to find her childhood betrothed, Shen Haiyang. In her previous life, she sought refuge with him to escape an abusive stepfather, only to be betrayed. Shen Haiyang, now adopted by a high-ranking military officer, refused to honor the engagement. He orchestrated a scheme to ruin her reputation, leading to her public shaming, forced return to the countryside, and eventual suicide after her stepfather believed rumors that she had become promiscuous in the city. Reborn with this knowledge, Wen Qiao rejects Shen Haiyang and instead declares her intention to marry his adoptive father, Shen Jichuan, a stern deputy division commander who is old enough to be her father.

Shen Jichuan is initially furious and dismissive, viewing Wen Qiao as a scheming country girl attempting to climb the social ladder. However, he agrees to the marriage under strict conditions: they will sleep in separate rooms, live independent lives, and she must support herself. His primary motivation is to resolve the embarrassment caused by Shen Haiyang’s rejection of the engagement and to shut down pressure from his own family regarding his marital status. Wen Qiao’s true goal is not love or wealth, but revenge against Shen Haiyang and securing a safe distance from her abusive stepfamily. She insists on obtaining the marriage certificate immediately to legitimize her new status as Shen Haiyang’s stepmother.

After registering the marriage, Wen Qiao faces hostility from Shen Haiyang and the family’s housekeeper, Li Ling, who view her as an intruder. Shen Jichuan remains distant and cold, warning her to maintain discretion about their relationship. Realizing she cannot rely on the Shen family for financial support, Wen Qiao seeks employment. She finds work as a housemaid for the Zhao family, whose patriarch is Shen Jichuan’s former mentor. This arrangement allows her to earn money while keeping her marital status hidden from her employers, although Shen Jichuan later warns her in private to respect their agreement of non-disclosure.

At the Zhao residence, Wen Qiao forms a close bond with Zhao Lili, the principal’s granddaughter, who has been neglected by her absent father and grieving mother. Wen Qiao’s kindness and care transform the withdrawn girl, and Lili begins to view Wen Qiao as a maternal figure, even asking her to be her new mother. Meanwhile, Shen Jichuan’s relationship with Wen Qiao remains strained. He views her as calculating and untrustworthy, while she maintains a respectful distance, focusing on her work and saving money to eventually take her biological mother away from her abusive husband. The story follows Wen Qiao as she navigates her new role within the Shen household and her job at the Zhao residence, balancing her quest for revenge against Shen Haiyang with her growing attachment to the Zhao family and her complex, adversarial marriage to Shen Jichuan.