Back to the '70s: Following My Pretty-Boy Dad to the City to Live Off Others

Xiao Huai Dong and his daughter Xiao Nanchu are reborn characters navigating the turbulent social landscape of 1977 China. Xiao Huai Dong, previously a subservient son in a parasitic rural family, has died and returned to the moment before his second coma. His wife, Xu Huaying, a wealthy capitalist-background woman he loved in his past life, had nursed him back to health after he was struck by grain. In this new timeline, Xiao Huai Dong decisively rejects his exploitative parents, Li Xiulan and Xiao Aiguo, who had abandoned him to die and sold his daughter to traffickers. He chooses to marry into Xu Huaying’s family, leaving his rural home with Xiao Nanchu to start a new life in the county town.

Xiao Nanchu, a young girl with hidden mystical abilities from a past life as a master of mysticism, observes the dynamics of their new blended family. She is taken in by Xu Huaying, who lives in a comfortable Western-style house with her three children from a previous marriage: the eldest son Gu Dahu, the middle son Gu Erhu, and the youngest daughter Gu Qingling. The children, influenced by their manipulative grandparents from the Gu family, initially reject Xiao Huai Dong and Xiao Nanchu, labeling them a gigolo and a burden. Xu Huaying, a successful translator and broadcaster earning a substantial income, struggles to maintain authority over her children while trying to build a harmonious household with her new husband.

The core conflict intensifies when the Gu siblings, plotting to drive the newcomers out, run away and inadvertently fall victim to a human trafficking ring. While Xu Huaying and Gu Erhu report the abduction to the police, Xiao Huai Dong uses his knowledge from his previous life and his militia combat skills to track the traffickers to a den in Zhuxi Village. He assists the local police in a raid, rescuing not only the Gu siblings but also several other abducted children. During the operation, Xiao Huai Dong is injured but succeeds in saving everyone, earning a commendation letter and a monetary reward from the police station.

Following the rescue, the Gu siblings are forced to acknowledge Xiao Huai Dong’s bravery, though their grandparents remain hostile. The Gu family, led by Gu Weiguo and Niu Erya, attempts to sabotage the wedding between Xiao Huai Dong and Xu Huaying, demanding child support and trying to claim custody of the children. During the wedding banquet, the Gu family’s true greed is exposed when they threaten Xu Huaying with violence and demand money. Xiao Huai Dong physically defends Xu Huaying, repelling the attackers and asserting his role as the head of the new household.

The story progresses with Xiao Huai Dong establishing his independence and protecting his new family. He receives official recognition for his heroic acts, which boosts his social standing and provides financial stability. Xu Huaying, touched by his loyalty and strength, solidifies her commitment to him, setting boundaries with her manipulative parents-in-law. Xiao Nanchu, initially worried about being a burden, finds a place in the family and begins to adjust to her new life, using her subtle abilities to navigate the challenges ahead. The narrative concludes with the family unit beginning to stabilize, despite the lingering hostility from the extended Gu family, as they look forward to a future built on mutual respect and love rather than exploitation and duty.