Back to the 80s: The Cold-Hearted Matriarch

Wu Zhiqiu, an elderly woman in her late forties, receives a breast cancer diagnosis during a harsh winter. Rather than seeking support from her children, she observes them arguing bitterly over who will pay for her surgery. The eldest son, Li Xingguo, and his wife, Wang Yue, demand she sell her job to fund Li Xingguo's study abroad plans. The third son, Li Xing'an, and his wife, He Meina, scheme to take her job for their own marriage arrangements. The second son and eldest daughter remain silent or poor, while the youngest daughter, Li Fengchun, refuses to contribute. Heartbroken by their greed and ingratitude, Wu Zhiqiu dies alone on a cold winter night, regretting her lifelong favoritism and sacrifice.

Wu Zhiqiu awakens to find herself reborn to the past, specifically to the day before she sold her job to fund her eldest son's overseas education. Realizing she has been given a second chance, she resolves to change her fate and stop enabling her selfish children. When her family gathers to pressure her, she shockingly refuses to give her job to the third son for his girlfriend's sake. Instead, she confronts the eldest son about his failure to contribute financially despite his university education and demands accountability for the money he spent on his wife's family.

The confrontation escalates when Wang Yue curses Wu Zhiqiu, prompting the second daughter-in-law to physically fight her. Neighbors intervene, and under public pressure, Wu Zhiqiu forces Li Xingguo to sign an agreement giving half his salary to the family. She then demands the return of the eight thousand yuan dowry given for Wang Yue's marriage, citing her disrespect as justification. Wu Zhiqiu retrieves Li Xingguo's bank passbook, withdrawing over a thousand yuan, and uses the money to pay off family debts and buy bicycles for herself and her husband, Li Mancang.

Wu Zhiqiu restructures household responsibilities, assigning chores to the third son and youngest daughter to ensure they contribute. She establishes clear boundaries, refusing to subsidize the third son's marriage unless he adheres to strict financial conditions. The story follows her efforts to reclaim her life, protect her assets, and raise her family with fairness rather than favoritism, setting the stage for her to build a secure future for herself and her husband.