Becoming the Male Lead's Sister-in-law in the 1970s

Lin Wan, a modern woman suffering from a terminal illness, dies after being struck by a falling chandelier at an art exhibition. She transmigrates into the body of a young woman with the same name, who is in the midst of a wedding disaster. The original owner, Lin Wan, was to marry Lu Zhengqi, a cultured and handsome man she had loved since childhood. However, on their wedding day, Lu Zhengqi elopes with another woman, leaving the bride humiliated and abandoned. In the ensuing chaos, the original Lin Wan strikes her head against a wall and dies. Upon waking, the modern Lin Wan learns she has entered a historical romance novel where the original owner’s tragic fate involves marrying the male lead’s disabled third brother, Lu Zhengting, out of spite. Determined to avoid the original plot’s misery, she decides to stay in the Lu family and rebuild her life.

The Lin and Lu families are embroiled in a heated dispute over the broken engagement with Lu Zhengqi. The Lin family, weak and impoverished, cannot support their daughter, whose father is ill and brothers are disabled. To save face and secure her future, the modern Lin Wan proposes that she marry Lu Zhengting, the deaf and crippled third brother, instead. The Lu family, eager to resolve the scandal and secure a wife for their disabled son, agrees. Lin Wan negotiates a fifty-yuan compensation from the Lu family, a significant sum that she manages to keep private despite the matriarch’s greed. She enters the Lu household with a clear plan: survive, gain independence, and use her medical system to improve her circumstances.

Lu Zhengting is a former military prodigy who lost his hearing and leg function due to injury. Though physically disabled, he is intelligent, handsome, and possesses a sharp, cold demeanor. Initially, he views Lin Wan’s marriage as a act of spite against his brother. However, he quickly notices her transformation; she is confident, resilient, and unafraid to challenge the oppressive family hierarchy. Lin Wan, in turn, recognizes Lu Zhengting’s worth and sees him as a potential ally. Their relationship begins to shift from one of mutual suspicion to tentative cooperation. Lu Zhengting, who has long been neglected and mistreated by his family, finds himself drawn to Lin Wan’s genuine care and respect.

Conflict arises immediately with Old Madam Lu, the ruthless matriarch who controls the family’s finances and abuses her grandchildren. Lin Wan refuses to submit to the old woman’s tyranny, openly defying her demands for money and labor. She stands up for the abused children, sharing food with them and protecting them from Old Madam Lu’s violence. This earns her the enmity of the matriarch but the loyalty of the younger generation. Lu Zhengting, though initially distant, begins to support Lin Wan, even speaking publicly for the first time in years to advocate for her appointment as a barefoot doctor.

Lin Wan demonstrates her medical knowledge by passing a literacy and medical test, outshining the nephew of a local cadre who opposes her. She is appointed as the apprentice barefoot doctor for the Wiliu Brigade, a position that gives her social standing and a source of income. With the help of her system, she begins studying traditional medicine and gathering herbs to repair her system’s capabilities. As she grows more confident and skilled, she and Lu Zhengting’s bond deepens. He provides her with resources and protection, while she offers him emotional support and a partner who sees him as an equal. The story follows Lin Wan’s journey to establish herself in this new life, navigating family politics, rural hardships, and her growing relationship with Lu Zhengting, all while avoiding the tragic fate prescribed by the original novel.