Eighties: The Cold-Faced Officer is Tamed by a Delicate Beauty

Jiang Nianzi, a world champion martial artist and renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in her previous life, finds herself transmigrating into the body of a sickly eighteen-year-old girl with the same name in 1981 China. The original character was the deceased "white moonlight" of the novel's male lead, known for her frail health and early death. Upon waking in a dilapidated rural home, Jiang Nianzi discovers she has inherited a body that is dangerously weak, a stark contrast to her former athletic physique. Despite the physical limitations, she quickly assesses her new family: a loving but impoverished mother named Ding Hongmei, an overprotective older brother Jiang Cheng, a young brother Jiang Doudou, and a grandmother who is a village healer with limited skills. The family is deeply poor, surviving on thin corn porridge and pickles, yet they shower the original Jiang Nianzi with affection, saving the rare eggs and best food for her.

Realizing that her new family loves her unconditionally, something she never experienced in her cold, achievement-oriented previous life, Jiang Nianzi resolves to use her medical knowledge to improve their circumstances. She visits her grandmother, who arranges for her to apprentice at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in town run by Zhang Grandpa, a close friend of the family. Jiang Nianzi quickly distinguishes herself through her superior diagnostic skills and innovative treatment methods. Her first major success involves creating a whitening cream for a bride-to-be, Zhao Fanghu, who is desperate to improve her complexion before her wedding. Although the treatment initially causes a breakout, Jiang Nianzi manages the situation with acupuncture, turning a potential disaster into a triumph that boosts her reputation and income.

As Jiang Nianzi begins earning money, she sends provisions home, including rice, oil, eggs, and malted milk, causing shock and joy among her family. Her earnings allow her to buy meat and other luxuries that were previously unimaginable for the household. Meanwhile, the narrative introduces Shen Cheng, the novel's original male lead and a military officer, who is Jiang Nianzi's cousin Jiang Pengyu's comrade. Shen Cheng is depicted as handsome but aloof, and he is currently avoiding matchmaking efforts by his family. Jiang Pengyu attempts to set Shen Cheng up with his cousin, but Shen Cheng dismisses the idea. The story establishes a contrast between the romantic plotline of the original book and Jiang Nianzi's focus on economic survival and family welfare.

Jiang Nianzi faces skepticism from villagers like Liu Shenshen, who previously mocked her mother for favoring a daughter. Jiang Nianzi counters this with confidence, revealing her earning potential to silence critics. Her medical expertise continues to grow, with patients praising her ability to cure ailments faster than traditional methods. She also begins to care for her own appearance, using sunscreen and exercise to gradually improve her skin tone, aiming to become the beautiful woman she was in her past life. The story follows her daily struggles to balance her weak physical condition with her ambitious plans to lift her family out of poverty, setting the stage for her rise as a successful doctor and entrepreneur in the early reform era.