Embers of Love A Military Rebirth

Tang Xiaoxiao, an eighty-year-old philanthropist and businesswoman, passes away in 2038. In the afterlife, a mystical butterfly reveals a memory from sixty-two years prior. During the 1976 Xushan earthquake, an eighteen-year-old Tang Xiaoxiao was trapped under rubble. A firefighter named Song Jingzhi shielded her with his body, saving her life but sustaining severe injuries. He later retired due to a leg disability and lived a humble life as a shoe repairman in his rural hometown. Guilt over never having thanked him properly, Tang Xiaoxiao chooses to return to 1976 to change his fate. She is granted a spatial ability containing a fully stocked supermarket from her later years and a healing elixir known as Jade Dew, which can cure Song Jingzhi’s leg injury but only takes effect when he fully trusts her.

Tang Xiaoxiao awakens in her parents’ home on August 16, 1976, just days before her departure for the countryside. Defying her family’s plan to send her to the cold Heilongjiang Province, she insists on going to Qingzhu Brigade in Xiang Province, where Song Jingzhi resides. After rapid preparations involving her supernatural space, she travels with three other educated youths. Upon arriving in Yun City, she learns from the village head that Song Jingzhi is her uncle’s nephew and is currently bedridden. She settles into the local educated youth center, meeting fellow arrivals including the kind Liu Fengjuan and the opportunistic Cao Hui. Tang Xiaoxiao declares her intention to cook separately to prepare nutritious meals for her savior, a decision supported by the group leader.

On her first evening, Tang Xiaoxiao visits Song Jingzhi’s home, bringing gifts and expressing her determination to stay and care for him. Song Jingzhi, shy and concerned about social repercussions and her reputation, attempts to dissuade her, offering her money instead. Tang Xiaoxiao refuses the payment, becoming emotional and crying to emphasize her sincerity. Moved by her tears and persistent gratitude, she negotiates a compromise: she will share meals with his family daily in exchange for cooking for him. Song Jingzhi’s parents, touched by her character, welcome her warmly. The next day, Tang Xiaoxiao secures a lighter work assignment from the village head, allowing her more time to tend to Song Jingzhi.

As the days pass, Tang Xiaoxiao uses her space to procure high-quality ingredients, preparing bone broth and meatball soup to aid Song Jingzhi’s recovery. She navigates village dynamics carefully, building rapport with neighbors like Auntie Cui while avoiding the scheming behavior of Cao Hui. Song Jingzhi gradually softens, his initial reserve giving way to curiosity and affection as he witnesses her dedication. He begins to view their bond as one forged by life and death, rather than mere obligation. Tang Xiaoxiao continues to tease and comfort him, steadily eroding his emotional barriers. The narrative follows her efforts to integrate into rural life, manage her supernatural resources discreetly, and ultimately gain the complete trust necessary to administer the Jade Dew and restore Song Jingzhi’s ability to walk.