Fertile Physique: The Fierce and Sweet Eldest Sister-in-law of the 70s

Cheng Hui, a woman from Beijing, is reborn in 1973 into the body of a seven-months-pregnant Educated Youth sent to a rural village. In her previous life, she suffered a tragic existence defined by betrayal and loss. Her younger sister, Pan Li, had stolen her identity and job, sending Cheng Hui to the countryside while Pan Li remained in the city. Cheng Hui was forced to marry Gao Yuan, a handsome but aggressive soldier, and endured abuse from her wicked stepmother-in-law, Zhu Qiufang. The couple’s premature daughter was lost to human traffickers after being left in the care of Pan Li. Gao Yuan’s desperate search for their child ruined his career, and Cheng Hui spent over a decade searching in vain, only to find her daughter unrecognizable and herself broken by grief. Reborn with the memories of that painful past, Cheng Hui resolves to protect her unborn child, reclaim her dignity, and settle her grudges with those who wronged her.

Her first act of defiance occurs immediately after her rebirth. Zhu Qiufang, seeking to harm Cheng Hui and her baby, conspires with a village hooligan named Zhang Laizi to rape Cheng Hui and then kill the infant. Cheng Hui overhears the plot and secretly seeks the aid of Gao Qishan, the Small Team Leader. She orchestrates a trap, allowing the militia to catch Zhang Laizi in her room. When Zhu Qiufang attempts to deflect blame by accusing Cheng Hui of adultery, Cheng Hui systematically dismantles her lies with precise dates and alibis that the villagers can verify. The exposure of Zhu Qiufang’s scheme shocks the village. Cheng Hui refuses to show mercy, threatening to report the crime to county authorities, which would bring shame upon the entire production team. Gao Qishan, fearing the reputational damage, breaks Zhu Qiufang’s arm and has Zhang Laizi’s leg broken, securing Cheng Hui’s safety and establishing her as a woman who cannot be bullied.

Seeking refuge from the hostile Gao family, Cheng Hui moves into the dormitory of the female Educated Youth. There, she confronts her former best friend, Su Xiao, whom she had naively trusted in her past life. Cheng Hui discovers that Su Xiao had stolen her winter clothing, bedding, and nearly all her money under the pretense of a medical emergency for Su Xiao’s mother. In a calculated move, Cheng Hui publicly demands repayment, forcing Su Xiao to reveal that she had hidden cash on her person. Cheng Hui seizes the money and the stolen goods, severing their friendship and exposing Su Xiao’s deceit to the other women. This marks Cheng Hui’s transition from a passive victim to an active strategist who uses her knowledge of human nature to her advantage.

With her immediate safety secured but her financial situation dire, Cheng Hui turns her attention to economic survival. She learns that the local Hongqi Commune Food Factory is on the verge of closure due to poor product quality and internal sabotage by the County Food Factory. Cheng Hui approaches the factory director, Guo Dajun, and offers to save the business in exchange for the position of deputy director. Using her knowledge of baking techniques from her past life, she creates a chiffon cake recipe that is vastly superior to the factory’s traditional Caozi Cakes. She rebrands the product as "Weifeng Cake" and implements a pricing strategy that targets the stagnant capital of urban consumers who have money but lack ration coupons. Cheng Hui secures raw materials, trains her staff, and plans to sell the cakes in the provincial capital, setting the stage for her rise from a marginalized rural wife to a successful businesswoman while she awaits the return of her husband, Gao Yuan.