Forced to Marry Instead, the Beauty from the Art Troupe Goes to Join the Army

Su Niannian, an eighteen-year-old woman, dies in her previous life after enduring two years of imprisonment and emotional abuse by Jin Chuan, a man who forcibly controls her following a dance accident. Her brother, Su Jianshan, dies while trying to save her, having stolen a referral letter to get her out of their rural village. Su Niannian awakens in 1968 at a commune clinic, finding her brother alive and well. Realizing she has been reborn, she resolves to change her fate, protect her brother, and avoid Jin Chuan at all costs. She decides to stay in Xiangyang Village rather than return to the capital, determined to earn her own living and secure her independence.

Her grandmother, Wang Guifen, arranges a marriage between Su Niannian and Gu Zhiye, a battalion commander in the Northwest Military Command. Gu Zhiye arrives at the Su family home with a marriage certificate left by his late father, seeking a wife to care for his ailing mother. Su Niannian’s cousin, Su Zhaodi, who is pregnant and had been intended for the match, opposes the union. Su Niannian accepts the proposal, seeing it as a strategic opportunity to escape her village and gain legal protection through a military marriage. She travels with Gu Zhiye to his home in Lotus Village, where she meets his mother, his brother Gu Shutong, and his sister-in-law Ma Hongmei.

During her stay, Su Niannian faces hostility from Ma Hongmei, who suspects Su Niannian of stealing her place in the family. Tensions escalate when Gu’s mother falls ill and later dies, allegedly due to the stress caused by Ma Hongmei’s accusations. Before her death, Gu’s mother secretly gives Su Niannian a bank book containing a substantial pension, designating her as the true daughter-in-law. Gu Shutong, who harbors inappropriate feelings for Su Niannian, attempts to assault her after his mother’s funeral. Su Jianshan, who had rushed to the village, intervenes and beats Gu Shutong. The local team leader, Song Aiguo, arrives with an introduction letter allowing Su Niannian to join Gu Zhiye in the Northwest.

Su Niannian leaves Lotus Village with her brother, taking the pension and her belongings. Upon arriving at the military base, she is informed that Gu Zhiye’s marriage application was withdrawn and that he is not married. Devastated and feeling betrayed, she believes Gu Zhiye abandoned her. Meanwhile, Gu Zhiye is revealed to be on a secret mission. He had withdrawn the application to protect Su Niannian from political scrutiny regarding her background, intending to reunite with her once the situation was resolved. Su Niannian, unaware of his true motives, decides to pursue her own path, reconnecting with her dance training and seeking a place in a local arts troupe. Her journey shifts from relying on marriage to establishing her own identity and career, setting the stage for a future where she and Gu Zhiye may reconcile on equal terms.