Into the Story : The Prime Minister's Transmigrated Wife

Jiang Sui, a woman from the twenty-first century, transmigrates into the body of a fifteen-year-old girl in a rural Qing Dynasty village. The original Jiang Sui was the adopted daughter of the Jiang family, suffering severe abuse from her adoptive mother, Chen Jinhua, after her adoptive father died. She was forced into hard labor, malnourished, and treated as a servant while her adopted sister, Jiang Qiaoqiao, lived in comfort. Jiang Sui finds herself in a desperate situation when a matchmaker arrives with an old engagement contract. The contract binds Jiang Qiaoqiao to Xiao Hechuan, the fourth son of the Xiao family. Although Xiao Hechuan was once a child prodigy destined for the imperial examinations, he suffered a head injury years ago that left him with the mental capacity of a child. The Xiao family, fearing for his future, hopes to fulfill the betrothal to ensure someone cares for him.

Jiang Qiaoqiao vehemently refuses the marriage, fearing it will ruin her prospects of marrying a respected scholar, Mr. Zhang. Her mother, Chen Jinhua, initially plans to sell Jiang Sui to a wealthy landlord with unusual fetishes for a high bride price. However, Jiang Sui, aware of the plot and desperate to escape her abusive household, steps forward and volunteers to take her sister’s place. She argues that accepting the marriage will protect Jiang Qiaoqiao’s reputation and prevent gossip from reaching Mr. Zhang. Chen Jinhua, realizing she can still extract some value or at least remove the burden, reluctantly agrees after negotiations with the Xiao family settle on a bride price of five taels of silver.

Jiang Sui marries into the Xiao family, where she encounters a starkly different environment. Mother Xiao, the matriarch, is kind and welcoming, immediately showing concern for Jiang Sui’s thin frame and shabby wedding attire. She provides Jiang Sui with better clothes and shoes, and gives her personal savings as a gift. Xiao Hechuan, though mentally childlike, is gentle and deeply affectionate toward his new wife. He insists on caring for her, bringing her warm water and protecting her from any perceived slights. Jiang Sui, initially viewing the marriage as a strategic move for survival, finds herself touched by the genuine warmth of her new family, particularly the bond between the siblings and the respect shown to her.

Life in the Xiao household is not without tension. The family includes three other sons and their wives. The second daughter-in-law, Zhou, is quiet and resentful due to her inability to conceive after three years of marriage. The third daughter-in-law, Liu, is pregnant, nosy, and prone to causing conflict. Liu frequently belittles Jiang Sui and spreads gossip, particularly targeting Xiao Lanlan, the youngest sister, whose horoscope is rumored to bring bad luck to potential husbands. Despite these interpersonal frictions, Jiang Sui navigates the family dynamics with caution and politeness, earning the friendship of Xiao Lanlan, who invites her to gather mushrooms in the mountains.

During a mushroom foraging trip, Jiang Sui and Xiao Hechuan discover a wild roe deer and a wild boar trapped in a ravine. Recognizing the value of this find, Jiang Sui secretly signals Xiao Lanlan to fetch the rest of the family while she and Hechuan keep watch. The discovery provides the family with a significant source of food and potential income, strengthening Jiang Sui’s position within the household. As she settles into her new role, Jiang Sui remains aware of the novel’s plot: Xiao Hechuan is destined to recover his intelligence and become a top scholar. She plans to support him, hoping to secure a stable and comfortable life for herself, regardless of romantic love.