“My Ex-Husband Faked His Death for His Widowed Sister-in-Law—Now That I’ve Married Someone Else, Why Are You Crying?”

Su Jiuyue awakens at her own husband Li Yanchuan’s funeral, only to realize she has been reborn to the year 1975. In her previous life, Li Yanchuan had faked his death to escape his obligations and live under the alias of his elder brother, Li Haichuan. He conspired with his mistress, Bai Lili, to isolate Su Jiuyue, eventually having her committed to a psychiatric hospital where she died of grief. There, her five-year-old daughter, Jiaojiao, drowned while washing clothes alone. Armed with these memories, Su Jiuyue resolves to protect her daughter and exact revenge on the couple who destroyed her life.

During the funeral, Li Yanchuan, posing as the grieving elder brother, attempts to manipulate Su Jiuyue into handing over their joint savings. In the past, Su Jiuyue had broken down in hysteria, only to be labeled insane. This time, she performs a convincing display of widowly grief, causing Li Yanchuan and Bai Lili to underestimate her. That night, she discovers a secret compartment in Jiaojiao’s bed, hidden by her brother before his political exile, containing twenty gold bars. She secures the family’s financial assets by withdrawing their bank deposits and opening a new account with a password, ensuring Li Yanchuan cannot access the funds.

Li Yanchuan, realizing his attempt to steal the passbooks failed, confronts Su Jiuyue when she returns from a shopping trip. He proposes the feudal custom of the elder brother marrying the younger brother’s widow to control her wealth. Su Jiuyue screams for help, drawing the entire military compound to witness his harassment. Political Commissar Zhang and Division Commander Huo Tingxuan arrive. Su Jiuyue accuses Li Yanchuan of attempted molestation, forcing him into a public self-criticism and damaging his reputation. Subsequently, she discovers Bai Lili and Li Tao have stolen household items and Jiaojiao’s toy car. She confronts them publicly, leading Commissar Zhang to order the return of all stolen goods and formally sever ties between the two families.

Commander Huo Tingxuan, a close friend of Su Jiuyue’s exiled father, offers her and Jiaojiao a ride into the city. His unexpected kindness provides Su Jiuyue with a potential ally and a connection to her family’s past. During the trip, Jiaojiao innocently questions Huo Tingxuan’s marital status, and he reveals he is unmarried and childless, showing a rare softness toward the mother and daughter. Back in the city, Su Jiuyue spends money liberally on food and clothing, asserting her independence and rejecting the frugality Li Yanchuan imposed. Gossip spreads through the compound, but Su Jiuyue remains unbothered.

While in the city, Jiaojiao chases a kitten into an alley and spots a man carrying a bulging sack containing a child’s shoe. Su Jiuyue recognizes the signs of human trafficking and hides with her daughter, witnessing the kidnappers. The chapter ends with Su Jiuyue confronting the immediate danger of child abduction, marking a shift from domestic revenge to broader threats against her family’s safety.