Second Marriage: Becoming a Stepmother in the Borderland of the 1970s

Chen Lina, a woman who had spent her later years caring for her dying husband, Nie Bozhao, wakes up in 1970, fifteen years in the past. In her previous life, she had met Nie Bozhao at age thirty-five, after he had become a wealthy real estate tycoon. He had cherished her until his death, expressing deep regret that they had met so late. Upon returning to her youth, Chen Lina finds herself in a rural village during the Cultural Revolution. She is twenty years old, a former university student expelled due to her family's "bad class" background. Her cousin, Nie Guozhu, intends to break off their childhood engagement to marry the daughter of a senior official. In her past life, Chen Lina had married Nie Guozhu, only to suffer abuse and neglect before he died in a car accident. Determined to change her fate, she decides to call off the engagement with Nie Guozhu and instead pursue Nie Bozhao, whom she recognizes as the man she loved.

Nie Bozhao, now a senior engineer at an oil field, has returned to his rural hometown to find a nanny for his three young sons, who were sent to live with their grandmother after the death of their mother. Chen Lina sees an opportunity. She learns that Nie Bozhao is reluctant to remarry because he fears a stepmother will mistreat his children. To win his trust, Chen Lina pretends to be simple-minded and partially deaf, presenting herself as harmless and devoted to childcare. She also reveals that she wants to marry him, not just work as a nanny, and insists on bringing her sister, Chen Lili, to the oil field as well. Nie Bozhao, impressed by her practicality and beauty despite her apparent mental fragility, agrees to the marriage on the condition that she cares for his children.

The wedding is modest, arranged quickly due to Nie Bozhao's limited leave. During the preparations, Chen Lina's aunt, He Chun'er, causes a scene by revealing that Nie Guozhu regrets the broken engagement and wants to reconcile. Chen Lina firmly rejects him, and Nie Bozhao publicly defends her, declaring his commitment to her. Chen Lina also confesses to Nie Bozhao that she lost her virginity as a child from climbing a tree, a secret she had carried for years. Nie Bozhao accepts her honesty and promises to treat her well. The couple marries and prepares to move to the remote oil field in the Gobi Desert.

Upon arriving at the Nie family home before departure, Chen Lina faces hostility from Nie Bozhao's mother, Huang Guilan, who is critical and abusive toward the children. The children, particularly the eldest, Nie Weimin, are wary of Chen Lina, having been taught by their grandmother to distrust stepmothers. They mockingly refer to her as "Yao Po," a term for a cruel stepmother. Despite this, Chen Lina remains patient and kind, buying shoes for the children and offering them candies. She understands that winning their affection is crucial to her success as a stepmother and to securing her place in Nie Bozhao's life. The story follows Chen Lina's efforts to navigate the complex family dynamics, protect her new husband from his manipulative mother, and build a loving family with Nie Bozhao and his sons, all while avoiding the political turmoil of the era.