Chi Baobao, a thirty-year-old modern CEO, transmigrates into the body of a cruel mother-in-law who has just sold her son-in-law Yan Sui and newborn granddaughter to human traffickers. Upon waking, she finds herself surrounded by four emaciated daughters—Yan Yue'er (fifteen, recently gave birth), Yan San'yue (fourteen), Yan Siyue (twelve), and Yan Qiyue (seven, mute from trauma)—all kneeling and weeping. The original Chi Baobao died choking on water after realizing her scheme failed, and the modern woman inherits this disastrous situation.
Chi Baobao immediately reverses the tragedy. She retrieves Yan Sui and the baby from the broker using a kitchen knife as leverage, returning the silver and restoring her family. She discovers she possesses a system that can detect, value, and sell natural resources, appearing as a shopping interface. This system becomes her primary tool for survival and improvement.
The household faces extreme poverty: leaking mud huts, patched clothing, and starvation-level rations of boiled wild greens. Chi Baobao uses her system to acquire food—goat's milk for the nursing daughter, white flour and eggs for pancakes, and wild mushrooms and pheasants from the mountain. She transforms the family dynamic by treating the children with kindness, protecting them from bullies, and ensuring they eat properly. The daughters, traumatized by years of abuse, gradually learn to trust her.
Yan Sui, the handsome but impoverished husband, remains suspicious of his wife's sudden change. He witnesses her generosity but questions the source of their newfound wealth. Chi Baobao explains she has been secretly saving provisions, claiming her mother-in-law's advice to "earn virtue" motivated her change. Yan Sui accepts this explanation, though he remains watchful.
Chi Baobao's activities on the mountain yield significant profits. She sells white cogongrass roots, wild rhubarb, isatis root, and rare mushrooms through her system. A lingzhi mushroom fetches two taels of silver at a county medicine shop. With this capital, she purchases meat, rice, flour, and household necessities. She also identifies poisonous mushrooms to protect her daughters and catches a wild pheasant for soup.
The story explores Chi Baobao's efforts to improve living conditions: building a proper toilet, bathing the children, and planning sustainable income through herb gathering and potential livestock raising. She recognizes the lack of castration techniques for pigs in this era and resolves to address this when she raises her own livestock.
Family relationships develop as Chi Baobao navigates her role as mother and wife. She maintains ties with her own parents, sending them food and medicine. The original Chi Baobao's reputation as a vicious woman contrasts sharply with her current behavior, causing confusion and suspicion among villagers and family members alike.
The narrative follows Chi Baobao's adaptation to ancient life while leveraging her modern knowledge and system abilities. She balances earning income through resource gathering with caring for her growing family, gradually transforming their desperate situation into one of stability and hope. The story establishes her determination to live properly this time, protect her daughters, and rebuild the family's fortunes through hard work and strategic use of her unique advantage.
