Reborn in the 1970s: I Turned My Second Husband Into My First Love

Lin Peiru spent her final years caring for Huo Yunshen, a powerful man who had loved her since their first meeting twenty years prior. On his deathbed, he expressed regret for having met her too late, while she promised that in their next life, she would find him first. Moments after his death, Lin Peiru was struck by a truck and awakened in 1975, eighteen years old, with her parents and brother still alive. Determined to change her fate, she rejected an arranged marriage to Chen Mingde, a man who had abused her in her previous life, and insisted on going to the countryside as a sent-down youth. Her true goal was to reach the Red Flag Commune in Northeast China, where she knew Huo Yunshen would be living during his youth.

Upon arriving at the commune, Lin Peiru sought out the Huo family courtyard, the only home Huo Yunshen had cherished in her past life. She found a teenage boy who was fiercely protective of his sick mother, Mu Xinyao, and his younger sister, Huo Yunqiao. In her previous life, she had been terrified by his brutal defense of his sister against village bullies, but now she saw only the vulnerable boy beneath his rough exterior. Lin Peiru insisted on staying at the Huo family home, despite Huo Yunshen’s cold rejection. He viewed her as a delicate city girl who did not belong in their poor household and was wary of the gossip that would arise from a young unmarried woman living under his roof. However, his mother, grateful that Lin Peiru had saved her with emergency medicine, insisted that she stay.

Lin Peiru moved into the east room of the Huo courtyard, bringing warmth and vitality to the stagnant household. She bonded with Huo Yunqiao, cleaning the house and sharing stories, while Huo Yunshen remained distant and hostile. Despite his outward rejection, he secretly left medicine at her door after noticing her blistered feet, though he denied any involvement when she confronted him. His internal conflict grew as he found himself drawn to her brightness, yet he pushed her away due to his deep-seated inferiority complex and fear of ruining her reputation. Lin Peiru, aware of his future tragedies, was determined to protect him and his family from the fate that had befallen them in her previous life.

The arrival of other sent-down youth introduced new tensions. Lin Peiru encountered Yang Mingfeng, a man who had previously provoked Huo Yunshen, leading to a violent altercation. When Yang Mingfeng accused Huo Yunshen of unprovoked aggression, Lin Peiru defended him, exposing Yang Mingfeng’s lies and asserting her independence from the group’s prejudices. Her sharp wit and loyalty to Huo Yunshen confused the other educated youths, who viewed the Huo family as dangerous outsiders. Lin Peiru remained steadfast in her choice, embracing the hardships of rural labor with resilience forged from her previous life’s struggles.

As Lin Peiru integrated into the Huo family, she worked to prevent the tragedies that had shaped Huo Yunshen’s hardened character. She supported his mother’s health and protected his sister from the bullying that had destroyed their family in the past. Huo Yunshen, though still guarded, began to soften, his actions revealing a growing affection he refused to acknowledge. The story follows their gradual reconciliation as Lin Peiru navigates the challenges of the era, determined to rewrite their destiny and ensure that this time, she would not lose him.