Seventies: Mistook the Father of Her Children, the Infertile Jing Shao Comes to Claim Them

Xia Mingyu has spent thirteen years in silence following a childhood trauma, enduring abuse from her paralyzed mother-in-law, Li Zhaodi, and exploitation by her husband, Qiao Hongye. For five years, she has cared for Li Zhaodi and raised twin sons, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, while Qiao Hongye, a military officer, remained absent and sent no financial support. Qiao Hongye married Xia Mingyu solely to exploit her dying father’s connections for military enlistment, knowing she could not speak or defend herself. The situation reaches a breaking point when Qiao Hongye returns home and attempts to sell their eldest son, Tuantuan, to his superior, a Regimental Commander in Jing Shi, to secure his own promotion.

Discovering the plot at the local Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Xia Mingyu confronts Qiao Hongye. In a surge of rage and desperation to save her son, she breaks her psychological barrier and speaks aloud for the first time in thirteen years. She publicly accuses Qiao Hongye of human trafficking, inciting the crowd to overpower him. At the Public Security Bureau, Qiao Hongye, facing exposure, retaliates by claiming the twins are not his but bastards born of Xia Mingyu’s infidelity. He reveals that he drugged Xia Mingyu on their wedding night and hired a man from another brigade to sleep with her, attempting to destroy her reputation and absolve himself of responsibility. Xia Mingyu, realizing the truth, attacks Qiao Hongye physically, demanding a divorce and the return of her children.

Meanwhile, the younger twin, Yuanyuan, who was hidden during the confrontation, is discovered by Lu Ning, a subordinate of the Regimental Commander, Si Konghuai. Lu Ning notices Yuanyuan’s striking resemblance to his boss and, after learning the children are four years old, deduces a connection to a mission Si Konghuai undertook five years prior in the same region. Lu Ning contacts Si Konghuai, who initially dismisses the claim. However, Si Konghuai soon learns that Tuantuan has arrived in Jing Shi via train, having been drugged by Qiao Hongye’s accomplice. Tuantuan wakes up at the station and cries out for help, attracting attention. Si Konghuai arrives and rescues the boy, recognizing the undeniable physical resemblance between them.

Si Konghuai recalls a five-year-old incident where he consumed poisonous mushrooms and lost consciousness, waking up in an unfamiliar location with fragmented memories. He begins to suspect that he may have been the man who fathered the children with Xia Mingyu. He coordinates with local police to apprehend the traffickers and arranges to return Tuantuan to his mother. During a phone call, Xia Mingyu speaks with Si Konghuai, unaware that he is the biological father of her children. She expresses gratitude for his help, and he agrees to bring Tuantuan back to the commune the following day. Si Konghuai is struck by Xia Mingyu’s gentle voice and begins to feel a deep sense of guilt and responsibility for the suffering she endured.

Back at the commune, Xia Mingyu publicly exposes Qiao Hongye and Li Zhaodi’s crimes to the villagers, detailing the scheme to force her into marriage and the attempt to sell their child. The community turns against the Qiao family, demanding their expulsion from the production team. Li Zhaodi, terrified of losing her status and facing poverty, urinates herself in fear. Xia Mingyu, now empowered by her voice and the support of her community, declares her intention to raise the twins alone and seek justice. Lu Ning, staying with Xia Mingyu, prepares to confront Si Konghuai upon his arrival, intending to hold him accountable for abandoning his family. The story concludes with the impending reunion of the family and the looming legal consequences for Qiao Hongye, setting the stage for Xia Mingyu’s new life with Si Konghuai and their children.