Sweet Love in the ’70s: Spoiled by a Rough Military Officer

Song Li, a hardened survivor of a nuclear apocalypse, dies after fifteen years of fighting zombies and is reborn into the body of a woman with the same name in 1970s China. She awakens in the home of He Linyuan, a cold military officer who despises her because the original owner had abused their twin children, He Mingze and He Qingqing. The original Song Li had attempted to abandon the children on a freezing mountain, an act that in the source novel led to their permanent disabilities and He Linyuan’s descent into villainy. Song Li rushes to the mountain and saves the twins from a wild boar and a deep trap, using a Tang sword she keeps in her spatial dimension. Her sudden change in behavior confuses He Linyuan, who suspects a scheme, but the children begin to trust her as she provides them with warm food and care.

Song Li discovers she retains her spatial ability from the apocalypse, though it is initially small. She learns that water condensation beads from her previous life can fertilize the soil within her space, allowing her to grow spiritual crops that heal ailments and accelerate plant growth. To support her new family and secure resources, she visits the local black market, exchanging high-quality cosmetics and soaps from her space for money and ration coupons. She uses the funds to buy food and clothing for the twins, inadvertently repairing her relationship with the villagers by sharing wild boar meat. Meanwhile, He Linyuan’s half-brother, He Cheng, a reborn businessman who views He Linyuan as an obstacle to inheriting the family fortune, plots to ruin him. He Cheng manipulates Xiao Hongling, a woman obsessed with He Linyuan, to spread rumors and sabotage his marriage.

The central conflict intensifies as He Linyuan returns from a mission to find Song Li acting differently. He initially believes she is plotting to keep him bound to her, but his suspicion turns to confusion when she calmly agrees to a divorce and prepares travel supplies for the children. After a misunderstanding where he accuses her of wasting money at the black market, Song Li reveals she bought winter clothes for the twins. He Linyuan apologizes, and the family shares a meal, marking a tentative truce. Song Li continues to nurture the children, using spiritual food to improve their health and winning over He Mingze’s guarded heart. She also mends relations with her own family, the Song clan, who had previously been alienated by the original owner’s arrogance.

As the story progresses, Song Li establishes a small food business, selling sweet potato treats and other snacks to generate income. She faces opposition from Zhao Fengzhu, a jealous villager who blames Song Li for her own failed marriage, and from Xiao Hongling, who continues to scheme against the family. He Cheng’s influence grows in the capital, where he attempts to intercept He Linyuan’s promotion and discredit his character. Song Li remains focused on protecting her children and building a stable life, utilizing her spatial abilities to cultivate crops and store supplies. The narrative follows her efforts to alter the tragic fate foretold in the novel she once read, navigating political intrigue, family dynamics, and the lingering threats from those who wish to see He Linyuan fall.

The story concludes with Song Li solidifying her role as a capable mother and wife, despite the ongoing machinations of He Cheng and his allies. She balances the demands of her secret spatial powers with the social constraints of the era, slowly earning the respect of her community. The twins, once neglected and abused, flourish under her care, becoming the emotional anchor that begins to soften He Linyuan’s cold exterior. As external pressures mount from He Cheng’s schemes and internal doubts persist within the marriage, Song Li prepares to face the challenges ahead, determined to rewrite the destiny of everyone involved.