Qiao Anle, a twenty-year-old orphan who grew up in an orphanage, awakens in the body of a girl with the same name in 1970s rural China. The original Qiao Anle was the youngest daughter of a wealthy family, pampered and spoiled, with fair skin and delicate features. After her parents and three older brothers were sent to the countryside as educated youth, she was left alone and forced into a blind marriage with Li Fengbei, a twenty-nine-year-old battalion commander. Li Fengbei is a decorated war hero with a fearsome reputation, bearing facial scars and rumored to suffer from a hidden illness. The original Qiao Anle resented him, neglected the three children he was raising—orphans left after their mother abandoned them—and secretly withheld food for herself.
Upon arriving in this era, Qiao Anle discovers she carries a spiritual treasure space linked to a jade pendant around her neck. This dimension contains billions of supplies: rice, wheat, flour, oils, dried goods, livestock, medicines, and modern processed foods. Having previously stockpiled these goods over four years in her past life to prevent disaster, she is prepared for the scarcity of the 1970s. Her first act is to feed the three hungry children—Eldest, Second, and Third—steamed buns and boiled eggs, winning their wary affection.
Qiao Anle begins transforming her family dynamics. She treats the children with genuine care, gives Li Fengbei half of her steamed bun, and initiates physical closeness by pulling him into bed with her. Li Fengbei, accustomed to his wife’s hostility and fear, is deeply confused by her sudden warmth and affection. He had previously lied to the commune recorder, claiming Qiao Anle was ill so she would not be required to perform labor, despite her selfish behavior. Qiao Anle decides to change this by registering with the commune and volunteering for mountain land reclamation, the most grueling work earning ten work points daily. She completes the task with ease, protected by her spiritual space’s enhancement of her physical abilities.
Conflict arises from the military dependents’ compound. Neighbors gossip about Qiao Anle’s laziness and beauty, with Wang Guifang leading the criticism. Qiao Anle confronts them sharply, defending Li Fengbei’s reputation and warning them to stop. Meanwhile, Sun Xiangxiang, the village chief’s daughter, approaches Qiao Anle under the guise of friendship. Sun Xiangxiang reveals she orchestrated a meeting between Qiao Anle and Lin Wenyuan, an educated youth known for his poetry and integrity, attempting to push Qiao Anle into an extramarital relationship. Sun Xiangxiang assumes the marriage is loveless and that Qiao Anle desires freedom from Li Fengbei.
Qiao Anle refutes these assumptions publicly, declaring that she and Li Fengbei share a bed and a good relationship. As she speaks, Li Fengbei appears behind her, having overheard everything. Fang Cheng and several compound residents also witness the confrontation. The story ends with Qiao Anle having established her authority in the compound, begun earning her own keep through labor, and started rebuilding trust with her husband and children, while Li Fengbei grapples with the sudden transformation of his wife’s behavior.
