Lu Xiaoyu, a 2023 office worker who died from overwork, transmigrates into the body of a tragic minor character in a 1970s rural alternate-history novel. In this new life, she is the stepdaughter of the cruel Li Guilan and stepsister of the scheming Xu Yanyan. Her biological father has recently passed away, leaving her vulnerable to the abuse of her stepfamily. The story begins with Li Guilan and Xu Yanyan plotting to ruin Lu Xiaoyu’s reputation by drugging her with a potent animal aphrodisiac and forcing her to roll in a haystack with Zhu, a simpleton in the village, so that Xu Yanyan can steal Lu Xiaoyu’s fiancé, a military officer.
Upon waking to this conspiracy, Lu Xiaoyu uses her modern knowledge and corporate survival skills to turn the tables. She knocks Xu Yanyan unconscious, swaps clothes with her, and forces the remaining drug down Xu Yanyan’s throat. She then flees to the back hills to escape the drug’s effects. There, she encounters Cheng Yi, a handsome and disciplined regimental commander who is recovering from an injury. Due to the influence of the aphrodisiac, Lu Xiaoyu attacks Cheng Yi, leading to a sexual encounter. When Cheng Yi wakes up, he is shocked but, adhering to his sense of responsibility as a soldier, demands that Lu Xiaoyu marry him to avoid scandal. Lu Xiaoyu, seeing an opportunity for protection and a fresh start, agrees.
Returning to the village, Lu Xiaoyu exposes the plot. Sha Zhu, the simpleton, reveals that Li Guilan sent for him, implicating his mother. The village director, Huang Sihai, condemns Li Guilan’s actions. Furthermore, Lu Xiaoyu produces a pregnancy certificate belonging to Xu Yanyan, revealing that Xu Yanyan is already pregnant by another man and had only sought the military officer for status. Humiliated, Li Guilan and Xu Yanyan flee the village. Lu Xiaoyu then confronts her stepmother about stolen inheritance, retrieving a jade bracelet that unlocks a mystical spatial dimension containing a spiritual spring. She uses this space to revive her father’s withered Red Fuji apple trees, securing her future wealth.
Cheng Yi, meanwhile, is assigned to a remote island base where fresh produce is scarce. Lu Xiaoyu agrees to help him by transplanting the revitalized apple trees to the island, fulfilling his military mission. Before leaving, she sets up a trap using rumors of hidden gold ingots to lure out Li Guilan’s fugitive husband and other criminals, allowing the police to arrest them. Lu Xiaoyu and Cheng Yi officially register their marriage and depart for the island. Their relationship is governed by a strict prenuptial agreement emphasizing financial independence and non-interference, though subtle tensions and attractions begin to develop as they navigate their new life together on the isolated base.
