Miao Yunwei, a woman who has lived through the hardships of 1970s China, finds herself reborn to the year 1976, standing in the office of a bus passenger transport station. In her previous life, she had reacted with shame and anger to being offered a temporary loader position, a reaction manipulated by her eldest aunt, Ke Guixiang, and uncle, Miao Aiguo. This emotional outburst had cost her the job and led to her being falsely accused by her extended family, forcing her into the countryside as an educated youth and ruining her life. Armed with the memories of her past, Miao Yunwei silently accepts the position, knowing that physical labor is preferable to the agricultural suffering she endured before. She realizes the job was a trap set by the eldest branch of her family, who had swapped her rightful temporary sugar factory position for this difficult loading role, while their own daughter, Miao Xuewei, secured the easier ticket seller job at the same station.
Upon returning to the sugar factory residential compound, Miao Yunwei witnesses her grandmother, Huang Caiying, boasting to neighbors that Yunwei has secured a prestigious ticket seller position. Miao Yunwei chooses not to correct her grandmother in public to avoid embarrassment, but once they are alone, she reveals the truth, causing her grandmother distress. That evening, the family dinner erupts into conflict when Ke Guixiang reveals that Miao Xuewei has already started her job. Miao Yunwei’s mother, Meng Suling, confronts the eldest branch, demanding justice. The family patriarch, Old Man Miao, beats his eldest son for the deception. The conflict escalates to the point where Meng Suling demands a family split. Miao Yunwei, rejecting her past-life softness, insists on moving to the dilapidated old house in Hekou Village, which she knows from her previous life will eventually be demolished for significant compensation. The eldest branch, seeking to get rid of them, agrees to pay for the repairs in exchange for the split.
Miao Yunwei begins her work as a loader, enduring grueling physical labor. During this time, she unlocks a "Passenger Transport System" that offers tasks to help passengers, develop transportation routes, and gain VIP clients. She perseveres through the three-day probation period, impressing Director Gao with her diligence and ideological commitment. Meanwhile, her eldest brother, Miao Pingkang, returns from military service with a leg injury. To secure a future for her disabled brother, Miao Yunwei’s father, Miao Jianguo, decides to transfer his bus driver position to Pingkang. This decision causes friction with Zhang Xiuqing, the current conductor, who refuses to work with a man who cannot perform manual labor. Miao Yunwei, anticipating this conflict, subtly spreads information about her brother’s condition to other staff, preventing future resentment. When the administration seeks a replacement conductor for Pingkang, Miao Yunwei seizes the opportunity. She studies diligently during her breaks and passes a written examination with a near-perfect score, securing a transfer from the physically demanding loader position to a ticket seller role. This move not only alleviates her family’s financial pressure but also positions her to retake the college entrance examination, a chance she missed in her previous life due to her in-laws’ interference. The story concludes with Miao Yunwei having successfully navigated the initial family betrayal, secured a better job for herself, and laid the foundation for her brother’s livelihood, all while the renovation of the Hekou Village house proceeds, setting the stage for future wealth and stability.
