The Cold-Faced Officer and His Chic Military Wife Made a Fortune in the 1980s

Gu Congshuang, a modern video editor, falls into a river after working late and wakes up in 1978 Yuehai City. She realizes she has transmigrated into a novel titled "The 1980s Green Tea Entangles the Factory Director and Gets Rich," inhabiting the body of a female supporting character with the same name. The original owner was a love-struck girl obsessed with Lin Wanxing, who abandoned her for the female lead, Mo Wanwan. Driven to despair, the original Gu Congshuang attempted suicide by jumping into the river. Upon waking, she is rescued by Ye Bei, a handsome navy second lieutenant stationed on Seagull Island. When Lin Wanxing arrives to berate her, Gu Congshuang rejects his narrative and claims Ye Bei is her boyfriend, forcing him to play along to escape the harassment.

Gu Congshuang learns that the original plot led to her tragic death: she was hospitalized, lost her job, and was forcibly married to a violent, divorced man named Liu Guoqiang by her biased family. Determined to change her fate, she navigates a hostile household. Her father, Gu Qinshan, is a mechanic with low wages, and her mother, Li Yuqin, openly favors her brothers, Gu Congjun and Gu Congli, while neglecting Gu Congshuang. The family had already accepted a bride price of 666 yuan and a bicycle from Liu Guoqiang. To prevent the forced marriage, Gu Congshuang lies, claiming she is already engaged to Ye Bei, a navy officer of high status, and promises a much larger dowry and bride price.

She borrows a factory truck to start an illegal taxi service, earning significant income in a short time. This financial independence shifts the family dynamic, as her parents become eager to please her. During this period, she reunites with her grandmother, Yi Yun, who raised her until age fifteen. However, the family conflict escalates when the grandmother goes missing. A false alarm involving a scarecrow in a pond causes chaos, but Ye Bei helps find the elderly woman, who has developed dementia and no longer recognizes her family. Gu Congshuang takes responsibility for her grandmother’s care, securing a room in the ancestral home from her estranged uncle, Gu Qinhai.

The original owner’s trauma stems from family betrayal, including her father’s deception that sent her third uncle to a dangerous border region, resulting in amputation. Gu Congshuang distances herself from her toxic family while building a relationship with Ye Bei. He reveals he is raising four children who are not his own, the orphans of fallen comrades, and is divorced. Despite her initial intentions to use him for escape, Gu Congshuang finds genuine connection and support in him. She proposes marriage to secure her freedom and protect her grandmother.

Liu Guoqiang, enraged by the broken engagement, ambushes Gu Congshuang and her brother Gu Congli with thugs in a remote area, attempting to kidnap her. Gu Congshuang escapes by driving the factory car at high speed, leaving her brother behind temporarily before rescuing him. The incident highlights the ongoing threat from her past. Meanwhile, Ye Bei arrives with his parents for a formal proposal, interrupting a confrontation with Liu Guoqiang at Gu Congshuang’s home. The story concludes with Gu Congshuang solidifying her alliance with Ye Bei, planning to move to Seagull Island, and beginning her journey toward financial independence and a new life away from her abusive family.