The Dumb Cannon Fodder of the 1960s Is Just Too Beautiful

Lin Xiuzhu is an eighteen-year-old girl living in Yushi, Huaguo, in the year 1965. Although she appears to be a pampered and delicate only child of a military family, she harbors a secret from a past life. Memories of her previous existence as an eighteen-year-old who died in an accident gradually returned to her, revealing that she had grown up without parental love in a wealthy but emotionally cold household. In this life, she is deeply cherished by her father, a deputy division commander, and her mother, a gentle woman from a formerly wealthy merchant family. Aware that the political landscape of Huaguo is about to shift dramatically, with her mother’s background posing a potential risk and the impending Up to the Mountains, Down to the Countryside movement threatening to send educated youth to remote rural areas, Xiuzhu devises a survival plan. She intends to travel to Beijing to visit her relatives, secure a powerful ally to protect her status, and endure for ten years until the political climate stabilizes, after which she plans to flee to Hong Kong.

Xiuzhu departs for Beijing accompanied by Yan Ming, a burly and loyal captain who serves as her father’s subordinate and protector. During the three-day train journey, she shares a soft sleeper compartment with Yan Ming, Gu Yu, and Chen Yuling. Gu Yu is a strikingly handsome man in his twenties who exudes an air of lazy authority and hidden capability. Chen Yuling is a nineteen-year-old woman who is visibly interested in Gu Yu’s high social standing, indicated by his foreign watch and soft sleeper ticket. Xiuzhu remains aloof and uninterested in Chen Yuling’s attempts at social maneuvering, displaying a sharp tongue and a pragmatic nature that contrasts with her delicate appearance. The journey is marked by minor tensions, including a dispute over food where Xiuzhu refuses to share her snacks with strangers until a crisis forces a change in dynamics.

The central conflict on the train arises when a missing five-year-old boy is reported in the adjacent hard-seat carriage. An elderly woman, frantic and irrational, accuses Yan Ming of stealing the boy’s food, leading to a chaotic scene where she physically attacks him and later insults Xiuzhu, calling her a seductress. Xiuzhu, who has never faced such vicious public humiliation, is reduced to tears. Gu Yu intervenes, displaying sharp deductive skills and a cold, commanding presence. He identifies the traffickers, locates the missing boy hidden in a bag near the dining car, and apprehends the criminals. In exchange for his help, Xiuzhu demands compensation from the elderly woman, forcing Chen Yuling to pay part of the sum due to her earlier provocation. This incident solidifies a bond between Xiuzhu and Gu Yu, who recognizes her lack of conventional kindness but appreciates her straightforwardness and intelligence.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Xiuzhu is welcomed by her cousins, Lin Xiuli and Lin Yaowen, at their home in the military compound. The reunion is warm, highlighting the loving family environment she values. However, the peace is short-lived. Xiuzhu’s Second Aunt, Bai Huifen, arrives unannounced and aggressively demands money for her son’s marriage and job placement. When refused, she launches into a public spectacle, wailing on the ground and accusing the family of unfilial behavior, drawing a crowd and creating a disruptive scene. This confrontation underscores the external pressures and familial complexities Xiuzhu must navigate. Meanwhile, Gu Yu, revealed to be a Deputy Bureau Chief, departs the station with a lingering sense of connection to Xiuzhu, setting the stage for future interactions as she begins her stay in the capital.