The Marriage Was Robbed: Turning Around to Marry the Chief of the Military

Lin Nanxiang, a skilled surgeon from the modern era, transmigrates into the body of an eighteen-year-old girl with the same name who was sent down to the countryside during the 1970s. The original host had been pampered in the city by her adoptive Lin family before being discovered as the biological daughter of the poor Song family. Trickery by the Lin family forced her to take her brother’s place as an educated youth in the rural village. On her first day, she is lured up a mountain by a villager named Niu Ergou with the intent of raping her, a scheme orchestrated by Liu Dahua to ruin her reputation. Lin Nanxiang fights back, knocking Niu Ergou unconscious and stripping him naked before kicking him down a slope. While hiding in the bushes to gather firewood, she is witnessed by Zhou Yu, a former army officer now labeled a "sent-down element" and confined to a cowshed due to a leg injury. To escape the mob of villagers led by Liu Dahua, who intend to frame her for adultery, Lin Nanxiang points to Zhou Yu, claiming he is her lover. She boldly announces they are engaged and planning to marry, a claim that saves her from immediate punishment but seals her fate as a rural bride, eliminating any chance of returning to the city.

Zhou Yu, initially hostile and suspicious, finds Lin Nanxiang moving into his dilapidated cowshed the next day. She explains that their fabricated relationship is necessary for mutual survival. Despite the cramped quarters, Lin Nanxiang uses her medical knowledge and resourcefulness to improve their living conditions. She forages for wild vegetables, catches a bamboo rat, and later a wild pheasant, significantly upgrading their diet from plain vegetable cakes. Her modern cooking skills impress the taciturn Zhou Yu, whose demeanor gradually softens. When Zhou Yu suffers a fever after saving fellow workers from falling buckets, Lin Nanxiang tends to him, feeding him medicine and soup. During this time, she discovers that his limp is not permanent bone damage but a treatable soft-tissue injury. Using her surgical expertise, she realigns his leg, allowing him to walk without a crutch for the first time in a year. This act of healing marks a turning point in their relationship, shifting from wary cohabitation to a partnership built on mutual dependence and unspoken respect.

Conflict arises when Liu Dahua, still bitter from the failed assault, accuses Lin Nanxiang of stealing collective chickens to sell at the market. Liu Dahua recruits Comrade Xiao, one of the women Zhou Yu saved, to testify against her. The village captain, He Qiang, prepares to punish Lin Nanxiang for stealing from the collective. However, Zhou Yu intervenes, asking the captain to count the remaining poultry in the coop. The count reveals no missing birds, disproving the theft. Lin Nanxiang explains she bought a chicken from a farmer to nourish her injured fiancé. She then counters Liu Dahua’s accusations by pointing out the suspicious new clothes and expensive leather shoes Liu Dahua has recently acquired, suggesting the real thief is the accuser. The villagers turn their suspicion toward Liu Dahua, who flees in shame. This victory solidifies Lin Nanxiang’s position in the village and deepens the bond with Zhou Yu, who begins to see her not just as a burden but as a capable and sharp ally.

As days pass, Lin Nanxiang adapts to rural life while maintaining her dignity and intelligence. She works in the fields alongside Shen Li, a kind fellow educated youth, and continues to care for Zhou Yu’s recovery. The story follows their evolving dynamic as they navigate the strict social hierarchies and political labels of the era. Zhou Yu, once isolated and despised, finds companionship and purpose through Lin Nanxiang. Meanwhile, Lin Nanxiang uses her wits to protect herself from further schemes by villagers like Liu Dahua and Wang Jianhua. The narrative focuses on their domestic life, the challenges of manual labor, and the subtle development of romantic feelings amidst the harsh realities of the Cultural Revolution period. Lin Nanxiang’s medical skills and modern mindset become her greatest assets, allowing her to thrive in an environment where the original host would have perished.