The Salted Fish Who Took the Heroine's Script by Mistake

Su Ci, a modern medical student with expertise in outdoor survival, transmigrates into the body of a beautiful but foolish girl in a historical novel titled "Overcoming Hardship: The Rise of a Concubine's Daughter." In the original story, the original Su Ci serves as a tragic foil to the female protagonist, Su Rong. Engaged to the cold and ruthless military commander Yang Yanzong, the original Su Ci is unfaithful, leading to her rape and death during a forced migration, which subsequently causes the destruction of her family. Su Ci awakens just days before this catastrophe, realizing she has only a short window to alter her fate and save her family from their grim destiny.

The setting is a border military town suffering from a severe drought known as the "Qixi Ghost Drought." Food and water supplies are exhausted, forcing the entire garrison to relocate. Yang Yanzong, the fourth-grade Pacification Commissioner and a key figure in the Sixth Prince's faction, has been exiled to this town after his right hand tendon was severed in a political struggle. Su Ci, whose father serves as his deputy, uses her medical knowledge to perform a successful tendon suturing surgery on Yang Yanzong without anesthesia. This act not only saves his hand but also establishes a critical connection between them. Meanwhile, the political landscape is volatile, with the Fourth and Seventh Princes plotting against the Sixth Prince's faction. Liang Shen, a commander aligned with the Fourth Prince and the original Su Ci's rapist, is actively seeking to eliminate Yang Yanzong during the chaotic migration.

Recognizing that the original plot forces the families to migrate with the main group, where the tragedy unfolds, Su Ci devises a plan to change their route. She demonstrates her survival skills by identifying puffball grass, a plant that indicates underground water sources, and locating edible wild plants like kudzu roots and water yams. Yang Yanzong, initially skeptical, observes her competence and allows her to guide a small, elite detachment southeast, away from the main army. This strategic deviation successfully avoids the initial ambushes and the presence of the original lover, Ji Chengtan, who had been secretly communicating with the original Su Ci.

However, the conflict intensifies as Liang Shen deduces that someone in Yang Yanzong's group possesses superior survival skills. Suspecting the Su family women, Liang Shen launches attacks to capture the person who can find water. To protect Su Ci, Yang Yanzong orchestrates a ruse where Su Rong, the original female protagonist, volunteers to act as a decoy. Su Rong, eager to prove her worth and secure her position in the family, accepts the dangerous role, drawing Liang Shen's attention away from Su Ci. Despite this, Ji Chengtan, unaware of the political dangers, tracks down Su Ci in the wilderness, revealing that he has guessed her identity as the skilled survivor. His interference nearly compromises their position, forcing Su Ci to manage him carefully while maintaining her cover.

The narrative reaches a critical turning point when Liang Shen's forces launch a coordinated night attack, utilizing poison darts and ambush tactics. Su Ci and her sister Su Yan are targeted directly. Su Ci manages to evade capture by blending in with Yang Yanzong's soldiers, while Su Rong continues to serve as the visible bait. The situation remains precarious as Yang Yanzong prepares to counter-attack Liang Shen's larger force, aiming to seize control of the military town and turn the tide of the political struggle. Su Ci finds herself caught in the crossfire of high-stakes political maneuvering and survival, relying on her modern knowledge and medical skills to navigate the dangers while trying to prevent the tragic fate that originally befell her character.

As the migration continues through the harsh mountain terrain, the tension between Yang Yanzong's small, resource-rich group and Liang Shen's desperate, starving forces escalates. Yang Yanzong's strategic brilliance becomes apparent as he manipulates the enemy's movements, using the scarcity of resources as a weapon. Su Ci's role evolves from a passive survivor to an active participant in the group's survival, providing essential medical care and locating resources that sustain the small detachment. The original lover, Ji Chengtan, remains a lingering threat, his affection for Su Ci complicating the already dangerous situation. Su Ci must balance her desire to escape the plot's tragedies with the immediate need to survive the political purges and the brutal environment, all while maintaining a careful distance from the dangerous men surrounding her.

The story concludes with the two factions on a collision course. Yang Yanzong, having secured a temporary advantage through resource control, prepares to engage Liang Shen's forces in a decisive confrontation. Su Ci, now integral to Yang Yanzong's inner circle, faces the uncertainty of whether she can fully escape the novel's predetermined tragic ending. The original female protagonist, Su Rong, continues to play her part in the shadows, her motivations increasingly complex as she competes for recognition in a world where survival depends on cunning and strength. Su Ci's journey is one of adaptation and resistance, using her unique knowledge to carve out a path for herself and her family in a hostile and unforgiving world.