Summary

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Xu Xi, a talented artist from the modern era, wakes up in the body of a villainous cannon fodder character in a 1970s period novel. The original owner of this body had drugged Zhou Yue, a battalion commander, to force him into marriage, leading to a tragic death during childbirth while carrying twins. Xu Xi accepts her new reality and decides to avoid her doomed fate by not pursuing the male lead, but her family forces the marriage anyway. After the wedding, Zhou Yue returns to his military base on Pingsha Island, leaving Xu Xi alone in the village. She discovers she is pregnant and, fearing the original plot's outcome, seeks to change her destiny.

Shortly after marrying into the Zhou family, Xu Xi learns she is pregnant with twins. Fearing the original plot's tragic childbirth outcome, she decides to seek out her husband at his military base rather than remain in the village. During her journey, she encounters human traffickers on a train and successfully helps the police apprehend them, earning a certificate of honor. Upon arriving at Pingsha Island, she finds Zhou Yue, who is initially cold and dismissive, having been led to believe she is still the malicious woman from the rumors. However, Xu Xi has undergone a significant transformation, her appearance improved by a mysterious spatial dimension she discovered after fainting from pregnancy nausea.

The spatial dimension, which includes fertile land and a spirit spring that can heal and beautify, becomes Xu Xi's key advantage. She uses the spirit spring water to restore her skin and improve her health, shedding the rough, dark appearance that made her an outcast in the village. When she reunites with Zhou Yue, he is stunned by her changed appearance and demeanor. Despite his initial reluctance and desire to send her back to the village, Xu Xi insists on staying, promising not to interfere with his life or career. She plans to live quietly until after the birth, after which she intends to divorce him so he can be with the female lead from the novel.

As Xu Xi settles into life on the island, she navigates the complexities of military family dynamics. Zhou Yue remains distant and formal, viewing their marriage as a burden he must endure. However, Xu Xi's calm and independent nature begins to chip away at his resentment. She focuses on preparing for the birth of her children, utilizing her spatial dimension to ensure she has adequate nutrition and care. The story follows her efforts to survive and thrive in this unfamiliar era while avoiding the pitfalls of the original plot, all while dealing with the growing, unacknowledged tension between her and Zhou Yue.

Novel Items

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Materials
Veterinary drugs used for breeding pigs that the original Xu Xi obtained and mixed into cold boiled water to drug Zhou Yue while he was drunk. This was the key plot device that forced Zhou Yue to sleep with Xu Xi and later led to Zhou Yue's brutal revenge against the Xu family.
Materials
A type of birth control pill that Xu Xi obtained from the village clinic. She deliberately took it to avoid getting pregnant, since the original plot stated she died from a difficult childbirth carrying twins. The village clinic only had No. 2, not No. 1. Taking this pill gave Xu Xi a slight sense of relief as it was her strategy to survive.
Item
A bright red polyester dress that Mother Xu specially bought from the supply and marketing cooperative for Xu Xi's wedding. With Xu Xi's dark skin, the red color made her appear even darker. Xu Xi cared about her appearance and was tempted to give up on the dress but wore it since it was Mother Xu's heartfelt gift.
Item
Blown out by Gu Yizhi in the bedroom before sleeping with An Ruoyan. As a top soldier, he can see clearly even in darkness.
Item
Gu Yizhi's bicycle used to transport An Ruoyan to the county bus. He rides it himself and she sits on the back.
Clothing
The uniform Yang Xichen was wearing during the Fragrant Hills trip. Haitang comments that he looks good in it but wants to see him in other clothes.
Latest Release
DateGroupRelease
2026-08-11shanghai fantasy c16
2026-08-11shanghai fantasy c15
2026-08-11shanghai fantasy c14
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Okay, so let me just say—this plot twist of having the protagonist wake up already married to the guy she accidentally drugged? That is BRILLIANT. Most transmigration stories start with the MC having some grand plan or golden finger, but here? She wakes up in a body that's dark, ugly, and already stuck with a husband who despises her. The setup is so much more interesting than the typical formula. What I love is how the author builds tension through the wedding day itself. The whole scene where the Xu family confronts the Zhou family in the courtyard—Zhang Tianfu's betrayal, the mockery about her appearance, the near-fight—this is where the plot really kicks into gear. And then Zhou Yue's line, "I married you only to take responsibility. Don't think about anything else," just absolutely crushed me. Not because it's cruel, but because it sets up this whole dynamic where both of them are trapped. The pacing is also really well done. The wedding, the first night, the next morning—all compressed into a few chapters but each moment feels earned. And that detail where Zhou Yue returns to the military base and his whole regiment finds out? That's a great way to show the consequences of this decision rippling outward. The plot doesn't just stay in the household; it expands into the military world too. Can't wait to see where this goes.
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Let me just say this: the stakes in this story are quietly massive and I am HERE for it. Xu Xi knows the original plot—she dies in childbirth, leaving twin orphans behind. That's not some vague threat, that's a death sentence she's actively trying to escape. And she's doing it while pregnant, in a village with terrible medical conditions, surrounded by people who want her gone. The conflict with Mother Zhou isn't just petty in-law drama—it's existential. Mother Zhou suspects the baby might not be Zhou Yue's, she's watching the belly grow 'too fast,' and she's plotting. Meanwhile the village women are gossiping about how Xu Xi 'forced herself on Zhou Yue.' Every interaction is loaded. And the fainting scene? Classic move but it worked on me because I understood the risk—Xu Xi could've been hurt for real, or the pregnancy could've been threatened. The fact that she turned it around and demanded compensation from the gossiping aunties showed teeth. Also the Zhou Yue angle—he's a soldier, divorce isn't simple, and yet Xu Xi is already planning to leave him after giving birth. She's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. I'm obsessed with whether she can actually change her fate.
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The author really knows how to paint a scene, and I have to talk about the train station and the train interior because they are SO vivid. Let me just quote this part because it's perfect: "Vivid red slogans were painted on the walls, and the attire of those around her was distinctly of the era—Dacron shirts and blue work clothes were everywhere. Vendors sold large bowls of tea for three fen each, twisted dough sticks wrapped in oiled paper, and some carried wooden boxes to exchange grain ration coupons or mend shoes." This is not just background description. This is worldbuilding that makes me feel like I'm standing there. I can see the red slogans, the sea of blue work clothes, the smell of fried dough sticks. The era is palpable. And the banyan tree scene at the very beginning? "A man suddenly sidled up beside her"—just that one line sets the whole mood. Rural village, shady encounter, immediate tension. No exposition needed. The train compartment during the trafficking scene is also brilliantly staged. The diagonal seating arrangement, the water bottles, the subtle hand movements of the trafficker—everything is positioned like a thriller movie. I could see every angle. The author clearly knows how to use space to build suspense.
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Can we just appreciate how good Xu Xi's dialogue is? This woman does not waste words. When Wu Yong tries to play it cool: "Sorry, I'm not familiar with you. There's nothing to say." Done. Next. When Mother Zhou confronts her about the pregnancy: "I have nothing to do with that man! He was harassing me... The child in my belly is, of course, Zhou Yue's. The doctor said I'm carrying twins. Isn't it natural for my belly to be big?" — this is a masterclass in defensive storytelling. She delivers it in one breath, with a "barely noticeable sob" to sell it. The mother-in-law swallows her anger and backs off. Perfection. But the absolute peak of dialogue in these chapters is the train scene. When everyone starts morally coercing her: "Doesn't our society promote unity and friendship nowadays?" And Xu Xi's response? She just devours the fried dough stick in front of them and blinks innocently. No words needed. The silence after that is comedic gold. Her brothers' dialogue is also great—each one has a slightly different voice. The eldest is dramatic, the second is ready for a fight, the third just wants to sleep. And Mother Xu's voice is all warmth and worry. Everyone sounds distinct.
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I need to talk about Xu Xi's relationships because this is where the story really shines. First, let's address the elephant in the room: Zhou Yue. The man hasn't even appeared in these chapters properly, and already I understand exactly why Xu Xi is done with him. He left for the army without telling her. His letters don't mention her once. She's pregnant, alone in a hostile village, and this guy is over on an island acting like he has no wife. Yeah, she's going to find him—but let's be real, this isn't a romantic quest. This is a woman who needs to survive, and he happens to be her ticket out. But the Xu family—oh my god. When she shows up at her parents' door in the middle of the night and they immediately drop everything to protect her? That hit me. Her brothers thinking a thief broke in and grabbing sticks? Her mother pooling together 107 mao and 5 fen and two warm eggs? That's the kind of family love that makes you want to hug your siblings through the screen. And then there's Mother Zhou, who swings from furious to apologetic in about thirty seconds because Xu Xi cries just right. "Sincerity is the ultimate weapon"—Xu Xi literally says this to herself afterward. I laughed out loud. This woman is surviving on pure cunning and she knows it.
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I'm going to be honest with you—I didn't expect to get this emotional from a story about a woman leaving her in-laws to find her husband on an island. But then Xu Xi opens that cloth bundle her mother pressed into her hands and finds 107 mao and 5 fen, grain ration coupons, and two still-warm eggs. And she thinks: "The Xu family was too good to her. In this unfamiliar era, they were her only source of warmth." That line. That single line broke something open in me. She's pregnant, alone, in a time period she doesn't fully understand, and her only anchor is the family she left behind who gave her everything they had. The fact that she also secretly adds Spirit Spring Water to their water vat before leaving—small, quiet, protective—shows how much she cares even when she can't say it out loud. And her brothers! "Little sister, what's wrong? Did the Zhou family bully you? Damn it, big brother will go settle things with the Zhou family right now!" These are not perfect siblings—they're impulsive and dramatic—but their love is real and immediate. No hesitation, no conditions. Meanwhile, Zhou Yue is out there on an island not writing her a single word in his letters, and I just... I don't know what to feel about him yet. But whatever happens between them, I think Xu Xi is going to be okay on her own terms. And that's what makes me want to keep reading.
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