Transmigrated into a Broken Engagement: She Married the Future Grand Chancellor Instead

Li Jinxiu, a woman from the twenty-first century, transmigrates into the body of a fifteen-year-old girl with the same name in a famine-stricken era. The original Li Jinxiu was engaged since childhood to the wealthy Sun family, a bond formed when her grandfather shared his meager food with the Suns during a northern famine. However, when the Sun family finally sends a matchmaker, they reject Jinxiu in favor of her cousin, Li Zhenzhu, from the second branch of the Li family. Humiliated and desperate, the original Jinxiu attempts suicide by jumping into a river. Jinxiu’s soul arrives just as the girl is drowning, and she is rescued by Xie Jinnan, a scholar from the Xie family who values propriety. To save Jinxiu’s reputation and fulfill his moral duty, Xie Jinnan agrees to marry her, despite the significant social and economic disadvantages this entails.

The Li family is divided between the eldest and second branches, with the grandmother favoring the younger, more successful son. Jinxiu’s father, Li Dayou, is an honest but poor farmer, while her mother, Wu Guihua, is sharp-tongued but deeply caring. After a heated confrontation where Wu Guihua defends her daughter’s honor, Jinxiu departs for the Xie household. The Xie family, though respected for their brick house and tiled roof, is in dire financial straits. The patriarch, Xie Changsheng, suffers from a leg injury, his wife Li Xiuhong is bedridden from a stroke, and the family relies on the labor of the two younger sons, Jinnan and Eryong. Jinxiu arrives with only a small bundle of clothes and a single tael of silver secretly given to her by her mother, marking her entry into a household that is outwardly respectable but internally struggling.

Upon entering the Xie home, Jinxiu finds a surprisingly warm reception. Old Madam Tian, the matriarch, is kind and reasonable, offering Jinxiu comfort and food immediately. Jinxiu discovers that she possesses a mysterious system that allows her to exchange wild plants and animals for points, which can then be used to purchase modern goods like rice, eggs, and meat. During her first few days, she explores the mountains with Xie Eryong and his young cousin, Xiaoyu. There, she encounters a Monstera plant and learns through her system that its fruit is edible when ripe. She also discovers valuable wild morels and medicinal herbs, which she exchanges for points, secretly planning how to improve her family’s diet without revealing her supernatural advantage.

A significant emotional conflict arises when Jinxiu witnesses Xie Eryong being rejected by his love interest, He Qinglian. She learns that Qinglian has agreed to marry the village head’s son for financial security, leaving Eryong heartbroken. In his distress, Eryong accidentally cuts his hand severely while chopping firewood. Jinxiu takes charge, ensuring he receives medical attention from the village physician, Doctor Ma. The incident draws the attention of gossiping villagers, particularly an elderly woman named Granny Bai, who harbors a long-standing grudge against the Xie family due to a past business dispute involving her husband. She spreads rumors that Jinxiu is a jinx, bringing bad luck to the household.

Despite the external hostility and internal financial pressures, Jinxiu works to integrate herself into the family. She uses her cooking skills to prepare a meal with the wild mushrooms and pork she acquired, bringing a rare moment of joy and fullness to the Xie family. Her relationship with Xie Jinnan deepens as they navigate their new marriage. He is respectful and gentle, offering to teach her to read, while she appreciates his kindness and lack of arrogance. Jinxiu begins to see potential in this life, viewing the Xie family not as a burden but as a opportunity to build a future. She carefully manages her system exchanges, hiding her sources of food and money while gradually improving the family’s living conditions. The story follows her efforts to survive in a harsh historical setting, balancing the challenges of feudal family dynamics, rural poverty, and the secret power of her transmigration system.