Transmigrated into a Poor Family, Getting Rich Quietly with the Whole Family

Yu Chunmiao, a twenty-eight-year-old professional equestrian from modern China, dies in a riding accident when a horse strikes her with an iron horseshoe. At the moment of death, her soul merges with that of a sixteen-year-old girl of the same name in an ancient world. The original Yu Chunmiao had endured years of abuse from her gambling father, Yu Daman, and a cruel sister-in-law after her mother drowned when she was ten. To repay his debts, Yu Daman sells his daughter for three taels of silver to the Qi family, claiming she will marry their disabled eldest son. Upon waking in the donkey cart, the modern Yu Chunmiao accepts her new reality, hoping for a better fate than her previous life of debt and hard labor.

She arrives at the Qi family home, a modest earthen courtyard that is cleaner and more stable than her former home. She meets Madam Qi, the matriarch, who is frail from a chronic cough but sharp-eyed. The three Qi brothers are introduced: Qi Chong, the eldest, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a leg injury sustained while hunting; Qi Yuan, the second son, who is away apprenticing as a carpenter; and Qi Rong, the youngest, who is intelligent and caring despite his youth. Yu Chunmiao observes that the Qi family, though poor, is filled with mutual affection and filial piety, a stark contrast to her abusive father’s household. She decides to stay and rebuild her life, using her modern knowledge and work ethic to improve their circumstances.

Yu Chunmiao quickly integrates into the household, displaying competence and kindness. She cooks meals that delight the family, including a stir-fry of river snails and clams that Qi Rong initially finds disgusting but later enjoys. She identifies wild sugarcane and learns from Qi Chong that while sugarcane sugar is government-monopolized, other forms of sugar production are permitted within limits. She also boils loquat leaves to soothe Madam Qi’s persistent cough, providing relief and strengthening her bond with the family. Her modern sensibilities and practical skills begin to win over Qi Chong, who initially keeps his distance due to his injury and pride.

The family faces external threats from relatives, particularly Qi Ping, the son of Yu Chunmiao’s father’s brother, and his parents, Qi Changsheng and Zhang Guihua. Qi Ping, resentful of the Qi family’s past prosperity and his own father’s cowardice during a wild boar attack that injured Qi Chong, frequently harasses Qi Rong. After Qi Rong fights back and beats Qi Ping, the relatives demand compensation, accusing the Qi family of hiding a gold bar inherited from their grandfather. Yu Chunmiao and Madam Qi firmly deny the existence of the gold, explaining that any wealth was spent on medical bills and living expenses. When the relatives attempt to physically intimidate Qi Chong, Yu Chunmiao supports him, helping to repel the intrusion.

Yu Chunmiao also encounters her biological father, Yu Daman, in town. She and Madam Qi pretend she is still simple-minded and that the family has spent all their money on her medicine to deter him from seeking further financial gain. Yu Daman, finding no money to extort, leaves disappointed. Meanwhile, Yu Chunmiao and Madam Qi begin selling clams and other mountain goods in the market, generating income to pay for Madam Qi’s medicine and save for Qi Chong’s leg treatment. Yu Chunmiao’s actions demonstrate her determination to lift the family out of poverty through hard work and smart resource management, setting the stage for their gradual improvement despite ongoing challenges.