Su Liuhe, a twenty-four-year-old woman from the modern era, wakes up in the body of a girl with the same name in rural China on October 2, 1975. She realizes she has transmigrated into a period novel she had abandoned halfway through, cast into the role of the tragic, useless female supporting character destined to die in misery. The original host was an adopted daughter of the Su family, abused by her adoptive mother, Chen Xiulan, and her stepsister, Su Huidi. The family had forced her out after she refused to accept that her love interest, Li Hongxing, a deputy director of the county grain and oil store, was marrying Su Huidi instead. Su Huidi had shamelessly seduced Li Hongxing, and the Su family, eager to secure a city household registration for their biological daughter, expelled Su Liuhe into a dilapidated wooden house left to her by her deceased biological parents, who were heroes that died saving the adoptive family from a flash flood.
Su Liuhe accepts her situation with pragmatic calmness, rejecting the original host’s emotional dependency on men and focusing on survival. In her new home, she discovers a mysterious cracked pickling jar that begins to duplicate whatever is placed inside it, starting with chestnuts given to her by a local youth. This supernatural object becomes her lifeline, providing food and, through consumption, enhancing her physical beauty and health. Her life intersects with Gu Yiren, a fifteen-year-old boy who is actually a twenty-seven-year-old man reborn after a tragic life where he was abused by his uncle, Liu Fendou, and his two sons. Gu Yiren was found in a wolf den as a child and treated as a slave laborer. In his previous life, he was framed, lost his eye and leg, and died alone. Upon rebirth, he retains his memories and a fierce desire for revenge, initially planning to kill his abusers when Su Liuhe interrupts him by knocking on the door.
Su Liuhe, unaware of Gu Yiren’s inner turmoil, learns that he is not legally registered under the Liu family’s household and declares herself his guardian to save him from abuse. She uses the law and public opinion to force the Liu family to release him, retrieving his hidden savings and a watch that belonged to his parents. Gu Yiren, touched by her unexpected kindness and protection, agrees to live with her. The two form an unlikely partnership; Su Liuhe manages the household finances and discovers her talent for sewing, while Gu Yiren handles physical labor and protects her. Su Liuhe’s beauty, enhanced by the magical chestnuts, draws attention, and she begins to navigate the social dynamics of Xiaotang Village, including interactions with neighbors like Xiangcai’s mother and local men who had previously pursued the original host. The story follows their journey as they establish a home together, with Su Liuhe aiming to improve their status and Gu Yiren pursuing his dream of joining the military, all while dealing with the lingering threats of the past and the complexities of their new life in the 1970s.
