Transmigrated to the 1970s: A Bystander Rewrites Her Destiny

Lin Baiyu, a workaholic orphan from the modern era, dies and transmigrates into the body of a sickly eighteen-year-old girl in 1974 China who shares her name. The original Lin Baiyu was a minor bystander character in a novel titled Kicking Away the Scumbag and Marrying the Future Tycoon, destined to die young due to suppressed fortune. Upon waking in a dilapidated rural home, Lin Baiyu binds with the Melon-Eating System No. 233, which offers a path to return to her original world in exchange for collecting energy by observing and recording gossip. The system provides a beginner gift package containing health-enhancing items, allowing her to gradually recover her physical strength while maintaining the appearance of a slow, natural healing process.

Lin Baiyu integrates herself into the Lin family, consisting of her loving grandparents and an older brother serving in the military. She discovers that the original owner had a secret talent for writing and had been submitting manuscripts to newspapers, leaving behind a modest savings and a network of editorial contacts. Using this income, she begins to improve the family’s living conditions, carefully balancing the need for better nutrition with the era’s requirement for low-profile behavior. Her grandparents, particularly Grandpa Lin, a respected veteran, protect her fiercely, unaware of the supernatural system but appreciative of her sudden recovery and filial piety.

The narrative shifts when four new educated youths arrive in the village: Zheng Peizhen, Gao Lanying, Xu Guangyao, and Xie Qingyuan. Lin Baiyu identifies them as key supporting characters from the novel whose conflicts drive the original plot. Her system tasks require her to gather information about their interactions. She observes the volatile relationship between Zheng Peizhen, a spoiled and arrogant girl from a privileged background, and Gao Lanying, a manipulative young woman who uses feigned weakness to exploit others. Through village gossip and direct observation, Lin Baiyu learns that Zheng Peizhen is systematically isolating Gao Lanying, reversing the power dynamics established in the original story.

A significant turning point occurs when Lin Baiyu encounters Zhang Meifeng, the novel’s original female protagonist, in the city. Zhang Meifeng is depicted as reborn, seeking revenge against her abusive future husband. Lin Baiyu witnesses Zhang Meifeng’s interactions with the man, recognizing the psychological manipulation and abuse that define their relationship in the book. This encounter highlights the divergence in Lin Baiyu’s path; unlike Zhang Meifeng, who relies on rebirth and dramatic revenge, Lin Baiyu chooses a cautious approach, focusing on financial stability through writing and gradual social integration.

As Lin Baiyu continues her work as a writer, she earns enough to support her grandparents fully, fulfilling the original owner’s dying wish. The system’s energy collection progresses, revealing that the world’s timeline is flawed due to the original author’s rushed ending. Lin Baiyu’s presence helps stabilize these plot holes. She maintains a careful distance from the central romantic conflicts, observing from the sidelines while building her own secure life. The story establishes her role as an observer who benefits from the chaos around her without being consumed by it, setting the stage for her eventual return to her original world once the system’s energy requirements are met.