Transmigrated to the 80s: Divorce? I'm Not Leaving Mom Behind

Su Niannian, a struggling journalist in modern-day Beijing, shares her name with Su Minzhi, the nation’s richest woman and a devoted promoter of rabies vaccines following the tragic death of her seven-year-old daughter. After an interview reveals Su Minzhi’s deepest regret, Niannian falls asleep in her cramped apartment and wakes up in 1985 Shanghai, inhabiting the body of a seven-year-old girl named Fang Niannian. She quickly realizes she has become the daughter of Su Minzhi and Fang Yuming, a civil servant. Her new life begins with peril when a rabid dog chases her in an alley, an incident averted only by a passing soldier, which narrowly prevents the historical tragedy that originally claimed her predecessor’s life.

The stability of Niannian’s new existence is shattered when Liu Xianglan, Fang Yuming’s secret wife from his time as an educated youth in the countryside, arrives in Shanghai with their son, Liu Xiaolei. Liu Xianglan demands that the Fang family acknowledge the child and grant him urban household registration. The Fang family, fearing scandal and the wrath of Su Minzhi’s powerful military family, initially attempts to hush the matter. However, Su Minzhi, upon discovering the deception and the existence of the illegitimate child, refuses to compromise. She demands a divorce, a decision supported by her mother, Yunshu, who travels from Guangzhou to assist her daughter. Yunshu confronts Fang Yuming at his workplace, threatening to expose his moral failings to his superiors unless he agrees to the divorce.

Amidst the family turmoil, Liu Xiaolei reveals himself to be a complex antagonist. Having died bitter and impoverished in a previous timeline, he has been reborn into his eight-year-old body in 1985. Driven by resentment and a desire to reclaim the life denied to him, he manipulates the situation to ensure his place in the Fang family. He witnesses the divorce proceedings and the subsequent separation of Su Minzhi and Niannian from the Fang household. While Su Minzhi and Niannian move to a new apartment in Xuhui District, Xiaolei remains with the Fang family, biding his time and plotting to secure his inheritance and status.

Niannian, retaining her adult mind and professional skills, adapts quickly to her new reality. Recognizing her academic gifts, she skips grades and enters fourth grade, where she meets Li Yuancheng, another prodigy. Utilizing her knowledge of future market trends, she identifies the potential of the picture-story book industry and begins creating her own illustrations, aiming to submit her work to the Shanghai People’s Fine Arts Publishing House. Simultaneously, she encourages her mother to invest in newly issued corporate stocks, a risky move that Su Minzhi eventually accepts, marking the beginning of her rise as a businesswoman.

The divorce is finalized, and Su Minzhi gains custody of Niannian, with Fang Yuming required to pay child support. Despite the legal separation, the Fang family attempts to maintain a facade of goodwill, visiting Su Minzhi and Niannian with gifts. However, the underlying tension remains high. Niannian changes her surname to Su, fully aligning herself with her mother. The story establishes a dual narrative: Su Minzhi’s journey toward economic independence and maternal protection, and Liu Xiaolei’s sinister maneuvering to infiltrate and eventually usurp the family’s wealth and status, setting the stage for a prolonged conflict between the legitimate daughter and the illegitimate son.