Treat Me as a Maid? Reborn as the Real Young Lady to Marry You, the Chief

Jian Ning was reborn on her wedding day in the 1970s, returning to the moment her life had previously ended in tragedy. In her past life, she had married Lu Changzheng against her family's wishes and spent three years caring for his bedridden mother, difficult father, and young siblings while he served in the military. Upon his return, she discovered he had been legally married to his sister-in-law, Lin Hongyun, all along. The shock drove her insane, leading to her confinement in an asylum and a miserable death. Now reborn, Jian Ning stands at the altar as Lu Changzheng arrives with Lin Hongyun, announcing he intends to marry both women to satisfy his obligations to his late brother's fiancée. The guests mock Jian Ning's appearance and status, expecting her to submit as she did before.

Instead of enduring the humiliation, Jian Ning violently overturns the banquet tables, shocking the Lu family and the crowd. When Lu Changzheng attempts to strike her, she dodges and slaps him, then grabs Lin Hongyun and threatens her with scissors to prevent the Lu family from attacking. Director Liang from the neighborhood office arrives and is horrified by the prospect of bigamy. Jian Ning reveals that Lu Changzheng and Lin Hongyun are already legally married, producing their certificate alongside her own. She exposes the Lu family's scheme to use her as a free servant while they live as a couple. Facing the threat of military prosecution for bigamy and hooliganism, the Lu family is forced to pay her two thousand yuan in compensation. Jian Ning accepts the money, signs a receipt severing all ties, and leaves the Lu household.

Jian Ning returns to her birth family, the Jian residence, where she confronts her reckless older brother, Jian Junhui. She reveals she knows he is involved in the black market and warns him about his rival, Li Heizi. She then sells her coveted textile factory job to Xia Hong for two hundred yuan, denying the position to Lu Xiaomei, who had previously betrayed her. Lu Xiaomei attempts to guilt-trip Jian Ning on the street, but Jian Ning physically beats her until Lu Xiaomei flees. During this altercation, Song Yan, a handsome regimental commander, witnesses the event. Later, Jian Ning learns from Xiao Qingyuan that she was swapped at birth with Xiao Yue, the daughter of the wealthy Xiao family. She chooses to leave with Xiao Qingyuan to return to her biological family, despite her adoptive brother's anger.

Upon arriving at the Northwest Military District, Jian Ning meets the Xiao family. Her biological mother, Luo Susu, welcomes her with tears and affection, while her sister Xiao Yue and sister-in-law Song Hualan harbor secret resentment and mockery due to Jian Ning's weight and rough manners. Song Hualan openly insults Jian Ning, betting that she will never pass the Arts Troupe audition. Jian Ning accepts the challenge, wagering that if she fails, she will leave the family forever. She begins a rigorous diet and exercise regimen, waking at dawn to run every day. Her determination impresses her father, Xiao Zhengjun, and earns her mother's protection. The story follows her transformation as she seeks to reclaim her life, shed her past trauma, and prove her worth to a family that initially doubts her.