Winter, 1976. Red Flag Brigade.
The wind howled, and the gates of the Old Jiang family, normally decked with festive lights and decorations, were now in utter chaos.
“I won’t marry! I’d rather die than marry that cripple Huo Jingchuan!”
A sharp scream pierced the air.
Jiang Mian felt as if a sledgehammer had smashed her head—pain shot through her skull.
She instinctively pressed her temples, and the noise around her gradually came into focus.
[Hiss… I just finished my tenth surgery and collapsed in the operating room. Where… am I?]
Before she could fully process it, a flood of unfamiliar memories crashed into her mind.
1970s… Red Flag Brigade… forced marriage…
She had transmigrated.
In her previous life, she was an internationally renowned Chinese medicine expert in the 21st century. She had worked herself to death trying to save lives.
The unlucky original owner of her body, due to her sister’s wedding cancellation and parental pressure, had died of a heart attack on the eve of her wedding—perfect timing for Jiang Mian to take over the role.
She took a deep breath, quickly assessing the situation.
In the yard, her sister Jiang Yan, dressed in a red cotton coat, was throwing a tantrum under a jujube tree:“He’s the living devil! He’s got broken legs and a twisted mind! I’m marrying Zhao Zhiqing! Zhao Donglai is my true love!”
Jiang Mian squinted slightly, scanning the chaotic crowd before her gaze landed on her own wrist—a faint red mark was there.
[Good thing my billion-yuan supplies space came with me.]
Relieved by this safety net, her anxiety instantly melted away.
In her past life, she had exhausted herself. This life, she decided, she’d just be a lazy “salted fish,” living comfortably.
She quickly searched her mind for information about her “match”—Huo Jingchuan.
A high-ranking official’s son from the capital, brigade commander with high allowances, crippled (no marital obligations), short-tempered (nobody bothers her), and reportedly short-lived.
Her eyes lit up, brighter than the stars.
[Wait, what? Rich, powerful, not clingy? This isn’t a death trap—it’s a tailor-made retirement paradise with full benefits!]
[No work, no surgeries, just sit back, collect the monthly allowance, and if I survive him, inherit a huge compensation package to go to college… Finally, my fortune has arrived!]
At that moment, her mother, Liu Guihua, rushed over in a panic, reaching for Jiang Mian:“You little brat! What are you waiting for? Your sister won’t marry, so you’re going to! Hurry and change your clothes!”
Liu Guihua lunged with all her strength, wielding the rough force of years spent farming.
The original, weak Jiang Mian would have surely fallen.
But this Jiang Mian was a modern surgeon, expert in body mechanics and core stability.
She shifted her weight subtly, executing a flawless sidestep, using her core to redirect the force, and lightly hooked her foot out.
“Ah-yo!”
Liu Guihua lunged and missed, tripping over, landing face-first in the mud with a thud like a giant frog.
“Mom! Are you okay?”
Jiang Mian “panicked” and reached out to help, swaying just enough to dodge her mother’s flailing hand.
The onlookers, unsure whether to laugh, dared not—nobody realized Jiang Mian had subtly manipulated her stance; they thought Liu Guihua had simply fallen in her haste.
“Disaster!” Liu Guihua cried, sitting up and patting her thighs.“Jiang Mian, if you don’t marry, the whole family will be ruined by the Huo family! Do you want to watch your parents die?”
Jiang Mian lowered her gaze, adjusting her expression instantly.
The inner film star emerged.
Tears hung precariously on long lashes, her body shivering in the cold wind, voice soft and pitiful:“Mom, don’t force me… Commander Huo is a hero. Since my sister refuses, I… I will marry him.”
She lifted her head, looking fragile yet brave for her family, breaking the hearts of the villagers around her.
Her sister Jiang Yan, hearing this, felt triumphant, a smirk curling her lips:“Jiang Mian, go suffer in that cold compound—you’re taking the trash position while I enjoy the first-wife glory!”
What no one heard, however, was the fireworks exploding in Jiang Mian’s mind:
[Thank you, sister! Thank you, family! I get to take this premium “catch” for myself!][As long as I survive Huo Jingchuan, I’ll be the richest, happiest little widow! Goodbye, 996 schedule, goodbye operating table—hello, salted-fish life!]
“Mianmian, we’re relying on you,” her father feigned a sigh, hurriedly calling out:“Hurry! Change the girl’s clothes! Get her in the car!”
Ten minutes later.
Jiang Mian, dressed in her sister’s red wedding gown, was squeezed into the jeep waiting at the village entrance.
She sank into the soft leather seat, eyes closing in comfort.
Through the window, she saw Jiang Yan clutching Zhao Zhiqing’s hand, a triumphant “I win” expression on her face.
Jiang Mian pressed a handkerchief to her eyes, appearing sad, but inside she was smirking uncontrollably.
[Laugh, silly sister. You picked up peanuts and dropped a watermelon—you’ll regret it.][Huo Jingchuan, your compensation… oh no, your little wife is coming!]
The jeep roared to life, kicking up dust, heading toward the provincial military compound.
Inside a small independent building there, a man in a wheelchair scowled, holding a telegram, a vein twitching at his temple.
Little did he know, a modern-trained doctor with a billion-yuan supply space and a mind full of “get rich, play dead, survive the husband” schemes was racing toward him—ready to drive him mad.