Married to the Stern Officer

After working herself to exhaustion, Qian Lingling wakes up in the 1980s as the wife of army officer Xie Yan. She realizes Xie Yan is destined to become a tycoon, while the original wife died after demanding a divorce. Faced with a comfortable home and Xie Yan's return, Lingling chooses to stay.

Qian Lingling tells Xie Yan she will divorce him once she adjusts to life here. She discovers valuable traditional medicine and a sheet of monkey stamps at home, and resolves to build a better relationship with him. When she suggests taking their adopted daughter Xie Min out to play football, Xie Yan, sensitive about his leg injury, eventually agrees and takes the role of goalkeeper.

Xie Yan's younger brother Xie Wei suddenly appears and angrily accuses Qian Lingling of causing Xie Yan's fall. Xie Yan and Xie Min both explain it was an accident, and their mother steps in to defend Lingling. After Xie Wei is forced to apologize, Lingling takes Xie Yan to change his clothes, but privately wonders what he is up to.

Qian Lingling insists on helping Xie Yan change his clothes despite his refusal. While doing so, she inadvertently sees his chest muscles and blurts out a compliment. Xie Yan, uncomfortable, again asks her to leave.

Qian Lingling tries to get close to Mianmian, who is initially scared but warms up after Lingling's gentle reassurance. Lingling offers to be her mother, and Mianmian calls her mom. Noticing Mianmian is hungry, Lingling decides to cook for her.

Qian Lingling makes a colorful meal for Mianmian, but Xie Yan worries it might be harmful. He explains Mianmian has cavities and must avoid sweets. After dinner, Mianmian goes to bed on her own, while Lingling jokes about sleeping with Xie Yan.

Qian Lingling drinks alone and talks to Xie Yan's photo. When Xie Yan suddenly appears, he catches her in an awkward position. She hastily claims she was petting a cat, making the moment deeply embarrassing.

At breakfast, Xie Wei mocks Qian Lingling's odd outfit and mentions that Lu Xiaoman has arranged a traditional doctor for Xie Yan's leg, bluntly saying Lingling is unworthy of him. Xie Yan stops him, clarifies his relationship with Lu Xiaoman is merely as classmates, and declines the treatment. Lingling privately laments that if she knew medicine, she could help Xie Yan.

Qian Lingling uses a massage remedy learned from a neighbor's golden retriever to treat Xie Yan's leg. He feels a surge of strength and attempts to stand. Lu Xiaoman bursts in and accuses Lingling of being selfish, but Lingling retorts it is a private matter between husband and wife, and Xie Yan coldly dismisses Lu.

Lu Xiaoman brings renowned doctor Zhang Huaiqing to treat Xie Yan's leg and belittles Qian Lingling. Xie Yan declares that Lingling's massage has already restored feeling in his leg and refuses other treatment to avoid disrupting her progress. Doctor Zhang examines him and is surprised by the result.

After examining Xie Yan, Doctor Zhang Huaiqing is astonished to find that Qian Lingling's massage has unblocked his meridians, giving him a real chance to stand again. Lu Xiaoman questions Lingling's technique, but Doctor Zhang dismisses her doubts. Lingling offers to write down the massage steps, earning the doctor's deep gratitude.

Xie Yan stands before his family, and his mother is overjoyed. Xie Wei credits Lu Xiaoman, but Xie Yan publicly clarifies that Qian Lingling healed his leg and scolds Xie Wei for bringing an outsider into their bedroom. Lu Xiaoman leaves embarrassed, and Xie Yan declines her offer to make soup.

While Qian Lingling applies medicine to Xie Yan, he suddenly asks if she wants a divorce. She avoids a direct answer, and the mood turns tense. Though Xie Yan has grown bolder since his recovery, the distance between them remains.

Xie Yan hands Qian Lingling a thousand yuan for her trip to her parents' home and tells her to withdraw more from the bank if needed. Lingling inwardly scolds herself for not saying something nice and only manages to promise she will pay him back double. Realizing the original wife fought with Xie Yan over money as well as his injury, she resolves to find out what is really going on at her family home.

Back at her family home, Qian Lingling is pressured by her aunt to pay for her cousin's wedding purchases. Lingling refuses, pointing out that the house and everything in it belong to her. She gives them three days to leave or face the police.

Qian Lingling learns that clivias are more valuable than gold in the early 1980s. She withdraws twenty-five thousand yuan from Xie Yan's savings and buys over two thousand pots. She tells the family that within a month, the flowers will turn into a fortune.

Xie Wei accuses Qian Lingling of squandering his brother's hard-earned savings. Lingling insists it is an investment and predicts the clivias will skyrocket within a month. Xie Yan states that the money is hers to spend and calms the situation. At the table, Xie Min offers her chicken leg to Xie Yan, leaving the family mood uneasy.

Qian Lingling moves her flowers in the rain late at night. Xie Yan insists on helping despite his leg injury, and they carry the pots together. Xie Min runs out to join them, and the whole family pitches in.

Qian Lingling brings her rain-soaked clivias inside. Xie Yan offers her ginger soup, but she first dries the leaves to prevent root rot. Xie Wei grumbles yet helps at his brother's urging. Just as they debate whether the clivias will ever appreciate, Xie Min rushes in with news that the price has gone up.

Xie Min announces that clivia prices have soared to 150,000 yuan, thrilling the family. Qian Lingling seizes the moment to make Xie Wei fill an entire notebook with his autograph, insisting it will be worth millions someday, and he reluctantly complies.

Qian Lingling hands Xie Yan the money from selling the clivias, but he insists she keep it, citing the Xie family rule that the lady of the house manages the finances. She takes the bankbook, joking it is what she earned through hard labor in a past life, then abruptly leaves to collect a debt.

Qian Lingling confronts the debtors, who refuse to move out and have no money. She offers to rent the house to them for two thousand yuan, and they reluctantly agree. She becomes their landlord and warns them not to upset her, or the rent will go up.

Xie Wei scored forty points on his exam and still bickers with Qian Lingling. Lu Xiaoman follows Xie Yan home for a home visit and offers to tutor Xie Wei daily, but Lingling suggests he could debut as a singer instead.

Qian Lingling encourages Xie Wei to enter a youth singing contest, but Lu Xiaoman dismisses singing as frivolous. Xie Yan unexpectedly backs his brother, allowing him to participate as long as his grades don't suffer, and Xie Wei happily calls Lingling 'sister-in-law' for the first time.

The aunt storms in with the village chief, claiming Qian Lingling extorted two thousand yuan from her and demanding a body search. Xie Yan suddenly stands up to defend his wife, shocking everyone. Lingling is cornered and pressed to admit whether she took the money.

Qian Lingling reveals the money was rent her uncle's family owed her, and tearfully recounts how they occupied her late father's house for years while threatening her with ancestral rites. Xie Yan warns that false accusations can carry up to three years in prison. The aunt and village chief hastily drop the complaint and retreat.

Devastated by the false accusations, Qian Lingling holds a knife and threatens to take her own life. Xie Yan and Xie Min plead with her to stop. Xie Min warns that if Lingling dies, the rumor-mongers will go to prison. Frightened, Liu Lanzhi and her son finally apologize in person.

Qian Lingling demands compensation from Liu Lanzhi and her son, raising the amount from one hundred to five hundred yuan, and orders them to vacate the house within three days, return the appliances, and apologize in person. Just as the dust settles, Xie Min's homeroom teacher arrives and criticizes Lingling's love of money, warning that her values will mislead Xie Min.

Teacher Lu visits, and Qian Lingling bluntly points out that the music, art, and reading she loves all require money, making it no different from loving money itself. Left speechless, Teacher Lu is shown the door. Right after, Liu Lanzhi and her son arrive.

Teacher Lu stirs up Liu Lanzhi and her son, suggesting they sabotage the house Qian Lingling is reclaiming. Liu Lanzhi and her son decide to fill the rooms with foul-smelling debris from the river, making the house uninhabitable. Meanwhile, Qian Lingling notices Xie Yan has a neck injury and applies medicine for him.

Xie Wei knocks on Qian Lingling's door late at night, wanting to learn the catchy tune she was humming. Lingling refuses and tells him to review his exam mistakes first. Xie Yan scolds his brother for his poor grades but promises to teach him to sing if he passes his exams.