Reborn in 1965 as the Silly Zhu of Siheyuan

A young man from the modern era unexpectedly becomes reborn as "Silly Zhu," He Yuzhu, from Love in the Courtyard. It is 1965, an era of scarcity, and he is bound to the "Repaying Kindness System," which rewards him only when he provides precise, practical help. From the start, he has to deal with Qin Huairu scheming to borrow grain. He cleverly uses the System's starting supplies, citing "rationed distribution" to ease her hardship while holding firm to his boundaries, beginning to shed his reputation as a pushover. With cooking and electrical skills granted by the System, he repairs Lou Xiao'e's radio and earns her goodwill. He also exchanges knowledge with the calculating Third Master Yan Bugui, upending his schemes while quietly building connections and a reputation.

Yet one crisis follows another. Wang, the deputy director of the Light Industry Bureau, covets He Yuzhu's proposed "high-efficiency rolling mill" design. After failing to obtain it through threats and inducements, he seizes the chance to set a trap while He is away attending a study exchange, arranging a treacherous banquet and sending his trusted subordinate Chen Mo and others to seize the technical documents by force and kill He afterward. He Yuzhu and Team Leader Zheng, an investigator from the ministry traveling with him, are attacked late at night. Wounded, they flee to an abandoned cave in the wilderness.

In this desperate situation, He Yuzhu unexpectedly discovers a rusted iron box bearing an emblem that may be connected to a classified project his father, He Daqing, once took part in. At just the right moment, the System unlocks its "Imprints of the Era" function, which indicates that the object may be connected to high-precision transmission technology left over from Project 541 in the early days of the People's Republic. With their pursuers closing in, He Yuzhu thinks fast. He uses the iron box to make eerie noises and pretends to be insane. Combined with the psychological shock of a piercing train whistle, this frightens off the pursuers and buys them a brief respite.