Lin Wan, a young educated youth sent to the countryside in the 1970s, is hit by two blows at once: her parents are gravely ill and urgently need money, and she is being forced to marry a shabby old man!
With nowhere else to turn, she strikes a deal with Lu Zheng, a man from her village: a marriage swap! Lu Zheng needs to find a husband for his disabled younger sister, while Lin Wan wants to escape her predicament. They each get what they need, and agree not to interfere in each other's lives after the wedding.
She thinks their marriage contract will let them live in peace, but reality has other plans! The old bachelor refuses to give up and comes to cause trouble, hoping to take her away. Village gossip claims Lin Wan agreed to the swap because nobody else wanted her. Lu Zheng's relatives doubt her too, convinced that an educated youth with an inflated opinion of herself won't stick around.
But nobody expects Lu Zheng to be a devoted wife-protector. Whoever bullies Lin Wan, he's the first to step in. And Lin Wan is no pushover either. She uses her education to help the Lu family, helps Lu Yao regain her confidence, and delivers a satisfying face-slapping blow to everyone who doubted her!
As they grow closer, they go from mistrusting each other to relying on each other. The care they show when one of them falls ill and the support they offer through hardship turn their marriage of convenience into genuine love. Later, when policies loosen, Lin Wan wants to start a business, and Lu Zheng gives her his full support. Together, they set up a street stall and build a thriving life for themselves.
The marriage-swap couple everyone once looked down on not only overcome every obstacle, but become a model for the whole village. It turns out the best connections often begin with an unexpected compromise.
