Dump the Jerk, Raise a Sweetheart

In 1982, in a small city in the south, Lin Wanqiu is reborn from the regrets of 1998. She returns just as her daughter Nianqiu comes down with a high fever and her ex-husband, Zhou Jianguo, is about to spend their last ration coupons on a “Dacron” shirt for his younger sister. In her previous life, her in-laws mistreated her, she gave everything for her family, and when she fell seriously ill, nobody cared. Her son, Zhou Lei, even thought she was an embarrassment. Now she has finally woken up. She takes the ration coupons to save her daughter, exposes her husband’s hidden money, and gets leverage over his embezzlement of public property. She insists on a divorce, determined to escape the mire even if she leaves with nothing but Nianqiu and her dowry.

For her daughter’s sake, she grits her teeth and takes on any work she can find: unloading cargo at the docks, staying up late to embroider handkerchiefs for money. Then she spots an opportunity in what dockworkers need and sets up a stall selling brown sugar rice cakes. With honest ingredients and skillful hands, she earns a foothold. When Zhou Jianguo spreads rumors and tries to monopolize her ingredients, she finds a way to overcome every obstacle. Her stall in a shack grows into Wanqiu Pastry Shop, and she is even named a “Model of Diligence and Prosperity.”

Meanwhile, Zhou Jianguo loses his job, and his family falls on hard times. Zhou Lei, who once looked down on her for being poor, regrets his actions and begs her to take him back, but Lin Wanqiu firmly refuses. In the end, she buys a new home, and Nianqiu gets into a prestigious university to study food science, hoping to carry on her mother’s craft. On New Year’s Eve, mother and daughter embrace. Lin Wanqiu finally wins a fulfilling life through her own efforts, while the scoundrel and his family are left with nothing but endless regret.