Study region: The loess tableland region, China. Study focus: A decade-long (2014-2023) investigation assessed soil water content (SWC) dynamics across four rainfed farmlands (Alfalfa field, AF; Fertilized cropland, FC; Unfertilized cropland, UC; Fallow field, FF) to clarify post-drought soil water replenishment. Using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), three extreme drought-rewetting events (WE1: 93.6 mm, WE2: 47.4 mm, WE3: 131.2 mm) representing precipitation gradients were identified. New hydrological insights for the region: Soil water response varied significantly with land use and rainfall intensity. Recharge depths differed notably: during WE1, the depths reached 100 cm for AF, FF, and UC, but only 50 cm for FC, with corresponding Delta SWC increments of 5.3%, 6.4%, 8.1%, and 3.7%, respectively. In WE2, the depths for AF, FF, and UC reached 120 cm versus FC's 100 cm. During WE3, FF achieved 260 cm, while AF and FC remained at 100 cm. Precipitation storage efficiency (PSE) peaked in FF (WE1, 48.2%) and AF (WE2, 80.9%; WE3, 56.3%), showing a nonlinear relationship with precipitation linked to antecedent soil water content (ASWC). Daily precipitation and duration governed wetting duration and front uniformity; FC exhibited the longest duration (12 days) under low-intensity, long-duration rainfall. These findings elucidate soil water dynamics during extreme climate events, aiding disaster forecasting in rain-fed agricultural regions.