Novel List

Jian Lu, a fair-skinned and soft-spoken beauty, finds herself transmigrated into a novel set in the '70s as a cannon fodder character with the same name. Born into a patriarchal family that yearned for a son, she was unloved and neglected, even as the youngest daughter. As she comes of age, her family schemes to marry her off to an abusive live-in son-in-law in exchange for a son, sealing her tragic fate.

Unwilling to accept such misery, Jian Lu takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to escape her family, she seizes an opportunity when the village matchmaker introduces her to a potential groom through nothing but a photograph. To Jian Lu’s surprise, the photo depicts Cheng Zheng, a dashing military officer and a supporting character from the novel who is known for his discipline, success, and eternal bachelorhood. The prospect of moving far away to his isolated island base and living a life without in-laws captivates her.

Cheng Zheng, a regiment commander stationed on a remote island, is equally shocked. His mother, desperate for grandchildren, forces a marriage upon him via a series of escalating letters and telegrams, culminating in the announcement: “Your wife is already on her way.” Though reluctant at first, Cheng Zheng finds himself increasingly drawn to his delicate and sweet new wife.

Amid the rough and demanding environment of the military base, Jian Lu’s charm and kindness shine. Her soft demeanor and culinary skills quickly win over the initially skeptical military community, while her marriage with Cheng Zheng blossoms into a deeply loving and supportive partnership.

Themes:

Empowerment: Fighting against fate and societal norms to create a better life.

Found Family: Building love and trust in a harsh yet heartwarming environment.

Romance: A gentle and sweet love story between two unlikely partners.

Slice of Life: Daily life on a military island, blending hardships with lighthearted moments.

Jing Xian regains her memories after being pushed by her younger sister, hitting her head on a table corner. She remembers her tragic past life—her biological mother married her off to the mentally impaired younger brother of Director Zhou. In that nightmare of a marriage, she was treated as a punching bag, starved by her in-laws, and died miserably. Reincarnated into the post-apocalyptic world, she struggled to survive for years, only to perish again amidst a zombie horde.

This time, Jing Xian awakens on the very day her mother sends her to the same doomed marriage. Determined to escape, she refuses to let her family trample her for their gain.

Meanwhile, Shang Nancheng, a decorated war hero, returns home to find his wife has cheated on him. Divorced and raising two sons, he struggles with a mother-in-law who neglects his children. Searching for a new wife who can provide a better life for his kids, he crosses paths with Jing Xian.

For Jing Xian, marriage is her only way to escape her oppressive family. She approaches a friendly factory worker for help and is introduced to Shang Nancheng. Despite his being a divorced father of two and significantly older than her, his upright character and reliability make him the perfect choice to get her out of her predicament.

The entire military district is skeptical of their marriage, gossiping that Shang's new wife is merely a pretty face. But soon, the tantalizing aroma of her cooking silences their doubts. Jing Xian proves her worth not only as a wife but also as a homemaker, impressing everyone with her exceptional skills—even her cucumbers taste better than anyone else's!

Reading Notes:

Male lead is not a virgin; female lead is.

Slow-burn romance with a steady pace.

If you dislike this theme, feel free to skip it. Constructive feedback is appreciated.

Prequel Note: Six-year-old Wen Ying dreams of her brother's sacrifices to find her after she goes missing. When she reincarnates, she returns to her brother’s side to prevent the tragedies of their past.

Themes:

Rebirth and Redemption: Overcoming past hardships to find happiness.

Found Family: Building a home through love and persistence.

Slice of Life in the '70s: A heartwarming look at relationships and survival.

A Pretty Widow x A Pure-Hearted Man

In the early 1980s, a coastal town’s communal housing welcomes a new pair of orphans—a stunning widow and her young child. The widow struggles to make ends meet and eagerly seeks a stable partner. Matchmaker Liu Dajie enthusiastically lines up potential suitors for her.

However, after settling on a divorced man, an unexpected accident causes the widow to fall into the water. When she wakes up, her body has been taken over by modern-day spinster Qiao Lu.

Now inhabiting the widow's body and saddled with a small child, Qiao Lu is thrust into a world of relentless matchmaking. But she’s picky. Her ideal partner must be:

Kind, hardworking, and sharp-minded.

Free of toxic masculinity.

Accepting of her second marriage and loving toward her child.

The problem? Such a man doesn’t exist! Liu Dajie, exasperated by her demands, introduces one last prospect—a poor man with a handsome face and a small, dilapidated home.

Initially hesitant, Qiao Lu becomes intrigued when she learns he’s a street vendor, the entrepreneurial spirit of the 1980s. She decides to take the chance. What starts as a marriage of convenience blossoms into love as they navigate life together, transforming a small street stall into a thriving business.

Meanwhile, Xu Haizhou, the male lead, is a hardworking man with no money or background who has moved south to start a business. He never dreamed of having a family until he meets Qiao Lu and falls for her instantly. Accepting her past and her child without hesitation, Xu Haizhou partners with her to build a loving home and a prosperous future.

Together, they become one of the first self-made wealthy families of the 1980s.

Key Themes:

Marriage Before Love: A touching romance that begins after marriage.

Family Dynamics: Heartwarming moments of parenting and mutual support.

Entrepreneurship: The journey of building a business in a transformative era.

A beautiful widow × a pure-hearted man.

In the early 1980s, a coastal town welcomed a new resident—a young widow and her child. The widow was stunning but struggling, eager to find a partner to rely on.

With the help of a matchmaking neighbor, Aunt Liu, she found a suitor, but an accident led to her modern soul, Qiao Lu, replacing the original.

As a single woman from modern times suddenly saddled with a young child, Qiao Lu faced a slew of matchmaking candidates. However, her standards were high:

Kind and good-tempered.

Hardworking and smart.

Not chauvinistic.

Must accept her as a remarried woman and love her child.

The problem? Such a man seemed impossible!

Aunt Liu tried her best, suggesting:

“Old Li from the steel factory is a stable catch!”

Qiao Lu: “No, he’s 40. Too old!”

“What about Young Song from the chemical plant? Only 29 and sturdy!”

Qiao Lu: “No, he has four kids. My child’s too shy to handle that.”

“Fine! What about Xiao Luo from the radio factory? Honest, hardworking, only one kid!”

Qiao Lu: “No, he’s not attractive enough.”

Finally, Aunt Liu snapped and slammed a photo on the table:

“This is the last one I’ll introduce! He’s unmarried, has no kids, and his finances are tight. Except for his good looks and a shabby old house, he has nothing. Take it or leave it!”

Looking at the photo, Qiao Lu’s eyes lit up—he was handsome, like a movie star!

“What does he do?” she asked.

“He runs a street stall,” Aunt Liu replied.

A street vendor? Wasn’t that the first generation of entrepreneurs?

Rolling up her sleeves, Qiao Lu decided to take the plunge!

But as they got to know each other, she discovered:

His “shabby old house” was in a prime downtown location and slated for redevelopment!

He didn’t just have good looks—he had a brilliant business mind!

This was the jackpot!

Xu Haizhou, who had moved south to start a business, never dreamed of having a wife and child. When Aunt Liu introduced Qiao Lu, he fell for her at first sight. He didn’t mind that she was a widow or had a child. In fact, he welcomed the ready-made family.

Against all odds, the two married. Together, they turned a small street stall into a thriving business, becoming part of the first wave of self-made millionaires in the 1980s!

Reading Notes:

“Stepfather literature”

Male lead is a pure-hearted, first-time lover who dotes on his wife and child.

Slice-of-life story focusing on career, love, and child-rearing.

Features a marriage-first, love-later dynamic with a journey to wealth.

Tags: Farming Life, Sweet Romance, 1980s Era, Slice of Life

[Main Story Completed, Side Stories Updated Periodically]

[Pre-Order: After Failing to Seduce the Enemy Prince – Please Add to Your Collection!]

Mu Anning lived as the obedient eldest daughter of the Marquis’s household for over a decade, only to suddenly discover she was the villainess in a novel. When the beloved real heiress returned, Mu Anning, the fake heiress, fell from grace into the mud, despised by all, and ultimately took her own life.

No wonder the boy she had loved for half her life never spared her a glance.

The marriage envied by all the noble ladies had never been hers to begin with.

So, she made the boldest decision of her life: she went alone to break off the engagement, setting him free.

But the real heiress’s gaze toward her seemed… unusual.

[You go, girl! Men are a dime a dozen—if one doesn’t work out, just swap him out!]

Mu Anning: What?!

Gu Huaizhi, the arrogant heir of the Prince of Anqing, discovered that his fiancée, who had always adored him, wanted to break off their engagement.

He sneered coldly, “Perfect! I never wanted to marry you anyway!”

He had always found her dull and uninteresting. If not for his family’s pressure, he would have ended things long ago.

But after getting his wish, he felt something was off. His desk, once filled with daily deliveries of osmanthus cakes, now felt empty.

When they met again at a teahouse, she approached him with a smile, carrying a food box.

His eyes flickered, and he reluctantly reached out to take it. But the next moment, she walked past him and handed the box to the Imperial Examination’s third-place scholar, calling him sweetly, “Ah Huai.”

The teacup slipped from his hand, shattering loudly, and blood seeped from the corner of his lips.

Even in the past, she had never been so affectionate with him.

Later, he heard she was getting engaged.

For the first time, the proud young master panicked and confronted her: “Mu Anning, is this what you meant when you said you’d never marry anyone but me?”

But all he got was her cold, distant reply: “Young Master, please behave yourself.”

Only then did the prodigy learn what jealousy and unrequited love truly felt like.

Only in death would she ever look at him again.

“With three lifetimes of sorrow, I wish you one lifetime of peace.”

“Ah Ning, may you grow old with him…”

Reading Guide:

A fiery chase for reconciliation + love triangles.

Stay happy, no cursing!

Song Shixia relied on her mystical spring-space to build wealth but lived a precarious life. One day, a "Save the Supporting Characters" system approached her, revealing that an alternate version of herself from a parallel world wanted to trade lives.

After the swap, she found herself as the greedy and shallow stepmother in an '80s family drama novel, serving as a foil to the reborn female lead.

The reborn protagonist triumphed over toxic relatives, divorced her scummy husband, built a loving marriage, and became a successful entrepreneur. Meanwhile, the original version of Song Shixia was disliked by everyone, known for gossiping, flaunting her vanity, and mistreating her stepchild, leading to divorce and public shame.

Song Shixia, uninterested in competing, decided: "As long as I don't stir up trouble, gossip won't stick to me."

However, upon discovering that her arranged marriage husband was her ideal type, she thought: "Why not settle down and enjoy life with him?"

Later, her husband sent her—begrudgingly—to take the college entrance exam, where she achieved the top score. On her first day at university, she saw his photo on the wall and exclaimed, "We were supposed to chill together, but you're a textbook-level legend?!"

(Note: The male lead's child is his late brother's orphaned son. Both leads are first-time lovers and maintain their purity throughout the story.)

Tags: Farming Life, Transmigration, 1980s Era, Lighthearted Romance

Su Ting transmigrated into a novel set in the 1970s, becoming the stepmother of the male protagonist—an incredibly handsome, talented, and tragic figure. Unfortunately, his tragedy was caused by her character.

In the original story, her character schemed to marry the male protagonist’s father but became resentful when her husband remained emotionally distant after marriage. When her husband died unexpectedly, she directed her frustrations at the young male protagonist, causing his personality to become increasingly twisted. As an adult, he exacted his revenge by sending her to prison.

Luckily, Su Ting transmigrated early, before her character could ruin things. At this point, the male protagonist’s father was still alive, and the male protagonist was just an innocent, adorable child.

Determined to survive until the end of the story, Su Ting resolved to guard her heart and avoid emotional entanglements. However, her change in behavior didn’t go unnoticed.

Returning from a mission, He Dongchuan, her stoic husband, noticed his new wife acting entirely different—she was cheerful, smiled more, and even looked at him indifferently. But what shocked him most was overhearing her tell his young son:

“Don’t worry. Even if my relationship with your dad is temporary, the bond between us as mother and son is forever.”

His son replied, “Then if you get divorced, I’ll follow you.”

He Dongchuan: “?!!”

Tags: Sweet Romance, Transmigration, 1970s Era, Family Dynamics

Bound by a barrage system, Ye Min discovers shocking truths about her daughter's fate.

Ye Min considered herself fortunate despite a cold father and a deceased mother. Born in the late '40s, she grew up in a newly established country, completed middle school, avoided the "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement, and found a stable job. After five years of work, she married Meng Cheng, a handsome and capable young officer. Their marriage, though often apart, was harmonious, and they were blessed with a son and a daughter.

Life was satisfactory until three days after her daughter’s birth, when a barrage appeared:

"Wake up, Auntie! Your daughter is about to be switched!"

With the system's help, Ye Min learns her daughter is destined to become the fake daughter in a family-swap trope, suffering due to a malicious scheme by the real daughter’s parents. While the real daughter enjoys a life of luxury, the fake daughter endures poverty and neglect. Ye Min must now navigate this complex reality to protect her child.

As the truth unfolds, Ye Min declares:

“No one messes with my family!”

An edict bestowed marriage.

A noble daughter with three strikes: no talent, no looks, no virtue.

A tr*sh wangye – disfigured, disabled, seriously ill.

Everyone says: Perfect match!

Bridal veil down–she wore a shallow smile. Leisurely and calm. Having experienced life and death, she only wanted to lead a quiet life.

Going up to the wedding hall–he had a slight smile on his face; a heart as cold as ice. He suffered all kinds of humiliation, but there will be a day when he will stand above all beneath the heavens.

–He is my husband. To bully him is to bully me. To insult him is to insult me. To hurt him is to hurt me. If someone were to hurt me, I would have to get to rid of them!

–Benwang doesn’t believe in supernatural beings and doesn’t seek heaven. If she were to die, benwang would turn this entire world into purgatory and sacrifice this whole country to her!

Lin Qiao transmigrated into a period novel she had only vaguely heard about from a friend—so vaguely that she didn’t even remember the male lead’s name.

As the cannon fodder female supporting character in the novel, she was mismatched with the male lead. He married her only to gain freedom to pursue his business ventures, trading marital freedom for career freedom. Once he succeeded, she became a nuisance and was eventually divorced, left with nothing but a settlement.

Lin Qiao thought, This is… perfect!

She’d have food, shelter, no marital obligations, and a hefty alimony. Why not marry him? Otherwise, she’d be sold off by her uncle and aunt.

On the day of the formal matchmaking meeting, the tall, handsome man arrived in a crisp uniform, sitting upright with a stern expression. He looked more like he was in a war room than on a date.

But he handed over his salary card and bankbook.

Lin Qiao accepted them without hesitation, ready to wait for her husband to file for divorce.

In the first year of marriage, she rubbed her sore waist, feeling something was off.

In the second year, she noticed the extra stripes and stars on his uniform, feeling even more confused.

Then one day, the man’s nephew got drunk at their house and tearfully confessed that he regretted pushing this arranged marriage onto his uncle.

The man, who was calmly peeling shrimp for her, shot a glance at his nephew, who instantly sobered up and turned pale.

That’s when Lin Qiao realized: She hadn’t married the male lead. She’d married his cold-faced, ruthless uncle!

No wonder he hadn’t mentioned divorce even after she was pregnant!

PS: Comments are open. Feel free to share your thoughts after adding the book to your collection!

PPS: Check out the completed novel After Being Dumped, I Married the Big Shot from the Period Novel and the upcoming pre-order After Mistakenly Marrying the Big Shot from the Period Novel.