Hu Changqing and Liu Ruyan

[Farming tale + family life + hilarious Northeastern banter + building wealth + food]

Hu Changqing and Liu Ruyan live in the Greater Khingan Mountains in Northeast China. Childhood sweethearts, their families live just across a single wall from each other.

When they turn eighteen, a sudden upheaval leaves them with homes they dare not return to. But this is only a test of their love.

With nowhere else to turn, they seek refuge with relatives. Little do they know that the despicable relative will trick Liu Ruyan into a brothel. Distraught, Hu Changqing searches for her everywhere. Along the way, he takes in a young Mongolian boy, and after tireless effort, he finally finds Liu Ruyan. They decide to find a place where they can settle down and never be separated again. After many twists and turns, they arrive at a small village called Tala, with barely thirty households. Hu Changqing and Liu Ruyan lead the whole village to prosperity, and the villagers trust Hu Changqing so much that they elect him village head. Many years later, they have children galore and are blissfully happy...

This is an alternate-history farming story set in the Ming dynasty. Just enjoy it, and don't overthink or take it too seriously. After all, none of us has lived in ancient times. The characters are all ordinary people, as ordinary as can be. There are no golden fingers or anything of the sort.