South Mountain Beyond the Garden Fence

Name: South Mountain Beyond the Garden Fence
Author: Qian Jin na

篱笆院里见南山

by Qian Jin na (千谨na)

Status: Completed
Length: 432k Words
Genre: Ancient Romance
Subgenre: Slice-of-Life Farming
Updated: 2y ago
English: Request a translation

Read on Fanqie

Synopsis

This is at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, in a cottage behind a bamboo fence.

Li Zhu is a refugee who fled from who knows where. Her clothes are tattered, her face is gaunt and yellow, and her hair is cropped to her ears.

When she first arrives in Nanshan Village, the villagers think she's a man who doesn't know any better. Who else would cut their hair so short? It shows no respect for one's parents.

Li Zhu says her husband's family cast her out. She was a second wife, and after her husband's death, her stepchildren took a dislike to their young, widowed stepmother. They had the servants cut off her hair and planned to send her to a temple to become a nun.

She heard life at the temple was harsh: food was withheld, and newcomers were beaten. To stay alive, she had no choice but to pack her things and flee in the middle of the night.

She had made up this story to fob off strangers, but to her surprise, it helped her settle in Nanshan Village and even earned her an old house with a collapsed courtyard.

In truth, Li Zhu was a concubine sold by her parents to a wealthy household, from which she later escaped. When a concubine ran away, people found a bloodstained embroidered shoe and a few strands of hair in the woods. They concluded that a wild animal had eaten her, and no one went looking again.

She is a woman with no one to rely on, and a clever woman. Hardship has not extinguished her love of life. See how she struggles through the world and builds herself a new life.

[This is a slow-paced story, mainly about the heroine's ordinary village life after she escapes. There is a romance, but the author is not very good at writing relationships. This is not a rags-to-riches story! There's absolutely no getting rich here (I didn't add that tag, it just appeared out of nowhere!). The author has given her a little golden finger! Welcome, readers, to Li Zhu's story.]

Stats

210Chapters

660Reads · 30 days

113.5kReads · all time

109Shelf adds, last 14 days

7.6Score

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Reader comments 50

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This is a really good book! The female protagonist is very clear-headed and independent. She was never defeated by adversity and built her own home little by little through her own efforts. I really love this story. Keep up the good work, author!
11 likes2y ago
With its delicate writing and captivating plot that keeps you wanting to keep reading, this is a book you definitely shouldn't miss!
9 likes2y ago
This book is really good. It's simple and peaceful, mostly about farming. They don't live a life of great wealth, but they have a comfortable and happy family. The male and female leads don't have any special status; they're just ordinary people. I love it! Zhu'er's personality is such that she can thrive anywhere. 😘😘
7 likes1y ago
The story begins with a rational struggle for survival, without any special advantages. Told from an ancient perspective, it depicts a resistance against the injustices of fate, gradually building a small family, demonstrating independence and self-reliance. There's a romantic subplot. I haven't finished reading yet, but I like it! It's not bland and uneventful; it includes small ups and downs in life, making it engaging.
6 likes2y ago
It's a very good story, not flashy or overly complicated, and there's no special abilities or cheat codes. It's just about an ancient native. The story mainly revolves around the female protagonist who, to escape her stepmother who sold her to a rich man as a concubine, steals valuables from her home and runs away to another village on her wedding night.
5 likes10mo ago
Overall, it's quite good. There's a slightly boring part in the middle, but overall it's not bad. The female lead has a great personality, just like her name—resilient like bamboo! She's very likable.
5 likes1y ago
The low score is probably because many people felt it was bland and uninteresting! But if you just want to read a pure farming novel, this is great. It's not one of those that claims to be farming but actually starts with business, buying land, hiring tenants, and expanding to open shops in the capital and meet powerful figures. I'd give it five stars.
5 likes2y ago
It's a great watch; it depicts a simple yet captivating life. I hope there aren't too many romantic subplots.
5 likes2y ago
Hmm... No cheat codes, no time travel, no reincarnation, just pure ancient Chinese fiction... There's a couple, but not many awful characters, it's just very ordinary. A woman is sold by her family to an old man as a concubine, runs away, and then goes to Nanshan Village to support herself... And incidentally finds a man to marry... 🍉... Hmm, it's ordinary... It's quite good at the beginning, but it's just too ordinary 🤦 The later parts are boring to read... The writing is okay.
4 likes2y ago
Reading this book is like basking in the warm spring sun. There are no heart-wrenching plot points. Li Zhu possesses a resilient character like bamboo, and I absolutely adore her! Although I couldn't quite picture the house-building scene at the beginning, it doesn't detract from the overall excellence. I love this ordinary yet radiant work. 🥰
4 likes2y ago