Starting at Zhengyang Gate, Then Entering the Siheyuan
开局正阳门再入四合院
- Status
- Completed
- Length
- 503k Words
- Updated
- 10mo ago
- English
- Request a translation
Synopsis
Other names
- A Humble Life, from Rickshaw Puller to Driver从板爷到驾驶员的小生活Alternate title on Fanqie
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In booklists 44
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Classic Historical-Era Fiction
Looking for books with good writing and sound values!
🍅2026 Siheyuan Masterpieces: Everyone, Recommend Some!🍅
It’s 2026, and we’re still getting Lin Chen, Lin Shaowen, Lin Feng. Could you please pick a different surname? And don’t even get me started on He Weiguo. Share some new courtyard-house stories you discovered in 2026!
Looking for Relaxing, Cozy Novels with an Easygoing Daily-Life Feel That Stay Enjoyable
Looking for Straightforward Historical-Era Stories, No Reckless Shenanigans
Something that fits the historical setting fairly well, without going too over the top. 🌸
Genuinely Skillful Historical-Era Novels, No Villains or Black Markets
A Reading-Slump Disaster!!!! Save Me!!!! Godfather!!!!
American Horror Story: May the Holy Spirit Be With You. Give this book a try, everyone. I think it's pretty good.
In a Reading Slump: Looking for a Truly Fresh and Exciting Read
Everyone can recommend just one personal top pick. Please don't suggest books with inflated ratings. I've read most of the famous ones, so I'm looking for something fresh.
Fifteen Years as a Veteran Reader, and My Taste Has Gotten Picky
I Want Contemporary City Stories with Everyday Humor, Nothing Too Mind-Bending
Looking for stories similar to The E-Personality System Trains an I-Personality Protagonist. I read all kinds of genres, as long as they're exciting.
Looking for Courtyard Fics With Smart Characters, No Idiotic Stories
Looking for books similar to "Experiencing the Spirit of the Times in a Siheyuan". There are more and more siheyuan novels these days, and they're getting more and more brainless. Give me something with some actual thought behind it, not a power fantasy.
Siheyuan Stories: I've Already Dropped So Many! Only Recommend the Best!
Quality Period Dramas for a Male Audience
Era fiction that sticks close to history and has intelligent characters. Do not recommend simplistic wish-fulfillment stories, I cannot read them.
Fellow Courtyard Novel Fans, Recommend Some Books That Actually Make Sense
Honestly, those courtyard-house novels use the period as a thin cover for an alternate-history setting. They're not really about what happened in the courtyard itself. A lot of the writers still haven't grasped the point.
Tired of Siheyuan Stories. Looking for One Where She Makes a Clear-Cut Deal with Qin
Siheyuan, a Space, Low Conflict, Cozy Vibes, and Approved by a Twenty-Year Bookworm
I'd like something like "The Courtyard Compound: Silly Zhu Gets Married and Gets Beaten Every Day". I've been reading for twenty years and have already vetted this one, so it's safe to try. If you know any good courtyard-compound novels, please recommend them. What makes a good book? In my opinion, one that keeps you hooked and makes you want to keep reading, one that...
Period Pieces! What's Your Number One Pick?
I want to read something like "The Day I Died, My Rough-and-Ready Husband Held Me and Cried All Night".
Absolutely Stunning, Brand-New Courtyard House Novels
Looking for Courtyard House Stories with No Forced Dumbing Down and a Historically Authentic Setting
Looking for books similar to Four-Hearts Courtyard: Kill to Stop Killing. I want one that fits the period and doesn't dumb down everyone in the courtyard. No more of Jia Zhangshi throwing tantrums, He Yuzhu acting like a lovesick puppy, or some mindless moral grandstanding in their defense. Even the TV series wasn't like that.
Any Novels Set in Old Shanghai or Old Beijing?
Fanfiction Based on TV Dramas
I Can't Stand Today's Siheyuan Stories. Please Recommend Some Quality Ones
Excellent Long-Form Siheyuan Novels
Looking for stories like "Siheyuan: Enjoying Life in the Red-Hot Era". A quality, long Siheyuan novel, with no characters suddenly getting stupid and plenty of comedy. Give it a try!
The Courtyard Compound's Ten Peak Masterpieces
I've Been Into 1960s-Era Stories Lately, Male-Oriented Only!
Looking for books similar to "The 1960s: I Can Simulate Without Limits".
In same booklists
Period: The Pig Butcher’s Leisurely Life
Siheyuan: Changing Lives, I Help Everyone Get a Cheat!
Siheyuan: The Troublemaker in the West Wing Courtyard
Siheyuan: I Can’t Believe I’m Liu Guangqi
Siheyuan: Starting in 1948, a Star and I Take on the Birds
Siheyuan: Xiangzi, Picking Up Passengers in Beijing
Siheyuan: My Years as a Purchasing Agent
Siheyuan: My Brother-in-Law Is the Head of the Public Security Bureau
Siheyuan: Yang Tao's Happy Life
Snatching Chen Xueru from the Start in the Siheyuan
My Soul Possesses Sha Zhu, and the Beastly Bunch Won't Get Off Easy
Siheyuan: Everyone Is a Villain
Making a Killing Together in the Siheyuan
Siheyuan: The Rotten System Wrecks the Whole Courtyard
Siheyuan: From the Start, the Whole Family Gathered Around to Cry
A Courtyard Full of Vermin? This Chef’s Ready to Start Butchering
I Transmigrated to the Siheyuan a Little Too Early
Transmigrating to the 1960s: From Raising Hell in Beijing to Hong Kong
Siheyuan: He Yuzhu’s Soul Travels Back to 1956
The Siheyuan Scoundrel
Reader comments 50
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The overall plot structure from the beginning to now is quite good, although it's a bit loose. But I think the author has grasped the essence of time-travel novels. Many novels with the same theme as the courtyard house are just forcibly added to the courtyard house plot. Actually, I've always believed that the time traveler should be the protagonist in a time-travel novel.
A good book, perfect for listening to aloud. This score is well-deserved! It could have been higher and more popular, but the author adheres to some very noble and insightful morals and interests, which are not easily understood by people today. For example, being obsessed with collecting walnuts and purple clay teapots for hundreds or thousands of yuan.
Not counting other websites, I've read nearly three thousand online novels on Rotten Persimmons alone, and very few I've actually finished; most I haven't even read fifty chapters. Even though I know they're mindless reads, readers can read them without thinking, so the author has to put their heart into it. This novel is a rare gem!
After reading the reviews! The early parts were so good I didn't have time to comment 😄 A novel that teaches about human relationships and is full of warmth (in my opinion). I finished it in one go and felt the older brother and friend were genuinely great 👍🏿 Unfortunately, I have two complaints: 1. It ended too early.
Out of 10, I'd give it a 9.2 So far. ✅ The writing is pretty good, with a slice-of-life feel. ✅This is an ensemble drama that tells the story of the eight siblings in a large family, centered around a time-traveling protagonist. The plot is entirely original content, and the current timeline does not yet begin. Characters from other dramas are also included.
This is the first time I've read a novel about courtyard houses that's quite different, and I actually devoured over a hundred chapters in one go! I've never finished a courtyard house novel before, so this one is truly unique. The premise is excellent, the writing is solid, the plot is clear and well-organized, and the male lead has strong moral values and a sense of responsibility.
I listened to the end as soon as I clicked on it. How could I be a little teary-eyed with such a plain description? It turns out that plainness is the true reality of life. After experiencing the hustle and bustle, we need the realities to cleanse us. If there's any regret, it's that there wasn't enough of it; it wasn't satisfying.
A very good book. It's not overly violent, the plot is well-structured, and the main characters are intelligent and cooperative, unlike other novels where the characters are written like NPCs, with constant back-and-forth. This book is truly excellent. Author, please update soon!
It's very good. I only reviewed it after reading 60 chapters. It doesn't have the exaggerated overpowered abilities of other Siheyuan novels, nor does it have that much violence. The space is used very appropriately, the writing is also very good, and there are no major flaws.
Having seen so many cookie-cutter stories about courtyard houses, this is the first time I've seen one depicting a courtyard house in this way. The peaceful life is told in a gentle, flowing style, with the whole family encouraging and supporting each other—it feels very relatable to the lives of ordinary people. Absolutely fantastic!