The Rough Hunter's Little Husband

Shen Xi, a gentle concubine-born son with a gift for cooking, is forced to marry into the mountains as a substitute bride, becoming the husband of Qin Lie, a fierce ex-soldier known for his brutality. At their first meeting, Shen Xi sees a shabby hut and a silent man, and thinks his life is doomed. But Qin Lie always finishes the plain meals he makes. When Shen Xi fails at smoking meat, Qin Lie says without batting an eye, “It's edible.” When Shen Xi wakes in the middle of the night, he sees Qin Lie gnawing on cold, hard rations, yet pushing the only meat dish toward him.

Qin Lie is a rough man, quiet and calloused, but he silently fixes the leaking roof, remembers which wild berries Shen Xi likes, and ties his hard-earned money pouch around Shen Xi's waist. “I married you. Only you.” “Don't cry. I'll treat you well.”

From wild-vegetable dumpling soup to secret-recipe smoked meat, from rice porridge and simple dishes to the enticing aromas of a restaurant. With Shen Xi's skillful hands and Qin Lie's protection, life in the mountains gradually grows as warm as the fire in the kitchen stove. Later, they have children gathered around their knees and open Creekside Mountain Delights, a restaurant bustling with customers. Only then does Shen Xi understand that the best marriage is simply two people under one roof, sharing three meals a day and every season of life, with someone willing to turn hardship into sweetness.

[Reader's Guide]

One-on-one romance, married first and in love later, straightforward rugged seme × gentle, resilient uke, everyday farming and food, cozy and healing, with adorable kids.

The best flavors in life are home-cooked, and the most enduring declaration of love is sharing every meal with you.