Period Novels: The Male Lead Doesn’t Have to Be Rugged 年代文，男主不一定要是糙汉

1. 151 重 Back to the 1980s: Life Is Sweet with a Retired Soldier Uncle at My Side 重回八零：背靠退伍大叔好乘凉 Li Yao离钥Modern Romance1.5M WordsCompleted In her previous life, Zhao Weilan became a stepmother and ended up dying after a long, miserable life. In this life, she returns to the day she married the scumbag. She calls off the wedding on the spot and marries his heroic uncle instead. Everyone laughs at her: one man is mute and lame, and the other is a weak little woman who can't fight a chicken. Their life together is doomed to fall apart sooner or later. But Zhao Weilan diligently studies medicine to save her husband. She becomes a renow 1kReads8.8Score19714d adds
2. 152 八 Eighties Sweetheart: A Wild Roughneck to Cherish 八零心尖宠：捡个糙汉野又撩 Listening to the Wind Blow听风在吹Modern Romance278k WordsCompleted Xia Li transmigrates into the 1980s as a poor, timid orphan. Just when she thinks she’ll have to go hungry from now on, she picks up a wild man. Aside from being a little dim, the wild man has no other flaws. He hunts in the mountains and farms the fields every day, keeps her warm at home and can fight outside. He’s like a huge guard dog who protects his family. The villagers secretly mock Xia Li for keeping herself a wild man, but she doesn’t care. Who would have guessed that one night, the wil 1kReads8.9Score10914d adds
3. 153 女 The Supporting Actress Raises Kids in the ’70s 女配她在七零养崽崽 Almost Became a Beauty差点变成美女Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Original title: The Supporting Female Character Raises Children in the Seventies Completed! [Transmigration + Era Setting + Supermarket in a Pocket Dimension + Raising Kids + Power Couple Romance] Gu Zhiyi, a modern woman, brings billions' worth of supplies and a supermarket pocket dimension with her as she transmigrates to another world in the 1970s! As the boys' adoptive mother, Gu Zhiyi only wants to get rich and keep her two sons from suffering the tragedy of their previous lives. Later... j 1.2kReads9.0Score10214d adds
4. 154 八 Reborn in the 1980s, My Wife Was Assigned to Me by the Village 八零重生，媳妇儿是村里分配的 Sweet Romance Darling甜文小宝贝Modern Romance709k WordsCompleted [Cherished by everyone, adorable baby, doting husband, food] A sweet and silly lucky carp heroine + a burly, rugged husband who dotes on his wife Luo Jinxi had just come down from the mountain when she married the rugged Tang Qingping to repay a debt of gratitude. People from outside the village all laughed at them, certain she’d be bullied until she cried. 417Reads9.1Score10114d adds
5. 155 七 Seventies Group Darling: The Disabled Big Shot's Sweet and Soft Little Wife 七零团宠：残疾大佬的娇娇甜又软 Hua Yao花杳Modern Romance683k WordsCompleted [Feel-good romance + doting husband + farming + family’s little darling + pocket dimension + cozy life] (A sweet and spirited young woman versus a tough, capable veteran) Yao Cheng was a laid-back fashion designer in the modern world, and the CEO of her own company. After reading a novel set in a bygone era, she never expected to transmigrate into the body of a short-lived cannon-fodder cousin who shared her name. From the start, her cousin framed her, leaving her in bed with a crippled, burly v 1.3kReads9.1Score17914d adds
6. 156 穿 Transmigrating to 1960: A Man and a Monkey Become the Family's Darlings 穿越1960一人一猴成为团宠 Big Sweet Potato, Little Potato大地瓜小土豆Urban500k WordsCompleted (Cute pets, lighthearted, funny, space, everyday life) (If you want something dark and intense, please move along.) Hou Miao transmigrates to a parallel world in 1960. While hunting, he comes across an adorable little monkey with several special abilities! From then on, the man and monkey enjoy a happy life together! (No living on coarse grain and wild greens in this story.) With his pocket dimension, Hou Miao helps his grandparents' seventeen disciples. Even during hard times, they have enough 346Reads—Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   A lighthearted, humorous, slow-paced, heartwarming story about family and friendship set in a bygone era. [Thinking][Thinking] The male protagonist transmigrates with a spatial ability. [Eating popcorn] He encounters an adorable little monkey while hunting. [What?] The little monkey also possesses several special abilities. [Thinking]

7. 157 七 The 1970s: I Married the Man Who Prayed to the Gods 七零：我嫁给了求神拜佛的那个他 Clear Skies on the Second Day of the Fourth Month四月初二晴Modern Romance556k WordsOngoing [Transmigration + Period Setting + Everyday Life + Sweet Romance + Past and Present Lives + Rebirth + Romance + No Saintly Protagonist + Golden Finger + Pocket Dimension] Blurb: Bai Xiaxia transmigrates to the 1970s, only to have her engagement broken off. The neighbors are all waiting to see her make a fool of herself. To their surprise, before long she's married to someone with even more power and status! She thinks going north to study is a reluctant choice, made after weighing her options 1Reads—Score—14d adds

   Reader note

   The female lead is intelligent and rational, the male lead is cunning and deeply affectionate; both are intelligent characters. It's a sweet and heartwarming post-marital romance novel set in a bygone era.

8. 158 七 The Tough Guy I Married as a Substitute in the 1970s: My Mother-in-Law's Family Spoils Me Rotten 七零替嫁糙汉：被婆婆一家宠上天 Xi Ning兮宁Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [A vengeful little fox vs. a taciturn, rugged wolf-dog kind of man] Lin Jinyan, a master surgeon, transmigrated and returned to the hungry, hard-scrabble 1970s. She opened her eyes to find herself being forced into an arranged marriage in someone else's place. And the groom was a rugged man with a limp and a disfigured face? Lin Jinyan wasn't worried at all. With her pocket dimension at hand, she had nothing to fear! First she'd deal with her evil adoptive mother and stepsister, then she'd cut o 827Reads9.1Score10114d adds

   Reader note

   It looks really good!

9. 159 七 In the Seventies, the Roughneck Was Swept Off His Feet by His Sweet Young Educated Wife 七零糙汉被知青娇妻撩得心花怒放 Watching the Moon on a Sunny Day晴天看月Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Rebirth, sweet romance, adorable baby, pocket dimension] In her previous life, she was misled by a scumbag man and a vicious woman. She turned her back on her upright, handsome, and capable husband, and ended up abandoned by everyone. Reborn on her wedding night, Xia Siyue uses every trick she knows to set the rugged man’s heart ablaze. Xia Siyue grabs the front of his shirt and boldly provokes him: “You’re taking forever just to climb into bed. Are you even a man?” The once-obsessive man’s eye 6.5kReads9.2Score68814d adds
10. 160 我 Getting By in a Period-Era Novel 我在年代文里混日子 Shi Nian柿唸Modern Romance613k WordsCompleted Transmigrate into a book + period setting + everyday family life + a touch of fantasy Hu Yan realized she seemed to have been reborn and transmigrated. She’d become a character in an old period novel she had read long ago. Oh, the story had already ended. She was a peripheral character, even less important than a walk-on. Her family’s four lovely daughters were living miserable lives. She didn’t have the heroine’s portable dimension or special aura. But she did have her own little stroke of luck 197Reads6.3Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Comparing daily life

11. 161 重 Reborn in the 1970s: The Charming Educated Youth Makes the Big Shot's Heart Flutter 重生七零：俏知青撩得大佬心尖颤 Clouds in Flight云在飞Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Complete❗️ [Period setting · Rebirth · Pocket dimension · Educated youth · Sweet romance · Cozy family life] Warning: Some awful characters appear, but they'll be dealt with quickly! A sweet, independent, charming educated youth ♡ a handsome, promising village party secretary Su Qinghe is reborn, returning to the crossroads that changed her life! In her previous life: She was used and became trapped in a disastrous marriage, but luckily came to her senses and cut her losses in time. In this life 13.2kReads9.0Score1.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    These are all from different eras, and there are many more. Come and see them on my bookshelf.

12. 162 七 The 1970s: The Delicate Educated Youth Flaunts Herself in the Rugged Man’s Arms 七零：娇娇女知青在糙汉怀里撒野 Flower Eunuch婲公公Modern Romance444k WordsCompleted [Rugged hero + pocket dimension + transmigration into a book + gourmet food + sweet romance + rich, beautiful educated youth + 1970s] After getting blackout drunk with her best friend, Su Ke used alcohol as an excuse to sleep with a handsome young man. When she woke up, she discovered she had transmigrated into a book! Other people transmigrated into books as villainesses. She went straight into the heroine’s body! The only catch was that the heroine was an airheaded sweetheart, even more foolis 1.1kReads9.0Score10414d adds
13. 163 七 The 1970s: A Rugged Veteran Returns and Coddles His Sweet, Gentle Young Educated Youth 七零：退伍糙汉抱哄软娇小知青 Wangwang Snow Cakes Are So Tasty旺旺雪饼超好吃Modern Romance505k WordsCompleted Completed [A sweet, charming young educated youth who has no idea how irresistible she is VS a stern-faced, warm-hearted, brooding and crafty veteran] Period setting + doted-on heroine + farming + transmigrate into a book + sweet romance + personal storage space + transmigrate with her body + age gap Overnight, Qin Li transmigrates to the resource-scarce 1970s. As soon as she arrives, she’s bitten by a snake and caught in a mudslide. To make matters worse, her scheming stepsister is constantly 2.5kReads9.2Score25814d adds
14. 164 穿 Transmigrate into a Book: The Delicate Educated Youth Clings to the Villain 穿书七零：娇娇知青抱紧反派大腿 Cute Fruit萌果果Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Period Setting + Pocket Dimension + Delicate Educated Youth + Sweet Romance] The moment Wen Nuan opened her eyes, she had become a rich beauty in the 1970s! Fair skin, a beautiful face, long legs, and even a pocket dimension with a spirit spring for growing crops! But why was she the cannon-fodder female supporting character in a novel?! Determined to change her fate, she decided to stay away from the male lead and the scheming woman. But her biological father was plotting against her, her step 10kReads9.0Score1.2k14d adds
15. 165 村 The Village's Rugged Hunter Brought the Sweet Young Educated Youth Home 村头糙汉把小娇包知青拐回了家 Zai Zai Zai Zai崽崽崽崽Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Complete] [Complete] [Transmigration + portable space + doting husband + raising children] After breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, she went on a drinking binge. When she woke up, she was somewhere else. Li Wan could only sigh at her bad luck. To top it off, she’d become a delicate little educated youth who couldn’t do a single thing. Yan Muxi, a total scaredy-cat, trembled in fear. All she could do was accept her fate and keep her head down. Hey, you... Stop staring. Yes, you, the rugged guy. 12.7kReads9.0Score1.2k14d adds
16. 166 重 Reborn in the 1980s: The Rough-Hewn Educated Youth Carries Me Home in His Mouth 重生80，糙汉知青叼我回家 A Little Panda一只小熊猫Modern Romance362k WordsCompleted Reborn in the cornfield where her fate had changed, Jiang Xiaoyou swiftly delivered a kick to the man trying to assault her, preventing the tragedy of her previous life. In this life, Jiang Xiaoyou would no longer be a pawn in someone else's hands. She was determined to live a brilliant life of her own. She'd tear apart the white lotus, face-slap the scumbag pretty boy, trample her awful relatives, and grind everyone who'd wronged her underfoot. In this life, she would protect her parents and en 211Reads9.1Score10014d adds
17. 167 空 Space: The Tender Wife of a Rugged Man in the 1970s 空间：七零糙汉的娇软妻 Half Acre of Sweet Flowers半亩花甜Modern Romance500k WordsCompleted [Sweet romance + pocket dimension + rugged hero + period story + 1970s + gentle heroine + reborn] [Delicate, soft-hearted heroine × loyal, rugged hero] Song Ruan grew up cherished and spoiled by her family. Yet in the scorching summer heat, she was hoeing the fields for her educated-youth boyfriend. Then, in a moment of carelessness, a snake bit her. While unconscious, she had a long dream filled with scenes from the future. When she woke, she kicked that hypocritical educated-youth boyfriend to 9.4kReads9.0Score1k14d adds
18. 168 穿 Transmigrate Into a Book: A Male Educated Youth Comes to the Village 穿书之村里来了个男知青 July Brings the Cool of Autumn七月染秋凉Modern Romance816k WordsCompleted Zhang Xiaohan has found herself inside a book she just read, as an unnamed passerby. The male lead is a cold and aloof man who, to help his elder sister get revenge, schemes to marry a foolish village girl. Zhang Xiaohan is that foolish girl's sister-in-law, and she dies of illness right at the beginning of the story. Because of the male lead, the foolish girl is killed by one of his classmates. When he learns the truth, he does everything in his power to avenge her, then lives out a turbulent l 128Reads6.7Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The male lead is a young, handsome man.

19. 169 八 The 1980s: The Spicy Little Wife and Her Tycoon Husband 八零小辣媳：我家大佬有金矿 Liu Zhiyi柳之易Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted The short drama of the same name, "The Spicy Little Wife of the Eighties: My Man Has a Gold Mine", is now streaming. [Reborn + Sweet Romance + Gold Prospecting] Liu Yueya of Jinnianzi Village is rumored to be a shrew who brings bad luck to her husbands, so no one dares marry her. Wu Guangxu, the village bully, has just gotten out of prison, and no woman in the village dares marry him either. One day, the villagers discover Liu Yueya and Wu Guangxu having an “intimate rendezvous” in the mountains 4.8kReads9.4Score60614d adds

    Reader note

    If there are no requirements, then there are many novels from this era. Let's take a look. I personally like the last one, which I've finished reading, but it's not finished yet. The others are all completed.

20. 170 七 The 1970s: A Big Shot Protects China with Billions of Supplies 七零：大佬携亿万物资守护华夏 Mu Yao'er木幺儿Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Reborn with a spatial realm + satisfying and sweet + two powerful leads protecting the nation] A lonely old ghost who had drifted through the Spirit Realm for thousands of years suddenly finds herself reborn as a miserable girl in the 1970s. Her father is dead, her mother has run away, and she has a whole family of vicious wolves and tigers to deal with. She takes a terrible hand and turns it into a winning one: catching ghosts, telling fortunes, reading feng shui, making a fortune, and bringin 2.3kReads9.3Score26614d adds
21. 171 穿 On My 1980s Wedding Night, I Transmigrate and Marry a Poor, Rough Man with a Pocket Dimension 穿到八零新婚夜，带空间嫁穷糙汉 Little Golden Monkey小金猴Modern Romance890k WordsCompleted Jiang Mi is a catering magnate. She brings a warehouse space stocked with billions’ worth of supplies back to the 1980s, where she marries an impoverished man with two younger siblings in tow. They can barely manage one meal to the next, and their ramshackle house could collapse at any moment. Everyone thinks Jiang Mi has drawn a terrible lot in life, saddled with a man like this and doomed to misery forever. Jiang Mi rolls up her sleeves and sets about helping them grow into their potential. Sh 2.1kReads9.2Score28514d adds
22. 172 重 After Being Reborn in the 1970s, I Was Carried Off by the Village Bully 重生七零年代后，我被村霸叼走了 Fang Jüliang房踽凉Modern Romance500k WordsCompleted Su Qinran opened her eyes again and found herself back on the train bound for Daqing Mountain. Lin Yaotang had never seen such a beautiful woman. At first glance, she seemed like a celestial maiden, while he was nothing but mud at the bottom of a pond. Su Qinran glanced at Lin Yaotang. In her previous life, he had pursued her relentlessly, only to die saving her in the end. She owed him her life. Lin Yaotang: “Aah!!! The goddess looked at me! I’m going to adult education classes! I’m going to le 8.7kReads9.3Score91514d adds
23. 173 重 Reborn in the 1980s: My Wife Is a Little Spicy 重生八零：媳妇有点辣 Dressed in Splendor宝妆成Modern Romance5.0M WordsCompleted Her parents died young, her family was poor, and she was plain-looking. Xia Xiaolan had been dealt a terrible hand, but after nearly twenty years of hard work, she became an executive at a multinational corporation and finally put her life back on track... Then she wakes up to find herself reborn in the 1980s, as another Xia Xiaolan, this time with a face capable of bringing a kingdom to ruin. The original Xia Xiaolan had been dealt a winning hand, but chose to take her own life under the pressu 44.4kReads9.5Score5k14d adds
24. 174 穿 Reborn as a Lovesick Villainess, I Set My Sights on the Village Chief's Youngest Son 穿成痴汉女配，我看上村长小儿子 Cen Wang岑王Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted When Murong Xi transmigrates into a tearjerker period novel as the saintly, beloved white moonlight, what does it feel like? Thanks for asking. I’m currently researching seventy-six different ways to live or die~ According to the plot, she’s supposed to toil selflessly like a saint, giving everything she has. She’ll endure misunderstanding and torment, then burn through the last of her light and warmth. In the end, she’ll become the white moonlight propping up the male lead’s table, and the mosq 8.6kReads9.2Score71114d adds
25. 175 漂 Drifting Through Time: Our Post-Youth Years 漂时代：我们的后青春纪 Four Thousand Cherries四千樱Urban404k WordsCompleted Only years later did we understand: The gulf between campus and society must be bridged through our own experiences. The glow of our ideals faded, and our unwilling souls struck against the reefs of reality. Hard work wore down our ordinary bodies; the little things wore away our first sparks of passion. A farewell as sudden as a cliff once tore the world apart; The silhouette of you turning away froze into the last light of dawn in my heart. Leaving was a drifting journey I never wanted; Return —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A contemporary urban coming-of-age story; follow my new book and I'll definitely reply!

26. 176 1EN The Last Bus on Route 13 13路末班车 Old Eighty老八零Mystery813k WordsCompleted I'm the driver of the last bus on Route 13. Every night at eleven, I have to make a run to the suburbs. This book is addictive, so don't blame me if you can't put it down! In this novel, even the sharp-tongued readers who always guess the plot right will find themselves repeatedly proven wrong. You might find yourself asking, “What's going on? What's going on?” Don't doubt your sanity. Just keep reading. A story that keeps you on edge, here to save readers suffering from a reading drought! 13.1kReads9.2Score1.6k14d adds

    Reader note

    Having read for 12 years, I've only ever read books that aren't melodramatic or overly dramatic. Each book has a different style, and most importantly, they're genuinely not melodramatic. The only exaggerated element is the "Death Train" story, but that's fantastical and has an explanation; there's no nonsensical writing.

27. 177 天 The Celestial Craftsman 天工 Sandbag沙包Urban2.7M WordsCompleted Su Jin, a top-tier cultural relic restoration expert, was reborn in a new world. Restoring the Forbidden City, restoring the Leshan Giant Buddha, restoring the Dunhuang murals... He came to change this world. 360Reads9.2Score—14d adds
28. 178 幺 The Youngest Daughter, Changle 幺女长乐 Kong Liu空留Ancient Romance1.5M WordsCompleted Miss Zhu Si’s rough fighting skills have always made her the laughingstock of the capital’s noble families. In everyone else’s eyes, that’s the sort of work meant for household guards. Zhu Changle, who considers herself invincible, isn’t ashamed of it. She’s proud. Not everyone can protect their own home, but she can! And then some! She’d even turn the whole capital upside down to protect it! Don’t believe her? Try her! 18.8kReads9.5Score3.2k14d adds
29. 179 被 Forced to Become an Apocalypse Big Shot 被迫成为末世大佬 Chu Yanhui楚雁回Sci-Fi & Apocalypse640k WordsCompleted A sandstorm brings the threat of human extinction. Wen Jing survives thanks to her absurdly good luck and makes close friends, only to discover that there's more to this than the apocalypse simply arriving. The ancient kingdom of Loulan is rebuilt, mutated prehistoric creatures roam the jungle, and demons run rampant in Penglai... Hell mode has begun, and the law of the jungle is the first rule. She's the number one powerhouse, with maxed-out skills, and everyone wants to cling to her. What is s 245Reads8.9Score—14d adds
30. 180 死 The Death Train 死亡列车 Tu Su屠苏Sci-Fi & Apocalypse4.2M WordsCompleted This is a world where civilization has collapsed and evil runs rampant! This is a blood-soaked, frenzied realm where morality has fallen apart! This is a struggle to survive! 4.1kReads8.5Score47214d adds
31. 181 七 Raising Kids in the Seventies: The Army Wife Only Wants to Serve Her Motherland 七零养崽，军嫂她一心只想报效祖 Sanli Chun三里纯Modern Romance574k WordsCompleted Also known as "The Military Wife Is Fierce! The Soldier Is Dashing! The Villains Are Panicking!" "Hot and Unstoppable: This Rebellious Military Wife Keeps Her Husband in Line" [Comedy + Face-Slapping Comeuppance + Bickering Couple + Raising Kids + Joining the Army + Military Wife + Elite Soldier + Alpha Female] The unluckiest thing that ever happened to Song Zhi: she fought and clawed her way through the apocalypse, cutting down enemies at every turn, and was just about to become a commander whe 54Reads7.2Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Holy crap, I absolutely love the female lead in this movie! Nobody can take her from me!

32. 182 西 The Road Through Life’s Storms 西北人的新书风雨人生路 Northwesterner西北人Modern Romance119k WordsCompleted Welcome, everyone, to my story. It tells the separate stories of a family living in the countryside. The mother and older brother, in particular, have suffered many hardships, and their long illnesses have had a profound impact on the younger generation's physical and mental well-being. The story examines the kind, selfish, and ugly sides of human nature. 5Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The world in the countryside is vast.

33. 183 农 Spring Stirs in the Countryside 农村的春潮涌动 Northwesterner西北人Modern Romance377k WordsCompleted Since the reform and opening-up began, the Zhao family in Ganquan Village has undergone tremendous changes. Jianping and Jian'an started a brick factory and a home-renovation company. What stories will they encounter, and what of their love lives? Which of them will strike it lucky in the business world? 2Reads—Score—14d adds
34. 184 民 The Rise and Fall of a Landlord in Republican China 民国地主沉浮 Northwesterner西北人Urban423k WordsCompleted In the turbulent year 1941, war and chaos reign, and the people live in misery. Against the backdrop of the times, the Qi family landlord’s household experiences both joy and sorrow, as each member faces their own fate. This is the story of what the Qi siblings witnessed and experienced from the Republic of China era through the founding of New China. 184Reads—Score—14d adds
35. 185 男 The Story of Two Lonely Singles 男女光棍的故事 Northwesterner西北人Modern Romance247k WordsCompleted Su Yao, Zhao Lei, and others are looking for partners. Because of their jobs, they meet all kinds of people, leading to a series of amusing and awkward little incidents. Society pays attention to their love lives, while their many aunts and uncles grow even more anxious on their behalf. Will they eventually find the right person? 1Reads—Score—14d adds
36. 186 雅 The Yama Mountains 雅玛山脉 Liu Jin刘瑾Modern Romance109k WordsCompleted The Yama Mountains lie on the plateau, far from the bustle of the cities, amid cold and desolate surroundings. Herdsmen have lived here for generations, and their peaceful, quiet lives are suddenly shattered one day when a group of strangers enters the area… 15Reads—Score—14d adds
37. 187 北 North Gate, South City 北门南城 Liu Jin刘瑾Urban226k WordsCompleted The front line stretches from north to south, and the story begins in a small town in the Northeast. Decline, hope, redemption, hardship, pain, and love reaching ever farther: it all feels like a dream. The story unfolds through its male and female leads, depicting the helplessness of wartime. 50Reads—Score—14d adds
38. 188 黄 Sunset on the Yellow River 黄河落日 Liu Jin刘瑾Urban244k WordsCompleted Sunset over the Yellow River is a work set against the 1938 Huayuankou Incident. The story unfolds against a backdrop of warfare and follows two love stories experienced by a woman who cannot speak... 68Reads—Score—14d adds
39. 189 山 Wild Pansy 山堇花 Liu Jin刘瑾Modern Romance165k WordsCompleted Lin Meng escaped the great bombing of Wuhan, only to be kidnapped and sold to a wealthy household in the countryside as the bride of an idiot. Her life was full of misfortune, yet she found a different kind of happiness... 48Reads—Score—14d adds

Other lists with Back to the 1980s: Life Is Sweet with a Retired Soldier Uncle at My Side