Tired of Novels? Read Something Useful 小说疲劳了，看点有用的

1. 1 中 Ingenious Inventions of Ancient China 中国古代奇技淫巧 Yang Jun杨钧Historical194k WordsCompleted The authors of this book searched through vast collections of historical records, painstakingly gathering hundreds of long-lost secret arts and techniques passed down through the centuries. These include forging antiques, identifying treasures, alchemy, health practices, beauty techniques, fortune-telling by characters, martial arts, and spiritual cultivation. Their scope ranges from contemplating the heavens and earth and making uncanny predictions to calming the mind, curing illness, and riddi 8.9kReads9.6Score1.5kShelves

   Reader note

   These are some very useful tips and tricks; add them to your bookshelf even if you don't need them right now.

2. 2 中 A History of Prostitution in China (A Republic-Era Masters’ History Collection) 中国娼妓史(民国名家史学典藏文库) Slave to Books Wang王书奴Historical164k WordsCompleted This book is divided into six chapters: Introduction; The Era of Shaman Courtesans; The Emergence of Slave Prostitutes and Official Courtesans; The Parallel Rise of Household Courtesans and Slave Prostitutes; The Golden Age of Official Courtesans; and The Era of Privately Run Prostitution. Topics include names and definitions, distinctions between periods, when the history of Chinese prostitution began, and shaman courtesans in the Shang dynasty, among others. 132Reads8.5Score121Shelves
3. 3 东 The Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms 东周列国志 Feng Menglong冯梦龙Historical677k WordsCompleted More than five hundred years of upheaval in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods unfold in this book! The Zhou royal house declined and the feudal lords rose. The Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period took turns dominating, while the Seven Warring States fought for control of the Central Plains. From the brief hegemony of Duke Zhuang of Zheng to Duke Huan of Qi uniting the feudal lords; from Wu Zixu’s quest for revenge to the battle of wits between Sun Bin and Pang Juan; from 83Reads9.1Score—Shelves
4. 4 恶 I'm the One Who'll Deal with the Wicked Neighbor 恶邻自有我来磨 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭7k WordsCompleted Leave It to Me to Deal with the Wicked Neighbor 1Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   These books can also teach you a lot, and are more interesting than reading books on knowledge.

5. 5 被 After I Was Pushed Out in All but Name, the Whole Company Begged Me to Step In 被变相裁员后，全公司跪求我出手 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After I Was Forced Out in All but Name, the Entire Company Begged Me to Step In 2kReads—Score—Shelves
6. 6 入 After Three Years in Prison, the Marquis Regretted It 入狱三年，侯爷他悔疯了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted After Three Years in Prison, the Marquis Regretted It Too Late 1.6kReads—Score—Shelves
7. 7 我 After I Left the Family Chat, My Daughter-in-Law Fell Apart 我退出家庭群后，儿媳崩溃了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭6k WordsCompleted After I left the family group chat, my daughter-in-law fell apart 1.8kReads—Score—Shelves
8. 8 儿 My Son and Daughter-in-Law Schemed for My Retirement Savings. After I Cut Ties with Them, They Regretted It 儿子儿媳算计我的养老钱，我断绝关系后，他们悔疯了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted My Son and Daughter-in-Law Schemed to Take My Retirement Savings. After I Cut Ties with Them, They Regretted It Too Late 506Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 9 跟 I Followed My Wife to a Hotel, and I Regretted It 跟踪老婆到酒店后，我后悔了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted I followed my wife to a hotel, and regretted it 6.1kReads—Score—Shelves
10. 10 1 My 1-Million-Year-End Bonus Became a 'Certificate of Encouragement,' So I Made Dozens of Times That Amount Back from the Company 100万年终奖变“鼓励奖状”，我反手从公司赚回几十倍 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted My 1-Million Year-End Bonus Became a "Certificate of Encouragement," So I Turned Around and Made Dozens of Times That Amount from the Company 214Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 11 老 After My Husband Returned from a Business Trip to Chengdu, a Casual Short Video Made Me Go Viral 老公从成都出差回来后，我随手发个短视频爆火了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance14k WordsCompleted After My Husband Returned from a Business Trip to Chengdu, a Short Video I Posted on a Whim Went Viral 13.3kReads—Score101Shelves
12. 12 闪 After Our Flash Marriage, I Could No Longer Hide My Billionaire Identity 闪婚后，我的首富身份藏不住了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After a Flash Marriage, I Could No Longer Hide My Billionaire Identity 780Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 13 同 My Desk Mate's Sugar Daddy Is My Dad 同桌的干爹是我爸 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance8k WordsCompleted My deskmate's godfather is my dad —Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 闪 After a Whirlwind Wedding, I Became a Rich Woman and Didn't Have to Work Night Shifts 闪婚后我成了富婆，还不用上夜班 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭13k WordsCompleted After a Whirlwind Marriage, I Became a Rich Woman and Didn't Have to Work the Night Shift 11.7kReads—Score100Shelves
15. 15 被 After Being Struck by Lightning, I Could Understand My In-Laws’ Dialect 被雷劈后，我听懂了婆家方言 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted After Being Struck by Lightning, I Could Understand My In-Laws' Dialect 277Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 16 老 After My Husband Cheated, I Ran the Company into Bankruptcy 老公出轨后，我把公司搞破产了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭9k WordsCompleted After My Husband Cheated, I Ran the Company into Bankruptcy 5.8kReads—Score—Shelves
17. 17 降 After Being Demoted and Quietly Giving Up, My Incompetent Boss Begged Me to Accept a Promotion 降职摆烂后，草包领导跪求我升职 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After I Was Demoted and Started Slacking Off, My Incompetent Boss Begged Me on His Knees to Promote Me 2.5kReads—Score—Shelves
18. 18 完 The Perfect 50-50 Split 完美AA制 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭13k WordsCompleted The Perfect 50-50 Split 1.2kReads—Score—Shelves
19. 19 植 My Comatose Husband Woke Up After I Married Him to Bring Him Good Luck 植物人老公被我冲喜冲醒了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance10k WordsCompleted My Vegetative Husband Woke Up After I Married Him for Good Luck 2.5kReads—Score—Shelves
20. 20 试 The Trial-Room Maid 试房丫鬟 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Ancient Romance11k WordsCompleted The House-Testing Maid —Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 21 中 After Winning a Hundred Million, I Became My Company's Savior 中奖一个亿后，我成了公司救世主 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Urban424k WordsCompleted [The rating just came out, but it'll slowly improve! No risk in getting on board!] Shen Yanshen casually bought two lottery tickets and won a hundred million. His miserable working life was over for good, and from then on he lived in a mansion and drove a Mercedes. His ex-girlfriend, who had once looked down on him for being poor, came back in tears, begging him to take her back. Shen Yanshen kicked her a hundred meters away. “Get as far away as you can. Can't you see I'm washing my wife's feet? 3kReads5.9Score121Shelves
22. 22 别EN Don’t Read This Book, or You Might Defy Fate and Change Your Destiny 别看这本书我怕你逆天改命 Spartan Who Writes Novels写小说的斯巴达Urban1.7M WordsCompleted This is nothing more than an ordinary online novel. It is nowhere near as miraculous as fellow readers claim! The only reason you can click to read it is that your luck has already begun to change. When you start from the first chapter and read carefully, the gears of your destiny may already have begun to turn. 380.6kReads9.4Score59.2kShelves

    Reader note

    Tired of fantasy, palace intrigue, cultivation, time travel, and rebirth stories? Come check out this down-to-earth book! [Cool]

23. 23 乌 Black Gauze and Rouge 乌纱与胭脂 Writer Lu Tao作家鲁涛Modern Romance205k WordsCompleted Human nature is like the sun: impossible to look at directly. Many people appear charming and refined on the surface, but strip away the facade and you’ll see human nature laid bare. By portraying the real chaos of society, this work exposes the evil and filth within human nature and calls on people to choose kindness and uphold social decency. 7kReads—Score445Shelves

    Reader note

    Nothing more than a beautiful sight!

24. 24 天EN The Heavenly Eye Feng Shui Master 天眼风水师 Light of the Dao道之光Urban1.3M WordsCompleted [A feng shui novel] [Featuring feng shui, Daoist medicine, psychology, and economics; read faces and phone numbers] [Practical insights] [Explaining the esoteric with science] My master hastily taught me the art of divination and passed down a few books. Before I even had the chance to formally begin my training in the mountains, he sent me down into the world to help people... Where can I even go to complain about that? Amid the mortal world, I help others and cultivate myself. 719.9kReads9.6Score155.4kShelves

    Reader note

    These books are all very useful; reading them will sharpen your brain! [Smirk]

25. 25 传EN Legend Management Bureau 传说管理局 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Eastern Fantasy1.4M WordsCompleted (No harem, no formulaic plot, no invincibility, no System, no brainless decisions, and no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if any of that bothers you.) Du Yu dies an untimely death right at the beginning of the story. Hoping to secure a better spot in his next life, he takes a job with the Bureau of Legendary Tales. His job is to return to legends that have gone off course and put their plots back on track. He never expected that the first mission assigned to an ordinary mortal like him would 174kReads9.6Score22.4kShelves

    Reader note

    "To Live" has moved countless readers to tears; it's a classic work by Yu Hua, telling the story of an old man's life experiences and vicissitudes. I've read it three times and was deeply touched. I recommend adding it to your bookshelf. If you have time, you can also check out "Legendary Management Bureau" and "Ten Days to End," both by the same author. One is a mind-bending suspense novel, the other a legendary fantasy; both are highly-rated completed works and worth recommending. "The Way of the Thief" and "The Art of Character Divination" are also highly-rated completed urban novels, covering different topics that broaden your horizons and prompt deep thought.

26. 26 十EN Ten Days to the End 十日终焉 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Mystery3.2M WordsCompleted 2024 Tomato Novel Annual Peak Rankings TOP 1 | 2024 China Online Literature Influence List | 2024 China Good Novel Award | Over 2 million copies sold (No harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincibility, no System, no mindless antics, no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if these bother you.) Just when I thought it was an ordinary day, I discovered I had been captured and taken to the End. Just when I thought I could escape by continually taking part in death games, people began awakening supernat 1.7MReads9.9Score212.7kShelves
27. 27 贼 The Thief's Way 贼道 Heading North向北Urban2.1M WordsCompleted My name is Xiao Wu. I was a wild child no orphanage could keep in check. At nine years old, I charged into this dog-eat-dog world. I saw through it then: living was like clinging to a moving train. You either held on or fell and were crushed to pieces. The first steamed bun I stole wasn’t because I was hungry. I wanted to see whether these hands that picked pockets could grab fate by the throat. The juvenile detention center, the shelter, and the detention center were my schools. The thieves wer 84.6kReads9.6Score10.6kShelves
28. 28 起 Getting to the Bottom of Mind-Reading 起底观心术 Bao Erri鲍尔日Urban1.5M WordsCompleted When I was five, a fortune-teller said I’d be able to read people’s minds when I grew up. My parents thought I was a genius and spent the whole family’s savings to send me to school. But I failed the college entrance exam and became a fried-noodle vendor. That vendor later became a “Walking Encyclopedia,” all thanks to the saying, “In books, there are houses of gold.” You are not just who you are. You can become a different kind of dazzling light. Read a comment on the first page, and you’ll get 221.7kReads9.6Score62.8kShelves
29. 29 熬 Surviving the Ordeal 熬过劫难 Tian Geng 17685田庚17685Urban911k WordsOngoing First, be certain that you can reach the summit. Then believe this book can rewrite your fate, and believe in the power of belief. By the time you read this book, the identity you have now will already have begun to loosen its grip. The moment you choose to begin, you have already left mediocrity behind. Can my story help you find your own path to salvation? May words reveal the power they truly hold. 54.9kReads9.2Score11.9kShelves

    Reader note

    Because after entertainment comes emptiness, and pure study is too boring. After reading more than 1,000 books, this is the only one that can solve these two problems!

30. 30 女 My Daughter Wants to Sell the House to Start a Business, So I Flipped the Dinner Table 女儿要卖房创业，我掀了饭桌 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance8k WordsCompleted My Daughter Wants to Sell the House to Start a Business, So I Flipped the Dinner Table 856Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's good to change things up.

31. 31 百 After the Million-Yuan Year-End Bonus Was Canceled, the Whole Company Regretted It 百万年终奖取消后，全公司都后悔了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted The Million-Yuan Year-End Bonus Was Canceled, and the Whole Company Regretted It 2.1kReads—Score—Shelves
32. 32 老 My Husband Traded My Luck to Shield His First Love from Disaster 老公换我气运给他初恋挡灾 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance6k WordsCompleted My Husband Traded My Good Fortune to Shield His First Love from Disaster 23Reads—Score—Shelves
33. 33 新 On My Wedding Night, I Caught My Husband and His Best Friend in a Secret 新婚夜，我撞见老公和他好兄弟的秘密 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted On Our Wedding Night, I Caught My Husband and His Best Friend in a Secret 162Reads—Score—Shelves
34. 34 和 After a Fake Marriage to the CEO, I Became a Real Billionaire Heiress 和总裁假结婚后，我成了真亿万富婆 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭14k WordsCompleted After Faking a Marriage with the CEO, I Became a Real Billionaire Heiress 42Reads—Score—Shelves
35. 35 摊 I'll Come Clean: The Boyfriend I Rented Is a Trillionaire CEO 摊牌了，我租的男友是千亿总裁 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance9k WordsCompleted The Truth Is Out: The Boyfriend I Rented Is a Trillionaire CEO 23Reads—Score—Shelves
36. 36 家 My Family Sent Me to Die in My Brother's Place. Now That I've Become a War God, They Beg Me to Acknowledge Them 家族让我替弟从军赴死，我成铁血战神后他们跪求相认 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭11k WordsCompleted My Family Sent Me to Die in My Brother’s Place. Now That I’ve Become a Battle-Hardened God of War, They’re Begging Me to Acknowledge Them 631Reads—Score—Shelves
37. 37 人 While I Was Away on a Business Trip, My Home Became Their Love Hotel 人在外地出差，我家成了他们的钟点房 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance9k WordsCompleted While I was away on a business trip, my home became their hourly hotel 3.5kReads—Score—Shelves
38. 38 持 Entering the Song Dynasty Armed 持械入宋 Tea Root茶根儿Historical1.8M WordsOngoing This book has been adapted into an animated comic and is now available on Hongguo. Thank you all for your support! In the final years of the Song dynasty, war raged across the land. A five-person modern squad on a mission accidentally fell into a time tunnel and transmigrated to the Great Song with all their weapons. Team leader Lin Zhao, calm and decisive with his Beijing accent, commanded the whole operation. Sniper Xie Changfeng and weapons specialist Ma Zhenbang, both speaking with thick Nor 1MReads9.3Score147.7kShelves

    Reader note

    Extremely useful information, learn something new.

39. 39 宋 The Facts of the Song Dynasty 宋朝事实 Li You李攸Historical150k WordsCompleted A comprehensive institutional history compiled by Li You of the Southern Song dynasty. Originally in sixty volumes, it records the institutions, political affairs, and current events of the Northern Song dynasty from the Jianlong to Xuanhe eras. The original work has been lost. The twenty-volume edition available today was compiled during the Qing dynasty from the Yongle Encyclopedia. The work is arranged by topic and contains twenty-five sections, including the generations of the founding emper 16Reads8.7Score—Shelves
40. 40 我 My Grandfather Is Zhu Yuanzhang 我祖父是朱元璋 Time Thief岁月神偷Historical6.5M WordsCompleted I have the most illustrious name: Zhu Yuntong. I am the legitimate grandson of the founding emperor of Great Ming, and the legitimate son of Crown Prince Zhu Biao. My mother is the daughter of Chang Yuchun, and my maternal granduncle is Lan Yu. I am the most illustrious imperial grandson in Great Ming, and the most influential and legitimate heir to the throne. I will usher in a different Great Ming, magnificent beyond compare, its sun and moon shining bright. It will embrace all rivers and welc 231kReads9.4Score25.2kShelves

    Reader note

    Let's look at history; it's quite interesting to look at now.

41. 41 五 A Popular History of the Five Dynasties 五代史通俗演义 Cai Dongfan蔡东藩Historical344k WordsCompleted [A Classical, Accessible History of the Entire Era | A Beginner's Guide to History | A Complete Overview of the Ten Kingdoms] Can't get through dry official histories? This popularized retelling of the Five Dynasties uses a story-driven, episodic format to make this lesser-known period of turmoil easy to understand. Its sixty chapters cover the rise and fall of all five dynasties, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, while also tracing the history of the Ten Kingdoms' r 62Reads9.2Score—Shelves
42. 42 后 A Popular History of the Later Han 后汉通俗演义 Cai Dongfan蔡东藩Historical582k WordsCompleted [Historical Romance Grounded in the Official Record, The Complete History of the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms, An Easy Introduction to Official History] A Popular History of the Later Han is a classic historical novel in episodic form and a continuation of A Popular History of the Former Han. Across one hundred chapters, it follows the full historical arc from Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han and Emperor Guangwu's restoration, through the decline of the Eastern Han, to the division of the rea 105Reads8.6Score—Shelves
43. 43 前 A Popular History of the Former Han 前汉通俗演义 Cai Dongfan蔡东藩Historical563k WordsCompleted [Cai Dongfan's Historical Romance, The Complete Founding History of the Han Dynasty, The Qin-Han Rivalry, A Plain-Language History, Political Intrigue and War] This book is Cai Dongfan's A Popular History of the Former Han, a classic historical novel that recounts the dynasty's rise and fall from the chaos at the end of the Qin through the middle and late Western Han. Spanning one hundred chapters, it begins with Lü Buwei's extraordinary investment and Qin Shi Huang's unification of the realm, a 128Reads8.3Score—Shelves
44. 44 曾 Zeng Guofan's Methods of Scholarship 曾国藩治学方法 Hu Zhefu胡哲敷Historical77k WordsCompleted This book explores three dimensions: self-cultivation, managing affairs, and reading. Its discussion of self-cultivation advocates integrating “resolve, insight, and perseverance,” building a foundation for body and mind through meditation and a regular routine. Its approach to managing affairs reveals, through practical examples such as running a household and leading an army, the unity of hands-on action and institutional innovation. Its discussion of reading emphasizes “mastering one field” a 342Reads9.0Score159Shelves

    Reader note

    Smart people have already started reading this, but it's never too late to start now.

45. 45 宋 History of the Song: Annals of Emperor Taizu 宋史·太祖本纪 Tuo Tuo脱脱Historical21k WordsCompleted He may have been the best “actor” among the founding emperors in Chinese history. In 960 CE, a carefully orchestrated “forced enthronement” at Chenqiao Station propelled Zhao Kuangyin from a general of the Later Zhou into the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. Over drinks, he stripped the founding generals of their military power; amid the shadows of an axe and candlelight, the mystery surrounding his bizarre death remains unsolved to this day. Some call him a wise ruler who ended the chaos o 142Reads8.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    There is nothing more useful than these books.

46. 46 澜 Dream of Lan Ciyu 澜辞钰梦 Quan Xin荃昕14k WordsCompleted Lan Ci Yu Meng 389Reads—Score—Shelves
47. 47 我 I Died on Mid-Autumn Night, and Mr. Lu Went Mad with Regret 我死在中秋夜，陆总悔疯了 Quan Xin荃昕12k WordsCompleted I died on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and General Manager Lu went mad with regret. 494Reads—Score—Shelves
48. 48 他 He Risked His Life to Protect Me, and Gave Her His Heart 他以命护我，以心予她 Quan Xin荃昕11k WordsCompleted He Protected Me with His Life and Gave Her His Heart 397Reads—Score—Shelves
49. 49 半 Half a Life Adrift, Half a Life at Peace 半生浪荡半生安 Quan Xin荃昕10k WordsCompleted Half a Life of Wildness, Half a Life of Peace 44Reads—Score—Shelves
50. 50 我 Struggling to Survive in a Parallel-World Tycoon's Realm 我在平行时空豪门世界勉力存身 Quan Xin荃昕10k WordsCompleted Making do in the world of the wealthy, in a parallel universe 21Reads—Score—Shelves

Other lists with Ingenious Inventions of Ancient China