Looking for Period Dramas with a Strong Local Flavor! 年代文 求有地方特色的文！

1. 1 老 My Husband Cheated, So I Swapped Husbands with His Mistress to Change Our Fates 老公出轨，我和小三换夫改命 Du Wanxing杜菀星Modern Romance553k WordsCompleted A new novel currently being serialized, with its rating just posted! [Not a wish-fulfillment story] [Period setting + remarriage + devoted husband + marriage first, love later] [Some ensemble cast elements] [No System] [No pocket dimension] [Realistic everyday life] In the height of summer in 1977, Xu Nan, a temporary worker at a machinery factory, caught her husband, Cheng Peng, having an affair with Liang Yan Min, an employee at the same factory. To protect his reputation and prospects, Cheng 16.9kReads8.4Score1.2k14d adds

   Reader note

   Can people with dialects accept this?

2. 2 大 The Courtyard Compound: The Warmth of Everyday Life 大杂院：人间烟火气 Du Xiaore杜小惹Modern Romance546k WordsCompleted [Period setting + family drama + everyday life] If you're young and inexperienced, take this as a warning and steer clear. This book probably isn't for you. It has none of the usual wish-fulfillment tropes and no imaginary cheat powers. It's simply an ordinary story about people in northern China. [No transmigration, no System, no pocket dimension, no being reborn, and none of the modern-novel elements you know.] It records the ordinary life of a northern town in the 1980s, capturing the memorie 8.8kReads9.1Score78214d adds
3. 3 美 The Beautiful First Half of Her Life 美艳的前半生 Ink-Wash Creek水墨小溪Modern Romance535k WordsOngoing The story takes place in a rural village in Hebei in 1999. Meiyan has been sweet, beautiful, and clever since childhood, and everyone in the village agrees she's the local beauty. After failing her university entrance exams on her second attempt, she has no choice but to face the path fate has laid out for her. Swept up by Li Gangqiang's relentless pursuit, she gives him everything. But on the very day he steps through the gates of college, he gets together with another woman. Betrayed, Meiyan s 8.9kReads7.1Score18314d adds
4. 4 念 Half a Lifetime of Missing Qiu 念秋半辈子 Ink-Wash Creek水墨小溪Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Everyone’s favorite + farming + building wealth + family squabbles + strong heroine] Shen Nianqiu’s husband died. He was stabbed to death by the husband of his lover. Because Shen Nianqiu is beautiful, shapely, intelligent, and capable, she is very popular. A rural doctor whose wife has died gradually falls for her; A butcher from the neighboring village has been secretly in love with her for a long time. A teacher assigned to the countryside admires her beauty and intelligence, and vows to mar 26.5kReads8.0Score1.8k14d adds
5. 5 土 The Lingering Warmth of the Earthen Bed 土炕上的余温 Nine-Nine Cat九玖猫Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted The quarry in the hills behind Laojing Village buried the men from half the village. All that remained were a village full of widows and children crying from hunger. Thirty migrant miners moved into the workers' barracks, all strapping bachelors. The widows cursed men to their faces, then dug out their floral jackets at night and deliberately walked past the barracks. Each of the three widows had her own reasons: one wanted a protector to help raise her child, one hoped to get some rice and flou 12.7kReads8.9Score78814d adds
6. 6 俏 The Charming Village Girl Doesn't Give Her Heart Away 俏村花她不走心 Nine-Nine Cat九玖猫Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted People say that a widow’s doorstep invites trouble, but Chunfang isn’t afraid. She goes out of her way to surround herself with men. After years of struggling in the dirt, she’s seen through it all: you can’t rely on a man’s heart, but you can rely on his money and connections. So she smiles as she plays several men against one another. One helps her come up with the cash, another finds her a market for her goods. The villagers call her shameless. Chunfang sneers. “How much is a reputation worth 21.1kReads8.0Score1.2k14d adds
7. 7 铁 Tiezhu's Fate 铁柱的命 Ink-Wash Creek水墨小溪Urban291k WordsCompleted In the 1990s, the twenty-year-old Tiezhu, whose given name was Gao Fei, was handsome, dashing, and well educated. He studied hard, hoping to change his fate through knowledge and escape the countryside. But fate kept playing tricks on him, making him fail time and again. Disheartened, he found the courage to face life again with encouragement from Yanhua, the village beauty. His excellence always won him admirers. After meeting different women, he gradually realized who loved him most. Sadly, by 5.2kReads6.8Score20714d adds
8. 8 逼 Forced Into Marriage as a Stepmom! After Joining the Army, the Abstinent Big Shot Gets Addicted 逼婚当后妈！随军后禁欲大佬上瘾 It's the Old Wang Next Door是隔壁老王呀Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Period setting + military marriage + stepmother + raising kids + sweet romance] After Su Manli dies from heart palpitations caused by working late, she discovers she has transmigrated into the body of a beautiful but brainless villainess in a sweet military romance novel. The bold villainess got a big shot from the military district drunk and dragged him into bed on their very first meeting, all to force him into marrying her and secure her position. As Su Manli watches the man beside her slowl 4.8kReads8.8Score38814d adds

   Reader note

   This book!!! This period drama is a rare find, featuring a female protagonist accompanying the male protagonist to the Yunnan border region as part of the military. It vividly describes the ethnic minorities and customs of that area, making it exceptionally good!!!

9. 9 六 The 1960s: After Getting into Technical College, I Secure a Cadre Position 六零：考上中专后，我稳坐干部岗 Don't Know Any Better孬不道Modern Romance999k WordsCompleted [1960s + everyday life + extremely, extremely slow-paced + family squabbles + no rural assignment + vocational school entrance exams + few awful relatives] [This is a female-oriented novel! The heroine is an ordinary person, not a powerhouse heroine. Please don’t read if that bothers you.] Heartbroken and still looking for an internship? To escape reality, senior college student Zhou Yuan casually signed a contract for the full-immersion game Awakening. When she opened her eyes, she had become Z 17.7kReads8.5Score1.3k14d adds

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   This book, a rare find, features a small courtyard in southern China, with scenes of making rice cakes, harvesting sugarcane, and enjoying lychees and mangoes. Because it received fewer ratings, its score is a bit low. It primarily depicts the warm daily life of the main family. Its strength lies in its strong sense of the era; this is the most focused on historical setting I've read on Tomato (a Chinese online literature platform). Prices are reasonable, details are meticulously researched, and there aren't many glaring flaws. It truly feels like living in that era. The only downside is the slow pace; there isn't much romance yet. It can be read as a historical fiction combined with a farming/farming novel.

10. 10 一 All I Want in Life Is Half a Heart’s Contentment 一生只求半称心 Hedge Shadow篱影Modern Romance582k WordsCompleted The comic adaptation is coming soon! [Traditional] [No gimmicks] [Not a power fantasy] [No cheat abilities] In the 1970s, Li Laoman had no sons, so he wanted to find a live-in son-in-law for his third daughter, Li Fan. Li Fan refused and stole her second sister Li Ting's fiance instead! Now Li Ting had not only lost her man, but also had to take on the responsibility of finding a live-in son-in-law for her younger sister. With Li Laoman pressuring her, she had no choice but to take Zhong Wensong 9.5kReads8.9Score79914d adds

    Reader note

    This historical novel is very realistic, set in the Central Plains.

11. 11 饥 Dried Jujubes in the Famine Years 饥荒年的干枣 Little Chubby Lump小肥坨Modern Romance358k WordsCompleted Female-oriented + famine years + period drama + family memoir This novel chronicles the ups and downs of the 80-year life of Wang Xiaoyuan, a farmer from southern Sichuan. Following the family and married lives of his four children, it reveals the many sides of Wang Xiaoyuan. In 1958, Wang Xiaoyuan secretly took his son Wang Kesheng to the market to buy a bull, and adopted a little beggar named Qin’er. As an adult, Keqin apprenticed himself to Feng the Carpenter and mastered the trade. He later 155Reads6.9Score1214d adds

    Reader note

    The Little Tyrant of Sichuan and Chongqing is being serialized.

12. 12 侯 A Marquis Reborn as a Village Girl in the Seventies 侯爷穿成了年代小村姑 Three Colors三采Modern Romance275k WordsCompleted In the 1950s, Lin Zhile was one of the Lin family's four golden flowers, the youngest daughter kept at home by her parents so they could find her a live-in husband. Just before graduating from vocational school, the boy she liked turned her down. Heartbroken and consumed by anxiety over her future partner, she accidentally fell into the water on her way home. She came down with a fever that night and died. In the Great Yan Dynasty, Lin Zhile was a marquis who disguised herself as a man. To prev 2.6kReads8.2Score17614d adds

    Reader note

    It's set in Guizhou, with many dialects and local delicacies. The female lead works as a sales clerk at a supply and marketing cooperative and is now a deputy director. She'll likely go into politics in the future. The male lead is a son-in-law who married into the family.

13. 13 二 After Two Spoiled Brats Become Sent-Down Youths Returning to the City 二世祖夫妻穿成回城知青后 Shen Yizui沈一醉Modern Romance541k WordsOngoing When a young couple of layabout second-generation rich kids who only know how to eat, drink, and have fun transmigrate from 2025 to the 1970s or 1980s, they become a married couple of educated youths returning to the city. They have no System, no pocket dimension, no wise old master by their side... no golden finger at all. And neither of them is a once-in-a-generation genius. This hard-up but cheerful young couple can only roll up their sleeves and give it everything they've got if they want to 1.1kReads6.4Score10614d adds

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    1️⃣A young couple from Guangzhou, who were once the children of expropriated land, travel back in time to the 1980s and become educated youth who have just returned to Foshan from Hainan. Very localized, it depicts the early industrial development of Foshan during the reform and opening-up period; quite enjoyable. 2️⃣On the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the time-traveling heroine escapes to Hong Kong with her sisters from a brothel, survives there, and starts a business; the story is very relatable to the everyday life of Hong Kong.

14. 14 逃 Escaping the Yihong Brothel: Making It on Our Own in Hong Kong 逃离怡红院，我们在香江自力更生 Rang Gou攘诟Modern Romance333k WordsOngoing [No golden finger + 1950s setting + romance later on] After finally making it into college and escaping her awful parents, Cheng Jiao opens her eyes to find she has transmigrated into the body of a servant sold to the Yihong Brothel. The Qing Dynasty has fallen, but its rotten customs remain. Chiang, you’ve really outdone yourself. There’s no way she’s staying here and accepting her fate. She’ll escape with the brothel’s top courtesan! Hong Kong is the perfect place for three women to build a li 550Reads7.1Score—14d adds
15. 15 甩 I Dumped My Handsome Wife-Beater and Married an Ugly, Scarred Man 甩了家暴美男，嫁给刀疤丑汉 Little Pear Blossom O小梨花OModern Romance338k WordsCompleted Period drama + rural life + family squabbles + workplace + nightlife + second marriage + entrepreneurship In the early 1980s, rural woman Wang Xiuhong was abused by her handsome husband, Zhao Dayong. After enduring humiliation, she left with nothing. She went to the city to make a living, suffered bullying at a food factory, and was fired. With nowhere else to turn, she ended up at a nightclub. There she met Yang Jun, a discharged soldier with a face full of knife scars, and the only person in t 56Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A period drama with distinctive Northeastern Chinese characteristics; the second part can be watched simultaneously with the comic book series.

16. 16 守 A Comeback After Twenty Years of Widowhood 守寡二十年逆袭 Little Pear Blossom O小梨花OModern Romance466k WordsCompleted [Period Drama + Strong Female Lead + Farming + Family Life + Widow's Comeback + Single Mother] On her wedding night, her husband is crushed to death by a roof beam, and Liu Chunhong becomes the "husband-killing jinx." Her mother-in-law forces her to give birth to her posthumous child, then turns on her and throws mother and daughter out while she's still recovering from childbirth. Her sister-in-law blocks the door and yells, "A married daughter is like water poured out!" With nowhere else to tu 7.8kReads6.9Score38614d adds
17. 17 8 Tales of Xizhou in the 1980s 80年代西州往事 Silk Road Comics丝路漫画Urban235k WordsCompleted This is a story about youth, and a story about growing up. It is filled with passionate brotherhood, the innocent love of childhood sweethearts, clashes of steel in the streets and alleys, and the struggles and choices people face in the tides of a changing era. Most importantly, it captures the warmth unique to that time: the unreserved sincerity between people, a purity that seems almost like a luxury today. 13Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Do you want to read stories about Xinjiang in the 1980s?

18. 18 重 Back to 1985: My Self-Serve Porridge Stall Is a Hit 重回八五，自助粥摊火爆了 Meng Xiaocha蒙小茶Modern Romance1.7M WordsCompleted (Her Own Woman) To escape her stepfather's clutches, Su Miao falls from the 13th floor and travels back to the day her parents divorced when she was a child. She sees through her mother's cold, indifferent nature and her habit of endlessly spoiling her younger brother. This time, she chooses without hesitation to go with her father. When her uncle tries to secure a permanent job, he blocks the door and raises a huge ruckus. Su Miao leans close to her father's ear and whispers a few words. Her fa 22.7kReads9.2Score2.3k14d adds

    Reader note

    Guangxi's literature is rich in regional characteristics and authentically captures the essence of everyday life.

19. 19 苦 The Long-Suffering Younger Sister 苦妹 Little Pear Blossom O小梨花OModern Romance588k WordsCompleted This is a bloodcurdling, suffocating epic of female suffering. It tells the tragic story of a woman called Ku Mei, whose life was mercilessly crushed by fate over more than half a century, from the early 1960s to the beginning of the twenty-first century. In 1960, during a famine-stricken winter, she was born the second daughter in her family and named Pan Di, “Hoping for a younger brother.” From then on, her grandmother saw her as a “jinx” and branded her Ku Mei, “Bitter Girl.” In a family that 3.5kReads8.8Score41414d adds

    Reader note

    Watch the first part first, then watch the second part. Don't get the order wrong.

20. 20 苦 A Bitter Girl’s Rebirth 苦妹之涅槃重生 Little Pear Blossom O小梨花OModern Romance487k WordsCompleted Inside Ku Mei’s five-year-old body lived the soul of someone who had died with a heart full of hatred. Reborn, she faced a spiteful grandmother who beat and berated her, a cold grandfather who enabled the abuse, and a mother who could only weep helplessly. Ku Mei concealed her boundless hatred and memories of her past life, pretending to be timid as she carefully plotted her every move. She outsmarted her relatives and broke free of her shackles, starting with a bottle of chili sauce from the mi 121Reads—Score—14d adds
21. 21 知 The Educated Youth Years: Starting with an Escape from the Village 知青年代，从村子里逃亡开始 Lone Shepherd独牧人Urban3.3M WordsOngoing 1976. Liu Haibo, a sent-down youth, falls in love with Yang Xiuqing, a village girl. Her family vehemently opposes his proposal, forcing him to flee Shibantian Village and return to Haicheng, a thousand miles away. Just as he is preparing to start a new life with Wu Jie in Haicheng, Yang Xiuqing suddenly shows up at his door, stirring up an emotional entanglement that spans the years. 2023. Seventy-year-old Liu Haibo is driving an Audi with Yang Xiuqing to Shibantian Village when they are involv 33.8kReads8.4Score2.1k14d adds
22. 22 霞 Xia Guangnuan's First Book 霞光暖暖的第1本书 Warm Glowing Clouds霞光暖暖Modern Romance568k WordsOngoing [Period Setting + Realistic Rural Life + Family Matters + Adultery + Beloved by Everyone + A Woman’s Growth] Hong Xing is a village doctor, twenty-three years old, and the mother of two daughters. Only after her husband dies unexpectedly does she discover that the man who always seemed so honest and quiet, a man who could hardly get a word out even if you beat him with three sticks, had betrayed her. Her whole world collapses. She had always followed the rules of a virtuous wife, respected her p 1.3kReads7.9Score13114d adds
23. 23 东 The Northeast Era Drama's All-Time Great King of the Waistline 东北年代剧天花板金牌腰王 Saint Seiya Star Bliss圣斗士星爽Urban2.7M WordsOngoing [Period] [Jiahao in 1980] [No System, just an ironclad fate] [The 1980s] [Reborn] [Satisfying read] [The Strongest Second Sister-in-Law in History] [The most unhinged novel written in Northeastern dialect] Li Qi was reborn, returning to the day before he was forced to donate a kidney. In his previous life, his father put family ties first, while his brother and sister-in-law told him to sacrifice himself for everyone. His younger brother cried and said he wanted to eat meat. In a moment of resol 94.5kReads8.4Score6.3k14d adds

    Reader note

    Northeast rural folk tales that will make you laugh until you wet the bed

24. 24 穿 Transmigrate into a Book in the 1970s, and Discover My Mom Is a Total Green Tea 穿书七零，发现我妈是大绿茶 Encounter遇见Modern Romance505k WordsCompleted [Period Drama + Self-Serving Female Lead + Terrible Family + Play the Pig to Eat the Tiger + Everyone’s a Master Schemer + Devoted Couple + Joins the Military Later] Just after transmigrating, Zhao Qianqian manages to offend her stepsister and steal her fiancé! And this is all happening inside a book. The man she stole is the female lead’s cash cow, a third male lead, and he’s about to be targeted and framed by the reborn female lead. Then she discovers that her mother has it even worse. Just to 7.1kReads7.3Score48914d adds
25. 25 重 Back to the 1960s: My Parents Chose Their Adopted Daughter Over Me 重回六零，爹妈为了养女不要我了 Bouncing Bunny蹦跶兔Modern Romance1.4M WordsCompleted 年代 + Strong Female Lead + Pocket Dimension + Vengeance for Every Grudge + Fighting the Awful Ones + Family Life + Making a Fortune For the sake of so-called good deeds, her biological parents adopted children who already had both parents, then abandoned their own children in the countryside to fend for themselves. They even made their own daughter take the fall for their adopted daughter. And she was brutally beaten in revenge... Her younger brother was beaten to death with clubs for trying to g 6.5kReads8.9Score56014d adds

    Reader note

    Look at this, it's absolutely unique.

26. 26 赶 Hunting in the Mountains to Protect My Family 赶山打猎守护一家 Three-Minute Passionlove三分热度loveUrban2.0M WordsCompleted Reborn, she heads into the mountains to hunt and protect her family. That winter, her family was torn apart, and the little shadow who used to follow her everywhere was gone forever. Now she's back, and she won't let this life be filled with regrets... 43.7kReads8.4Score2.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    Hong Tianbao is reborn before the Reform and Opening Up era. In this second life, he rescues his younger sister, Xiaogeda, hunts in the mountains to protect his family, leads them to prosperity, and enjoys a leisurely and carefree life in the rural Northeast. [Top Post][Top Post][Top Post]

27. 27 北 Smoke and Fire in the Northern Lands 北国烟火事 Wen Bocheng文波成Urban124k WordsCompleted The winter of 2000 in Northeast China. He was Wang Jianjun, a laborer at the bottom of society, covered in dust but full of sincerity. She was Liu Jiajia, radiant and determined, from a well-off family. One chance meeting, and a love neither dared to hope for. Their families were worlds apart. Their relatives pressured them to marry, and reality weighed heavily on them. Forced apart, they loved each other with all their hearts but could only let go in pain. He swallowed his grievances and fought 4Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Northeast China Era Stories: The Many Flavors of Life

28. 28 丑 The Ugly Daughter-in-Law Takes on Her Cruel Mother-in-Law 丑媳妇大战恶婆婆 Pan Yu盘语Modern Romance3.5M WordsOngoing The print edition is titled The Fading Embers of Mortal Life and is available on Taobao. [Satisfying highs and heartbreaking lows] [Traditional period setting] [Family drama] [The hardships of real life] This is the story of the joys and sorrows of three generations of women in a dysfunctional family, and how they grow amid the chaos of family life. Fu Ying is born into desperation. Her mother is a gambler, and her father is violent. When she reaches marrying age, no one dares take her as a wife 57.6kReads9.1Score2.1k14d adds

    Reader note

    It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful! It will give you a glimpse into a different kind of life!

29. 29 都 Now That I'm Reborn, Why Get Married? Obviously, I'll Make Money 都重生了谁还嫁人，当然赚钱啊 Chi Yu Ru Hai池渔洳海Modern Romance510k WordsCompleted [Starting a Business and Making Money+Top Student+No Romance+Feel-Good Female Lead+Period Piece] Jiang Yu is reborn in 1994. In this life, she refuses to follow her mother to the city for school. She'll stay in the county, sell porridge, and open a food court. With her foresight and skills as a food blogger, watch her turn 250 yuan into a hundred billion... She'll make money and study hard, both at once! 1.4kReads8.9Score11514d adds

    Reader note

    Reborn in 1994 in Jasmine Village, she starts her business and gets rich by selling porridge and milk tea. It's a period novel with a strong female lead and no romantic pairing.👍 The rating is a bit low right now, but it's great!

30. 30 老 Old Huang and Old Hei 老黄与老黑 Shan Ye Yiyuan山野艺媛Urban430k WordsOngoing [Period Drama] [Countryside] [Married Life] Set in the early 1980s, this novel tells the story of four families, the Lins, Wangs, Lius, and Chens, in an unremarkable village on the Loess Plateau in the Great Northwest. They scheme and struggle against one another, while brothers and sisters-in-law within each clan bear their own grudges and grievances. But it is better to resolve enmity than let it fester. Lin Junjie is the first young man in the village to get into college, bringing honor to th 56Reads7.4Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    On the Loess Plateau, the old north wind blows incessantly... Here comes a historical account...

31. 31 织 The City of Woven Sand 织沙之城 Peach Fierce桃桃凶猛Modern Romance507k WordsCompleted [The first online novel set in Nansha District, Guangzhou, the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A 2023 key project supported by the China Writers Association] A heroine’s coming-of-age story + the gentle flow of everyday life + women’s entrepreneurship What is home? What does one’s hometown mean? As the Pearl River rushes toward the sea, Mai Jiaying, a post-90s small-town exam ace, grows tired of her salt-scented, out-of-the-way hometown. All she wants is to fly to the ca 6Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A modern story about striving for success with distinctive Guangdong characteristics; the characters' language is very characteristic and full of charm.

32. 32 上 Shanghai People Eat Rice Porridge 上海人吃泡饭 The Writer Who Writes in Shanghainese用上海话写作的人Modern Romance627k WordsCompleted In the middle of the night, Wang’s Granny was being beaten so badly she could barely move, and could only call for help. Uncle Huang was still fuming over how she had humiliated him during the day, so angry he couldn’t sleep. He heard what sounded faintly like a cat meowing, but when he listened more closely, he realized it was a cry for help coming from Wang’s Granny’s house. He was about to go save her when his wife grabbed hold of him... 491Reads8.1Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The everyday life in the alleyways, the casual conversations at doorways, the joys and sorrows of ordinary people—things that few would normally know—are fully expressed in this 620,000-word novel. It lets you experience the joys and sorrows of ordinary people. This book, dubbed by the media as the online version of "Blossoms," is being published by Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House.

33. 33 足 Football: I Lifted the World Cup in 1982 足球：1982年我举起了世界杯 Ji Yuning季宇宁Sports1.0M WordsCompleted You Xi transmigrated from 2025 back to 1981. His transmigration was caused by encountering “that ball,” which was really a fixation on Chinese football. Thanks to it, he got a cheat and won the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, becoming a legendary king of football. That ball also turned out to be a weapon for killing, looting, and laying waste to cities and nations. With it, he could take revenge to his heart’s content and vent all his pent-up frustration. And, of course, there were plenty of gorgeous 47Reads—Score—14d adds
34. 34 回 Back in 1977, I Married the Queen of the Daughters' Kingdom 回到1977年，娶了女儿国国王 Ji Yuning季宇宁Urban2.2M WordsCompleted Ji Yuning transmigrated back to 1977. He went from being a 21-year-old educated youth returning to the city to a literary young man, a great poet, and a famous novelist. It was all thanks to his memories of his previous life and the books he copied. But his greatest reward was marrying a wife as beautiful as a fairy. 11.7kReads8.0Score77814d adds
35. 35 重 Reborn: From the Start, I Can Hear the Young Intellectual’s Inner Thoughts 重生，开局就偷听女知青心声 Chief Steward of the Yang Household杨府大管家Urban388k WordsOngoing [The rating just came out and will keep rising!] [Period rebirth, farming, pure romance, slow-paced and not violent] If you like this kind of story, come take a look! If you don't, head on over to Tomato Book City, where plenty of great books are waiting for you! Su Yun is reborn in 1974 as an educated youth sent to the countryside. From the start, the educated youths' dormitory collapses, so he has no choice but to board with a local family. By chance, he ends up under the same roof as Lin Qing 1.6kReads6.2Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    How about this?

36. 36 重 Back to 1982: Casting Nets to Save the Village Belle and Make the Whole Village Rich 重回82：撒网救村花带全村致富 Seeing a Dragon on Mount Nan南山见龙Urban1.5M WordsCompleted Back at the age of twenty, he's known throughout the village as a no-good loafer. But no one knows he's returned carrying the regrets and memories of his previous life. He catches and sells fish, hunts in the mountains, and earns his first fortune through hard work. Before the flood hits, he even issues an early warning and organizes an evacuation, saving countless lives. From the village to the county, from small-time trading to grand strategies... In this life, he won't just clear his name. He 27.2kReads8.3Score2k14d adds

    Reader note

    Not from Northeast China, no problematic content, good writing style.

37. 37 野 Wild Chrysanthemums, No Tears 野菊花，不流泪 Shui Wenqiu水问秋Modern Romance508k WordsCompleted “The eldest gets doted on, the youngest gets spoiled, but the one in the middle suffers most!” In the late 1970s, under the weight of son preference and the pressure of family planning, Xiaojü was born in the middle. Her tragic life began from the moment she was born: an unwanted child, abandoned by both Heaven and Earth! When Xiaojü was four, the grandmother who had raised her passed away. In her final moments, Grandma told her that she had been born in a season when wild chrysanthemums were i 2.2kReads8.4Score15214d adds

    Reader note

    Realistic period dramas

38. 38 稻 When the Rice Flowers Bloom 稻香花开 Liu Ningduochang刘宁多昌Modern Romance368k WordsCompleted The novel follows the hardships endured by farmers in two villages in Xiangnan County, Dongyuantun and Da’ai Village, from the Republican era through the founding of the People’s Republic of China and on through the people’s commune system, the Cultural Revolution, the household responsibility system, and the Reform and Opening-Up period. The villagers endure one hardship after another and witness the changing times. The protagonists, Zhang Yiping and Zhou Xueyun, are forced to leave school beca 233Reads8.1Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A history showcasing the changes in rural life in southern Hunan

39. 39 有 There Was a Girl Named Xiaohua 有个女孩叫小花 My Little Warm Jackets我的小棉袄们Modern Romance420k WordsOngoing My new work is here! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! This book captures some of the culture and food of rural northern Fujian in the 1980s and 1990s. Follow Xiaohua and her family as they work hard and lead warm, ordinary lives. No exaggeration, melodrama, or foolish antics. It’s not a feel-good power fantasy, and there’s no rebirth or transmigration. There’s no golden finger, just 33Reads8.9Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    I have to recommend this! It's a heartwarming story of a family struggling to make a living in a rural area of northern Fujian during the 80s and 90s. 😄😄😄❤️❤️❤️

40. 40 重 Reborn Tour Guide Strikes It Rich! 重生导游来吸金！ Le Muxi乐沐昔Modern Romance459k WordsCompleted Tour guide Ji Luoyi’s tour bus plunges into a reservoir on the way back from dropping off her group. When she opens her eyes, she has been reborn as Luo Yi, a high school student in 2002. The thought of going through high school all over again gives her a headache. Her parents were tricked into going abroad for work and haven’t been heard from in years, while her relatives are constantly picking on her, unable to stand seeing her do well. Ji Luoyi thinks, “I had a house, a car, and a cat-son, an 68Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The reborn tour guide is invincible and makes a comeback.

41. 41 影 In Film and TV, the Supporting Character Just Wants to Stir Things Up 影视之配角只想搞事情 Granny Xi, Who Loves Pickled Vegetables爱吃捞菜的喜嬷嬷Female-Channel Fanfiction451k WordsOngoing Various supporting characters with golden fingers stir up trouble around the protagonists. Don't overthink it while reading! Just enjoy the fun! Feel free to comment if you spot any typos. Thanks Su Lian (complete) Shunxin (complete) An Lingrong (complete) Yuhu (complete) Fucha Langhua (complete) Yongzheng (Big Fat Tangerine) (complete) Ruyi (complete) Wang Qin (complete) Yu Ying'er (complete) Cuiguo (complete) Pig Bristle (complete) Hongshi (complete) Songzi (complete) Big Fat Tangerine, Alm 9.4kReads8.2Score22614d adds

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    In the 1950s, Lin Zhile was one of the "Four Golden Flowers" of the Lin family, kept at home by her parents for a planned marriage. On the eve of her graduation from vocational school, she was rejected by the boy she liked. Heartbroken and filled with worry about her future partner, she tragically fell into the water on her way home and died of a fever in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, in the Great Yan Dynasty, there was another Lin Zhile, who disguised herself as a marquis to prevent her family's crime of deceiving the emperor from being exposed. She was the youngest daughter in the marquis's household, silently bearing the secret.

42. 42 她 Her Walled-In World 她的围城 Su Laosan素老三Modern Romance5.0M WordsOngoing This book is based on a true story. It's not a wish-fulfillment novel, and it is slow-paced. In the 1990s, Jing An gets married. Unsure yet hopeful about marriage, she endures her in-laws' schemes and her sister-in-law's attempts to drive a wedge between her and her husband. At last, she and Jiuguang make it through their difficult adjustment period, and she thinks a brighter future is finally within reach. But that light is stolen by another woman. And so begins a battle of schemes and rivalr 29kReads9.2Score79114d adds

    Reader note

    A period drama with a distinct Northeastern Chinese flavor. It tells the story of his struggles within his marriage, and how he breaks free from that confinement to pursue his dreams step by step.

43. 43 二 Erzhu and His Women 二柱和他的女人们 Ink-Wash Creek水墨小溪Urban63k WordsOngoing Gao Fei, a country boy nicknamed Er Zhu, received guidance from a master after a fall left him injured. The master taught him remarkable medical skills and martial arts. Strong and fit, clever and resourceful, he had a unique personal charm that won the admiration of countless women. From the countryside to the city, and from campus to the workplace, he went from strength to strength and began an extraordinary life of his own. —Reads—Score—14d adds
44. 44 沉 Years of Quiet Reflection 沉淀的岁月 Li Xinxin李馨欣Modern Romance560k WordsCompleted The story follows the lives of three high school girls from rural backgrounds. In the fall of 1964, the confident, ambitious “top student” Yu Hongying, the warmhearted and forthright “knight-errant” Li Chunfen, and the reserved, introspective lady Yue Shuqian unexpectedly meet in their first-year dormitory, along with the “campus belle” Yang Yuhuan and the “fake Marxist-Leninist” Wu Lihong. This sets off a series of stories, some serious, some amusing, some bizarre, and some full of joy and sorr 568Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The personal experiences of that generation.

45. 45 从 From Village to City: Their Lives Swept Along by the Tide of the Times 从村到城，她们在时代洪流里沉浮 Ah Shuilan阿水兰Modern Romance505k WordsCompleted Their fates seem to repeat across generations. Three generations of women all grew up under the shadow of fathers who left or divorced their mothers. Raised in households with only their mothers, the women share similar traits: resilient and adaptable, dignified and self-assured, hardworking, and devoted to living life well. From the countryside to the city, women of the new era have finally welcomed a spring of their own. Their lives have become richer and more colorful, full of endless possibi 12Reads—Score114d adds

    Reader note

    The style of writing about rural areas in the south is very different from that in the north.

46. 46 大 Daring to Act 大胆作为 Ah Shuilan阿水兰Modern Romance277k WordsCompleted She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden. Raised in a remote mountain village, she became famous far and wide for her beauty, but she was neither delicate nor dependent on men. With an excellent memory, high emotional and intellectual intelligence, and a stubborn refusal to give up, she carved out a place for herself in the world. She studied opera, ran a stall, worked odd jobs, and did business, eventually making her mark in the commercial world. Because of her unusual birth, her life was far 7Reads—Score—14d adds
47. 47 阿 A-Dou’s Comeback 阿豆的逆袭 Ah Shuilan阿水兰Urban182k WordsCompleted He was born with a disability: no neck, his head almost resting on his shoulders... On top of that, he lost both his parents as a child. Yet this very man eventually made a comeback like Forrest Gump. He not only married the village beauty, but also found success in his career. How did he turn his life around and rise to the light? Was it luck? Character? Talent? Maybe it was a bit of everything. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
48. 48 我 My Dongguan Dream: Sister Mei 我的东莞梦：媚姐 Zeng Yi曾呓Urban2.4M WordsOngoing Sister Mei's advice to me: The women at entertainment venues are just for looking. Don't get serious with them. Sister Mei also said: Don't get any ideas about me, either. [A story about working for a living, perhaps with a little of me, you, and him in it.] 198.5kReads8.9Score9.7k14d adds

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    👍👍👍👍👍

49. 49 秦 Qin's Replacement: A Bricklayer Rewrites Three Hundred Years of Qin History 秦替：泥水匠改写了三百年秦史 Heaven's Way Is Strong6729天行健6729Historical1.3M WordsOngoing Qin's Substitute In 1991, Zhang Daode, a boy from a small town in southwestern Hunan, studied hard and earned excellent results on his high school entrance exam. But someone with power took his place, crushing his hopes of continuing his education and forcing him into a life at the bottom of society as a bricklayer who knew nothing but hardship. Then a sudden fall at a construction site turned his life upside down. When he opened his eyes, he had transmigrated to the end of the Warring States p 1.6kReads9.2Score17114d adds

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    A Century of Change in Rural China

50. 50 青 Qingshi Pass, Pear Tree Grove 青狮口，梨树林 Heaven's Way Is Strong6729天行健6729Urban366k WordsOngoing The Green Lion’s Mouth, the Pear Orchard follows Zhang Yunxi’s life as its narrative thread, setting it against the vast backdrop of a century of change in rural China. In Qingshikou Village, in the land of Xiangchu, it unfolds as an epic etched in the rings of the earth. From the many wars of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, to the farming and pioneering spirit of the early Republican era, to protecting homes and forests during the War of Resistance Against Japan, from collective labor i —Reads8.3Score—14d adds

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