Looking for Period Novels Like A Lifelong Journey and The Alley! 求像《小巷人家》《人世间》这样的年代文！

1. 401 重 Reborn in the 1980s: Auntie Jin Takes on the Whole Family 重生八零，金大妈吊打全家 Little Red Dot红点儿Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Period] [Reborn] [Putting Scumbags in Their Place] [A Touch of Ensemble Cast] [Payback Is a Must] [Wealth and Glory] A guide to this life: Stay clear of the burdens of children, and enjoy a carefree life! Hang on to a big shot's coattails, and you'll never worry about food or drink! Jin Yulan, a scrap-collecting woman, froze to death beneath a bridge. Her son refused to pay for her funeral and burned her body by the river. When she opened her eyes again, Jin Yulan had returned to the late 1980s 136Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   It gets more interesting the further you read.

2. 402 水 Water Willow 水性杨花儿 Zhang Xiaoshu张小殊Modern Romance2.3M WordsOngoing (The rating was just added and will rise. It's already going up!) Neighbor Guo Hongmei ran off with another man? What? That man is Yang Hua'er's husband, Zhao Dashan? Talk about gossip coming right back to bite you. They say nine out of ten people born in the Year of the Sheep are fated to have a hard life, but Yang Hua'er doesn't believe in fate. Even without a man, she can still make a warm and happy life for herself. 9.5kReads8.2Score637Shelves

   Reader note

   It's really pretty.

3. 403 1 Another Spring of the 1977 College Entrance Exam 1977年高考又一春 Young Master Xiaoxiao孝孝公子Modern Romance3.6M WordsOngoing [A story-driven take on history. Note: There is no single fixed protagonist. Multiple leads reflect the changes of the era and offer a full picture of the 1977 restoration of the college entrance exam.] [The story focuses on several main characters: Hu Wei and Wang Ting, Pan Xia, and Lu Xiaoyun. Their stories weave in and out according to the timeline. If you prefer to follow one character at a time, you can read their chapters in sequence for a complete biography. The other characters may only 5.5kReads8.0Score386Shelves

   Reader note

   Transcending time to become the top scorer in the college entrance exam, seizing opportunities to get rich! A beautiful wife, children, and a warm bed! A heartwarming story of everyday life, with a tight plot! Highly recommend this book! 👍 [Add to bookshelf] You might think it's a novel, but it's actually a very interesting historical record. Its strength lies in its focus on ordinary people. Hundreds of typical characters are based on real people and stories. Those born in the 50s, 60s, and 70s should read it; perhaps you can find stories that reflect your own era or a piece of your own. The story is touching, the plot is well-arranged, and it should be considered a good novel within a historical record, and a good historical story within a novel.

4. 404 和 Gossiping in an Alley With My Airheaded Best Friend 和我的二货闺蜜在小巷里吃瓜 Northern Folk, Southern Workshop北人南坊Female-Channel Fanfiction106k WordsOngoing Zhi En Yi Ang’s story has taken a new turn. When Zhi En Yi Ang once again transmigrates in a daze into the world of the alleyway households, what kind of story will unfold with Gong Shangjue and Gong Yuanzheng, who have come after him to win him back? The author’s brain is tiny, and their thought process is short. This story has no logic, so just dive in without thinking. Please don’t leave negative comments if it isn’t to your taste! 94Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 405 快 Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead Just Wants to Farm and Take It Easy 快穿：女配只想种田摸鱼 Poor Sanqi!贫穷的三七呀！Modern Romance1.8M WordsCompleted Content warnings: A slow-burn, cozy everyday story + the heroine’s personal growth + a dark male lead (a bed-warming little tool) + the author reads every comment and likes to jot them down in a little notebook. (The story is complete.) At the start, the lousy System told Liu Mian: This System is begging you to keep your head down and be a background character. Just farm a little and eat a little. Once we’ve filled out our work reports, we can collect our pay. Liu Mian, a devoted couch potato, t 3.5kReads8.9Score253Shelves

   Reader note

   Look! Liu Mian lay on the hard bed, staring blankly at the ceiling bathed in soft, moonlight, studying the newly installed system in her mind. It included a 1-cubic-meter portable storage unit, with ten levels at the beginner level, each requiring a different number of points to advance.

6. 406 百 A Century of Smoke and Dust for the Lin Family 百年林家烟尘路 Lin Who Loves Spring喜欢春天的林Urban87k WordsCompleted The Lin family of Yuxian County, Henan, has weathered a century of change since Lin Jizhao, a licentiate in the late Qing dynasty. There are no princes or generals here, only generations who held fast to farming amid turbulent times and struggled to stay afloat as the currents of history swept them along. This is a true oral history of a family, telling of ordinary people’s joys and sorrows, and the legacy passed down through generations. —Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   A family history novel that originated in the late Qing Dynasty, recording the real lives of ordinary people.

7. 407 你 Hello, 1976! 你好，1976！ vRunning Snailvv奔跑的蜗牛vUrban1.5M WordsCompleted The orphan Zheng Weimin transmigrates to 1976. He thinks he’ll finally experience the warmth of a family, but instead he’s abandoned once again. Luckily, he has the memories and knowledge of his previous life. Without them, he really wouldn’t have been able to turn things around. As the saying goes, nobody visits the poor in the busy city, while distant relatives come flocking to the rich in the mountains. It’s true. Zheng Weimin experiences life in all its harshness and, after being reborn, fin 38.3kReads8.9Score2.7kShelves
8. 408 穿 Transmigrate to the 1970s and Cultivate My Way into the Immortal Realm 穿越七十年代修仙闯修真界 Late Appointment晚约Modern Romance813k WordsCompleted Nangong Xintong, head of an ancient martial arts family, accidentally formed a pact with a family heirloom jade pendant and gained a portable space. Over the next few years, she stockpiled plenty of supplies. After having the same dream over and over, she transmigrated one day into an alternate version of the 1970s, and the spirit within the space awoke. Only then did she learn that before transmigrating, she had been missing part of her soul. Now her soul was whole, and she had fully merged wit 4.7kReads9.1Score535Shelves
9. 409 离 Divorce? Sounds Good 离婚，挺好的 Brother Fei, Not Fei飞哥非哥Urban850k WordsOngoing [Marriage, Desire, Emotions, Middle-Aged Romance] A middle-aged couple whose relationship was opposed by both sets of parents from the very beginning has to walk every step in fear and trepidation. In the eyes of others, they are respectable, stable teachers, standing at the lectern, yet unable to keep their crumbling marriage intact. The daily grind wears away their tenderness, comparisons over wealth and status tear away their masks, and social expectations clash with the desires in their hear 3kReads7.0Score191Shelves
10. 410 七 A Military Officer Was Forced to Marry a Village Woman, but Their Arranged Marriage Turned to Love 七零军官被迫娶村妇，先婚厚爱 Men Xiaoxie门小协Modern Romance506k WordsCompleted No transmigration + not reborn + no space + no golden finger + relies on her own abilities With nowhere left to turn, Shen Yining jumps into a river to kill herself, but the passing officer Ji Zhonglin pulls her out. She rolls her eyes and latches onto him, insisting he did something improper to her. Ji Zhonglin: “...” He must have gotten up too soon and pulled her out too soon. Before she jumped into the river, he pissed in the wrong place. Before they are forced to marry, Ji Zhonglin says 49.7kReads8.9Score6.1kShelves
11. 411 女 Woman Reborn as a Man: Hard Times as the Big Brother 女穿男：艰苦岁月当大哥 There Is a Big White Dog有一只大白狗Modern Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [Female-to-male transmigration, period setting, marriage and children, everyday ensemble cast, few nasty characters, a little child-rearing, tiny golden finger] In Huiwan Alley, Hongshi Town, there was a happy family of two working parents. The parents loved each other, and they had two sons and two daughters. Their fifth child was on the way. But everything changed overnight. The mother died after giving birth to the fifth child, leaving behind a baby who needed constant care. During the famine 20.2kReads8.7Score2.5kShelves

    Reader note

    Yes, yes, these two books.

12. 412 快 Quick Transmigration: When the Red Thread Snaps, I Tie It Back Myself 快穿之红线断了自己接 Qian Moyan阡陌嫣Modern Romance1.4M WordsOngoing So the Matchmaker really does exist. But if a red thread breaks, shouldn’t the Matchmaker be the one to fix it? Why does the victim have to reconnect it themselves? Where can I file a complaint? Looking at the sobbing celestial scion, I wonder if this is a good time to ask for a little extra compensation. Fending for myself isn’t so bad, either. A search across three thousand great worlds to find my other half. 32Reads7.0Score—Shelves
13. 413 似 Like Flowing Water 似水流 Mountain Spirit Admiring the Moon山鬼赏月Modern Romance303k WordsCompleted Hutong of Happiness No. 52 (Flowing Like Water) Gentle, clear-headed, bold in love and hate + devoted, principled husband (Mutual devotion + one-on-one romance + both leads have no prior romantic history + period drama + childhood friends + everyday family life) Three families live at No. 52, Hutong of Happiness, in the capital. Through changing times and the growth of their children, they live out stories filled with the bitter and the sweet… This is a period drama where every character is vivi 22Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The warmth of everyday life 🔥 🔥

14. 414 快 Quick Transmigration: The Tool Character Won't Follow the Plot Anymore 快穿：工具人不走剧情了 Ying Zai瑛仔Modern Romance1.0M WordsOngoing (A few warnings: The couple is fixed. The author has never been in a relationship and isn't very good at writing romance, so the couples basically fall in love at first sight, forever. This isn't a fast-paced revenge story. The early arcs are slow transmigration, while the later ones are quick transmigration. If this isn't your cup of tea, see you in the next book. Suggestions are welcome, but please don't leave a bad review (*`Ω´*)v. For everyone's enjoyment, please don't judge the fictional wo 625Reads8.7Score—Shelves
15. 415 市 The Everyday Lives of Ordinary Folk 市井小民的烟火 Riverside Family淮上人家Ancient Romance794k WordsCompleted Lin Dazhuang and Li Xiaoxiao married through a family-arranged spouse swap. Lin Dazhuang’s younger sister, Lin Jiaojiao, has her eye on Li Zhiming, who works at a general store. And so the story begins... 565Reads7.3Score102Shelves
16. 416 迷 The Manor Shrouded in Mist 迷雾笼罩的庄园 Hermit of the Ink-Growing Mountain砚耕山人Female-Channel Fanfiction308k WordsCompleted In this paradise-like estate, sordid deals that make one's blood run cold play out day after day, concealing countless unknown secrets and crimes. Ning Yuan, Li Qiao'er, Tong Xiaoling, Kang Yan... Each of these vibrant young people is a victim beneath the estate's glittering surface. Some sink into this dark swamp, while others turn the tables and survive against all odds. Gao Jun, Li San'er, Jia Xiaoyun... They collude with the powerful, grab what they want through trickery and force, scorn mor 3Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Scumbags who abuse women will face the consequences. A pampered young woman transforms into a determined woman, and from then on, she begins to take revenge on the scumbag.

17. 417 行 Somebody Somewhere in the Crowd 行走在人海中的某某某 I Promise You the Best Years我许年华Modern Romance309k WordsCompleted There is only one true heroism in the world: to see life as it is and still love it. Whether it’s the wind blowing through a valley, clouds drifting over the sea, poplar trees by the roadside, foxtail grass on a hillside, or people, Zhao Xiaoqiu thinks they’re all much the same, aren’t they? 1.9kReads9.2Score117Shelves

    Reader note

    [What][Thinking][Almost crying][Laughing]

18. 418 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 5Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A story from a similar era, set in a small town in Northeast China in 2000.

19. 419 无 No Lamps, No Moon, So What? 无灯无月又何妨 I Promise You the Best Years我许年华Modern Romance409k WordsCompleted If two hearts understand each other, what need have they for lamps or moonlight? If one day we’re caught in the same snow, then we’ll have shared a lifetime of gray hair. Even if we lived together in perfect harmony, there would still be regrets! May you weather every storm and still keep the light in your eyes, never straying from your original purpose. 38Reads7.6Score—Shelves
20. 420 穿 Transmigrating to the 1940s: The Landlord's Son and the Bandit's Daughter 穿越四零：地主儿子与土匪闺女 Happy Salted Fish开心的咸鱼Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Completed] [1940s] [Husband and wife both transmigrate] [Husband becomes a woman] [Wife becomes a man] At the edge of a cliff: “Wife, let go!” Chen Yiqiao is sprawled over the edge of the cliff, one arm wrapped around a large rock at the top while one hand clutches Chen Bing's hand tightly, refusing to let go. “No! If we live, we live together. If we die, we die together!” Feeling Chen Yiqiao's body slowly slipping lower, Chen Bing panics. “Wife! Let go! I want you to live!” “Shut up! I said, i 22kReads9.4Score1.9kShelves

    Reader note

    I feel like this could be made into a TV series.

21. 421 六 The Sixties: Traveling the World with My Pocket Dimension 六十年代之带着空间畅游天下 Happy Salted Fish开心的咸鱼Modern Romance1.8M WordsCompleted Li Beibei grew up surrounded by stories, then unexpectedly transmigrated into the body of a lucky girl in the 1950s. Touched by her family’s favoritism and kindness, she gladly accepts their love and decides to repay them with her own abilities. As she plans her future, Li Beibei chooses two careers that will let her travel at public expense, hoping to make up for the regrets of her past life: journalist and diplomat! And so begins her extraordinary journey in this world. By the seaside: “Qing f 9.3kReads9.3Score749Shelves
22. 422 重 Reborn in 1960: From Bachi Alley to Hongjiagou 重生1960：八尺巷爆到洪家沟 The Chosen One王者之选Urban407k WordsCompleted After leaving Eight-Foot Alley, Hong Tiejun found an empty corner and tossed the cornmeal into his pocket dimension. Before he had even made it to the mouth of the alley, he had already wolfed down the cornmeal cake. Feeling the money and ration coupons in his pocket, Hong Tiejun couldn’t help reflecting... Hongjiagou lay at the foot of Dahei Mountain, and it was still a desolate place. Nestled against the mountains and water, Hongjiagou had fields stretching out in every direction... Hong Tie 1.1kReads6.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Good stories from that era are appreciated by readers!

23. 423 绿 Green Vine 绿萝 Abstinence Pavilion戒思阁Modern Romance201k WordsCompleted This book is for everyone who has ever waited. This is a novel about all the things left unsaid: not saying you like someone, not saying you are waiting, not saying whether it was worth it. But all those unspoken words are tucked inside candy wrappers, hidden in a tin box, and buried in the beeping sounds of a phone booth. The bravest thing Lin Dong ever did was not repairing that imported machine or saving enough for a down payment on a house with a courtyard. It was telling Su Xiyue, “It's t 3Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The global countdown finally reached zero that night. The millennium fireworks lit up the sky from the Sydney Opera House all the way to Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, illuminating the eyes of every small-town boy. We held up Coke bottles, cheering in front of the television, thinking that after that second, life would be different. More than twenty years have passed. Is it different? Yes. It is different. The phone booths are gone, the floppy disks are nowhere to be found, and those who counted down with us are scattered to who knows where. The millennium taught us one thing: every era ends, but we didn't realize then that we were standing in the final fireworks. The starlight that night later became the lamps above everyone's heads, illuminating their respective paths as they went their separate ways.

24. 424 翠 Cuihua's World 翠花的人世间 There Are Little Fish in the Water水里有小鱼Modern Romance1.3M WordsCompleted In the early 1980s, Old Zhang of Zhangjia Village had eight children: six sons and two daughters. Dayong, Eryong, and Cuilan all got married on the same day. The Zhang family married off two children and welcomed one bride into the family. Eryong became a live-in son-in-law. Being a live-in son-in-law is great. He earned that for himself. With five more children still waiting to marry, Old Zhang was gored to death by an ox. His wife was beside herself with worry. Sanyong went off to work, Siyong 4.2kReads8.2Score305Shelves

    Reader note

    I stayed up late to watch this rural story. It was very interesting. I hope it can be made into a TV series.

25. 425 尾 The Tail Fire Tiger and Kui Wood Wolf 尾火虎奎木狼 Rein in My Horse, Brandish My Blade勒马横刀Urban491k WordsCompleted As the old saying goes: Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles; traveling ten thousand miles is not as good as meeting countless people; meeting countless people is not as good as spending every day with masters; and having an expert show you the way is not as good as reaching enlightenment on your own. Over the years, I’ve read plenty of books, traveled many roads, met many people, and experienced many things. I’ve also spent time with masters, and gained a fe 9Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Similarly, it's from a slightly later period, the 1980s and 90s.

26. 426 重 Reborn 20 Years Ago: From Street Tough to Upstanding Young Man 重生20年从顽主到四有青年 Mr. Red Flag红旗先生Urban1.7M WordsCompleted [Reborn] [No System] [Ensemble cast] [Everyday life] [Business rivalry] [Romance] [Martial world] Does being reborn count as rebirth if you have no memories of your past life? In 2024, business tycoon Chen Yuanping is framed and sent back to the autumn of his nineteenth year. A completely different life begins... At the foot of the imperial city, in Liulichang. A group of young people born in the sixties and seventies leave the crowded courtyard houses in the hutongs, carrying their dreams 4.2kReads7.5Score222Shelves

    Reader note

    Old Beijing period novels are worth reading for avid readers.

27. 427 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6729Historical1.4M 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 1.5kReads9.2Score174Shelves

    Reader note

    A story full of nostalgia

28. 428 土 Flowers Born of the Earth 土生花 Ci Er La Chu次尔拉初Modern Romance375k WordsCompleted The land is silent, yet it can hold all the hardships endured by three generations. On the barren yellow earth, three generations of women are pressed into the mud by fate, bound hand and foot by patriarchy, and slowly tortured by life. They have no choices and nowhere to turn. They don’t even dare to cry aloud. All they can do is endure the darkness, bear the despair, and keep going through days that have been ground to dust, sustained by sheer will. Yang Jinlian is deaf and stutters. All her 2Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Give it a try, it's so addictive!

29. 429 民 Bandit Village in the Republic of China 民国土匪村 Uncle Li of the Island Reef海岛礁的黎叔Urban2.1M WordsCompleted Period-drama fans, come take a look! (Not a wish-fulfillment story, no ghosts or gods, no System.) It covers romance, household intrigue, bandits, fierce resistance against the Japanese, fleeing famine, and the lives of educated youths. Everyone who’s read it says it’s great! Hei Niu and Xiu Zhen could have lived happily together, but because Xiu Zhen was so beautiful, bandits set their sights on her. By then, Hei Niu had become the chief steward of the Huang family estate. He learned that ban 3kReads8.1Score435Shelves

    Reader note

    If you enjoy period dramas that are close to real life, you should definitely check this out! I guarantee you'll love it!

30. 430 蒸 The Sun and Moon in the Steamer 蒸屉里的日月 Deep Plowing in Spring春日深耕Modern Romance324k WordsCompleted Set against the changes sweeping the northern countryside in the 1990s, this story follows an ordinary rural woman as she spends half her life juggling household chores, conflicts with her sisters-in-law, small business ventures, and her children’s education. With only an elementary-school education, she supports her family with her skill at making steamed buns, putting her son through college and helping him build a life of his own. She lives through the transition from earthen houses to brick 298Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I recommend "The Sun and Moon in the Steamer," a simple and sincere historical novel with no melodramatic plot twists, time travel, or reincarnation. [As time flows and years pass, what changes is the fleeting years, but what remains constant is the warmth of human life. A person's life is actually like steaming buns; if the heat is right, they'll be cooked; if not, they'll be raw even when the lid is lifted.]

31. 431 影 The Film and TV World: I Make My Fortune with a Pocket Dimension 影视世界：我靠空间发家致富 Durian Watermelon Coconut榴莲西瓜椰Male-Channel Fanfiction408k WordsCompleted [Love in the Courtyard + A Lifelong Journey + A Little Alley Home + Everyday Life + No Hostility] Li Xin, an overworked office drone from the 21st century, transmigrates into a world of TV drama spin-offs in the 1960s. An ordinary man, he plans to witness the protagonists’ stories as a mere bystander, grow vegetables and raise chickens in his spare time, and wait patiently for the winds of reform to arrive. 676Reads5.5Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It looks pretty good and it feels kind of satisfying, what's going on? [Laughing and crying emoji]

32. 432 重 Reborn in 1977: With a Chance to Go into Business, Who Would Still Grow Snake Gourds? 重生77，有机会下海谁还种蛇瓜 Country Kitchen乡间小厨Male-Channel Fanfiction441k WordsCompleted [A Little Lane] [Siheyuan] (Chapter 122) [Bright Sword] (Chapter 4) [Blood Romance] (Chapter 9) [Glorious Times] [The Little Woman at Zhengyang Gate] (Chapter 86) [A Wenzhou Family] (Chapter 57) [The Galloping Years] (Chapter 107) [Man Is Iron, Rice Is Steel] Lin Wufeng is reborn, returning to 1977, just before the college entrance exams are reinstated. He has returned burdened by guilt and remorse over what he owes his wife and children. In this life, he will stop at nothing to shield them from 131Reads7.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    New book in progress.

33. 433 麦 Memories of Maijia Village 麦家村记忆 Quicksand Rain流沙雨Modern Romance152k WordsCompleted Amid the wave of urban redevelopment, one village uses its memories to resist being forgotten. To finish his thesis, Xu Maizhe returns to his hometown, which is about to be demolished, only to get caught up in a battle to save the ancestral hall. The discovery of an old grain-loan contract reverses the century-old hall’s fate, while the sudden discovery of a Ming-dynasty tomb transforms the value of the land. Surrounded by bulldozers, developers, internet users, scholars, and travelers returning —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this novel.

34. 434 影 A Life Transmigrating Through the Screen 影视穿越人生 Zong Shao宗绍Male-Channel Fanfiction753k WordsCompleted A flower, a world; a leaf, a bodhi. Every world has its share of regrets. One world after another, one gain after another, a little growth at a time: the steps forward never stop. First world: A Little Reunion Second world: All Is Well 16Reads5.4Score—Shelves
35. 435 四 Siheyuan: After My Wedding Was Stolen, I Married Zheng Juan Instead 四合院：被抢婚后，反手娶了郑娟 Bailu Fengdan白露枫丹Male-Channel Fanfiction458k WordsCompleted I transmigrated into Love in the Courtyard and became one of the courtyard's residents. From the start, I went on a blind date with Qin Huairu, only for the Jia family to snatch her away. Not only did I fail to win the beauty, I also became the neighborhood's laughingstock. Cheng Zhiguo refuses to indulge anyone. He simply brings Zheng Juan from A Lifelong Journey home. Only then do people see what a good wife and a dutiful daughter really look like. First Master: "Zhiguo, please let Zheng Juan 4.2kReads8.0Score136Shelves
36. 436 九 Sweet Days of Striving in the 1990s 九零向上的日子甜蜜蜜 The Feisty Auntie炸毛的小姨Modern Romance142k WordsOngoing Rural daily life + farmhouse cooking + female growth + family squabbles + childhood sweethearts A story of family squabbles beginning in the 1990s, with plenty of farmhouse cooking. Gathering wild walnuts, cutting moso bamboo, raising silkworms, digging for bamboo shoots and medicinal herbs to earn money; making a fishing hook from a sewing needle, digging up earthworms, and going fishing... Yang Xiangshang follows her mother to join her stepfather, stays behind in Wangjiata Village to attend 818Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This new book is really good; it gently unfolds the everyday lives of family members. I originally planned to wait until it was fully read before reading it, but I couldn't stop reading it. Fortunately, the author updates quite frequently, and catching up is the first thing I do after get off work every day.

37. 437 人 Adrift in a Sea of People 人海里漂浮 Shell Beck贝壳贝克Urban1.1M WordsCompleted Adrift in a sea of people, every twist and turn feels like a dream... Set against the sweeping backdrop of China from 1968 to 2023, this novel traces protagonist Feng Ruihui’s life from birth to middle age, capturing the rise and fall of an entire generation over more than half a century. From a childhood spent in foster care on the Loess Plateau to becoming a university standout after reform and opening up; from making waves in business by the deep sea to the struggles of middle age in the inte 15Reads8.2Score242Shelves

    Reader note

    A period documentary novel, highly recommended, the writing is excellent!

38. 438 小 The Sequel to A Lane-Side Family 小巷人家之后续 The Sky of Samsung三星的天空Female-Channel Fanfiction280k WordsCompleted The story of the people in the little alley continues. The odd couple are getting married, Zhuang Chaoying stops being blindly obedient to his parents, Huang Ling finally sees the clouds part and the moon shine, Song Ying and Lin Wufeng remain a match made in heaven, How will Zhuang Tunan and Li Jia carry on their love story? Who will Peng Fei's girlfriend be, and how will their relationship develop? Everyone's story continues, and a brighter future awaits the courtyard. (This is my own continua 3.7kReads7.0Score135Shelves

    Reader note

    This is one of the better novels I've read about people living in a small alleyway. You might want to check it out if you're interested.

39. 439 六 Six Sisters: Liu Meixin’s Very Different Life 六姊妹之刘美心的别样人生 Ink-Wash Creek水墨小溪Female-Channel Fanfiction536k WordsCompleted The period drama Six Sisters is currently airing. As I watched, I couldn't help feeling that the fate of the six sisters' mother, Liu Meixin, was unfair. Never mind how hard life was in that era: simply giving birth to six children as a woman already made her exceptional. It was no easy feat. And yet her life was full of misfortune. So I dared to imagine that, even if we couldn't change the era she was born in, we could give her a powerful mindset: one that was confident, independent, and ahead 220Reads6.6Score—Shelves
40. 440 荒 Grain in the Famine Years: Raising a Child and Building a Better Life 荒年有谷，带着娃赚出好日子 Shen Shiyue沈拾月Ancient Romance516k WordsCompleted [Farming story + no System + no pocket dimension + raising children + mother-in-law and daughter-in-law + entrepreneurship + cozy + building a better future] Lin Qingqiu woke up to find that she had gone from being the youngest CEO of a publicly listed company to a woman in a famine-stricken era, now the mother of three children, with a bedridden mother-in-law, a leaky roof, and massive debts. Watch as Qingqiu takes the road less traveled and fights her way up against the odds... 2Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Gentle and healing period drama, independent and feisty mom, daily life raising children, love between the young and the old, and no angst.

41. 441 重 Back to 1988: I Tore Up the Kang Mat, and My In-Laws Fell to Their Knees 重回88年：我掀炕席后婆家跪了 Dashing Wang Ruoyu风流倜傥的王若宇Modern Romance596k WordsOngoing My mother-in-law wailed and clutched the cloth pouch where I kept our money. "These five hundred yuan are our family's emergency savings!" But I knew there was a bankbook with three thousand yuan tucked beneath her kang mat. In my previous life, they forced me to return to my parents' home to borrow money. In the end, I got divorced and jumped into a river. The first thing I did after being reborn was lift the blackened kang mat in front of the creditor. —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is great! After being reborn, he tears apart his awful mother-in-law and defeats her in one fell swoop.

42. 442 姗 Shanshan Returns: Huang Ling Is the Mother-in-Law, and Tunan Becomes the Husband 姗姗归：黄玲是婆婆，图南成老公 Pillow Star, Faraway枕星遥Female-Channel Fanfiction272k WordsCompleted [A Love in the Alley fanfiction + period setting + reborn + face-slapping + taking down scumbags + feel-good story + entrepreneurship + childhood sweethearts] In her past life, Wu Shanshan schemed against the Song and Huang families, who had treated her with nothing but kindness, while endlessly making excuses for her biased father and stepmother. Trapped in a tragic marriage to a husband who expected her to sacrifice everything for his younger brother, she died miserably, consumed by resentment 896Reads8.1Score100Shelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this book; it's great and fulfills the regrets of the original story. Shanshan isn't ungrateful; she leads everyone to wealth and university, Tu Nan becomes her husband, and Huang Ling becomes her mother-in-law.

43. 443 穿EN The Bystander's Self-Cultivation in a 1970s Transmigration Novel 穿书七十年代吃瓜群众的自我修养 Jiong Jiong You Pi囧囧有皮Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Have you ever transmigrated to a different scene just by blinking? Lin Yuzhu has. She transmigrated in a daze to the 1970s. No, she transmigrated into a book. She has a System, and the female lead is there too. There are also supporting female characters, but she isn't one of them. She's just an onlooker who wandered into the story by mistake. As an onlooker, she gets to watch the drama unfold every day. She doesn't want other people's dogs, and she doesn't get involved in other people's busines 97.4kReads9.6Score8.9kShelves

    Reader note

    There are two kinds in total [Top Post][Cool] There are fanfiction about ordinary people in alleyways, where you can finally relax and enjoy yourself, and there are also period stories set in the 1960s or 70s, focusing on everyday family life and soldiers, depicting a simple and comfortable era.

44. 444 随 Expecting Multiples in the Military Compound, the Officer Washes Diapers Every Day 随军大院怀多胎，军官天天洗尿片 Tuantuan Ya团团吖Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Sweet Romance + Military Marriage + Raising a Child + Everyone's Darling + Pure Romance + Younger Man Who's Madly in Love] Bai Wanqing has just saved enough for a down payment and won five million in the lottery, putting her on the verge of financial freedom, when she chokes on milk tea and dies. When she opens her eyes, she's in a hit period novel she only read a few pages of, as a throwaway cannon-fodder character, with a miniature version of the vicious female lead in tow. It's a disastrous 886Reads8.7Score105Shelves
45. 445 娇 The Sweet, Flirtatious Army Wife Is Too Much for Her Ice-Cold Officer 娇软军嫂茶又媚高冷军官受不了 Lu Yaoyao鹿杳杳Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Fictional period setting + military marriage + raising children + island cuisine] In her previous life, Shen Li married a poor young man with two children from a previous marriage, while her older sister Shen Mengyue married an officer. But the poor young man made it big and became the richest man in the country. One of the two children became a top scientist, the other a famous lawyer, and they all lived happily ever after. Shen Mengyue’s officer husband, however, died in a typhoon. She was le 3.2kReads8.8Score272Shelves
46. 446 穿 Transmigrated to a State-Owned Factory in the 1970s: From the Start, I Land a Cushy Job 穿到七零国营厂，开局考上萝卜岗 Have a Cookie吃一块曲奇Modern Romance358k WordsCompleted 1970s + no rural assignment + multiple Systems + career building + strengthening the nation through research Overnight, Shi Xia becomes a minor supporting character in a period novel, an unemployed youth at a state-owned factory. Her mind is in turmoil. The good news: she has a bunch of Systems. The bad news: every one of them is still in beta. No matter. She'll handle it. The male lead who failed his blind date? No need to waste him: let him go to the countryside and suffer. The womanizer who c 16.8kReads9.3Score1.5kShelves
47. 447 年 The 1970s: A Country Bride Moves to the City to Become a Factory Worker 年代，乡下小媳妇进城当工人 Yi Jia Er Shi Yi易加二十一Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted [Transmigrate into a book + married first, love later + family squabbles + portable space + the heroine won't take abuse and fights back] Xia Yang was born under an unlucky star. She merely called someone a jinx, and the petty crow immortal smacked her with a wing, sending her to 1971 and into a novel about a rugged country man doting on his wife. She transmigrated into the gluttonous third sister-in-law of the male lead, who was supposed to die on her wedding day. The moment she opened her eyes 9.1kReads9.0Score642Shelves
48. 448 八 1980s Military Marriage: The Madcap Days of Jiang, the Cannon-Fodder Chef 八零军婚：炮灰江大厨的发疯日常 Poor Sanqi!贫穷的三七呀！Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Period setting + pocket dimension + witty heroine + straight-man hero + scene-stealing kid Xie Yuanqing: Whatever you need, leave it all to me. Jiang Chang: Brother, you're such a great guy. How about we become sworn brothers? Xie Yuanqing: Why are you covering your nose? Jiang Chang: Bro, there's such a strong smell of the red-light district on you, it's choking me. Xie Yuanqing: You mean the smell of someone who's been traveling all day? Xie Yuanqing: Is my back smooth? Jiang Chang: That's 3.6kReads9.0Score425Shelves
49. 449 9 The 1990s: Why Date When I've Transmigrated into a Book? 90年代：穿书了谁还谈恋爱啊 Xi He琋和Modern Romance1.3M WordsCompleted Lin Ting had just secured funding when she transmigrated into a romance novel where everyone was eight hundred percent love-brained. From the start, she was stuck in an icy wasteland with a talkative male lead threatening to kill her. Lin Ting: “Date you? I'd rather get a dog.” The original male lead: “...?” No space, no System, no mind-reading ability... Luckily, she still had a business brain running at full speed. “I'm never dating anyone. Not in this life.” “If I run out of money, I can earn 42.6kReads9.3Score4.2kShelves
50. 450 七 An Extraordinary Family in the 1970s 七零年代极品家庭 Su Xiaoyu苏晓雨Modern Romance281k WordsCompleted After poor Su Xin is shoved into a horde of zombies at the end of the world, she binds to a System and is reborn in the 1970s. She thinks she can coast through life, but it turns out the original owner’s whole family is a pack of troublemakers. They throw their weight around in the village and stir up trouble, relying on the second son’s position as an official. By a strange twist of fate, Su Xin even marries a hooligan. The hooligan dresses like a beggar and wears tattered slippers. His whole f 158Reads—Score—Shelves

Other lists with Reborn in the 1980s: Auntie Jin Takes on the Whole Family