Period Novels About Working in Shenzhen in the 1980s and 1990s 年代文八九十年代深圳打工文
GPT-6 Luna
In this list
Reader notes translated by Google Translate
45
-
1
I Became a Working Girl in the 1990s 我在九零当打工妹
Liu Tang is a recent college graduate, and every day she's so busy trying to find a job that she's completely frazzled. Then one night, she has a strange dream. To her surprise, the dream takes her to a rural village in the 1990s, where she's a high school student who failed the college entrance exam. What? There was more to her exam failure than meets the eye? Help! Finding a job is hard, but she doesn't want to take the college entrance exam again. It seems she can't go back, so she has no cho
9.3kReads8.4Score24214d adds
Reader note
-
2
I Can't Get Enough of the Rich Women in Shenzhen 我在深圳富婆圈里欲罢不能
The day Chen Huasheng arrived in Shenzhen, he had only three thousand yuan in his pocket and one thought on his mind: save his father's life. He thought Lin Hualin was a benefactor sent by fate, never realizing that some opportunities were the beginning of an abyss. From a lowly nobody at the Sanhe Labor Market to having a leg broken in a pool of blood, he should have quietly rotted away in some corner of this city. But somehow, he survived. Not only did he survive, he made the whole city rememb
5.1kReads—Score34614d adds
Reader note
-
3
My Years as a Migrant Worker in Shenzhen 我在深圳打工那些年
Two AI comic adaptations of this book are already online, and a third is in production. In 1997, I was 17, carrying 300 yuan as I left my hometown in Hunan and headed south to Shenzhen alone. With no skills and no temporary residence permit, I was chased by security patrols, turned away by factories, left hungry, and forced to spend nights hiding in a cemetery. I went from a penniless kid to a sewing-machine operator at a handbag factory, then seized the opportunities of the times, opened a shop
18.8kReads8.8Score1.5k14d adds
Reader note
- 4 Reborn in the 1990s: From Day Laborer to Riches 重生九十年代从打工开始致富 [Soul Transmigration to the 1990s + Entrepreneurship + Making a Fortune] Zhang Sutang transmigrates. In her previous life, she was a corporate wage slave. Now she finds herself in the body of a girl with the same name, who failed the college entrance exam in the 1990s. She's long forgotten everything she learned for the exam, and she has none of the original owner's memories. How is she supposed to take the exam again? She gave everything she learned back to her teachers. She'll think about goin 19.1kReads8.4Score2.2k14d adds
-
5
My Love in Dongguan 我的东莞爱情
In 1998, I was still young when I packed my bags and headed off to Guangdong to find work, dreaming of earning enough to go home, get married, have children, and live a quiet, stable life. But the bustling little city in the south ultimately threw all my plans for a settled life into disarray. Here, I met all kinds of people and encountered all kinds of things.
90.9kReads7.9Score4.8k14d adds
Reader note
-
6
My Years Working at a Securities Firm 我在证券打工那些年
2004. Shenzhen. Securities account manager. Only later did Li Xingyun realize that the so-called A-share floor price was a lie told to rookies. Below the floor was hell, and below hell were eighteen more levels. He had seen every one of them. No connections, no influential friends, and no Cantonese. Find clients. Fail, and you're out. A veteran told him: In this line of work, no results means no respect. An account of a fresh graduate working in Shenzhen. No inspirational triumphs, no melodrama,
5.5kReads—Score46914d adds
Reader note
-
7
A Romance at a Shenzhen Factory 深圳工厂情缘
My new story is here! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well!
3kReads8.9Score21714d adds
Reader note
-
8
The South Wind Knows My Heart, and I’ll Never Walk Alone Again 南风知我意，从此不孤行
Some people say dandelion seeds look like pretty little parachutes, drifting lightly in the breeze, utterly romantic. But Xu Nanfeng thinks they look more like homeless children, wandering everywhere with nowhere to settle. Just like her: no real kin, no true friends, arriving without a ripple and leaving without a sound. There's an old saying: you reap what you sow. But I, Xu Nanfeng, refuse to believe it. I'll grow into the very person you all thought I could never become! Nanfeng knows my hea
1.1kReads9.3Score10314d adds
Reader note
- 9 Somebody Somewhere in the Crowd 行走在人海中的某某某 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? 2.1kReads9.2Score12214d adds
-
10
Reborn in 1985: I'm Focused on Making Money, but Young Master Lu Is Chasing Me 重生八五：一心搞钱，陆少追疯了
[Rebirth + Period Setting + No Golden Finger + Comeback + Business Battles + Mystery of Her Origins + Power Couple] In her previous life, Su Hanxue gave everything for her family, only to be forced into a marriage that served their interests. She suffered abuse after the wedding, until her husband pushed her into the freezing river and drowned her. He then used the payout from her accident insurance to live it up with his mistress. In this life, she fights with all her strength to refuse the mar
72Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
11
Drifting in Shenzhen 深漂
The brash young Lin Qiang comes to Shenzhen for the first time and happens upon Huaqiangbei. The gears of fate begin to turn for Zhang Ruoying, a female business owner… At the end of 2003, college student Lin Qiang and his girlfriend were facing their graduation internships. She went to Dongguan, while Lin Qiang headed to Shenzhen to build a career, and they gradually drifted apart. After their breakup, Lin Qiang gained a whole new understanding of relationships between men and women. In Shenz
7Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
- 12 Shenzhen: The Wave Breaker 深圳，破浪者 This story pays tribute to the grand vision of “Made in China 2025,” with its plans for breakthroughs in new energy, smart cockpits, chips, and other fields. It also salutes all the brave souls on the road to starting their own businesses! 🫡🫡🫡 The sequel to "Shenzhen Drifter", "Riding the Waves": In 2010 Shenzhen, Gao'e Capital invests in Yingke Navigation Group, which has only just emerged from the financial crisis. Founder Lin Qiang feels that capital has stripped him of his power, so he reso 57Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 Shenzhen, Beguiling After Dark 深圳，夜色迷人 A tale of business rivalries and political intrigue set against the backdrop of Shenzhen, following Chen Binnan’s remarkable journey south in pursuit of success. This story is dedicated to all the brothers who have headed south, north, or east to make their way in the world! 52.9kReads9.6Score6.3k14d adds
- 14 Cao Yang's Journey South 曹阳南下记 Passionate and exhilarating. Now complete. Read with confidence. Cao Yang heads south to seek refuge with his older sister, setting off wave after wave of upheaval… 41.6kReads8.9Score4k14d adds
- 15 The Allure of the Underworld 黑道诱人 [The short drama adapted from this book, From Here on, Rivers Flow into the World, is now available. Come watch!] [Urban + underworld + big shots + all-powerful + feel-good story + period setting + invincible protagonist + multiple heroines + ruthless and decisive] When I was little, my dad often told me that the path of the underworld was a road of no return. It was hard to walk, and few people ever came to a good end. I never understood what he meant. Instead, I thought the underworld was all 67.5kReads8.7Score3k14d adds
- 16 Unorthodox Remedies of the Martial World 江湖偏方 My name is Zhang Chen. A fortune-teller said I was born with a knack for unexpected riches and would never stay on the straight and narrow. But I don’t care. In this world, people who follow the rules get leftovers, while the bold get to eat meat. I haven’t had much schooling, and I don’t understand lofty principles, but I do know this: you only win if you’re willing to fight. 62.1kReads8.9Score7k14d adds
- 17 The Women I Met in Dongguan Back in the Day 那些年，我在东莞遇到的女人们 [Urban underworld + no System + nostalgia + beauties + power struggles + ruthless action + pure wish fulfillment, no self-torture] Back in Dongguan in 2004, he rises from bodyguard to nightclub beauties to the godfather of Dongguan's underworld. Li Zhan moves to Dongguan for work and meets A-Zhen, who works at a nightclub. After an unexpected incident, Li Zhan drives away a customer harassing A-Zhen, only to find himself at odds with the local underworld. To survive, he's forced into the crimina 21kReads8.6Score1.5k14d adds
- 18 Those Days on the Assembly Line in Dongguan 那些年，在东莞流水线上的日子 Other people go to the factory to work. I went there to survive a trial by fire. I didn't make much money, but romance was blooming everywhere! The factory girl's innocence made my heart flutter, the assistant's favoritism drew envious looks, the female boss's offer was tempting, and my female neighbor's concern crossed the line... For the first time, I realized that being too handsome could count as an occupational injury on the assembly line. 23.7kReads7.7Score2.2k14d adds
- 19 I Am Wang Dali 我是王大力 More than twenty years ago, tangled romances from the previous generation led to Wang Dali being abandoned. Later, his adoptive father drove him out of the house to search for his birth parents. Along the way, he experiences one twist-filled adventure after another… 26.5kReads9.0Score2.1k14d adds
-
20
I’m the Boss in Italy 我在意大利当老板
In late-1990s Italy, Hu Liu’an, a stranger in a strange land, takes you on a journey through an overseas world unlike any other, filled with its own bittersweet experiences and tangled loves and hatreds...
4.6kReads8.2Score25514d adds
Reader note
- 21 What?! After Awakening, the Lazy Wife Only Wants to Crush Villains and Make Money 惊！懒媳妇觉醒后只想虐渣搞钱 (This novel features a large ensemble cast.) [An incredibly strong, lazy, top-notch wife + a younger, chatty husband, taking down scumbags + making money] Jiang Yiqing had a wonderful married life! She didn’t have to clean the house or look after the kids, and her father-in-law, the factory director, had her back at work. All she had to do was clock out on time and go home to lie down. Life was so perfect she could see the good times stretching endlessly ahead! Then one day, she dreamed that 6.7kReads8.9Score59214d adds
-
22
That Year, Because of the Campus Belle, I Ran Off to Guangdong to Become a Handsome Lad 那年因为校花，我跑路广东当靓仔
[Jianghu]+ [Workplace]+ [Romance]+ [No System]+ [Not reborn] [Based on the author’s real experiences working in Guangdong, this is a story about migrant workers in cities like Dongguan and Shenzhen. This is not a wish-fulfillment novel, so don’t read it if that’s not your thing!] In 1997, Zhang Zaiye, Li Yaocong, Jiang Xinyue, and others met while working summer jobs in Guangdong, and formed a deep friendship. At the time, Dongguan’s economy was growing at a breakneck pace. Workers poured in fr
7Reads—Score114d adds
Reader note
-
23
A Cruel Mother, a Broken Home, and Me, Unbroken 狠心的妈，破碎的家，不屈的我
[Male-Oriented, Rural, Family, Comeback, Power Fantasy, Inspirational] Abandoned by his own mother, abused by his stepmother, and struck by his father's sudden misfortune. Su Yang, a poor boy from the mountains, has been left battered by his family's cruelty. With no one to lean on and no support to count on, he can only fight his own way to survival. He studies hard, weathers turmoil on campus, and makes his way in the business world. His heartless relatives come crawling back to latch onto his
28.4kReads8.2Score2.3k14d adds
Reader note
-
24
Transmigrate to the Seventies: My Handsome, Sweet Husband Begs Me to Spoil Him 穿越七零：老公又帅又甜，求我宠
[Period Setting + Strong Female Lead, Weaker Male Lead + Female Lead Transmigrates + Male Lead Is Reborn + Contract Marriage + Sweet Romance + Realistic Feel-Good Story + Cozy Daily Life + Selfish Female Lead + Devoted Husband] At a young age, Deng Siyao saved up five million, but before she could register for a residence permit and buy a house, she died from overwork and transmigrated into the body of a sent-down youth. She has her heart set on finding a handsome, agreeable husband, hoping to
28.1kReads8.9Score2.5k14d adds
Reader note
-
25
My Dongguan Dream: Sister Mei 我的东莞梦：媚姐
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
Reader note
- 26 An Eighties Gofer Marries into a Family of Lovers 八零工具人嫁入恋爱之家 I was one of the heroine’s many useful sidekicks, the one who walked three thousand kilometers to bring back a stone for her. If the heroine thinks it looks nice and wants it, she can have it. If that’s not enough, I’ll go pick up more. The heroine wants to use me as a foil, claiming city folk can’t compare to country folk, and educated people can’t compare to illiterates? Fine, you win! When my mother tried to brainwash me into being a sucker, I put a stop to it with one clean strike. My abusiv 5.3kReads8.0Score30914d adds
- 27 A Supporting Actress’s Gossip-Filled Life in the 1970s 七十年代女配的吃瓜日常 After learning she has transmigrated into a historical-era novel as a pawn meant to whitewash the protagonist's group, Jiang Yanqiu first steals half of the original heroine's golden finger, then gives away half of the transmigrated heroine's golden finger. Then she keeps her head down, stays away from the protagonist's group, and enjoys the show. With nobody at the educated youth station willing to talk to her, bored Jiang Yanqiu has nothing to do but gossip to pass the time. She has to admit, 1.9kReads6.2Score10214d adds
-
28
A Scheming Couple's Daily Bickering in the Sixties 六零腹黑夫妻互怼日常
[1960s Era + Light Ensemble Cast + Crime Solving + Whirlwind Marriage + Guiding Romance] In the 1960s, unsolved cases shrouded the land in mystery. He Xinghua, a policewoman from the countryside, and Lu Yanping, a criminal investigation chief, were not only husband and wife, but also partners in the line of duty. From a rural courtyard to city housing for government cadres, and from sorting through case files to confronting the most baffling criminal minds, they embarked together on a new caree
1.7kReads8.0Score14314d adds
Reader note
-
29
The Rise and Fall of Boss Fan 范老板的沉浮人生
This story follows 1980s entrepreneur Fan Chenhui through the ups and downs of the business world in Shenzhen. It explores real-world issues including financial crises, family conflicts, workplace rivalries, and tangled relationships, portraying human nature and the changes of the times in vivid detail.
116Reads8.2Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
30
From the Assembly Line to Entrepreneurship in Shenzhen 从流水线出发，一个深漂的创业路
From the factory assembly line to the entrepreneurial journey of a drifter making his way in Shenzhen.
1Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
31
Reborn in the 1990s to Play the Stock Market: I'll Never Be a Sucker Again 重生九零炒股，我绝不当韭菜
[Period Setting] [Rebirth] [Making Money] [Light Ensemble Cast] [Building Wealth] Gu Qingqing hated her name. It had the character for "green" in it, and everything she bought lost her money. Online loans, margin calls, debt collectors. She had lived up to the "Qingqing" in her name by running up a mountain of debt, and in the end, chose to meet her fate on a rooftop. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in 1988, a poor young woman selling clothes at a wholesale market. She gets ahead in
9kReads7.3Score87714d adds
Reader note
-
32
Shenzhen, 1996: The Glamorous Life of a Migrant Worker 96深圳：风流打工人生
[1990s urban life + rags-to-riches rise + entrepreneurial business wars + highly intelligent heroines + beautiful women by his side + airtight logic] In 1996, Qin Lang, a retired special forces king, heads south to Shenzhen and seeks out his childhood sweetheart, Lin Wanqing. He starts out as a security guard at an electronics factory. From the factory gate and rework materials to Huaqiangbei, Hong Kong businessmen, foreign trade, startups, and going public, every step is full of opportunity. Al
3.1kReads7.2Score23914d adds
Reader note
-
33
The Dongguan Years 东莞岁月
Set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, this novel tells the story of migrant workers represented by a group of young men and women from the countryside in southwestern Henan. It paints a sweeping picture of their arduous struggle to make a living in the unfamiliar city of Dongguan, vividly recreating the bitterness and sweetness, hardships and joys, love and heartbreak experienced by young factory workers during that fiery era.
2.1kReads7.7Score16114d adds
Reader note
-
34
Reborn in the 1980s: The Marketing Queen Takes the Business World by Storm 重生八零：营销女王横扫商界
Reborn in the 1980s: The Marketing Queen Conquers the Business World
77Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
35
Love at the Electronics Factory 电子厂打工妹的爱情
Love at an Electronics Factory
46Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
36
Reborn as a Top-Tier Star Heiress: The Rich Fight Over Me 重生商界顶流千金：豪门疯抢
[Revenge against scumbags + forced possession + reborn heroine + romantic rivals competing] [Sweet-faced, scheming seductress × unhinged heir / abstinent CEO / rugged military king / refined but depraved bureau chief / financial predator] [In her past life, she was abandoned by her own family, betrayed by the one she loved, and bullied and framed, until she lost her reputation and died with bitterness in her heart!] [Reborn in the year 2000, Li Muan returns from the ashes with memories steeped i
661Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
- 37 Fallen Rose: The Dark Moon and Her Counterattack 陷落玫瑰：黑月光与她的反杀局 [Revenge Against Scum] [Forced Possession] [Awakening to Her True Identity] [Rivalry for Her Affections] [One Woman, Four Men] [Sweet on the Outside, Dark and Scheming on the Inside, a Seductive Strategist × Her Possessive Adoptive Brother / Abstinent CEO / Gentle Young Nobleman / Capitalist Predator] ▲ Her true identity awakens, and a bloody revenge begins Abandoned at an orphanage as a child, she was later molded by the Song family into a tool for a marriage alliance. She bides her time, turni 318Reads—Score—14d adds
-
38
The Happy Years I Spent in Dongguan 那些年我在东莞的幸福往事
[Urban everyday life] + [multiple heroines] + [first person] My name is Hao Jian. I'm a college graduate who left a small inland county to make a living in Dongguan. A female classmate who'd been quite a flirt back in school introduced me to the city. I thought I'd find a factory job and earn some money, but things didn't go as planned. I ended up in a bar, and that's where my life took an unexpected turn.
5.4kReads6.0Score48514d adds
Reader note
-
39
The 1990s: A Business Empire Built from Five Thousand 90年代：五千起步的商业帝国
[Stock Trading + Ancient Wisdom + Comeback + Entrepreneurship + Opportunities of the Era + Romance] In 1997, on the eve of the handover, Lin Tiebo entered the stock market at its peak with 5,000 yuan in his pocket. It was all the money he had, and his only hope of finding Xiaomei. The first time he made a move, people laughed at him in public for “not even understanding the rules.” Yet this outsider used ancient wisdom from works like the Biographies of Merchants to buy precisely at the bottom a
1.3kReads8.8Score10014d adds
Reader note
-
40
After Fleeing My Wedding, I Went to Dongguan 逃婚后我去了东莞
[Rural] At 22, Bai Qing went on a blind date over the New Year holiday. On her very first date, she lost her virginity to a man she didn't like. With no other choice, she ran away from her wedding and went to Guangdong to work. While working in Dongguan, she met her true love, Li Changsheng, a rich second-generation heir. Not long after they began dating, Changsheng sent Bai Qing to adult college. After many intimate encounters, she became pregnant. Then Bai Qing dropped out, got married, and ga
932Reads7.3Score10214d adds
Reader note
-
41
My Glory Days in Dongguan 我在东莞的高光岁月
My name is Chang Da Qiang. I was born in a small, underdeveloped county town in the late 1980s. My parents were farmers, and in those days, when everything was desperately poor, I graduated from a junior college and looked for work in my hometown. After hitting one dead end after another, I made a bold decision: I headed south to Guangdong to try my luck. Through hard work, I finally had the experiences that inspired this novel.
2.1kReads—Score12214d adds
Reader note
-
42
Starting Work at a Factory at 35: They Call Me Uncle Fan 35岁进工厂：他们叫我凡大爷
[Factory Work + No System + Dongguan Factory Girls + Heading South for Work + Everyday Life] Fan Bo spent ten years writing novels full-time back in his hometown, but never made it big. The villagers looked down on him and gossiped about him, and even his girlfriend thought he was useless and wanted to break up. After much soul-searching, Fan Bo decided to head south and earn money. He had assumed that he was too old to get hired at a factory, but the life of a migrant worker turned out to be ev
8.4kReads—Score57014d adds
Reader note
-
43
A Working Stiff's Little Journal 打工小记
Urban daily life + earning a living through hard work + multiple heroines + healing The story of an ordinary wage earner: from drifting to Guangzhou to drifting to Beijing, from Shaoxing to Foshan and then to Majiaqiao in Beijing. Fifteen years in all. See how a worker at the bottom makes his way through life... I went south at fifteen and drifted north at thirty. The fiercest gamble of my life took fifteen years to pay for. Over those fifteen years, I worked in an electronics factory, served
43Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
44
The Thorny Rose Blooms in Silence 带刺的玫瑰静悄悄地开
A beautiful young woman from a remote mountain village goes through several relationships and gradually grows stronger and braver, becoming a rose with thorns. Determined to seize control of her fate, she works tirelessly and perseveres until she finally puts down roots in the city, where she also meets the love of her life. The successive deaths of loved ones and the hardships of life help her mature, and by middle age, she has finally built a remarkable life.
64Reads8.8Score—14d adds
Reader note
-
45
Reborn in '93: An Old Man's Youthful Ride on the Tides 九三重生：老朽少年踏浪潮
[Reborn] [Urban Farming] [Soul Transmigration] [Making Money] [Stock Trading] [Urban] [Transmigration] [One Heroine] On July 9, 2026, 64-year-old Di Lei unexpectedly transmigrates back to 1993 while playing mahjong. Drawing on his life experience, he starts over and writes a new chapter in his life. This novel is written in a rough, down-to-earth style.
28Reads—Score—14d adds
Reader note
