Looking for a Period-Era Story with a Male Lead Who’s a Village Ruffian 求一本年代文，男主是村里的痞子混混

1. 1 失 After Losing My Memory, I Married a Bully. Can’t My Wife Leave Me? 失忆后嫁恶霸，媳妇儿能不离吗？ Sweet Little Koi甜甜的小锦鲤Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Jiang Yao took a fall and lost five years of her memories. Not only had she gone from an unmarried young woman to a married one, she had married the notorious bully of the surrounding villages and had a little baby. The most terrifying part was that she’d also gained a heap of baffling memories. The protagonist of this world was a female educated youth, adored by everyone. Jiang Yao was the wicked sister-in-law who constantly opposed the female educated youth, and ultimately suffered the consequ 5.9kReads8.0Score43814d adds

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   She just tripped and fell, and when she woke up, she found that she had actually gotten married. What was even more terrifying was that she had married He Huai, the second son of the He family, who was a notorious bully in the surrounding area and was known for his fierce beatings.

2. 2 穿 Reborn as a Lovesick Villainess, I Set My Sights on the Village Chief's Youngest Son 穿成痴汉女配，我看上村长小儿子 Cen Wang岑王Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted When Murong Xi transmigrates into a tearjerker period novel as the saintly, beloved white moonlight, what does it feel like? Thanks for asking. I’m currently researching seventy-six different ways to live or die~ According to the plot, she’s supposed to toil selflessly like a saint, giving everything she has. She’ll endure misunderstanding and torment, then burn through the last of her light and warmth. In the end, she’ll become the white moonlight propping up the male lead’s table, and the mosq 8.6kReads9.2Score71114d adds

   Reader note

   I finally found the book I'd read before!

3. 3 七 The Pretty Little Bride of the 1970s: The Village Tough Guy Is a Force to Be Reckoned With 七零小俏媳：我家村霸超凶的 Freshly Squeezed Little Lamb鲜榨小羊Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Period setting + reborn + sweet young woman and rugged man + doting romance + business and farming] Bai Jiaojiao, the fake heiress who had been sent to the countryside, was reborn. When she saw Shen Heng again, she boldly threw her arms around him, determined not to repeat the tragedy of loving him without ever winning his heart. Shen Heng, the local bully of Shili Village, was the very picture of a menacing brute. On their first day of marriage: “I’m the head of this household. My wife has to 92.8kReads9.2Score6.2k14d adds

   Reader note

   This is definitely the one, it's incredibly good!!! The male lead is both protective of his family and dotes on his wife!

4. 4 逃 A Rough-Hewn Hunter Dotes on the Runaway Heiress He Rescued 逃难千金被捡后，糙汉猎户娇养了 Spring Day Jinhe春日今禾Ancient Romance668k WordsCompleted [Pure historical romance, no golden finger + A rugged husband who spoils his wife + Everyday life raising children] The third son of the Wei family found a young wife who had fled hardship. She was beautiful and delicate, and seemed too frail to fend for herself. At first, Mother Wei sighed and fretted constantly. Who knew that after the young wife married into the family, the whole Wei household would take off like a rocket? The first thing Wei the Third did when he came back from the mountains 3.6kReads8.7Score43614d adds

   Reader note

   This is absolutely gorgeous!

5. 5 满 The Max-Level Big Shot in the 1970s: If You Won't Back Down, I'll Fight 满级大佬在七零，主打不服就干 Fresh Popcorn爆米花来咯Modern Romance616k WordsCompleted The heroine is domineering, with an outrageously high combat ability. Later, she joins the military. The hero is an educated youth who later goes into scientific research. A strong heroine paired with a weaker hero. If that’s not your thing, please move along. [Historical setting + transmigration with body intact + no pocket dimension or System + Strong Female Lead] Mai Sui, a max-level powerhouse, transmigrates to the 1970s. She just wants to lie flat and live a quiet, ordinary l 58.5kReads9.1Score4.9k14d adds
6. 6 七 The 1970s: The Hated Couple Goes Wild in the Compound 七零：万人嫌夫妇，大院发癫 Bobo Bedhead啵啵呆毛Modern Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [1970s setting + delightfully unhinged and a little funny + violent, crazy heroine + spoiled, two-faced, scheming young husband + both leads join the army later] Ye Sanqiu is notorious as the most hated person in Trumpet Flower Brigade. The villagers and her own family have suffered endlessly at her hands... Granny Ye and the brigade leader are going gray from worry. Left with no choice, Granny Ye hands her a letter of introduction and a marriage certificate. “Sanqiu, you've wreaked havoc all ov 56.1kReads9.0Score6.4k14d adds
7. 7 穿 Transmigrated to the 1970s: My Young Thug of a Husband Is Surprisingly More Than Meets the Eye 穿越七零，小混混老公竟深藏不露 A Simple Life平淡生活Modern Romance1.3M WordsCompleted (Transmigration + Spatial Dimension + Sweet Romance + Marriage First, Love Later + Raising Kids + Everyday Family Life) Su Xieqiu grew up with a father who didn't care for her and a mother who didn't love her. Her grandparents, who raised her, passed away early, too. After working hard to buy a home in a big city, she wakes up one day to find herself transmigrated to the planned-economy era of the 1970s. The original owner was an educated youth sent to the countryside. She was timid and a little 82.8kReads9.2Score7.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   Well, to put it simply, it's a period novel where the male lead isn't a soldier but a street urchin. The premise is quite interesting. He has many awful relatives, but also a lot of warm family and friends. The main characters' family leads a simple, warm, and hardworking life. The plot kept me reading every chapter without missing a single one, making it a very good novel. 👍👍👍

8. 8 穿 I Transmigrated into a Book Set in the 1970s, Married the Wildest Tough Guy, and Came Out on Top 穿书七零闪婚最野糙汉后我赢麻了 Little Face脸崽Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [One-on-One Romance + Period Setting + Rugged Hero + Sweet Romance + Transmigrate into a Book + 1970s + Male Lead Is Love-Struck + Raising Kids] When she opened her eyes, a man who seemed made for her was right in front of her. Ruan Niannian thought her mother had arranged everything, and hurriedly promised she would take responsibility... Once she came to her senses, she realized she had transmigrated into a novel set in the 1970s that she had read. She had become the love-struck supporting fem 46.8kReads9.4Score5.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   These two books are pretty good.

9. 9 改 Reforming My Good-for-Nothing Husband, Starting at Age 20 改造废物老公，从20岁开始养老 Teletubby Without an Antenna没有天线的天线宝宝Modern Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Period story x making money x family and village life x a touch of ensemble cast x raising kids] Lin Hui has a dream. In it, she turns fifty after spending twenty-seven years as a widow, struggling to raise her children, only to develop cancer and die before she can enjoy life. When she wakes, she finds herself back in 1980, the year she just married Xu Dongsheng, the “lazy bum” of the surrounding villages. She grits her teeth. She absolutely cannot let her life follow the path in her dream. Fr 34.1kReads9.1Score4.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   You should check this out; the female lead's little schemes are really well done 🤭

10. 10 七 The 1970s: I Spend Every Day Smoothing Things Over with a Madman for a Better Life 七零之为了好生活每天都在哄疯批 Lan Yalan澜雅澜Modern Romance6.3M WordsCompleted Short drama adaptation: My Eldest Sister Has a Script from the Seventies, and I Have a System That Can Hear It (1v1 + Period Drama + Pampered Romance + Female Lead Pursues Male Lead + Timid Heroine with a Few Tricks and a Sweet Tongue + Male Lead with an Unusual Case of Love-Brain) In both her lives, Lou Qingqing had only one wish: to marry into a family with good prospects. She thought the Rong family was well-off, and that marrying in would mean she’d never lack food or clothes and wouldn’t ha 19.4kReads8.9Score1.4k14d adds
11. 11 授 Hand Him the Reins 授他以柄 Zhou Fuyao周扶妖Ancient Romance96k WordsCompleted With the city about to fall and the kingdom on the brink of ruin, Pei Qing wrote a letter asking that man for help. For seven whole days, there was no reply. But just when all hope seemed lost, he arrived. His peerlessly handsome face was full of disdain and contempt. Xiao Yuan walked into the imperial bedchamber with blood dripping from his blade and lazily called out, “Elder Brother.” Having earned merit by rushing to the emperor’s defense, he naturally expected a reward. “I have plenty of gol 24.5kReads9.5Score2.8k14d adds

    Reader note

    I'm not quite sure which novel you're describing. Let me recommend a few good ones to you.

12. 12 停 My Roommate Stole a Kiss from Me During a Blackout 停电时我被舍友偷亲了 The Knife Who's Always in Meetings总是开会的小刀Two Male Leads141k WordsCompleted [Top-Tier Novel + Two Male Leads + Short Story + HE + Hilarious + Lighthearted + Mutual Pining + Sweet Romance + Ridiculous] This collection features two popular, highly collected comedy shorts by the hit author Xiao Dao Who Is Always in Meetings: “My Roommate Stole a Kiss While the Power Was Out” and “My Avatar Is Me. Got a Problem?” “My Roommate Stole a Kiss While the Power Was Out” My roommate stole a kiss from me while the power was out... But I had no idea which roommate it was, so I sent t 23.1kReads9.6Score3.1k14d adds
13. 13 岁 Spring's Joy, Year After Year 岁岁春欢 I Really Love Little Crabs超爱小螃蟹Ancient Romance669k WordsCompleted [The print edition of Years of Spring Joy is now available on all platforms] [Heroine and scumbag reborn + male lead transmigrates + mutual salvation + play the pig to eat the tiger] At seventeen, Shen Jiasui married Lu Yunzheng. The Shen and Lu families were both military dynasties, making them a formidable match. Two years into their marriage, Lu Yunzheng defeated the enemy kingdom and won renown across the land. But the Shen family was condemned for treason and executed to the last member. On 265.2kReads9.6Score31k14d adds
14. 14 全 Everyone in the Sect Is Love-Brained, Except Me, a True Lunatic 全宗门都是恋爱脑，唯我是真疯批 Paper Tiger纸老虎Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted The complete print edition of A Double Crossing is now available on all platforms. Relationship blogger Lin Du died of a broken heart after being driven crazy by hopeless romantics. After death, she transmigrated into a tragic romance cultivation novel, becoming the beautiful, powerful, yet doomed junior uncle who paved the way for the protagonists' great love with her own ashes. After reading the script, she slowly typed a question mark. “Have they dug up every wild vegetable on this sect's mou 234.9kReads9.7Score27.6k14d adds
15. 15 穿 I Became a Fussy Old Lady: While Everyone Else Fled the Famine, I Reclaimed the Land 穿成作精老太，别人逃荒我开荒 Fragrant Tangerine橘香袭人Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted (No space, no System, no romance. A short drama with the same name has already been released. A warm, rustic story. Everyone says they wouldn’t survive three episodes after transmigrating into a chaotic era. Read this book, and you’ll survive ten more!) She transmigrated into a book, becoming the villainous aunt who abused the protagonist in a male-oriented novel, and was destined to be killed off. Jiang Zhi didn’t cling to the protagonist. She left him behind and relied on her extensive knowled 85.9kReads9.5Score8.1k14d adds
16. 16 凶 Code of the Crime Scene 凶案密码 Wind-Dancing Clouds风舞残云Mystery2.3M WordsCompleted [Mystery + criminal investigation + dark themes + horror + human nature + crime + serial murders + social issues] This collection brings together five books in the Case Code series: Case Code, Echoes of Death, Vested Interests, The Black Corpse Mystery, and Sleepless Murder Island. Mutilated bodies in the city center, prisoners in a cellar, and urban mysteries return as a veteran cop unravels the truth behind the crimes. A classic crime procedural! The city is shrouded in criminal conspiracies, 41.4kReads9.5Score5.1k14d adds
17. 17 我 I Only Sneaked a Glance at Him 我只偷看他一眼 Zhi Jiu枝玖Anime Fanfiction188k WordsCompleted During the speech by the freshman class representative, Chen Nan fell for Lu Xu at first sight, and for the rest of her life. The pink sunset beyond the window filled the entire sky, like a beautiful landscape painting. The clouds looked drunk, their cheeks flushed with color. Chen Nan held her breath and stole a sidelong glance at Lu Xu. His profile was youthful and striking, and he held his book with perfect posture. A ray of light fell on the yellowed pages, and touched him as well. The dayli 16.8kReads9.6Score3.8k14d adds
18. 18 春 Spring and Moonlight 春与月光 Parting Words诀别词Modern Romance116k WordsCompleted [A Million Readers' Highly Praised Favorite! Childhood Friends / Secret Crush Comes True / Tension Builds / One-on-One, Sweet Romance!] After a family crisis, Zhou Yue temporarily moves in with Lin Qi. The two grew up together and have always been close. Zhou Yue's striking looks and height, along with his excellent grades, make him the center of attention. As everyone keeps probing, Lin Qi repeatedly insists otherwise. What Lin Qi doesn't know is that, in Zhou Yue's heart, he built himself a ga 41.3kReads9.7Score5.7k14d adds
19. 19 漂 A Beautiful Woman Goes to the Countryside and Takes Down the Gang Leader 漂亮美人下乡，扑倒了混混头子 Light Drizzle Feifei微微雨霏Modern Romance193k WordsCompleted (Set in the 1980s + alternate universe + sweet romance + devoted couple + everyday life + adorable kids) She is the daughter of a wealthy family, stranded in the countryside and always looking down her nose at everyone! He is the village hooligan, good at drinking and gambling! She never gave him a second glance, but then, after someone sets her up, she ends up on top of him! Afterward, he says, “I’ll give you three choices. One, marry me. Two, I’ll pay you compensation. Three, send me to the fi 94Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Historical fiction, featuring petty thugs and hooligans.

20. 20 八 Sweet Wife in the Eighties, Blushing as the Chaste Officer Courts Her 八零甜妻脸红红，禁欲军官追着哄 Gu Nuanqing顾暖卿Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [1980s Military Marriage + Transmigration into a Book + Not a Strong Female Lead + No Starting a Business] [Timid, Cowardly, Teary-Eyed, Wimpish Heroine + A Chaste, Tsundere, Protective, Affectionate Military Officer Husband] She’d only read a short story before bed, but when Yu Suihuan woke up, she had transmigrated into a book. Worse, she’d become the slovenly, universally disliked supporting female character with the same name, known as the family compound’s worst troublemaker. Thinking about 6.9kReads8.5Score60614d adds

    Reader note

    Good period novels

21. 21 睁 Awakening in the 1980s: I Have a Child with the Infamous Village Tyrant 睁眼八零：和凶名在外村霸有崽了 Sunflower Ah Hua向日葵啊花Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted When Hu Yao woke up, she found a mischievous yet well-behaved son and a scoundrel of a man beside her. Shocked and bewildered, she heard from the neighbors she knew that four years earlier, she'd hit her head so hard she was left simple-minded, and her mother had sold her. Over those four years, she had not only gained a husband but also a mischievous child who fiercely protected her. The bastard of a man was always putting his hands on her, and he was exceptionally fierce and unreasonable. Terr 38kReads9.2Score3.2k14d adds
22. 22 媳 My Wife Came to the Base to Divorce Me, and Now the Chaste Commander Is Panicking 媳妇来部队离婚，禁欲首长他急了 Gu Sang顾桑Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [The short drama Ask Your Heart How Much has launched] [Military marriage + period setting + sweet romance + devoted couple + family life + raising kids + face-slapping] The moment Jiang Ning opened her eyes, she realized she had become the cannon-fodder female character in a period novel. She'd been married for three years without ever seeing her husband, and was destined to spend the rest of her life alone. Jiang Ning thought, Spend the rest of my life alone? No way! She decisively left behind 55.4kReads8.9Score5k14d adds
23. 23 娇 The Delicate Beauty Is Spoiled Rotten by a Rugged, Fierce Man 娇滴滴小美人被凶猛糙汉宠野了 Nan Wanwan南绾绾Modern Romance490k WordsCompleted [Complete❗] Xie Hezhang, a local troublemaker from Helian Village with a bad class background, found himself pursued by a city girl sent to the countryside. The young woman couldn't carry a shoulder pole or lift a hand, and complained that her hands hurt whenever she did farm work. Her only hobby was trailing after him wherever he went. One afternoon, fed up with her, Xie Hezhang cornered her in the cotton field and threatened, “Keep following me and I'll beat you up.” The sweet little Shu Qingy 6.4kReads9.2Score67114d adds

    Reader note

    The first historical fiction novel I read on Tomato Bookstore was this one [Sparrow's Masterpiece][Sparrow's Masterpiece][Sparrow's Masterpiece], and it was also the novel that got me hooked on historical fiction starting with Xie Hezhang and Shu Qingyao. You definitely won't regret buying this one! [Added to my bookshelf][Added to my bookshelf][Added to my bookshelf]

24. 24 踹 I Cut Ties with My Uncle's Family and Head to the Countryside with a System 踹了大伯一家，带着系统去下乡 I See the Original Aspiration我见初心Modern Romance264k WordsCompleted Xu Qingyu, a workaholic who was always doing overtime, accidentally worked herself to death. One day, she transmigrated into the body of an orphan with no parents, only to discover that she was a pitiful girl who had been starved to death by her uncle's family. They ate her food, drank her drinks, and even wanted to take her house and job and send her to the countryside. She'd had enough. She sent her uncle and aunt to prison, sent her older female cousin to the Northwest countryside, and left h 1kReads9.0Score10014d adds
25. 25 痞 A Reborn Hoodlum Spoils the Gloomy Little Lame Next Door 痞子重生后宠坏隔壁阴郁小瘸子 Fifteenth Day of the Sun and Moon日月十五Two Male Leads310k WordsCompleted Two male leads Both reborn, one remembers his past life while the other slowly recalls it Mutual salvation, both pure, happy ending Lin Fenfen, male, age twenty, a penniless coal miner, a mother who died in childbirth, a little sister who died young, a gambling-addicted father, and a body packed with muscle. Jiang Huaizhi, male, age twenty-two, a leg broken when he was three, a grandmother who died when he was ten, and himself, trapped in the dark and powerless to struggle. He had hated someone, 8.7kReads9.5Score1.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    This is kind of a rogue story, a rebirth story with both protagonists being virgins, but the cover is a bit... Unappealing (the previous covers were quite nice...).

26. 26 金 A Golden Marriage 金婚 IMCModern Romance442k WordsCompleted One is a fool in everyone's eyes, the other a young hoodlum in the village's eyes. Yet fate ties them together. Zhou Xing always thought himself above others, but never imagined he'd marry a fool and fill a whole house with children, boys and girls alike. What's more, in this life and the next, and the life after that, he only wants to be with her. At first, Li Zhi'an was terrified of living under the same roof as Zhou Xing, that bad man. Gradually, she came to accept him. In the end, she decide 14.4kReads9.3Score1.4k14d adds

    Reader note

    🌻🌻The female lead, Li Zhian, has intellectual disabilities due to her mother's difficult childbirth, and is considered a "little fool" by everyone. The male lead, Zhou Xing, is a petty hoodlum who is neglected and marries her by chance. Together, they experience the turmoil of the era and gradually adjust to each other in their ordinary lives, eventually having a child.

27. 27 刚 What Should I Do? The Rough Villain Set His Sights on Me as Soon as I Arrived in the Countryside 刚下乡就被糙汉反派盯上了怎么办 Bianbian Is Ready to Take Flight边边要起飞Modern Romance584k WordsOngoing [Reborn delicate little fairy vs. vicious, violent villain] [Content warning: Written on a whim; the rural setting in the first few chapters has not been thoroughly researched!] Male lead's perspective: That day, beneath the blazing sun, Jiang Zhiye spotted a little celestial beauty. She had fair skin, exquisite features, and a gentle nature. He fell for her at first sight. Later, on a damp, rainy day, Li Chunsheng saw a little celestial beauty. She lowered her head and said nothing, not even 74Reads8.6Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    This is amazing! [Reborn delicate fairy vs. Fierce and tyrannical villain]

28. 28 漂 The Beautiful Girl Next Door Wakes Up and Joins the Army. Officers Fight Over Her 漂亮白月光觉醒随军，首长争又抢 Nan Wanwan南绾绾Modern Romance1.0M WordsCompleted “Second Chance at Love, Spatial Ability, Everyone’s Favorite, Chasing His Wife to the Crematorium, Adorable Baby, Military Marriage” In the third year of living apart from He Shaoyan and fighting over a divorce, Ye Qingzhi began having prophetic dreams. At first, they were just trivial things, until one day she dreamed that her brother-in-law imprisoned her, while her sister became his accomplice and drove her insane before she died a gruesome death. After she died, the man who had repeatedly cl 27.7kReads7.0Score2.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    He Shaoyan didn't believe her. Three years had passed; she'd made a fuss about divorce, moved out, blocked him, and now she'd suddenly come back, saying she'd had a dream. He found it absurd. But he couldn't sleep that night and secretly went to see her. She was curled up on the hard bed in the guest room, mumbling something. He leaned closer to listen and heard her say, "He Shaoyan, don't shoot." He stood in the darkness for a long time.

29. 29 重 Reborn in 1990: The System Forces Me to Become the Village Tyrant 重生90：系统逼我当村霸 Ni Linsheng逆鳞生Rural Life544k WordsOngoing [Period setting + System + village bully + reborn + farming and business + face-slapping wish fulfillment] In 2026, overworked office drone Zhou Ye dies suddenly after staying up all night. When he opens his eyes, he's back in 1990. He's become the bully whom all 3,000 villagers are chasing around to curse. His family is so poor they're starving. His older sister has to drop out of school, a supposedly good man in the village is running a scam, and an orphan girl is about to be sold. System: [St 98Reads—Score614d adds

    Reader note

    When you're looking for something to read, consider a 1990s-style fantasy novel where the male protagonist is reborn with a village bully system and steadily builds his fortune.

30. 30 小 The Little Sweetheart Is a Big Shot 小娇娇是大佬 It's Nice, Not Naisi是奈斯不是耐思Modern Romance1.9M WordsCompleted [Parallel World + Period Drama + Spies + One-on-One Romance + Superpowers] After taking a short nap, apocalyptic survivor Chu Xin wakes up to find she has transmigrated into the body of a girl in 1960s China who shares her name. The original girl's parents and grandfather had been sent away to the countryside, and she was about to be sent down herself. Then someone followed her, she hit her head, and died on the spot. When she opened her eyes again, someone else had taken over her body. Being se 8.6kReads8.6Score1.2k14d adds
31. 31 七 The 1970s: A Radiant Beauty Marries Fast, Joins the Army, and Becomes the Family’s Darling 七零凝脂美人，闪婚随军当团宠 Leisurely Half-Day半日閑人Modern Romance999k WordsCompleted [Military marriage in the era + Devoted to each other + One true pairing + Sweet, exclusive love + Family life + Cozy everyday moments + Pocket dimension + Adorable baby] Lin Ruo fell asleep and woke up inside an era-set novel her best friend had forced her to read, in the role of a pitiful cannon-fodder character who died as soon as she appeared. Luckily, she was rescued. Later, after waking up in the hospital, Lin Ruo faced her savior and blurted out, “Comrade, are you married? Are you seeing 11.5kReads9.0Score1.4k14d adds

    Reader note

    This book has a similar premise, but the male lead is different. Why don't you take a look?

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