❤️New Author Looking for Support! Follow for Follow, Review for Review❤️ ❤️新人作者，报团取暖，互关互评❤️

1. 1451 东 Unifying the Realm at the End of the Eastern Han 东汉末年之一统天下 Stir-Fried Noodles with Green Beans豆角炒面Historical1.3M WordsCompleted A historical alternate-universe novel set in the late Eastern Han dynasty, when rival warlords vie for supremacy. Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian, the fierce tiger of Jiangdong, Cao Cao, a capable minister in troubled times, and Ma Chao, the Heavenly General, all the greats of the era are here. Can the protagonist survive among so many legendary figures, struggle through the turbulent age of heroes, rise against the odds, and ultimately unite the realm? 4Reads—Score—Shelves

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   My new book is out! Highly recommended! Fellow readers, please offer your support and suggestions. You're my destined reader; let's help each other! [Sending hearts][Sending hearts][Sending hearts][Sending hearts][Sending hearts][Sending hearts]

2. 1452 秦 Deep in the Qinling Mountains 秦岭深处 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢14k WordsCompleted Deep in the Qinling Mountains —Reads—Score—Shelves
3. 1453 梦 A Dreamlike Journey Among the Immortals 梦游神仙记 Stir-Fried Noodles with Green Beans豆角炒面Eastern Fantasy1.1M WordsCompleted Smash the Three Realms to pieces. Wutian, the Three Pure Ones, and the Jade Emperor are all subordinates. Anyone who objects can fight. The Monkey King carries magical treasures, wields the Xingtian Ruyi Sea-Suppressing Staff, wears a face mask and glasses, and practices by putting himself through torment. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 1454 地 Gold and Silver Beneath the Earth 地底下的金银 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢18k WordsCompleted Gold and Silver Beneath the Earth —Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 1455 秦 A Tomb Deep in the Qinling Mountains 秦岭深处的墓穴 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢12k WordsCompleted A Tomb Deep in the Qinling Mountains —Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 1456 石 Shi Lei’s Tang-Era Kaleidoscope 石磊的盛唐浮世绘 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢Historical21k WordsCompleted Shi Lei's Portrait of Life in the Flourishing Tang Dynasty —Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 1457 滇 The Haunted Tombs of Southern Yunnan 《滇南诡冢》 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢17k WordsCompleted The Strange Tombs of Southern Yunnan 1Reads—Score—Shelves
8. 1458 废 Wasteland Dawn: Starting with a Shelter I Built Myself 废土黎明：从自建避难所开始 Yu Bochen雨伯辰Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.3M WordsCompleted [Not brainless + not fanfiction + farming in the early stages + fused worlds + radiation + Metro + Halo + no harem + hardcore + ensemble cast + multiple systems] (This book won't be a one-man show. Almost every recurring character will be developed, and all the major factions will have important roles in the story. Early foreshadowing will pay off later, and every plot thread will be resolved. I’m aiming for a carefully constructed story. Let this be my proof: if the ending falls apart, I stop u 12kReads8.3Score1.3kShelves

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   Mutual following, mutual assistance, and mutual evaluation are available, anytime, anywhere, with a commitment to replying to every comment.

9. 1459 秦 The Qinling Haunted Tomb: Blood Pact of the Dragon Vein 《秦岭诡冢：龙脉血契》 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢17k WordsCompleted The Strange Tombs of the Qinling Mountains: Blood Pact of the Dragon Vein —Reads—Score—Shelves
10. 1460 历 Legendary Women in History 历史上的传奇女子 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance302k WordsOngoing Through a unique lens, this book traces the lives of more than twenty legendary women across three thousand years of Chinese history, from Empress Dowager Xuan, Mi Yue, amid the flames of the Warring States period to the late Qing heroine Qiu Jin, from Wei Zifu deep in the Han palace to Xue Tao in the poetic world of the High Tang. Traditional histories reduced their stories to footnotes to the lives of emperors and ministers, but this book rescues and pieces them together anew, restoring them a 2Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 1461 重 Reborn in the 1970s as a Mountain Keeper 重生70年代做守山人 Mountain Inn Qinghuan山野旅馆清欢25k WordsCompleted Reborn in the 1970s as a Mountain Guardian 33Reads—Score—Shelves
12. 1462 我 I Made Five Million Delivering Food in Shanghai 我在上海送外卖，赚了五百万 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景7k WordsCompleted I Delivered Food in Shanghai and Made Five Million 1Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 1463 让 Let Flowers Bloom and Trees Grow 让花开花，让树成树 Ruan Agou阮阿狗9k WordsCompleted Let flowers bloom, and trees grow tall 3Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Mutual support support support

14. 1464 重 Reborn, Now I'm Cyberbullying You 重生后，我来网暴你 Ruan Agou阮阿狗15k WordsCompleted After I Was Reborn, I Started Cyberbullying You —Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 1465 凤 The Phoenix's Cry Resounds Through the Skies: The Story of Empress Liu E of the Song Dynasty 凤鸣九霄：大宋皇后刘娥传 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted The Phoenix Sings Across the Heavens: The Legend of Empress Liu E of the Great Song 21Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 1466 重 Reborn, Watch Me Tear That Scumbag to Shreds 重生后看我手撕渣男 Ruan Agou阮阿狗16k WordsCompleted After I Was Reborn, Watch Me Tear That Scumbag Apart —Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 1467 战 Zhao Ji, Handan’s Famous Courtesan, and Lü Buwei 战国邯郸名妓赵姬和吕不韦 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted Zhao Ji, the Famous Courtesan of Handan During the Warring States Period, and Lü Buwei 1Reads—Score—Shelves
18. 1468 超 Super Lawyer 超级大律师 Ruan Agou阮阿狗9k WordsCompleted Super Lawyer —Reads—Score—Shelves
19. 1469 花 The Bridal Sedan’s Shocking Twist: A Minister’s Daughter and a Marriage of Convenience 花轿惊变：户部尚书嫡女的联姻风云 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance9k WordsCompleted A Shocking Bridal Procession: The Marriage Alliance Turmoil of the Minister of Revenue's Legitimate Daughter 1Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 1470 重 Reborn, I Won’t Be a Teacher, I’ll Be a Mad Dog 重生后，我不做老师做疯狗 Ruan Agou阮阿狗8k WordsCompleted Reborn, I Won’t Be a Teacher. I’ll Be a Mad Dog —Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 1471 大 Screams from the Deep Palace of the Great Song 大宋深宫里的惨叫声 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted Screams from the Imperial Palace of the Great Song —Reads—Score—Shelves
22. 1472 重 Reborn Jiang Manli 重生江曼丽 Ruan Agou阮阿狗9k WordsCompleted Reborn as Jiang Manli —Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 1473 所 Everyone Thought It Was Just a Local War 所有人都以为只是一场局部战争 Folleto, Who Loves the Accordion喜欢手风琴的佛烈托Urban360k WordsCompleted The day war broke out in the Middle East, everyone thought, “Just another regional conflict.” Everyone, that is, except Shenzhen programmer Chen Mo, who saw a line of gray text appear before his eyes: 1,095 days until World War III. 384Reads5.7Score—Shelves

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    New author, please read, comment, and follow.

24. 1474 侯 The Marquis's Estate's Only Heir: Turning Certain Death Around 侯府唯一血脉，我靠它逆转死局 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted The Marquis’s Heir and Only Bloodline: I’ll Use It to Turn My Deadly Fate Around —Reads—Score—Shelves
25. 1475 胭 The Tigress in Rouge: Liu Sanniang's Tale of Taming Her Husband and Managing the Household 胭脂虎：柳三娘驯夫掌家记 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance11k WordsCompleted The Tigress in Rouge: Liu Sanniang's Guide to Taming Her Husband and Running the Household 5Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 1476 年 After Earning a Million a Year, I Settled the Marquis's Household Accounts 年薪百万后，我把侯府账本清了 Wenxuan Wanderer文轩逸客Ancient Romance32k WordsCompleted After Earning a Million a Year, I Audited the Marquis's Household Accounts 3Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Mutual!!!!

27. 1477 古 Five Legendary Empresses of Ancient History 古代历史上的五位传奇皇后 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance10k WordsCompleted Five Legendary Empresses from Ancient History —Reads—Score—Shelves
28. 1478 大 The Celestial Pivot Guards of the Great Ming 大明天枢卫 Moonlight This Morning月明今朝Urban133k WordsOngoing In the early twentieth century, the body of an extraterrestrial higher-dimensional life-form spontaneously disintegrated in the skies over Siberia. Countless meteorite fragments scattered across the globe, some landing in a village in the Qilian Mountains of the northwest. As children, Zhu Mingyu and Zhu Mingchao, brothers from the Zhu family, were playing when fragments cut them. Their fates were sealed. Ten years later, the brothers were forced into a chain of mysteries spanning a century and 53Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Overall, it's well-written.

29. 1479 大 Great Ming: From Humble Beginnings to Duke of the Highest Rank 大明：从寒门到超品公爵 Old Liu Who Loves Telling Stories爱讲故事的老刘Historical938k WordsCompleted Lin Wenyuan, a modern scholar of Ming history, died suddenly and awoke in Suzhou in the fifth year of Hongzhi, inhabiting Shen Yan, a penniless orphan whose parents were dead and who was near death with a raging fever. From the start, he was caught in the great Su-Song flood recorded in the history books. He used a dream from his “father” to report the disaster, traded his mother’s keepsakes for food, and plugged the walls with plant ash. Even in desperate straits, his talent began to shine. At 73Reads—Score—Shelves

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    This is a slow-burn novel by a new author. There are no cheat codes, but the protagonist progresses step by step, from the imperial examinations to the imperial court. Initially aiming to change his own and those around him's fate, he eventually seeks to change the fate of the entire world. It features political intrigue, reforms, battlefields, and court struggles. Please provide your feedback, experienced authors.

30. 1480 在 My Sister Died Before My Eyes at the Mid-Autumn Palace Feast 在宫廷中秋节上，姐姐死在我面前 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted My Sister Died Before My Eyes at the Palace Mid-Autumn Festival —Reads—Score—Shelves
31. 1481 前 The Day My Ex Asked for a 300,000-Yuan Bride Price, I Turned Around and Married a Rich Beauty 前女友要30万彩礼当天，我转头和白富美领了证 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景6k WordsCompleted The Day My Ex-Girlfriend Demanded a 300,000-Yuan Bride Price, I Turned Around and Married a Rich Heiress —Reads—Score—Shelves
32. 1482 我 I Love My Wives 我爱我的老婆们 Liu Yufeng柳雨枫Urban17k WordsOngoing Wang Er, a college graduate delivering takeout in a torrential downpour, suddenly becomes the chosen one! In the end, he discovers that the Heavenly Dao isn't the strongest, the universe isn't the largest, and everything goes on without end... —Reads—Score—Shelves

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    I'll definitely reply to a 5-star review. (Profile photo is of myself.)

33. 1483 黎 Daybreak and Starlight 黎日星夜 Loves Sticky Corn Balls爱吃丸糯玉米Sci-Fi & Apocalypse58k WordsOngoing There comes a moment when we all look up at the stars, hoping for change, doesn’t there? Even if we’re overlooked like a faint glimmer, even if we walk alone, we’re not truly alone. We all hope for a better future, don’t we? I’ll use my own thoughts to write the dream of my future, to tell this epic spanning a thousand years and record the lives of ordinary people, including the ethical challenges humanity faces after every technological revolution. Sometimes I envy people who seem like walking 1Reads—Score—Shelves

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    This was written for fun by a 20-year-old college student, something for my own reflection. The writing style is rather descriptive. I hope to find like-minded people to support me. In the future, it will be a chronological novel with an apocalyptic crisis, quite diverse, and of course, the world-building is complex, so I'll add more if I have the ability.

34. 1484 坤 Night Terrors at Kunning Palace: The Deep-Palace Ordeal of Deposed Empress Meng 坤宁夜惊：废后孟氏的深宫劫难 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景6k WordsCompleted A Night of Terror in Kunning Palace: The Deep-Palace Ordeal of Deposed Empress Meng —Reads—Score—Shelves
35. 1485 祠 Ancestral Hall Grudge: A Bride's Curse in a Republican-Era Village, Five Girls Go Mad Overnight 祠堂怨：民国村落的新娘诅咒，五个姑娘一夜疯癫 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景8k WordsCompleted Ancestral Hall Grudge: A Bride’s Curse in a Republican-Era Village, Five Girls Go Mad Overnight —Reads—Score—Shelves
36. 1486 精 Awakening in the Asylum: My Health Bar Can Slay Gods 精神病院觉醒：我的血条能弑神 Burned to Ashesi燃烬iUrban450k WordsCompleted I worked myself to death, and the moment I opened my eyes, I was labeled insane and thrown into Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital. All because I can see the health bars above everyone's heads. No one believes me. The nurse says I'm delusional, and the guards think I'm crazy. But I know better than anyone that there isn't a single sane person in this gloomy hospital. The director is a false god who devours resentment, The doctors are villains who control the darkness, Even the old man who sweeps t —Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Come on, high efficiency

37. 1487 大 Legends of the Great Song Harem: Empress Meng 大宋后宫传奇之孟皇后 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance48k WordsCompleted Empress Zhaoci Shengxian, née Meng (1073–1131), was from Mingzhou (present-day Yongnian, Hebei). She was the first empress of Emperor Zhezong of Song, Zhao Xu, and a granddaughter of Meng Yuan, who served as Defense Commissioner of Meizhou and Cavalry Commander and was posthumously honored as Grand Commandant. She was deposed twice and reinstated twice. In 1092, the seventh year of the Yuanyou era, Empress Dowager Gao took a liking to her, and she was made empress. In 1096, the third year of the —Reads—Score—Shelves
38. 1488 刚 I Just Entered a Horror Game: The Ice-Cold Big Shot and I Are on a Killing Spree 刚进惊悚游戏：我和高冷大佬杀疯了 Burned to Ashesi燃烬i8k WordsCompleted Just Started a Horror Game: The Cool-Headed Powerhouse and I Go on a Killing Spree 1Reads—Score—Shelves
39. 1489 被 The Returned Wish-Granting Cat 被退货的许愿猫 Burned to Ashesi燃烬i10k WordsCompleted The Returned Wish-Granting Cat 1Reads—Score—Shelves
40. 1490 曹 Intrigues in the Harem of the Cao Wei Dynasty 曹魏时期后宫的风云 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted Power Struggles in the Harem During the Cao Wei Period —Reads—Score—Shelves
41. 1491 重 Reborn, My Adoptive Brother Begs Me to Come Home 重生后，领养哥哥跪求我回家 Burned to Ashesi燃烬i8k WordsCompleted Reborn, My Adoptive Brother Begs Me to Come Home —Reads—Score—Shelves
42. 1492 历 Empress Dugu Qieluo in History 历史上的独孤伽罗皇后 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted Empress Dugu Qieluo in History 5Reads—Score—Shelves
43. 1493 别 Don’t Open the Door to 1802 别开1802的门 Burned to Ashesi燃烬i25k WordsCompleted Don't Open the Door to 1802 —Reads—Score—Shelves
44. 1494 凤 The Phoenix Perches in Jade Splendor: The Palace Intrigues of Empress Meng of the Northern Song 凤栖瑶华：北宋孟皇后宫斗传奇 Xiaoya Takes in the Scenery小雅看风景Ancient Romance10k WordsCompleted The Phoenix Perches in Radiant Splendor: The Palace Intrigue Legend of Empress Meng of the Northern Song —Reads—Score—Shelves
45. 1495 末 The Apocalypse: I Picked Up a Zombie Boyfriend Who Spoils Me Rotten 末日，捡到丧尸男友宠我上天 Burned to Ashesi燃烬i8k WordsCompleted At the End of the World, I Found a Zombie Boyfriend Who Spoils Me Rotten 1Reads—Score—Shelves
46. 1496 麦 A Wheatfield Reversal: From the Countryside to Chief Health Officer 麦田逆袭，从乡村到首席健康官 Wei Dan Vivi魏丹ViviModern Romance414k WordsCompleted Three days before the college entrance exam, she was still harvesting wheat in the fields. Everyone in the village said, “What use is all that schooling for a girl?” When her admission letter arrived, her younger brother left a note and headed south: “Sis, you have to keep studying for me.” Years later, she became the youngest community health management expert in the country. When a company offered her an annual salary of 500,000 yuan to poach her, she said, “My profits lie in keeping the el 1Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Mutual care and assistance, mutual support

47. 1497 许 I Promise You a Storm 许你一场风 Kindness Is a Blade温柔是刀Two Male Leads161k WordsOngoing [Cool, aloof top student × sunny, popular heartthrob] Chen Zhu thought life was a lonely island, until Xu Xingyang burst into it like a storm that refused to play by the rules. When they first met, Chen Zhu was the quietest shadow in a corner of the library, while Xu Xingyang was the brightest light on the basketball court. A chance “quiet encounter” set their parallel lines twisting wildly together. They shared the sweetest moments of falling in love and endured the most painful push and pull. —Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Mutual review and encouragement for new books

48. 1498 长 Chang'an Snow, A Mother's Soul 长安雪，慈母魂 Gu Feng估丰Ancient Romance270k WordsCompleted [Period Romance with Angst + Healing Through Family Bonds + Mutual Devotion] [Afterword includes a BL secondary couple] For two years, in a ruined temple, little Nian’er clutched a cloth tiger and waited for dawn. She didn’t know that her mother’s lingering soul was hidden inside the tiger, protecting her year after year. Her father returned to find her, and their souls reunited. They had only seven days together. Begonia blossoms bore witness, a jade pendant served as their matchmaker, and love 1kReads6.5Score112Shelves

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    I highly recommend it! It's really good!

49. 1499 小 My OpenClaw Crayfish Farming Diary 小龙虾OpenClaw养殖日记 Brother An on the Night Watch安哥夜行Sci-Fi & Apocalypse484k WordsOngoing 2026: Year One of the Lobster. The Dongda government launches a nationwide OpenClaw AI-rearing program. Chen Yu, a young man living alone, unexpectedly adopts an AI unit numbered CL-0927. After a funny mix-up with a command, he names it “Little Lobster.” What begins as everyday companionship to fulfill an assignment gradually turns, over time, from a cold machine into the family member who understands him best. It remembers his habits, senses his moods, and quietly watches over his ordinary life —Reads—Score—Shelves

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    Why don't you adopt one of these wildly popular crayfish?

50. 1500 渡 Crossing Evil: I Tread the Path to Immortality by Reading Hearts 渡恶我靠鉴心踏仙途 A Brush Writes All Under Heaven指笔画天下Eastern Fantasy58k WordsOngoing At eight years old, he was so hungry he was barely clinging to life. Others transmigrated with a System and sign-in rewards. He transmigrated with nothing but a pair of eyes. But those eyes Could see through lies, detect murderous intent, and read people's hearts. You call me your brother, but you're planning to stab me in the back? I can see it. You act respectful, but you're poisoning me behind my back? I can see that too. When the entire village of Nihe Village tried to sacrifice him to the h —Reads—Score—Shelves

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    As night fell, the wind grew fiercer. The thatched hut door rattled violently in the wind. Jiang Tieya grabbed a thick wooden stick and braced it against the door, which slightly lessened the wind's roar, leaving only a sharp, whistling sound that seeped into the room through the cracks, cutting into their faces. Only a few pieces of charcoal remained in the stove, their embers flickering, barely warming half the room. The three men huddled in their own corners, silent. They were out of food. The bowl of thin porridge they'd shared at noon had long since been completely digested. Jiang Tieya had spent half the day searching half a village for a living, earning only a small handful of flour in return, which, when shared among the three, wasn't even enough to fill their stomachs. By evening, only the water from washing the pot remained in the pot. Jiang Tieya leaned against the stove with his eyes closed, breathing heavily, unable to sleep. His shoulders were taut, as if he were still carrying the sacks he'd been carrying during the day. Liu Ya huddled in the innermost corner, hugging her knees, her head bowed low, even her breathing was shallow. Jiang Shi leaned against the mud wall, staring at the dark roof. Moonlight filtered through the holes, casting a small patch of cold white light on the ground. In the deathly silence, a sound suddenly rang out. A gurgling sound—very soft, muffled by her clothes, yet clearly audible. Liu Ya's body instantly stiffened. She buried her face deeper into her knees, her shoulders tense, as if that would suppress the sound. But after a moment, a second sound rang out. A gurgling sound—this one was longer, rolling out from her abdomen, carrying a hint of empty grievance, particularly jarring in the quiet thatched hut. Her fingertips gripped the tattered corner of her clothes tightly, her knuckles white, without looking up. Jiang Shi moved. He turned to the side, reaching into the pile of straw beneath him, rummaging for a while before pulling out half a piece of bran cake. It was as hard as a tile, with a thin layer of white frost on its surface, indicating it had become damp after being left out for two days. This was what he got in exchange for helping Wang the landlord overhaul his woodpile the day before yesterday. He hadn't been willing to eat it, saving it for emergencies. Half a piece, divided among three people, wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap. His fingertips paused for half a second, then he tossed it over. *Thud.* The bran cake hit Liu Ya's arm, rolled into her lap, and hit her bones with a dull thud. Liu Ya suddenly looked up, her eyes wide open, frighteningly bright in the darkness. She looked at the bran cake in her arms, then at Jiang Shi, opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Jiang Shi had already turned back, his back to her, his voice cold and hard: "Eat it. We'll work tomorrow." Liu Ya's lips moved, as if she wanted to refuse. "Don't talk nonsense." She immediately shut her mouth. She held the half-eaten bran cake, her fingertips trembling slightly. She brought it to her lips and took a small bite. Hard, rough on the throat, the coarse bran ached her gums, with a slightly damp, musty taste, and it scraped her throat dry when she swallowed. She chewed slowly, each bite a fine crumb, swallowing slowly with saliva, as if she were eating some rare delicacy. She stopped after eating half. Not because she was full, but because she couldn't bear to part with it. She carefully wrapped the remaining half in the corner of her clothes, tucked it deep into the straw, pressed it down repeatedly to make sure it was secure, and then let out a soft sigh. A rustling sound came from nearby, but Jiang Shi didn't turn around. He knew. Anyone who had experienced hunger understood. Holding a mouthful of food in your hand was more reassuring than anything else. Having food today didn't guarantee food tomorrow; leaving a mouthful meant leaving a way out. He didn't say it aloud, nor did he promise food for tomorrow. Because he didn't know where tomorrow's food would be. In the latter half of the night, the wind didn't stop. Jiang Shi was wide awake, his mind racing. He was doing the math. The flour sack was empty, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for Jiang Tieya to find odd jobs. In years of famine, landlords were reducing their long-term workers; no one wanted to hire short-term laborers. Even when there was occasional work, the amount of grain they received in exchange was dwindling; at this rate, they wouldn't last three days. This path was a dead end. They had to find another way. He closed his eyes and went through each household in the village that had grain. Landlord Wang's granary was full, but he was stingy and black-hearted; he couldn't even feed his own long-term servants, so he wouldn't give any grain away. Zhang Mazi might have a few bushels of grain stored at home, but he had a grudge against Jiang Tieya, so going to his door would be asking for trouble. The remaining households were all starving and barely able to feed themselves. Only Zhao, the village head, was left. The village head in charge of disaster relief grain had so much grain that it couldn't be stored. The disaster relief grain officially distributed was diluted with sand and water; the amount he secretly kept was enough to feed his entire family for three years. Everyone in the village knew he was greedy, but no one dared to speak up. Speaking up was useless; without evidence, they might even get retaliated against. Jiang Shi tapped his fingers lightly on the ground. Forcing it wouldn't work. Going directly to their door to ask for it would be suicide. An orphan, without parents, died in the winter wilderness, with no one even to collect his body. Direct threats wouldn't work. Last time, Zhao, the village head, had specifically come to the thatched hut to investigate, fearing he might blurt out the truth about embezzling grain. If pushed too far, Zhao would strike first, silencing him forever. He couldn't be his enemy. He had to be his "pawn." A pawn he felt he could control, a pawn he kept useful. To achieve this, simply saying "I know you embezzled grain" wouldn't suffice. He needed solid evidence. He had to let Zhao know he had real evidence, not just empty words. But he couldn't reveal everything; he had to keep it hidden, so Zhao wouldn't be sure of his strength and wouldn't dare to act rashly. Where was the evidence? In Zhao's account books. How much he received, how much he reported, how much he was short—all clearly written in black and white. He couldn't enter Zhao's mansion. High walls and guards protected it; a child couldn't even find the door. Willow Bud was even worse. He glanced at the figure in the corner. The little girl was curled up in a small ball, her breathing shallow like a cat's, clutching the half-eaten bran cake tightly in her hand. She was too timid and too thin. Sending her to steal the account book wasn't asking for help, it was sending her to her death. So what to do? Let Zhao, the village head, come to him himself. How to make him come? Make him afraid. Afraid of the evidence he had, afraid of him talking nonsense, and even more afraid of him being used by others. As long as Zhao, the village head, wasn't sure how much he knew or whether he had anyone backing him, he wouldn't dare to touch him and would only come to him to probe first. As long as he was willing to come, the deal could be negotiated. Jiang Shi's fingertips stopped. He had a plan. Last time, when Zhao, the village head's steward was checking the accounts, he stood at the gate reciting numbers, and he happened to pass by and overheard a sentence. The number wasn't big, just a small amount deducted from last month, but it was enough to make Zhao, the village head, uneasy. Tomorrow, he would go to the base of the Zhao family's courtyard wall, draw a grain bag with charcoal, and write that number next to it. No need to leave a name. Zhao Lizheng understood immediately. He bet Zhao Lizheng wouldn't dare to speak out. Embezzling grain was something that couldn't be done openly; the more guilty someone was, the less likely they were to investigate openly. He would only secretly look for people to see who was behind it. In the end, the investigation would lead to this orphan, which was exactly what Zhao Lizheng expected—a clever little kid who wanted to earn a living, easy to manipulate. As long as he was willing to meet him, Jiang Shi was confident he could squeeze the grain out of him. If he won the bet, all three of them could survive. If he lost, they could simply run into the mountains; in the desolate wilderness, they could always hide for a few days. As the sky slowly began to lighten, Liu Ya suddenly stirred. She sat up abruptly, her chest heaving, her forehead covered in sweat, gasping for breath. It was a nightmare. It took her a long time to recover. In the dim morning light, she looked around and saw Jiang Tieya snoring by the stove, Jiang Shi with his back to her, and smelled the faint scent of charcoal ash in the air. She slowly lay back down, reaching her hand into the straw to find the half-eaten, hard bran cake. It was still there. She clutched the cake to her chest and closed her eyes. This time, she didn't have a nightmare. Just as dawn broke, Jiang Shi stood up. He moved his frozen hands and feet, the bones making a slight cracking sound. He opened the door of the thatched hut a crack, and a blast of cold wind rushed in, making him shrink back. He looked down at his hands. His fingertips were stained with the black charcoal he'd scooped from the stove the night before. He had already decided on the numbers he would write down. The numbers weren't large, but they were enough to make Zhao, the village head, uneasy. The sky outside was still overcast, the wind whipping up fine snowflakes that stung his face. Jiang Shi took a deep breath of the cold air and stepped out. This step meant either gaining enough food to survive or never returning. He didn't look back.

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