Butcher's daughter Jiang Lanyi had helped her father sell pork since she was little. On the Qiqiao Festival, she met a handsome scholar and couldn't take her eyes off him.
After asking around, she learned his name was Su Ming. He was only eleven, yet already a licentiate in Tangyang County.
Later, Jiang Lanyi's friend urged her to strike up a conversation with Su Ming and give him gifts, but none of it made the slightest difference. Their relationship remained stuck in place.
That is, until the day Su Ming rode off in a carriage to take the provincial exam. She called his name from behind, carrying a food box she had prepared for his journey.
Instead, he responded with three questions:
"What are you doing here?"
"Jiang Lanyi, don't you know the rules between men and women?"
"Do you think anyone would like someone so shameless? Stop bothering me."
Jiang Lanyi felt a lump in her chest and could hardly breathe. Her eyes grew warm and damp, and all she could see was Su Ming's retreating figure.
[Jiang Lanyi's perspective]
A few years passed. Jiang Lanyi began to let go of her unrequited love and, at her father's insistence, threw an embroidered ball to choose a husband.
When she turned around, how had the ball landed in Su Ming's hands?
Her long-dead heart stirred again, only to be stilled almost at once.
Su Ming explained that the marriage was only a temporary arrangement. He needed a wife to help him handle the troubles of official life. Of course, he would treat her well. He promised her a generous sum of silver, and once the time was right, they would divorce and he would find her a suitable husband.
Jiang Lanyi agreed. It would put a stop to her father's nagging, and she would also receive a hundred taels of gold. It really wasn't a bad deal. Her heart was dead, after all.
[Su Ming's perspective]
After the wedding
Jiang Lanyi climbed a tree to pick fruit. A branch snapped beneath her, and Su Ming sprang into the air and caught her.
They stared at each other, stunned, then quickly looked away. Jiang Lanyi's voice sounded by his ear: "Thank you! Put me down."
Su Ming reached out to brush a leaf from her hair, but Jiang Lanyi took a step back and recited, "Master Su, men and women should keep their distance. We're only pretending to be husband and wife, so please behave yourself!"
Su Ming was baffled. How had the girl who used to run after him everywhere changed so much?
After Su Ming got a taste of what he was missing that day, he clung to Jiang Lanyi day and night. Eventually, she wanted out.
"Su Ming, when are we getting divorced?"
"We're quite well suited. Why are you talking nonsense?" Su Ming played dumb, then sealed her lips with a kiss.
Straightforward butcher's daughter x proud, sharp-tongued top scorer who secretly means well
[Content warnings]
1. One-on-one, both leads are each other's first, happy ending, somewhat slow-burn, character growth, a little sweet.
2. Alternate history with many invented details. Don't overthink it.
3. Ages when they first meet: heroine is 12, hero is 11. They are not old enough to marry.
4. The heroine's friend and her general love interest appear quite often: a deputy general who disguises himself as a woman x a battle-hardened general who "keeps his distance from women." There may be quite a few couples!
5. The bonus chapters mainly focus on other couples, with relatively little of the main couple. Buy them if you like!
This work is entirely fictional.
To my dear readers: please add my upcoming novel, The Substitute Bride, to your collection.
Wei Xueni was born to a maid and was never accepted by the family. She lived in a derelict courtyard from childhood.
Her legitimate older sister bullied her, her half-brother teased her, and the servants skimmed off her monthly allowance and food. So she could barely survive on the meager income from writing stories.
One day, the Madam of the Wei family, whom she had not seen in years, suddenly arrived and ordered her to marry the Fifth Prince in place of her legitimate older sister.
The Fifth Prince, Ji Qiangyuan, had won countless military honors, but an accident had robbed him of his sight. His spirited nature had vanished, leaving only a violent temper. Everyone feared him.
When she learned the truth, she wanted to flee, but there was nowhere to go. Wei Xueni resigned herself to climbing into the bridal sedan.
On their wedding night, as she sat lost in anxious thoughts, the door opened to the sound of a jade cane tapping against the floor.
Ji Qiangyuan stopped in front of her and yanked off her veil, showing not the slightest pity. He said coldly, "Get out."
Wei Xueni blinked in confusion. Was he really just going to let her go?
*
After the wedding, the maid repeatedly tried to persuade Wei Xueni, who seemed to have no ambition at all.
At last, one remark got through to her: "Princess Consort, if you can win the prince's affection, why worry about being short on money?"
Wei Xueni was tempted. It couldn't hurt to try, could it?
Later, she learned:
The prince had a beloved woman in his heart. No one could say who.
The prince had the maids in his manor beaten to death. She was terrified.
The prince touched her for no reason. She was horrified.
What on earth was going on? Maybe she should just leave after all.
*
On a dark and stormy night, Wei Xueni escaped, and Ji Qiangyuan went mad.
Perhaps it was the shock that did it: he could see again.
He studied the portrait before him again and again. "I'll dig up the whole world if I have to, but I'll drag you back!"
Yet years later, when Ji Qiangyuan encountered a young woman holding a book, he suddenly realized his hatred had long since faded.
One-on-one, both leads are each other's first, happy ending, love grows over time
Theme: Cherish the present, improve yourself, and become a better person
I didn't expect there to be quite a lot of extras.
Come on, have you eaten any delicious rice dumplings lately?
Steamed buns are delicious, but she doesn't understand 😆
When will it be updated?