She Tends the Bookshop, He Pursues Greatness

[County Clerk's Daughter vs. Scholar in the Making]

Everyone in Qingxi County says the eldest daughter of Deputy Clerk Ji is out of her mind.

When the county's richest family, the Zhao family, came to the Ji household to propose a match for their spoiled second son, Ji Tang said she wouldn't marry him. To reject the Zhao family's proposal, Ji Tang came up with a plan: she persuaded her father to hand over a struggling bookshop left by her late mother, and took charge of it herself. Then she told the Zhao family that she had to look after her mother's legacy and wasn't ready to discuss marriage.

Everyone in the county understood that Miss Ji was only buying time. They were sure she'd end up marrying into the Zhao family sooner or later. But a month later, without a word to anyone, Ji Tang got engaged to Fang Huaizhi, a promising young scholar and the eldest son of the family that ran the private school next door to her bookshop.

She turned down the richest family's son to marry a poor scholar instead. If that wasn't crazy, what was?

Even her father couldn't understand it. He asked her, "What do you see in him?"

Ji Tang replied, "He studies, and I do business. We make a good match. If he succeeds in his studies, I'll stand by him. If he doesn't, I'll spend my life looking after the bookshop my mother left me."

Her father shook his head and said only, "It's up to you."

Later, Fang Huaizhi rose from the level of licentiate to the imperial examinations, then made his way from the county town to the capital.

A colleague in the capital asked him, "Lord Fang, what does your wife do?"

Fang Huaizhi thought for a moment. "She runs a shop."

His colleague: "..."

Fang Huaizhi added, "When I married her, I had nothing. She never looked down on me, so I told myself I'd treat her well for the rest of my life."

His colleague fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Lord Fang, where did you find such a wonderful wife?"

Fang Huaizhi smiled. "I found her while buying books."

She tends the shop while he pursues a future in the imperial examinations. They agreed that neither of them would fall behind.

"Reader's Guide"

1. The heroine is a true woman of ancient times, with no golden finger. She relies on her own insight and careful calculations to make her life better and better. She's known as a human abacus.

2. A slow-burn story focused on everyday family life, with a touch of ensemble cast. It follows both the leads and the people around them. There are no stock characters: everyone is fully realized and has an independent life of their own.

3. The first half focuses on the heroine's business back in her hometown. The second half focuses on the hero's official career after he goes to the capital to sit the imperial examinations. A little court intrigue will appear later on, but not much; it's there to add variety to the story.

4. The leads' romance won't be earth-shattering. Their feelings develop gradually over time, and they stay together for the rest of their lives.

5. The dynasty is fictional. Its cities, official posts, prices, and other details draw on several historical dynasties, so please don't scrutinize them too closely.

"Tags"

|| Farming || Imperial Examinations || Everyday Family Life || Business || Heartwarming and Healing || Ensemble Cast ||

Theme: A woman can stand on her own without relying on others. Husband and wife walk side by side, each following their own path.