The Sweet, Gentle Husband of the Top Scholar [Farming]

Lu Wanzhou transmigrates into the body of a penniless young man whose parents are dead and who lives at the mercy of relatives.

His uncle and aunt covet the only house and fields his family has left, and even want to take his life. With nowhere else to turn, he has no choice but to fall out with them and demand a division of the family property.

After the split, he has nothing to his name, and the rice jar is completely empty. He also has a naive, rather dim-witted young man named Yu Mian by his side. Unable to lift a finger to defend himself, Lu Wanzhou can only rack his brains to make money and survive.

Everyone in the village watches coldly, waiting for him to become destitute and make a fool of himself. But who could have guessed that Lu Wanzhou would turn things around with his excellent cooking?

His tender, flavorful spicy tofu pudding sells for five copper coins a bowl, and even the county magistrate sends people to snap it up.

He grinds the bracken roots growing wild across the mountains, which no one else cares about, into fine bracken-root powder. The big restaurants in town all rush to place orders.

His life grows better and better, and he earns money hand over fist. He buys an ox cart, then purchases a spacious home in town. Lu Wanzhou devotes himself to his studies and advances steadily, passing the examinations to become a licentiate, a scholar, and a provincial graduate before ultimately placing first in the highest examination.

He cherishes the once-scrawny Yu Mian, holding him in the palm of his hand and caring for him devotedly. He nurtures him until he is fair-skinned and delicate, with exquisite features, every bit as lovely as the pampered young men in the city. Before long, everyone has their eye on him.

Lu Wanzhou keeps such a close watch on him, afraid someone will steal his precious darling away, that Yu Mian grows rebellious. In a fit of pique, he sneaks off.

Lu Wanzhou is exasperated and amused, and personally goes to catch the little runaway and bring him home.

Knowing he is in the wrong, Yu Mian curls up in the carriage, his eyes red, and rubs against him affectionately. “Brother, don’t be angry. It was my fault this time. Next time I’ll run farther away.”

Lu Wanzhou had planned to wait until the little one was older before protecting him for the rest of his life. But Yu Mian has no idea of the danger he is in, and keeps chattering every day about wanting to marry and leave home.

Despite every precaution, Lu Wanzhou can no longer suppress the feelings in his heart. Looking at the flushed cheeks and slender waist of the person in his arms, he finally gives in and holds him fast, having his fill of teasing him.

The next day, Yu Mian wakes up sore all over and complains tearfully that Lu Wanzhou forced him.

Lu Wanzhou chuckles and hugs the soft, sweet little bundle close, coaxing him gently. “If I forced you, then I’ll prepare a white jade hairpin, pearl necklaces, and a whole chest full of betrothal gifts. If Mianmian won’t accept them, they’ll just sit in the storeroom gathering dust.”

Yu Mian’s loud wailing stops abruptly. He looks up in bewilderment. “Betrothal gifts... They’re all for me?”

“Who else? Are you still going to say I forced you?”

Yu Mian goes limp at once, wraps his arms around Lu Wanzhou’s waist, and rubs against him as he murmurs coyly, “I already like you, Brother. You were only exercising your rights a little early.”

Later, Lu Wanzhou places first in the imperial examinations. Cool and elegant, with incomparable grace, he is accompanied by the beautiful and captivating Yu Mian. The villagers gossip behind their backs, calling him an unfaithful top scholar who has abandoned his lover now that he has made it onto the honor roll.

But no one ever sees the top scholar, so composed and reserved in public, turn around with a gold bracelet in hand and patiently coax the darling in his arms.

“Sweetheart, do you like this?”

The charming beauty’s round eyes sparkle. “Mm!”

The villagers: “Tsk! One faithless scoundrel and one little vixen!”

Devoted Lord Lu and well-behaved little Yu Mian: ??? Who are you talking about?

Coming soon: My Theatrical Little Husband and I Take the Civil Service Exams

Xu Lang transmigrates into a farming novel and becomes a frail scholar who cannot even lift a chicken.

His life is hell from the start: a chronically ill mother, an honest and taciturn father, an extremely biased grandmother, and a troublesome little child bride who loves to cause chaos.

The little child bride is a prodigy at wasting money.

On the first day after moving in, he washes dishes and nearly burns down the kitchen.

On the second day, he goes out to hoe the fields and tramples half the seedlings to death.

In just three days, he nearly squanders the family’s already meager savings.

Watching their life turn into a complete mess, Xu Lang finally comes to his senses.

His grandparents are biased and cruel? Then he’ll decisively split from the family and take only his parents to make a life of their own.

His little husband is clumsy and wasteful? Then he’ll work like mad to earn money.

As long as he makes money fast enough, the family’s finances can never collapse!

From then on, Xu Lang starts from nothing.

He sets up a food stall selling crispy pancakes, crunchy sausages, and five-spice fried skewers. His small business flourishes, and the money from it buys his family a house, a cart, and a shop.

As his business thrives, he also fattens up his little husband.

At first, he thinks of it casually: Since the boy is already here, looking after a young man won’t cost much. He might as well raise him for fun.

But day after day, as he watches the little cabbage he has carefully nurtured grow fair, clean, sweet, and gentle, with a soft, tender look about him, Xu Lang falls completely for him. It turns out that raising him is rather enjoyable.

His little husband, Li Ruan, is soft and sweet, and even has a lovely name. But he is no pushover. For all his obedient appearance, the little husband has a mind of his own, and spends his days plotting to ruin Xu Lang’s reputation so that Xu Lang will pack his bags and send him back to his family.

The little husband is a born actor. Sometimes he crouches at the village entrance, wiping away tears in the wind. Other times, he feigns grievance in front of outsiders, making himself out to be a pitiful child bride who has suffered endlessly. He is like a slender willow bending in the breeze, frail and helpless.

After a day of hard work away from home, Xu Lang returns to the village only to hear all kinds of rumors, and feels as if the sky is falling.

Xu Lang tells Li Ruan to take his medicine. What the villagers hear: The young man from the Li family is not even given food in the Xu household.

Xu Lang tells Li Ruan to eat fewer sweets. What the villagers hear: The young man from the Li family thought he could have a snack and got beaten for it. He can barely walk now.

Xu Lang tells Li Ruan to stay out of the kitchen. What the villagers hear: That child bride in the Xu family is so pitiful. After all these years, he still cannot run the household. They guard the kitchen like he’s a thief and won’t even let him in.

He knows his little husband is making up wild “rumors” and playing the victim outside, but when he gets home and sees that sweet, obedient face, every reprimand dies on his lips.

He has already raised his own “wicked” little cabbage. He can’t just throw him away, can he? He may as well keep raising him for fun.

Author: “Brother Xu, why did you raise a child bride?”

Xu Lang: “For fun.”

Author: “So casual? I’d say you’ve raised the little darling pretty well.”

Xu Lang: “I raised him when he was little. When he grows up, I’ll play with him.”

Author: “Oh... play? Can you write about that kind of playing on Jinjiang?”

[Note: The child-bride arrangement is a fictional setting in an imaginary feudal-era world. Please do not take it seriously.]

Coming soon: My Pretty Little Husband Is Causing Trouble Every Day

Wen Jing is reborn. In his previous life, he was the youngest child in his family. His parents favored his older brother, so he made a scene at every turn and eventually died young.

Only after his death did he learn that his older brother was not their biological son. His parents had favored him out of gratitude for a debt they owed.

Reborn, Wen Jing looks at his older brother, who carries himself like a refined gentleman, as bright and serene as the moon, and cannot help feeling jealous.

If his parents have such high hopes for him, fine... He’ll drag his brother down into the mud instead.

But no matter how much trouble Wen Jing causes, his brother remains unaffected. His brother eats while Wen Jing goes to the privy; his brother studies while Wen Jing sings. He treats Wen Jing as if he were invisible, yet still acts like a loving older brother.

“Brother, you look especially handsome today.”

Affection score plus one.

“My brother is the most handsome of all, tall and graceful, with a dashing air.”

Affection score plus seven.

“I love my older brother most.”

Affection score plus twenty.

!!! Wen Jing, all right. The male lead likes this sort of thing? Then he’ll infiltrate the enemy’s ranks first and land a devastating blow later.

His brother puts on a friendly face, so Wen Jing obediently plays the good younger brother, clinging to him. He wants to be fed at mealtimes, held when he sleeps, and stays glued to him every day.

Their parents think the brothers are close. Only Wen Jing knows what he is plotting. In his previous life, he hated his parents’ favoritism and resented his brother’s lofty attitude.

He will make his parents see just how despicable their precious son really is.

On the day his brother passes the provincial examination, in the midst of his triumph, Wen Jing drugs him. The two are discovered in bed together.

Looking at their parents, Wen Jing puts on the pitiful expression of someone who has been schemed against. His brother is punished with the family cane and made to kneel in the ancestral hall. Watching the lofty flower fall into the mud fills Wen Jing with delight.

Afraid of retaliation, he runs away with his servants that very day. But before he can get out of the city, his brother catches him.

The male lead’s eyes are bright and dark as he looks at Wen Jing and sneers. “Little Jing, why are you running?”

“I... You’re coveting me. Your thoughts are vile... It’s against all moral principles. Father and Mother won’t let you get away with it.”

Qi Xiao laughs softly at that. “Little Jing, you may not know this, but I’m not their biological son.”

“Even so, I still call you Brother...”

“Heh. Then perhaps you also don’t know that our families arranged a betrothal for us when we were children. You were always meant to be my husband.”

Wen Jing: ?!!!

Wen Jing is dragged back to face the consequences of his own actions. By day, Qi Xiao acts like a loving older brother. By night, he pins Wen Jing down and has his way with him like a beast. Wen Jing is covered in bruises, without a single patch of unmarked skin.

Wen Jing has no choice but to take the long way around and make a fuss about taking the civil service examinations. If he climbs high enough, he won’t have to fear Qi Xiao bullying him under the guise of being his older brother.

After ten years of hard study, he finally makes the honor roll. Wen Jing thinks that now he is an official, he can at least get the better of Qi Xiao.

But... during the palace examination, why does the man beside the emperor in the imperial hall, dressed in a crown prince’s robe, look so much like his damned older brother?

Qi Xiao looks at the little one he raised, dressed in red and dazzlingly beautiful, and smiles. “Sweetheart, you look lovely in this, too. When we get home, take it off one piece at a time for Brother to see.”

Wen Jing: !!! So... even reborn and after ten years of study, he still can’t beat him. Maybe he should just die.

Coming soon: The Delicate Scholar from the Hunter’s Household

In his previous life, Yu Ning trusted the wrong people and met a gruesome end.

Reborn, Yu Ning wants to make things right with his hunter husband and spend the rest of his life with him.

They live in the mountains, where the hunter is strong and sturdy.

He can catch rabbits, hunt wild boars, and pick the sweetest fruit for Yu Ning.

Though they live in the mountains, Yu Ning thinks their days are as sweet as honey.

In this life, Yu Ning just wants to be a carefree layabout, eating, drinking, and sleeping.

He obediently listens to whatever his hunter husband says. His husband is the only one who treats him well and would never deceive him.

His husband sends him to study and tells him to get along with his classmates.

Study? Absolutely!

He acts obedient in front of the hunter, but behind the scenes, he writes essays so impressive that everyone at the academy is too ashamed to raise their heads.

His husband takes him to live in a new house and tells him to get along with the neighbors.

Of course! He sweetly greets them in front of his husband. As soon as his husband turns around, he rolls his eyes so hard they nearly reach the sky.

Qi Yu has married a man, and that man is a scholar with an exceptionally handsome face.

Qi Yu treasures him so much that he is afraid he might get too warm in his hands, or melt in his heart.

“My little husband is small, not very good with words, and gentle by nature. Everyone, please be patient with him.”

Villagers: “? That scholar who argued at the village entrance for ages without using a single dirty word is bad with words?”

Villagers: “! Gentle? He couldn’t win an argument with me, so he brought you along to beat me up. What’s gentle about that?”

Qi Yu: “You people are always slandering my sweetheart behind his back. He’s already told me all about it.”

A little scene:

Qi Yu leaves home to earn money, then sneaks back quietly.

He sees his own delicate little husband with his hands on his hips, cursing someone with the most vicious words imaginable.

Villagers: “Do you believe us now?”

Qi Yu: “You must have bullied him too much. I wasn’t home, so he had to stand up for himself.”

Villagers: “These two are crazy... Yes, yes, the whole village bullies you and your husband.”

A little scene:

After they marry, Yu Ning secretly cries several times before Qi Yu finally finds out.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Has someone upset you?”

After being comforted for a long time, the young master finally sniffles, “After we got married, you stopped pampering me and started bullying me!”

“When did I ever bully you, sweetheart?”

“When we were in bed! I said it hurt, and I was crying!” Yu Ning snaps.

“Brother didn’t hear you. Next time, call out louder, and Brother will know,” Qi Yu coaxes.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The next day, Yu Ning wakes up in tears. Men are all liars!

He’s spoiled, sharp-tongued, and timid, but I love him anyway.

A Ning has plenty of flaws. He’s materialistic, petty, sharp-tongued, and mean. He is not a perfect character.

Coming soon: The Top Scholar’s Little Cabbage

Xu Lang transmigrates into a farming novel and becomes a frail young scholar. That would be bad enough, but there is also a scrawny little child bride in his home.

On the first day after the child bride moves in, he goes to wash the dishes.

The kitchen nearly burns down.

On the second day, the child bride goes to hoe the fields.

A whole patch of seedlings gets trampled to death.

On the third day after the child bride moves in...

Xu Lang: “Wait, wait, wait. You stay home and rest. I’ll do it.”

He needs money for his studies and has to support a “hardworking” little husband who is a walking financial disaster. Xu Lang can only figure out how to make money. Fortunately, he has a knack for cooking.

He starts small, selling pancakes, grilled sausages, and fried skewers from a street stall.

Later, he opens a malatang and hot pot restaurant, and his little business becomes bustling and prosperous.

Xu Lang studies and runs his business by day, then goes home to look after his little husband at night. He is busy every single day.

It takes all his effort to raise the scrawny little cabbage into a big one, fair and crisp. Then the little cabbage tries to run away, making Xu Lang laugh in exasperation.

Xu Lang begins his “long” pursuit of his runaway husband, catching him just twenty meters from home.

“Why are you running?”

“Because you keep biting me!”

“I’m not biting you. I’m kissing you!”

“Kissing isn’t allowed either!”

“What’s wrong with kissing the sweetheart I raised?”

“Even if you raised me, I still call you Brother. You’re supposed to take care of me!”

Xu Lang is so exasperated that he laughs. So this isn’t the time to pretend to be a pitiful child bride and wheedle things out of him. Now he remembers that he’s the older brother.

Xu Lang grabs his chubby little face and gives him a hard kiss. “You little rascal, think carefully. It’s true that I’m supposed to raise my child bride, but the one I’m raising is my wife.”

#RaisedHisChildBrideIntoAPamperedLittleMaster

A little scene:

Li Ruan goes back to his family with a small bundle, and everyone gathers around to ask him questions.

“Ruan, has your husband been treating you badly?”

Li Ruan looks at his family with tearful eyes. “I’m only a child bride. How good could my life possibly be?”

“Did he hit you?”

“No.”

“Did he curse at you?”

“No!”

“Did he refuse to feed you?”

“No.”

“Then what did he do...?”

Li Ruan pouts angrily. “This morning, he gave me cold socks to wear and made my feet freeze.”

His family: ...?

Little scene 2

Author: “Brother Xu, why did you raise a child bride?”

Xu Lang: “For fun.”

Author: “So casual? I’d say you’ve raised the little darling pretty well.”

Xu Lang: “I raised him when he was little. When he grows up, I’ll play with him.”

Author: “Play? Can you write about that kind of playing on Jinjiang?”

A clever, hardworking, domestic top scholar VS a spoiled little darling who knows exactly how to climb onto anyone’s back

Child brides are a feudal relic. This is only a setting in an ancient-world story. Please don’t take it seriously.

Theme: It is a rare blessing for a married couple to have met in their youth.