Chatting About Strange Tales Among the Red Mansion [Strange Tales + Dream of the Red Chamber]

Novel blurb: A male lead with no ambition, a short-tempered but easily mollified heroine, and a married couple who love to eat, drink, and have fun. A slow-paced slice-of-life story. After transmigrating, he finds himself among the poor peasants. The only way to live well is to study. Fu Yuheng studies hard for fourteen years, then passes the highest imperial exam and is appointed the top scholar by the emperor. On the day of the grand ceremony, the emperor asks with a smile, "Have you married yet, Lord Fu?" The emperor has a daughter of marriageable age. In the Great Xia Dynasty, however, a princess's consort is forbidden from taking part in politics. At that moment, the civil and military officials, along with Fu Yuheng's fellow students and fellow examinees, all look at him with pity, as if they can already see the end of his official career. Fu Yuheng, who only wants a comfortable life, thinks: There's a job like that? The salary is excellent, the status is lofty, and best of all, he doesn't even have to work. Where else could he find such a sweet deal? Fu Yuheng plans: After the wedding, he'll take the princess out to try something different. Maybe they can open a restaurant, with the princess filling in as the proprietress and him as the manager. They can sell wine and put on plays together. As it happens, when he transmigrated, he also got a Cultural Entertainment System thrown in for free. But artists have no status in this era, and he doesn't want to put up with that nonsense, so he focuses on the imperial exams and leaves the System unused for a long time. As the saying goes, once you've made it, help the world along. He has read so many novels and watched so many TV shows in his previous life. He should bring them out and enrich the lives of the people. Well, he can start with the once wildly popular film A Chinese Ghost Story. One day, a handsome, dignified man suddenly shows up at his door and complains, "My friend, you're terribly biased. You write biographies for female demons and female ghosts, but leave us men out in the cold?" Fu Yuheng is taken aback. "May I ask your name?" The man clasps his hands and smiles. "I'm the fox Ma Jie Fu." P.S. 1. This is a rural, family-focused story. The male lead is selfish and self-centered, with little ambition. He only wants to enjoy his own comfortable little life, so please don't read if that's not your thing. 2. Since the author is from modern times, the wording in this story inevitably bears the imprint of the era. If that bothers you, please don't read. And don't leave a low rating because of it, or I'll argue back. 3. This is a fictional setting. Please don't nitpick historical details, or you may bring out the author's hidden skill: sarcastic sniping. Blurb for My Little Sister in the Journey to the West (Journey to the West + Dream of the Red Chamber): Mu Jiu Si dies suddenly and transmigrates, with no cultivation techniques, no magical treasures, and no connections. Twenty years earlier, that would have been the standard setup for an ordinary mortal protagonist. Unfortunately, he transmigrated at the wrong time. The online novel world has already been taken over by second-generation heirs, and someone with his setup is only good for playing cannon fodder. So, should he keep his head down? Or keep his head down? "Ding! The Grind King Sign-In System is at your service. Host, please check in diligently and cultivate hard to become a one-of-a-kind presence in the Immortal Realm!" Mu Jiu Si: It seems... maybe... probably... I can grind a little? "Ding! Sign-in at the banks of the Milky Way successful. Reward: one Crimson Pearl Immortal Herb." Holding the spirit herb in his arms, which had clearly gained sentience and could call him "Big Brother" in a soft little voice, Mu Jiu Si took a deep breath. He had to grind. For his adorable little sister's sake, he had no choice. From then on, Mu Jiu Si began a fulfilling life of checking in, cultivating, and raising his little sister. Until one day, the Gold Star of Venus descended to the mortal realm and returned with a monkey, whom the Jade Emperor named the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses. Mu Jiu Si: ...Brother Monkey? Theme: No matter what circumstances you're in, don't make life harder for yourself.