Chaos in the Compound

*Angsty drama | Multiple twists | A touch of ensemble cast* *Next up: A Lively Courtyard in the 1970s* Blurb: After receiving the news that her husband had died in the line of duty, Bai Tang, a young wife living in a crowded courtyard compound, fainted. When she woke up, holding her two children as they wailed beside her, Bai Tang realized that the world she lived in was the setting of a Mary Sue novel about a heroine in the 1970s. In the book, after her husband dies, she will drown in grief and neglect her children, who will eventually be kidnapped by unscrupulous people. As for the job her husband left behind, her family will trick her into letting her younger brother take it over. The compensation money for her husband's death will be snatched away by her husband's older brother. Even the two rooms in the crowded courtyard compound, her only shelter, will eventually be swindled away by a family living in the same courtyard. In the end, she will be driven out of the compound, penniless and riddled with illness. Just before she dies, a beautiful woman passing by gives her two steamed buns, letting her die with a full stomach. That beautiful woman is the beloved heroine of the book. Bai Tang is just one of the cannon-fodder characters used to show off the heroine's good nature. Bai Tang, known as the little chili pepper: ...When did she ever act that stupid?! Before any of the events in the book can happen, Bai Tang quickly pulls herself together. She gets over her grief and protects her two children. She holds on to the job her husband left behind and claims the compensation money as soon as possible. And of course, she makes sure the family trying to take over her home gets their comeuppance. People in the compound gossip that after her husband died, Bai Tang the widow went from being a little chili pepper to a giant chili pepper. A fierce, shrewd young widow with two burdensome kids will never find another husband! Bai Tang: Heh. I wasn't planning to look for one! Just as Bai Tang has gotten everything in order and is preparing to start over, her supposedly deceased husband returns. The original heroine also begins appearing in her life... In the compound, one household is in trouble today, another is fighting tomorrow. It's always lively, with one chaotic scene after another. Reader's guide: A fictional period setting, with everyday child-rearing and career growth. For the layout of the compound and information about its residents, visit my author page and look for the last entry, called "Blurb Archive." You'll recognize it by the cover. Next up: Switching Husbands and Raising Kids in the Courtyard Compound [The 1970s]. Blurb: When she wakes up, the wealthy and beautiful He Yuyan discovers she's transmigrated into a male-oriented novel set in the 1970s. She has become the original wife of the arrogant, ambitious male lead, the one who endures hardship and eventually triumphs. According to the plot, after a blind date with the male lead, He Yuyan will marry him immediately and move into a cramped courtyard compound. She'll fawn over the male lead, who still carries a torch for his first love, be filial to her gossipy mother-in-law, help her picky sister-in-law, and take care of her mischievous younger brother-in-law. After the male lead makes his fortune, she'll work hard to care for his family while giving birth to five daughters and a son. She'll also drive away every woman who tries to get close to him. Finally, when she's seventy, the male lead will come back to her. The couple will live happily together in their old age. He Yuyan, having transmigrated into this story, nearly throws up at the plot. At the blind date in the state-run restaurant, she looks at the handsome male lead, whose eyes are full of melancholy. He Yuyan brushes aside the matchmaker's endless chatter, stands up, and walks over to Gu Lidong, who's eating noodles at the next table. "How about we date?" Gu Lidong, halfway through his noodles, stares at her in disbelief. The matchmaker is dumbstruck. The male lead's melancholy expression shifts in an instant. Gu Lidong is tall and broad-shouldered, with a scar on his face from an injury sustained on the job. Anyone who sees him shakes their head and says the young man will have a hard time finding a wife. Even with a good job as a factory driver, he is destined never to marry a city girl. Who could have guessed that after one long-distance driving trip, this young man would return covered in dust, sit down for a bowl of noodles at the state-run restaurant, and marry the prettiest woman at the factory? He Yuyan knows that in this male-oriented novel, Gu Lidong is a neighbor who serves as a stepping stone for the male lead's career. Though he has a scar on his face and looks intimidating, he's actually a kind and responsible man. Isn't a man like him a hundred times better than a handsome, melancholy male lead who still loves his first love? After they marry, He Yuyan moves into the courtyard compound provided by the factory. Everyone in the compound waits to see the couple make fools of themselves. Especially when the male lead marries the daughter of a workshop director. But as the residents wait, they hear one enviable piece of news after another. He Yuyan and Gu Lidong have a loving marriage, and their family grows smoothly with children. In the end, they even buy a large house and move out of the compound. Theme: Cherish the good life.