The Scholar’s Substitute Bridegroom

[The story is complete. Thank you all for supporting the official release.] [I've given the two boys a more glamorous cover. It's a template cover, not a character-design cover.] Wen Xi's older brother, Wen Liu, landed a wonderful marriage. Everyone in the village praised Wen Liu for his good fortune: not only was his future in-laws' family well-off, but his betrothed, Yan Feng'an, was a scholar who was also handsome. Wen Xi, however, had no good feelings toward his future brother-in-law. On the surface, Scholar Yan was polite to everyone. In truth, he was a mean-spirited, sharp-tongued little man. In private, he often joined Wen Liu in putting down Wen Xi's looks and mocking him as an illiterate fool. Wen Xi couldn't stand him. Then, just as the wedding date drew near, Yan Feng'an fell on the mountain and suffered a head injury, becoming a complete idiot. After Wen Liu cried and made a scene, refusing to marry, their biased parents decided to placate the Yan family by tying Wen Xi up and sending him to the wedding in a bridal sedan. On their wedding night, Wen Xi wept beneath his red veil until his eyes were swollen like walnuts. The brother-in-law who had always treated him coldly lifted the veil, wiped the tears from his face, and softly called him “Xi-ge'er.” Wen Xi stared in shock. The Yan Feng'an with the injured head was a blank-eyed fool who couldn't speak. So who was this man calling him Xi-ge'er? The scholar is a violent fool. His parents are brash and biased. His brother and sister-in-law are petty and calculating. Everyone in the village thought Wen Xi's life would be worse than death after he was married off in Wen Liu's place. Even Wen Xi had resigned himself to his fate, prepared to scrape by in the cracks. But life after the wedding wasn't as bad as he'd expected. His mother-in-law, who seemed brash, was actually straightforward, with clear likes and dislikes. The day after the wedding, she gave Wen Xi a red envelope and promised to treat him like family. His taciturn father-in-law was fiercely protective. When Wen Xi was bullied, he stepped up without hesitation to defend him. Even his sister-in-law, whom outsiders considered stingy and petty, generously taught Wen Xi her craft, showing him how to embroider and sew clothes and giving him a skill he could use to earn money. Even the crazy scholar's nature suddenly changed after the wedding. Not only did his mind recover, he also treated Wen Xi better and better. He taught Wen Xi to read and write, bought him needles, thread, and fabric, and introduced him to the young men and women of the city, guiding him step by step toward a better life. Looking at Yan Feng'an, who seemed like a different person, Wen Xi silently prayed: Whoever the man before him was, he begged the heavens never to let him leave this body. Reader's Guide: 1. A sweet, 1v1, fictional-world story with male pregnancy. The leads love only each other and love each other most. 2. The story focuses on the leads and plenty of everyday family matters, so the pacing won't be very fast. 3. There will likely be various side couples who get a little time in the spotlight as the story progresses. 4. Although the male lead is a scholar, the story doesn't focus on studying or the imperial exams, and there won't be any court politics. 5. At readers' request, here's a spoiler: the male lead's body was taken over by the soul of someone who transmigrated, but he later reclaimed it. He is the original owner of the body. The one who treated the other lead badly was the person who transmigrated. [Emphasis!!!] Coming soon: The Butcher and the Handsome Bridegroom. Please add it to your favorites. Blurb 1. Shen Shu, a young man from Luoxi Village, was known throughout the village for his beauty, with his delicate features and skin as smooth as jade. As soon as he reached the age to marry, suitors came one after another, nearly wearing out the threshold of the Shen family home. Proud and high-minded, Shen Shu had no interest in these men with their impure intentions. With looks like his, he would marry a graceful young gentleman who could become the top scholar. 2. Chen Huaiqian, a butcher from Taoning Village, was tall, imposing, and strong. A single glance from him was enough to send village thugs and petty criminals running. Chen Huaiqian came from a well-off family, and his one wish in life was to marry a beautiful, virtuous, gentle, dignified husband who knew how to manage a household. He'd been on eight hundred matchmaking dates, but not one person had caught his eye. The well-known matchmaker from far and wide hit a wall with both men. Unwilling to risk her stellar reputation, she made up her mind: “You two will do!” 3. It wasn't until Shen Shu married into the Chen family that he realized he'd made a mistake. His new husband could butcher pigs, farm, chop wood, and care for horses, but he couldn't read. Forget becoming the top scholar. Even passing the county-level examination would be a struggle. Oh, no. He'd been promised a top scholar. How had he ended up marrying this burly butcher? Chen Huaiqian had gotten his wish and married a gorgeous husband, but the man wasn't quite what he'd imagined. He wasn't gentle or dignified, and he was nowhere near a capable homemaker. Apart from his good looks, he was useless. If only he could do it all over again... His beautiful, willful husband pinched his ear and glared at him. “If you could do it all over again, what would you do?” Chen Huaiqian raised his hands in surrender. If he'd known how things would turn out, he would have married this beautiful bridegroom sooner. Theme: You can't beg your way to freedom. You have to fight for it, strive for more, and save yourself. Suffering is no better than taking action.