Arcade Stories

A lighthearted story, A Little Love Story, now complete

Blurb:

After her grandfather dies, sixteen-year-old Man Zhaodi is abandoned once again and forced to turn to her alcoholic birth father.

She returns to the dilapidated shophouse where she lived as a child. There are crude neighbors, vulgar customs, and her father's money-grubbing girlfriend...

And then there's the lovely Luo Yingchun.

When they first meet, Man Zhaodi rates the twenty-seven-year-old "Auntie" Luo Yingchun:

Looks: 7/10

Figure: 8/10

Personality: Unknown, but clearly a dummy

Cooking: 10/10! Perfect score!

From then on, Man Zhaodi embarks on a proud journey of mooching meals: "I mooch food, and I'm proud of it!"

As she keeps mooching, their relationship gradually grows warmer, especially once Man Zhaodi discovers that Luo Yingchun likes women...

From then on, their food-mooching adventure turns into a "better to make the first move, even if it's by force" adventure.

A coming-of-age story about the complexity of human nature and the shallowness of people's hearts, about girls constrained by feudal customs warming and redeeming each other.

Winter jasmine × mandrake (Man Zhaodi changes her name to Man Tuo when she comes of age)

Younger woman, half coming-of-age romance, with an age gap of about eleven years

P.S. The story is set in a fourth- or fifth-tier city in Chicken Leg Province, with some Cantonese dialect now and then. For the shophouses, picture old Xiguan-style detached buildings with balconies. This story is about love, friendship, and family. The leads from the neighboring story, But She Smiled at Me, will make a guest appearance.

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A Little Love Story blurb:

When Jiang Jionger was young, all her ailments were blamed on "excess internal heat."

Wake up with eye discharge? Excess internal heat, drink herbal tea!

Toothache and pimples? Excess internal heat, drink herbal tea!

Stuffy nose and sore throat? Excess internal heat, still drink herbal tea...

So when she met Xiang Shen, she automatically diagnosed herself with excess internal heat too!

So hot she could burst into flames on the spot!

But why didn't herbal tea work this time?

The old doctor stroked his beard. "Young people, you've got strong kidney energy and excessive liver fire. You should be falling in love!"

A lighthearted short story, about a rough-around-the-edges landlady and a pretty tenant

Theme: Accept yourself.