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When Wen Shaoxian wakes up to find herself transmigrated into the body of a thug in a poor, remote village in a matriarchal world, she doesn't panic.
A delicate young man with a face like peach blossoms, covered in bruises, timidly calls her his wife. Wen Shaoxian puts on a brave front.
It's hard to say whether the original owner's luck was good. After years of petty theft and troublemaking without finding a spouse, she happens to visit town just as Merchant Yuan passes away. For the sake of humiliation, the merchant's husband marries off his unwanted concubine-born son to the original owner. But before she can even enjoy the young man's charms, the original owner gets drunk, falls headfirst into a river, and comes back with someone else in her body.
The young man is named Shang Yun Zhi. He's a delicate little man who pants after walking a few steps, and he inspires pity. The village men all dislike him.
They refuse to give him work, won't sell him anything, and mock and insult him every day. The more aggressive ones even hit him, leaving his handsome face bruised and bloodied.
Wen Shaoxian: Wow, it's the gender-swapped version of "Malena."
Her little husband is terribly prone to tears.
Wen Shaoxian accidentally eats his food, and he cries.
Wen Shaoxian makes sure to save him some food next time, and he cries.
Wen Shaoxian feels guilty and buys him clothes, and he cries.
Her heart, buried after more than twenty years of being single, goes "crack" and breaks free.
She thinks her little husband is a delicate, lovely white lotus, until one day she sees blood sliding off his blade.
Wen Shaoxian: Oh no, I'm even more in love.
…
Shang Yun Zhi is reborn.
In his previous life, his father had casually married him off to the thug Wen Shaoxian. He thought that although life wouldn't be easy, at least he would have a home of his own, and things couldn't be as unbearable as before.
But he was wrong.
The thug didn't care about his efforts or his hardships. When she lost at the gambling house, she even blamed Shang Yun Zhi for bringing bad luck. Later, when creditors came to the door, she sold him off as casually as she would sell a chicken.
He was sold from one brothel to another. Because of his stunning beauty, he was taken from the small town to the capital, where he was highly sought after by the wealthy and powerful. Eventually, a rich family bought him as a plaything.
His body was ruined, and years of being tossed from place to place had left his heart numb.
Let it all end.
He poisoned everyone in the household. While they were weakened, he took a sword and slit their throats one by one. Watching them writhe and beg in agony at his feet gave him a perverse sense of satisfaction. But once the satisfaction passed, only emptiness remained.
He turned his sword on himself, putting an end to years of misery.
Flames rose at his side and quickly engulfed him, like a red lotus blooming in the underworld. Even in death, he was stunning.
When he opened his eyes, he was back where it all began.
This time, he decides to kill Wen Shaoxian, the one who brought him his tragic fate, and make a fresh start.
But Wen Shaoxian doesn't die. Not only that, she's changed, becoming someone who wants to build a good life with him.
She knows when he's cold or hot and protects him. She absolutely isn't the old Wen Shaoxian.
She must be a spirit taking the form of a creature from the wilds.
And that suits him perfectly: spirits and red lotuses are a match made in heaven.
*xp-obsessed transmigrator woman X mentally ill, theatrical reborn man
*The setting is matriarchal, with ordinary biological anatomy, including women giving birth (please stop asking why women give birth in a matriarchal society. Different ways of thinking can't be forced on everyone). However, the main couple has a girl-boy relationship dynamic, so they can't have a baby together.
*A cozy farming-and-business slice of life: making new foods, selling lip rouge, raising little animals, and kissing her little husband.
Theme: Keep your feet on the ground and work hard!