The Widower Husband

Ling Xing opened his eyes and found himself in ancient times, having become a husband brought in to bring good fortune to a sick man. His husband was too ill to even get out of bed, and Ling Xing had performed the wedding rites with his husband's younger brother. Three days after the wedding, his husband died. He went from being a husband to being a widower. His original body had fled famine and had nowhere else to go, so Ling Xing had no place to return to. Fortunately, the Shen family let him stay with them. The Shen family was poor, and life was hard. They never had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear. Every day, they drank flour gruel mixed with wheat bran. It scraped their throats going down, and even then, they couldn't eat their fill. In his previous life, Ling Xing had been a food streamer who recreated all kinds of dishes and had excellent cooking skills. To make a living, he started selling steamed buns, cheung fun, and grilled gluten. His little bun stall gradually grew into a two-story snack shop, quite an impressive place. As life got better and better, more and more people came to propose matches for Ling Xing. The matchmakers chattered away. "You Shen family can't keep Xing'er from remarrying." "In our Yu dynasty, women and men who marry out aren't expected to remain widowed for life." "One of the suitors is a licentiate!" The matchmakers gave Ling Xing a headache every day. Fortunately, his younger brother-in-law, who had abandoned martial pursuits as a hunter to take up literature, had returned after his examinations. One cold look from him sent all the matchmakers scattering. That night, a tall, dark figure pinned Ling Xing down. "If you're willing to marry again, I want to marry you." Ling Xing was dumbfounded. "Shen Hui, have you gone mad? I'm your brother's husband!" Shen Hui lowered his eyes. "You performed the wedding rites with me. What kind of brother-in-law does that make you?" Steady, secretly passionate, and strong gong X gentle, sunny shou [Reading Guide] ● The story follows ordinary people in ancient times as they build a life from nothing and gradually prosper. This is not a power fantasy. ● No childbirth in the main story. ● The gong stops at the provincial graduate level. There are no detailed exam scenes or court politics; he only develops his hometown. ● Blurb dated May 24, 2024. Coming Soon: Turning In the Business Simulation System After a Natural Disaster The Yu dynasty was struck by a sudden blizzard. Temperatures plummeted, and countless people froze to death overnight. Yuan Qingming, a young heir who had always idled away his days, teasing cats and dogs, was jolted awake by the cold. He opened his eyes to find himself on an empty street, where a fellow claiming to be a business simulation System demanded that he complete a task. The pampered young nobleman scraped up his hands, singed his hair, and even burned down his shop. At last, he managed to make a bowl of tomato and egg soup as instructed. Crying and pleading all the while, he finally sold it and completed the beginner task. After completing it, Yuan Qingming rushed straight to the imperial palace, clung to his handsome imperial uncle's leg, and tearfully showed him all his injuries as he shouted that he wanted to turn in the System. The Yu dynasty was now locked in ice and snow. The fields yielded nothing, the border was in crisis, and people were reduced to eating their own children. Just as all hope seemed lost, the imperial treasury suddenly distributed grain, and even gave out clothing. The clothes were strange, though. What were they called? Down jackets and military coats? The rice they handed out was all polished white rice. There wasn't a bit of mixed grain or brown rice. They said mixed grain and brown rice cost more than white rice, so they couldn't afford to distribute them. Every so often, they even got canned meat to eat. The cans were sturdier and more durable than bowls. Somehow, life had suddenly gotten so much better! In the business simulation world, the year was 4076, and humanity had begun awakening supernatural abilities. An abandoned historical culture street in Zhongyu had somehow reopened. Step into any eatery, and the chef was an imperial chef. Visit a clinic, and an imperial physician would see you. Enter a clothing shop, and the tailor was an imperial embroiderer. Go to a martial arts school, and the instructor was an imperial guard. Enter a bookstore, and every ancient text on the shelves came from the imperial study. Hey, whether it was real or not, they really got to experience the kind of treatment only an emperor could enjoy. What was more, every shop on the culture street had its own special effects. The food could boost physical strength, intelligence, and mental power! The medicine from the clinic could ease the unavoidable side effects of supernatural abilities. Clothes from the tailor could provide all kinds of defense. The moves taught at the martial arts school let people attack for five seconds while ignoring ability levels! Word of these incredible effects spread from person to person. The once nearly deserted historical street eventually became a global sensation. Yuan Qingming told the System to wake him promptly at midnight. The System had opened a friends' farm feature, and Yuan Qingming needed to show up on time to steal crops and sell them at the restaurant. As he was happily stealing, a voice came from beside him. "Why are you still awake?" Yuan Qingming looked over. The man before him had a face like peach blossoms, was as handsome as jade, and stood with the elegance of an immortal. Yuan Qingming couldn't help saying, "Imperial Uncle, you are beautiful." Yuan Shuo: "What?" Yuan Qingming came to his senses. "I said I'm stealing crops." Yuan Shuo gave a soft laugh. "And what else?" Yuan Qingming couldn't help staring again. "And Imperial Uncle really is beautiful!" Coming Soon: Yuanbao's Life Among the Common Folk Yuanbao was born into an ancient world, as a boy who could bear children. The Yuan family had five people. His father sold wontons, while his mother did laundry for others. They were so poor they could hear the wind whistling through their pockets. They couldn't even afford to eat. His parents were always frowning, and his older brother and sister never smiled, either. When Yuanbao was just a month old, his father carried him in a basket on his back and set him beside the wonton stall. Even as a tiny baby, Yuanbao had a round head, round face, and round eyes. He was so round and adorable. His parents were working to earn money to buy him goat's milk. Yuanbao wanted to help, too. His age and inability to speak wouldn't stop him. He smiled at passersby with his big, round eyes. In baby talk, he babbled: Come have a bowl of wontons! (✿◠‿◠ ✿) Before long, more and more people came to the family's little wonton stall, and business got better and better. Yuanbao finally got to drink goat's milk and grew up safe and sound. When Yuanbao was fifteen, he fell seriously ill. His family sold their wonton stall to raise the money to snatch him back from the King of Hell. His father went to the docks to carry heavy loads, while his mother took on even more laundry work. His older brother quit school, and his second sister said she would marry to save the family the cost of feeding her. After coming back from the gates of death, Yuanbao's hazy memories of his past life became clear. Unable to bear seeing his family suffer, he returned to his old trade, making all kinds of pastries and noodles to sell. Through the family's hard work, their little stall grew into a shop. Yuanbao and Cheng Junzhu had been childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Now that they were old enough, it was time for their families to discuss an engagement. The two families had agreed to betroth them after the children's examinations, whether or not Junzhu passed and became a licentiate. But after passing, Junzhu got engaged to a young man from a wealthy merchant family. Yuanbao crouched beneath the pomegranate tree in the courtyard, his shoulders trembling slightly. A deep voice came from behind him, stern yet awkwardly comforting. "Don't cry. I'll beat him up for you." Yuanbao stopped picking at a pomegranate and looked at the person. He was so startled that he fell flat on his bottom. The pomegranate rolled up to a pair of black boots. Lu Huaiqian, an Imperial Guard captain. His fearsome reputation made him untouchable. He was also the grim reaper whom Yuanbao and Cheng Junzhu had feared since they were children. Yuanbao stammered, "Hello, Cousin Lu." Lu Huaiqian frowned. "I'm Cheng Junzhu's cousin." Yuanbao tried again, timidly. "Hello, Captain Lu." Lu Huaiqian frowned even more deeply. "I came to your house to ask for your hand in marriage. From now on, call me hubby." He wanted to marry him? Yuanbao burst into tears. Later, his childhood sweetheart was made to call him sister-in-law by his husband, who held the man's head down. Yuanbao nodded shyly. "Right, cousin." Theme: Keep working hard at life, and things will get better.