Tao Zhi is an ordinary farm girl from Shantang Village. After her mother falls gravely ill following childbirth and her frail baby brother is still in swaddling clothes, her father decides she must marry.
One day, she sees a young man emerge from the mountains along a stream. Humming a tune, he has all kinds of things clanking against him. When he spots her, he asks curiously, “My sister-in-law did send someone to ask for your hand, but I don't want to marry you at all. Can you find a way to call it off?”
Tao Zhi: “You think I want to marry you? Hmph!”
The young man doesn't get angry. Instead, he smiles. “Perfect!”
And yet, they still end up married.
When they go out together, one heads east and the other west.
One climbs onto the roof to fix it, while the other goes down to the river to wash clothes.
One plants vegetables, while the other dares to pull them up to feed the chickens.
Xu Ze bickers and tussles with her, but won't let anyone else order her around. So he agrees to his older brother and sister-in-law's wishes, splits the household, and moves out with Tao Zhi.
They settle by the mountain, hunt together, fish in the river, gather mountain delicacies and wild honey, and cook fresh seasonal food. Their days couldn't be more comfortable.
The one who falls first is the most helpless.
That Mid-Autumn Festival, he asks her with red-rimmed eyes and a wounded pout, “Are you still hoping that one day you'll divorce me?”
[Reading Guide]
1. This is a slice-of-life farming story, not a power fantasy. There are no golden fingers and no court politics.
2. The heroine is reserved early on due to her upbringing, and goes through a difficult period. This lays the groundwork for her later change in outlook and personal growth. Please read with care if this bothers you!
My current serial, "Farming the Wasteland," is underway. Please add it to your favorites if you're interested!
[Blurb]:
Yu Jinyue, an agricultural student, wakes up in ancient times as a refugee who has just survived a flood.
With the local authorities' help, she and her younger sister travel several miles and settle in Jiangling. They are given fifteen mu of wasteland beneath a dike and a thatched hut.
The first thing the sisters do after settling in is befriend their neighbors. They borrow various tools to fetch water, gather firewood, cut grass, and dig for wild vegetables... until they finally have their first hot meal.
At least they won't starve to death anymore.
But they don't have a single coin.
How long will they have to keep borrowing flint from the neighbors just to start a fire and cook?
Three days later, a peddler arrives at the village dock.
He's tall and strong, with handsome features.
Most importantly, his boat is loaded with the daily necessities she urgently needs.
Yu Jinyue grits her teeth and asks shamelessly, “Um, could I buy some things from you on credit? I'll write you an IOU!”
*
Zhang Tiankuo has been making his way on the rivers since childhood. He's a strong swimmer, powerful, and in excellent shape. He commands over a hundred men and is the chief of Qingfeng Stronghold, one of the thirteen peaks, ten miles outside Jiangling City.
To everyone else, he's a bandit chief.
When the authorities resettle refugees and take over a large stretch of riverside reed beds, he disguises himself as a merchant and rows into the village to find out what's going on.
That's where he meets a woman who is poor and entirely unapologetic about it.
At first, he agrees to let her buy on credit just to see her make a fool of herself.
Who knew she'd keep her word, turn that wasteland into fertile fields, and get abundant harvests year after year, going from refugee to agricultural official?
*
On the day Yu Jinyue receives her transfer order, Zhang Tiankuo invites her aboard his boat for a farewell trip down the river.
The moon hangs high in the sky as the boat reaches the middle of the river.
He fixes his burning gaze on the drowsy woman and says in a low voice, “From now on, my thirteen river strongholds will be counting on you, Madam Yu...”
Yu Jinyue: ???
#I thought you saw me as a little brother, but you want me to be your bandit bride? #
*A resilient, cheerful, career-minded heroine x a sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, big puppy of a hero
Theme: A slow and steady life, with a little sweet treat in the mountains
I had a question from a few chapters ago, on such a hot day, wouldn't meat stink if left for such a long time?
Very well written! Much better than some lists! Come on!!
The author's writing is great. It's great. I hope Xu Er and Miss Tao are well~
Ah, I didn't see it right away 😭
The way Xu Er eats this way, he won't gain ten pounds [spreads hands]
"Because it was the middle of the afternoon, and in the alley..." This is a big bug for the author~ There are almost no people, and there are no words missing.
Such a beautiful life and friendship, I love it so much
It's actually the first one? Very well written, very heartwarming story. Thanks so much for the creation!
It's great, brothers and sisters are so warm
It's just 😂 that I suffered the loss of less business.