A Survival Guide to an Ancient Mountain Village

Blurb for the upcoming stories "The Twilight Has Yet to Fade" and "The Female Powerbroker" at the very end~

A tough, unyielding woman who transmigrates, a sinister and ferocious farmer's son, and a spirited little monkey.

[A farming story about a heroine and her clever little monkey helping people survive in troubled times, while she struggles in vain to escape the violent male lead.]

When Zhao Yu woke up, she had become a pitiful girl dependent on a farm woman for her livelihood.

Every day, on top of worrying about whether there would be enough food, she had to find ways to please the head of the household.

When the head of the household was Granny Zhou, Zhao Yu hunted rabbits in the mountains and caught fish in the river, sparing no effort.

All to add a little richness to the Zhou family's meals and keep Granny Zhou happy.

But just when she'd finally earned Granny Zhou's favor, someone else took over as head of the household.

To improve her lot in life, Zhao Yu should have picked someone new to please, but...

Was this bandit-like man really a farmer's son? Wasn't he a wanted criminal who robbed and killed?

Terrified, Zhao Yu spent each day dodging those snake-like eyes, and even had nightmares at night.

Finally, one day, Zhao Yu couldn't take it anymore and went into the mountains. The people outside waited and waited, but she never came back out...

*

Zhou He seemed to have been born with half a heart missing. He couldn't feel unnecessary emotions, and "ruthless and cruel" described him perfectly.

Everyone feared him, even his parents.

The old couple, Granny Zhou and her husband, earnestly and anxiously urged him to keep his temper in check and stop attacking people without reason.

The next day, they saw Zhou He again, his fists still dripping with blood.

People secretly cursed Zhou He as a bad seed who would one day lose his mind and kill everyone around him. He felt nothing when he heard them.

But when the little girl the family had bought for four taels of silver looked at him with the eyes of a murderer, his heart began to itch.

Just as he was about to lose control and bare his fangs, he let her slip away with that damned monkey.

*

After inexplicably transmigrating, Zhao Yu had teetered on the brink of starvation many times. Every day, she thought she might not live to see the sun rise again.

She only escaped that constant feeling of impending death after meeting an annoying little monkey.

The monkey was a rascal, but it had plenty of talent. It wasn't afraid of tigers, and it could lead Zhao Yu to all kinds of delicious food in the mountains.

It was so confident that Zhao Yu thought it was invincible.

But when that terrifying man from the Zhou family grabbed it by the neck and lifted it up, it let all four limbs dangle and played dead rather than fight back. It had never looked so spineless.

So, for the sake of the monkey and her own life, Zhao Yu made a snap decision: she'd go into the mountains and live like a wild person...

Upcoming story: "The Twilight Has Yet to Fade"

Another TV drama starring Wen Yu became a huge hit, pushing her fame in the entertainment industry to new heights.

When the host asked if she'd ever met anyone who took her breath away, she thought of Shen Yunqi without even meaning to.

Back in school, Shen Yunqi had been arrogant and carefree, with a powerful family and stunning looks. Women were always chasing after him.

The host could tell from her expression that she had her answer, and pressed further. "Did you ever confess your feelings to that person?"

Wen Yu smiled and nodded. "But I was so ordinary. He wasn't interested in me."

The host exclaimed in surprise, "How could anyone turn you down? You're beautiful and accomplished!"

Wen Yu shrugged and joked, "Maybe he had bad taste?"

She could still remember that scene: shy and gloomy, she had confessed her feelings to the boy she could only admire from afar, and all he said was, "I like pretty girls. Sorry."

The host looked at the actress before her, with her delicate features, red lips, and fair skin. Nodding in agreement, the host said, "He really did have bad taste." Then she asked, "If you met him again, would your heart still skip a beat?"

Wen Yu shook her head without hesitation. "No."

The host asked, "Why not?"

Wen Yu smiled without answering. She'd heard that he'd been disfigured, and she only liked good-looking men too.

In a private room thick with the smell of alcohol, everyone had collapsed in a drunken heap. Only one man sat with his long legs crossed on the coffee table, leaning back lazily. A glowing ember flickered in his hand, and the smoke blurred his face. His deep-set eyes were half closed as he stared at the woman on the television.

After a long pause, he chuckled softly and murmured, "I really did misjudge her..."

Upcoming story: "The Female Powerbroker"

Pei Yan was a vengeful spirit reborn. He abandoned goodness and embraced evil, all to climb to the very top and hold power in his own hands.

When the emperor announced he would arrange a marriage for him, Pei Yan smiled and accepted. "Your servant and the princess knew each other as children and have long been in love. I beg Your Majesty to unite us."

The emperor gladly agreed.

*

Zhou Wanyin was the only legitimate daughter of the Grand General's household. At the ripe old age of eighteen, she was still unmarried, much to the world's amusement.

The old general who guarded the nation was also anxious about his granddaughter. His already graying hair was falling out even faster. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and visit households one by one, looking for a good husband for her.

But Zhou Wanyin had quite a reputation, and the story of her beating a mad warhorse to death in the street had driven away many promising young men.

Just when the old general was fretting over how difficult it would be to find his granddaughter a husband, Zhou Wanyin rushed into his study, brimming with excitement. She told him she'd taken a fancy to Pei Yan, the newly appointed top scholar, and asked him to arrange a marriage.

*

On the day the imperial edict granting the marriage arrived, Pei Yan looked at the unfamiliar woman's name, his eyes dark with malice.

His beloved had been replaced by the daughter of a fallen general's house. How could he accept such a change in fortune so easily?

*

Pei Yan was elegant and refined, a brilliant young man with a face more beautiful than even the famous courtesans. Zhou Wanyin was so taken with him that she couldn't bear to look away.

Unfortunately, her husband was so busy with official business that he spent nearly every night in his study.

With no other choice, Zhou Wanyin climbed onto the roof in the middle of the night, lifted a roof tile, and peeked inside every now and then to soothe her longing.

Her husband plotted in secret inside the room, but Zhou Wanyin made no effort to avoid listening in.

When she heard that her husband needed to steal a secret letter, she slipped easily into a high official's residence and retrieved it, hoping to get him back to their room sooner.

When she heard that her husband planned to raid the execution grounds, she donned night clothes and a face covering, then joined the raid, even earning the credit for its success. She hoped to get him home sooner so they could have a baby.

When she heard someone planned to kill her husband, she tied up the culprit first and tossed him into prison, so she wouldn't end up a widow.

After all that hard work, Zhou Wanyin clapped her hands, thinking, Now my husband shouldn't be busy anymore. We can spend the night together.

But he started plotting again.

Zhou Wanyin could only listen at the wall once more, thinking she might be able to help this time. But then she heard that her husband planned to kill someone, and the person he meant to kill had the same name as her: Zhou Wanyin...

Theme: Striving for a better life