(I've already written 100,000 words of this, but the further I got, the harder it became to write. I'm going to rework the outline and rewrite the whole thing before I start posting it!)
Bright and cheerful young woman VS beautiful younger devoted son-in-law
Wen Sui transmigrated into the body of a farm girl, the eldest daughter who had lost both her parents and depended on her younger sister.
Her little sister was young and frail. A few days ago, she had gone up the mountain to gather firewood and accidentally injured her leg. More than half the family's silver had been spent treating it.
As if things weren't bad enough, disaster followed disaster.
The marriage agreement Wen Sui's and her betrothed's parents had once made verbally was denied by his entire family as soon as he passed the imperial exams.
With no brothers to support the household, Wen Sui was forced to abandon the marriage, but had no way to seek justice. Her vile relatives even coveted her family's land and wanted to marry her off to their own foolish nephew.
To stop her relatives from taking everything after her death, Wen Sui struck first and bought herself a husband.
*
Shen Ci was born into misfortune. As the son of a concubine, he had been looked down on by everyone around him since childhood. His father had tricked his mother into becoming his concubine, then, before long, callously abandoned them both. He cut off their allowance and left them to fend for themselves outside the estate for six or seven years.
When Shen Ci was ten, the Shen family was implicated in the embezzlement of relief funds for a snow disaster in the northwest. The entire clan was sentenced to exile in Lingnan. Shen Ci escaped because his name had never been added to the family register. To avoid trouble, he and his mother left the capital with an old servant and settled in their hometown.
Two long years passed. His mother died, his wet nurse fell seriously ill, and Shen Ci had no choice but to sell himself into servitude.
At fifteen, he was falsely accused and beaten thirty times by his master. His master sold him off a thousand li away while gravely injured, deliberately trying to kill him.
As Shen Ci lay on the verge of death, he was startled awake by a young woman who suddenly burst through the door. He was covered in blood, in a wretched state, and burdened with a bad reputation, but she paid none of it any mind.
She asked him, "Would you like to come with me?"
At that moment, Shen Ci was so feverish he could barely think, but he clung tightly to the hem of Wen Sui's skirt as if it were a lifeline.
On the way home that day, rain poured from the sky, and the muddy mountain path was slippery and hard to cross. In the rain, Wen Sui took his hand and smiled. "Shen Ci, let's go home!"
Shen Ci felt that the greatest blessing of his life was meeting Wen Sui.
He was perfectly willing to be the son-in-law others saw as betraying his ancestors, as long as she never made him leave her.
--
Reader's Guide
1. An ensemble cast and a slice-of-life farming story about family and everyday affairs.
2. Older woman and younger man. When they meet, the heroine is 16 and the hero is 15. The heroine will not have children in this story. Please don't read if that bothers you.
3. Includes food and a little business. The main characters will not go to the capital or become officials. The hero's identity is exactly as described in the blurb, with no twists or reversals. This is a pure farming story. Food references are drawn from online sources, books, and other materials, and will be credited.
4. The dynasty is fictional, and the story is full of creative liberties. It's all made up by the author, so don't take it as fact.
5. Live life earnestly and enjoy the story!!!
Theme: Strive and persevere
