A Joyful Reunion

Airheaded Bodhisattva x Tyrant King

Marriage first, love later | Bickering couple | The husband chases his wife to win her back | Older woman, younger man

Ruixian was the much-beloved daughter born late in life to the powerful official Grand Secretary Xie. Fearing the court would settle scores with her after his death, her father married her off to the only son of his most promising student.

When Ruixian first joined the Liang family, her father-in-law treated her like a younger sister and showed her every courtesy. The whole household followed his lead, and everyone honored her as an honored guest. Everything went just as her father had hoped, safe and smooth.

Except for her husband, Liang Mengji.

Mengji was four years younger than her, an idle son of privilege who never applied himself to his studies.

He showed her no respect at all. When she urged him to study, he even shouted, "Since you love telling people what to do, why don't you marry my father and be his concubine?"

Ruixian was so angry she nearly cried, but he laughed triumphantly.

Later, the court's reckoning came as expected, and both families were implicated. Her father-in-law was demoted again and again until he eventually became gravely ill. Their wealth was spent on medicine, and their former comfortable life was gone. The couple had no choice but to temporarily make peace and rely on each other.

Ruixian hesitantly suggested that they present themselves as brother and sister in public, to make it easier to earn a living.

He had never been happy about the marriage, so he readily agreed.

Life became difficult. Mengji went to enlist on the border, and for a time, no one heard from him.

Three years later, her father-in-law, pitying her for living like a widow, chose another suitable husband for her.

On the day of the wedding,

a man came uninvited from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

He sat in the hall with his legs planted wide and slammed his weapon onto the table, exuding an imposing air.

The guests were cowed by him, too angry to speak but too afraid to say a word.

Only Ruixian, in her bright red wedding dress, dared to demand to know why he had come.

Mengji looked completely innocent. "Sister, I came to have a cup of wedding wine. And, while I'm at it, to help you judge the groom."

After finding fault with every suitor, as if they were all ugly and worthless, Mengji

finally offered himself up to Ruixian and declared without a trace of shame, "Sister, you have to admit, when it comes to men, it's best to stick with what you're used to."

Reader's guide:

1. The leads share a bed in the very first chapter!

2. A young married couple's everyday life among ordinary folk.

3. The heroine is good-natured. The hero is awful at first, but later chases her to win her back.

4. Oh no, this may involve a father-and-son threesome: domineering old father x honest daughter-in-law x rebellious, ill-tempered son. Please mind the content warning!

5. This is a companion story to The Years After She Married, but this one is starting first.

6. The characters were loosely inspired by real people, but their lives develop in completely different ways, so there's no need to scrutinize the details.

Theme: .