Reborn as the Powerful Man's Arranged Wife in a Period Novel

[The next-door novel, First Married, Then Falling in Love in the 1950s, is now underway. Its blurb is below.]

This novel: married first, fall in love later | pure love | happy ending | slow-burn romance | heartwarming |

Mei Jin opened her eyes to find herself a bride-to-be in the 1950s. There was no wedding and no wedding night. She caught a brief glimpse of the groom, and the next time they met was two years later.

She had transmigrated into a period novel as the powerful male lead's arranged first wife. At the time, he was still a young country boy with grand ambitions, about to head off to war. The front lines were dangerous, and his family feared he might die before ever starting a family, becoming a lonely ghost with no way home. So, without regard for his wishes, they hurriedly found him a wife before he left: an orphan who had fled famine. The two were married without even knowing each other, let alone having any feelings.

During the two years her new husband spent in the military, Mei Jin suffered every hardship she had never known in her previous life. She worked in the fields, fed chickens, herded cattle, and cut grass. She was so poor she couldn't even afford meat!

In the book, the original wife fell ill and died not long after marrying into the family. But Mei Jin relied on sheer determination to survive her illness and endure those two years, waiting for the powerful man to return.

The first thing he did when he came back was ask whether she wanted a divorce. If she did, he would give her a dowry and help her find a good husband. If she didn't, the two of them could try to make a life together.

Mei Jin looked at him and firmly shook her head. He was a very sturdy thigh to cling to, and she had better hold on tight.

Her husband's leave was one month long, after which he would have to return to his unit. To secure a life where she wouldn't have to work in the fields and could eat meat every day, Mei Jin resolutely resorted to using her charms.

But the powerful man lived up to his reputation: he wasn't tempted!

Mei Jin clenched her fists in frustration. It definitely wasn't because she wasn't beautiful enough!

As his leave drew to an end, he smiled at her and asked, "Do you want to come with me to my post?"

Mei Jin nodded briskly. "Yes!"

That was exactly what she wanted: to go with him to his post!

(Comments are open.)

[Blurb for First Married, Then Falling in Love in the 1950s:]

Ling Hezheng had just returned from the battlefield as a regiment commander. Young and promising, he had earned countless honors. Just as everyone was gearing up to find him a wife, they saw him quietly submit a marriage application.

His bride-to-be, Bei Chunxiao, was the youngest daughter of a farming family near the military garrison.

The two of them would never have crossed paths under ordinary circumstances, but then an accident happened. The temperature was below freezing, and the sky was completely dark. Bei Chunxiao had gone up the mountain to gather firewood and still hadn't returned. Worried about their beloved daughter, the Bei family hurried to ask the nearby garrison for help.

Ling Hezheng went up the mountain to search for her. In a cave, he found Bei Chunxiao with an injured foot, having fallen into the river and taken off all her clothes to warm herself by a fire.

When Bei Chunxiao's mother found out, she looked at her silly daughter, who was always cheerful and completely guileless, and began to make plans.

*

Ling Hezheng was tall and straight, with sharp brows and bright eyes. He clearly had a bright future ahead of him. Though Bei Chunxiao had begun to fall for him, she had never thought of using the accident to make him marry her.

So when he stood before her and said he would marry her, she was instantly so dazed she didn't even notice his icy expression. In her vanity, she assumed he had fallen in love with her at first sight, too.

After they married, Ling Hezheng was distant and quiet. She simply thought that was how he was and never took it to heart. That was, until she went back to her parents' home one day and accidentally overheard them talking. She learned the truth about their marriage: he had been forced to marry her, and he didn't actually like her.

She cried all the way home. Once she got back, she apologized to him and took her things to move into another room. He didn't try to stop her at all, which only confirmed her suspicions. She was so heartbroken she cried all night.

*

Ling Hezheng had never imagined that helping a civilian would pull him into a marriage. After they wed, he found a warm body beside him when he slept, and a chattering voice in his ear at mealtimes. As they spent more time together, he realized she was a wonderful girl. But the fact that he'd been forced into marriage with her remained stuck in his mind, impossible to swallow or spit out.

Then one day, she came home with red, tear-stained eyes, and he finally learned that she hadn't known the truth either.

That night, he finally got what he had supposedly wanted: to sleep alone again. There was no more of that "annoying" breathing in his ear. So why did he feel so miserable? He couldn't figure it out.

But the next day, when he saw her swollen eyes, his heart ached before he could stop himself...

*

When they first married in winter:

Ling Hezheng: The quilt isn't big enough. Go sleep over there.

Bei Chunxiao glanced at the cold bed beside him and firmly refused. "No."

More than six months into their marriage, in summer:

Ling Hezheng: Come here. I'll hold you while we sleep.

Bei Chunxiao glanced at his heat-radiating body and firmly refused. "No."

*

Note: The leads do not sleep together before they confess their feelings to each other. The male lead isn't the kind of person who says he doesn't like a woman but still takes her body. The story is set in the 1950s, and the heroine was only eighteen when she married. She simply didn't understand.

Theme: Freedom and love