Clouds at Ease, Cranes in the Wild

(I'm hospitalized due to illness. All proceeds will go toward my medical expenses. Please don't read pirated copies.)

Blurb:

He Yunxian is the sweet, well-behaved young man in the village whom everyone praises. He's handsome and gentle-tempered.

But his miserly stepfather wants to raise enough money for his own son's bride price, and is forcing him to marry a fierce, dim-witted man from the neighboring village.

He doesn't want to marry, but his mother threatens him with his late father's keepsakes, weeping and pleading with him to put his older brother's future first. His heart turns cold, and he gives up all hope.

The bridal sedan sways as it carries him into a shabby earthen house. He clutches his sleeve, terrified, his stomach growling because he hasn't eaten all day.

But the tall, terrifying man doesn't scold him. Instead, he stares at him blankly for a long while, then clumsily offers him a steaming bun. "You must be hungry. Have this."

He Yunxian is stunned.

*

He Yunxian gradually discovers that the man is nothing like the rumors say.

One night, he casually mentions wanting to raise chickens and ducks. Before dawn, the man has disappeared.

When he steps outside in the morning, he sees the tall figure squatting by the fence, carefully feeding a few cheeping chicks and ducklings.

When the man sees him, his eyes light up. With dirt all over his hands, he runs over like a big dog hoping for a treat. "Do you like them?"

He Yunxian sees the dew-soaked hem of his clothes and his hopeful eyes. His nose stings. "Mm. I like them."

People have hearts, after all. The hurt in He Yunxian's heart is slowly warmed by the foolish man's care.

They sell the mountain produce and game they can't eat, saving their money one coin at a time. Little by little, they patch the leaking roof of their rundown earthen house, and raise more and more chickens and ducks. The drafty, dilapidated house is gradually rebuilt into a sturdy, bright brick home.

*

When He Yunxian was forced by his stepfather to marry the dim-witted man notorious for his ferocity, everyone in the village thought his life was ruined.

Then one day, they heard Xie Donghe bought meat for his husband every day. The next, they heard the Xie family had built a new house. Before long, they had two children, and their lives were thriving.

The whole village came to see the Xie family's new house when it was finished.

The villagers who had once pitied He Yunxian for being thrown into a living hell couldn't take their eyes off the impressive new house. They envied his good fortune.

[Reader's notes]

* Ordinary people living ordinary lives. No imperial exams, no get-rich-quick success. No childbirth in the main story; childbirth and raising children appear in the extras.

* No breaking up the couples, reversing pairings, dream pairings, or fan pairings.

Coming soon: My Poor Young Man Was Forced to Switch Marriages with His Cruel Younger Stepbrother

Ji Dongyu is pretty and well-behaved, but his stepmother treats him harshly, and his father ignores him. After enduring it all, he finally reaches the day of his wedding, thinking he can at last escape his misery.

Unexpectedly, his younger stepbrother Ji Xisi falls ill right before his wedding and suddenly throws a fit, demanding to switch fiances with Dongyu.

His stepmother tugs at his ear and sneers, "Master Xie passed the imperial exams at a young age and became a Provincial Graduate. He's ruthless. If you make him angry, watch out or he'll skin you alive!"

His friend also tells Dongyu that Lord Xie is a talented young man with a bright future. He speaks coldly to everyone, so it's only natural for him to be a little proud.

Lord Xie likes peace and quiet, while Dongyu is a chatterbox who mutters to himself as he works.

Dongyu anxiously lowers his wedding veil. As the sedan carries him to the Xie residence, all he can think about is how he'll manage to get by under Lord Xie's roof.

*

Ji Xisi has been spoiled by his parents since childhood and has never had to put up with anything. He especially looks down on his older brother, who loves to act pitiful.

Before the wedding, he falls ill and dreams that he marries Xie Xiu. Xie Xiu speaks coldly to him and picks on him all day long.

Only three years into their marriage, before he can enjoy being an official's wife, Xie Xiu catches an epidemic and is left at death's door. The Xie family spends all its money on his treatment, and Ji Xisi nearly ends up begging on the streets.

Meanwhile, Dongyu and the poor hunter are deeply in love. They open a restaurant and become successful, and before long Dongyu is decked out in gold and jade.

After waking from his dream, Ji Xisi argues with his mother about switching marriages. He insists on marrying the rough hunter who roams the mountains.

But he waits three years, then three more...

He spends years in the mountains living on bran and gruel, growing gaunt with hunger, while Dongyu enjoys a life of luxury in the city and grows more radiant every day.

He washes clothes and cooks, always working around the stove until his tender hands are covered in calluses. Dongyu has already become an official's wife, with people waiting on him wherever he goes.

Ji Xisi can't believe that Xie Xiu, who was cold to him for years in his previous life, could fall for someone like Dongyu. He sneaks into the Xie residence.

There, he sees Dongyu set off a few fireworks, annoying Xie Xiu. Xie Xiu looks stern, yet patiently tells him to set off more tomorrow, afraid the noise will frighten the child in Dongyu's belly.

Dongyu's belly is slightly rounded. His expression is gentle, his clothes are gorgeous, and he looks thoroughly cherished.

Ji Xisi grits his teeth, regretting everything bitterly.

Theme: Love can heal the soul.