Novels like The Dust of Mortal Life
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Dust of Mortal Life, best match first.
- 51 Early Spring Frost 小春霜早 Xiaochun Shuangzao tells the story of the lives, changes, joys, and sorrows of the three Gu siblings at the end of the twentieth century. Through their story, the novel explores the profound impact of Reform and Opening Up on people's thoughts and lives, and the sweeping changes brought by the new era. [Print edition published] 1.1kReads8.5Score10914d adds
- 52 The Man Next Door 男邻居 Qiao Mai, a country girl, endures a rough journey from her wedding and childbirth to miscarriage and divorce. Over the course of twelve years of marriage, the special sweetness of being each other’s “darling” fades amid her husband’s disrespect and inaction. Her affection is gradually extinguished by the havoc wreaked by her mother-in-law and three sisters-in-law, until the marriage finally ends in divorce. The story begins with a man living downstairs listening to his neighbors having sex in th 84Reads9.5Score—14d adds
- 53 Marriage Before Love: Mr. Fu’s Beloved 先婚后爱：付先生的掌心宠 Because of her family background, Xiang Zhaozhao had always been determined never to marry. That same family background left her with no choice but to compromise and go on a blind date with Fu Shiyu. Xiang Zhaozhao thought their marriage would be nothing more than two people sharing a life. She never imagined it would turn out so blissful and sweet! A love story about a first-generation entrepreneur and a woman marrying later in life! 935Reads8.7Score11914d adds
- 54 Running Toward the Far Side of the Mountain 向山那边奔跑 Why we recommend it: This is an uplifting novel for young readers... A story that helps children develop a better understanding of growing up. Life is full of all kinds of challenges, and this book teaches readers how to think clearly and face them with optimism and a positive attitude… Synopsis: The protagonist, Xiaoyong, grew up without a father, born at the foot of the mountains and subjected to endless humiliation. He has many battles of wits along the way. The brief time he spends livin 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 55 A Middle-Aged Man's Redemption: The Phoenix Turns Toward the Sun 中年男人的自我救赎：凤自向阳 A man born in the 1980s, now middle-aged, who spent more than twenty years working as a clothing pattern maker. For the first half of his life, he lived trapped in self-doubt and inner turmoil, held back by all kinds of hang-ups about his name, appearance, education, marriage, and children. At middle age, he finally learned to make peace with his past self, slowly tear down the high walls around his heart, and let himself off the hook. This book records the pitfalls I've fallen into, the grie 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 56 What's There to Fear About Divorce at 40? My First Love Has My Back 40岁离婚怕什么，还有初恋兜底 [A levelheaded housewife who knows when to retreat and when to advance + an icy doctor who advances by retreating] [Midlife struggles + parent-child relationships + redemption + mutual healing] Her husband is having an affair with his boss. Her son is a high school senior and has started dating. Zhu Yi, who quit her job three years ago, feels as if her world is collapsing. Then she unexpectedly runs into Yang Yiqing, her first love, whom she had lost touch with years ago. Suddenly, time speeds 112Reads—Score—14d adds
- 57 The City of Woven Sand 织沙之城 [The first online novel set in Nansha District, Guangzhou, the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A 2023 key project supported by the China Writers Association] A heroine’s coming-of-age story + the gentle flow of everyday life + women’s entrepreneurship What is home? What does one’s hometown mean? As the Pearl River rushes toward the sea, Mai Jiaying, a post-90s small-town exam ace, grows tired of her salt-scented, out-of-the-way hometown. All she wants is to fly to the ca 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 58 Let's Not Talk About Love 不谈爱情 Don't Talk About Love is a purely fictional serialized novel. The novel tells of the inner torment of Zhao Xiaosong, a middle-aged man who works at Shenfeng Tire Factory and suffers from cerebral atrophy. It portrays his resentment, anxiety, loneliness, helplessness, despair, selfishness, longing, and, finally, his struggle... The story begins in the 1990s. Zhao Xiaosong, a country bumpkin from that era, is lucky enough to become a tire-molding worker at Shenfeng Tire Factory in Jiaoshi. Back 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 59 Transmigration: I’m Crushing My Scumbag Ex in a Parallel World 穿越：我在平行世界爆虐渣男前夫 (Soul transmigration and a creative premise + healing from childhood family trauma) One morning, Tang Wanwan wakes up and discovers she has transmigrated... The wounds inflicted by your birth family must be healed within that family. Love is a kind of redemption, a light that gathers lost time. Somehow, it was all destined to be. She is financially independent, beautiful, and sophisticated. He is handsome and wickedly charming, but hopelessly addicted to gambling. It was love at first sight. She 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 60 800 Reasons to Want a Divorce 想离婚的800个理由 Everyone has countless moments after getting married when they feel like getting a divorce. If they don’t, it must be because they’re in love. And if they do end up divorcing, that doesn’t necessarily mean they stopped loving each other. 5Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 61 The River at the Village Entrance 村口那条河 I once thought this river would flow forever, until that summer, when it carried away every secret and brought new stories in their place. 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 62 The Rules of the Children's Home 儿女家的规矩 To help their children raise the grandchildren, a couple in their sixties were forced to live apart. From the day Zhao Youlin moved to the city to help care for his son's child, he became a “guest” in his son's home. A man from a small town, he couldn't fit into life in the big city. He had to speak softly, keep the TV muted, and even watch his son's expression before giving his grandson a piece of meat... Though Zhao Youlin was careful about everything, he still couldn't avoid falling into conf 11kReads8.6Score53414d adds
- 63 Finding True Love Inside and Outside Marriage in Midlife 人到中年婚姻内外寻找真爱 Yang Duo is a flower in full bloom. Though she’s forty, she’s still young and beautiful. A woman in pursuit of true love, she yearns for romance and has spent her life exploring and experiencing it. A passionate love affair that nearly cost her life in her youth, a joyless marriage in middle age, and an unexpected encounter outside her marriage: whenever she falls for someone, she loves with wild abandon and suffers heartbreak that tears her apart. Her three close friends have very different l 637Reads8.7Score10114d adds
- 64 Just a Marriage 婚姻而已 Entering marriage takes courage; making it work takes wisdom. This story follows the different experiences and futures of the three Yang sisters in their marriages, and how they come to their senses and grow with the help of Lin Zimo, their sister-in-law from their maiden home. 861Reads6.6Score10514d adds
- 65 The Three Beauties of the Su Family 苏家三美 [Contemporary Urban Fiction + Uplifting + Down-to-Earth] The love stories of three sisters: Marrying up, marrying on equal terms, or marrying down? What does it really take to marry happily? If you've run out of shows to watch lately, come read my book! Reading it is just like binge-watching a TV series. You'll definitely fall in love with the three beautiful Su sisters! Su Yimei marries into a wealthy family. She's a clever, strong female lead, and I'll do her justice! Su Ermei is physically di 1.2kReads8.8Score12014d adds
- 66 Our Lost Love Rekindled 逝去的爱又复燃 Wang Xiaorong and Wang Guangming were childhood sweethearts, but their love was full of twists and hardships. After each married someone else, married life brought them not happiness, but endless pain. Once Wang Xiaorong and Wang Guangming had both emerged from the shadows of their tragic marriages, their love rekindled. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 67 Divorce: A Battle That Reveals Human Nature 离婚撕开人性的博弈 What is marriage really like? No one can say for sure. It is no longer a matter of whether you love each other, but a battle between love and money. Nor is divorce something you can simply declare with a wave of your hand. Marriage is not just a lovestruck person's complaints or a discarded wife's grievances. Once a marriage turns into a fight, it becomes a brutal clash of human nature. Reality is no fairy tale. The romance of the past eventually gives way to the petty details of everyday life. 6.9kReads9.1Score76214d adds
- 68 A Cigarette 一支烟 I stood up and staggered toward the exit. I struggled to push away each person who came to help me. I didn't take the elevator. Step by step, I climbed the stairs to the rooftop. When I pushed open the rooftop door, a hint of late autumn's cool breeze brushed my face. The light was so bright that I had to squint. I could clearly see her. Across the rooftop stood a long-haired girl. She said, “Could I have a cigarette?” If you're willing, I'll love you forever. If you're not, I'll choose to pine 85Reads—Score—14d adds
- 69 My Mother-in-Law Forgot She Was Once a Daughter-in-Law Too 婆婆忘了自己曾经也是媳 The moment a woman marries into her husband’s family, she is sincere and wholehearted in the way she treats her in-laws. Yet some mothers-in-law insist their daughters-in-law go through the same hardships they once endured. They suffered as daughters-in-law themselves, so why make life hard for another woman? In the phrase “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,” the mother-in-law comes first. If she can’t be a good mother-in-law, how can she expect a good daughter-in-law? Relationships go both ways 91Reads—Score—14d adds
- 70 Women, Houses, and Everything in Between 女人与房子那些事儿 An unremarkable woman stops at nothing, steadily climbing the ranks until she makes a stunning comeback and becomes the president of a real estate company. Her life is full of hardships and almost legendary twists. The novel also reveals many little-known secrets of the real estate industry. 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 71 A Windfall Makes a Life 横财成就人生 One lucky blow brings him a windfall. The real problem is how to launder it into legitimate personal income. It's like telling one lie and needing a hundred more to cover it: the problems just keep snowballing. Watch how the protagonist gets himself out of this mess. 444Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 72 Her Secret Thoughts: A Young Man’s Hidden Diary in a Small Village 致她的心事：小村青年的隐秘日记 No formulaic plot | Not a wish-fulfillment novel | Realistic fiction | Zhou Zhiqiang grows up amid poverty and chaos in her birth family, with her father instilling in her the survival rule that “you have to please people to survive.” She gets into college and lands a job at a bank. A well-off man, Ke Qingyan, pursues her, but as the truth about her family comes out, she gradually loses her self-respect and her relationship. Later, burdened with debt, she returns to her hometown and, under he 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 73 My Husband Cheated, and a Man Said He’d Loved Me for Ten Thousand Years 老公出轨，有个男人说爱我一万年 (May every scumbag and mistress end up dead, eating shit, eating maggots, in jail, or disfigured. You can't afford to go easy on people like that…) The heroine, Xiang Zhenzhu, is 29 and loves her husband Zheng Hao with all her heart, working herself to the bone for his family! Little does she know that for the past seven years, her husband and mother-in-law have treated her like a servant, while her husband has been a serial cheater. When she finally decides to divorce him, she discovers t 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 74 I Married a Veterinarian for My Second Marriage, and He Begs Me Not to Throw Him Away 二婚嫁了个兽医，求我别把他扔了 Lighthearted healing + funny and heartwarming + family life + slow-burn everyday romance + a touch of ensemble cast The male lead is a retired soldier who retrains as a veterinarian, switching seamlessly between fierce wolf and cuddly sweetheart. Amid rumors and life’s ups and downs, he remains entirely devoted to his muse. The female lead marries the wrong man on a whim and ends up divorced. Now she’s about to marry for the second time, so she’d better be careful. But why is someone calling her —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 75 Wading Across the River of Life 趟过人生河 Ren Tianxing was born into humble circumstances, yet he defied the odds. Hoping to change his lot in life, he endured hardship after hardship... only to be left with regrets... This novel pays tribute to all those who spend years away from home, working to support their families. You work so hard. Like all of you, the protagonist Ren Tianxing lives far from home, drifting and wandering through a life at the very bottom, yet he keeps striving... —Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 76 A Working Girl’s Life Through Wind and Rain 打工女孩的风雨人生路 In the 1990s, a wave of migrant workers swept across the country, and countless young people left their hometowns for the big cities. The dazzling neon lights of the metropolis conjured one fantasy after another, while burying the youth of so many. Longing for a fresh start, the naive young Zhou Jie joined the great wave heading south. From getting a factory job to running away, from falling on hard times to fighting her way forward, she had to tread carefully at every step. She thought that a 271Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 77 Little Leopard 小豹子 After her grandparents, who had raised her, passed away, the abandoned Situ Lingzhi was left with no one to rely on. Taking the Medical Prescriptions of the Situ Family that her grandfather had left behind, she went to America to find his relatives. Six years later, the first major event that awaited Situ Lingzhi, now a medical doctor returning home, was her classmate Dongfang Xiangrui trying to force her into marriage. The Dongfang family had once been a leading force in Yunhai City's business 304Reads8.6Score10114d adds
- 78 Official Fortune: Soaring to the Top 官运：扶摇职上 When Chen Fu makes a delivery to his wife Luo Yao's shop, he unexpectedly sees something he shouldn't have. After a huge fight with his wife, he decides, for the sake of their marriage, to rethink his career. As he makes his way through the workplace, he gradually discovers a side of his wife he never knew existed... 185Reads5.9Score—14d adds
- 79 The Phoenix Woman Marries a Phoenix Man 凤凰女嫁给凤凰男 This is an inspirational story about Yan Yan and Liang Liang, two top students who make their way from the countryside to Beijing. Through their own hard work, they put down roots there, buy a home and a car, and raise a family. Their journey is filled with hardships and laughter, as they keep facing new challenges and growing along the way. 242Reads—Score—14d adds
- 80 Village Chief, Don't Mess with Me 村长，别来惹我 Liang Yuzhen is a widow in the village, beautiful and kindhearted. The village chief is a local bully, but seeing that Liang Yuzhen has no man to rely on, he often stops by to help her with whatever he can, putting on a show of being a good Samaritan. 86Reads7.1Score1614d adds
- 81 Late at Night, I Fell Under His Spell 深夜，对他着了魔 Their late-night story… It’s thought-provoking, and leaves you filled with regret. Was she too devoted, or was he too heartless? What can you even say about love? 212Reads—Score—14d adds
- 82 My Tenth Year as a Simp 我当舔狗的第十年 Mo Ziyan screamed because Yang Dun had knocked her to the ground, and the fall hurt. Yang Dun screamed because he had accidentally pressed his hand against Mo Ziyan’s chest... Embarrassed, Yang Dun quickly scrambled to his feet, then awkwardly helped Mo Ziyan up. But Mo Ziyan thought Yang Dun had knocked her down on purpose. “Team Leader Yang, how could you be so naughty? You told me to stand right here and not move, but it turns out you were lining me up so you could knock me over!?” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 83 Life Afloat on the Riverbank 江岸浮生 [Contemporary realism + period chronicle + rural ensemble cast + women’s struggles] Spanning half a century of rural China, this book tells the story of three generations of women on the Jianghan Plain. Caught in the tides of history and the shackles of their families of origin, each struggles against fate in her own way and faces her inner demons, ultimately learning to live for herself. (I’m only here to tell the story as it is. I won’t give the characters perfect personalities. I’ll portray h 541Reads8.5Score10614d adds
- 84 Shufen, You Four-Times-Married Woman 淑芬，你这个四嫁女人 [Based on real events + Rural revitalization + Hardship + Countryside + The struggle and perseverance of ordinary people at the bottom of society] This isn’t a feel-good story. It’s a true story. Shufen’s surname was Zhao. Zhao Shufen. She was my great-great-grandmother. My great-grandmother lived boldly and did as she pleased, sometimes even making a real mess of things. She married four times and traveled far and wide. She ran a business, fled famine, ate Guanyin clay, and took up arms! Life k 1.2kReads—Score10414d adds
- 85 The Neighbors on Either Side of Xingyao 星遥的左右隔壁 Shen Song Xingyao is a girl whose name carries the story of her parents' unusual relationship. She grew up in a unique family arrangement, with her parents living in apartments next door to each other. Her father, Shen Yizhou, is a carefree, laid-back editor, while her mother, Song Qingru, is a meticulous, rational accountant. They never had a marriage in the traditional sense, yet through an unspoken understanding few outsiders could comprehend, they raised their daughter together. From her inn 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 86 My Village, My River 我的村庄，我的河 [Contemporary Fiction + Rural Literature + Rural Revitalization + Great for Middle-Aged and Older Readers] Zhang Banshao, a poor student, is always unlucky in love. After saving Wang Xiaohui by chance, he falls head over heels for her. Armed with kindness and integrity, he makes an incredible comeback. Seeing his hometown full of elderly people left behind, he feels a stir in his heart. He returns to the village to become its chief and lead the rural revitalization effort. Together, they transfo 50Reads8.3Score714d adds
- 87 Tales of Qingshiyu 青石峪往事 The story follows nearly half a century of change in Qingshiyu, a village in the Yimeng Mountains. As the mountain countryside is transformed, it portrays the full journey of rural China from the final years of collectivization to the new era of rural revitalization. It tells the stories of life in and beyond the village, exploring tradition and modernity, staying and leaving, survival and growth, and the profound tension between individual destinies and the tides of the times... 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 88 A Flower in the Dust, Blooming Toward the Sun 尘埃里的花，向阳而生 This story follows Shi Xiaoying, beginning at eighteen when she elopes for love. It traces her marriage through sweetness, betrayal, and endurance, culminating in her awakening. Woven through the story are her children’s perspectives and the kindness of those who watch from the sidelines. It portrays a woman struggling between betrayal and perseverance before finally breaking free and embracing a new life. Exploring responsibility and self-worth in love and marriage, it reveals the resilience th 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 89 The Bill for Time 时间的帐单 Set in a modern city, this story focuses on the clashes and eventual reconciliation between two generations of the Jiang family over their views on love and marriage, painting a realistic picture of contemporary society: elders rush their children into romance and marriage, while the younger generation prefers to take things slowly. The two generations struggle with love, marriage, and life choices, then look back on their lives, ultimately finding acceptance and insight in middle age. Everyone —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 90 Smoke from the Kitchen Rises Like a Blade 炊烟如刀 Wu Dasheng keeps having one child after another, all for the sake of having a son who can avenge him, even in an era when family planning is a basic national policy... Wu Tong is called a bastard and a son of a bitch from childhood. Zhao Sanxing always stands up for him, but the villagers’ gossip inflicts deep wounds on the young boy’s heart... 155Reads—Score—14d adds
- 91 A Love Story in Chaoshan 潮汕情事 In the old homes of Chaoshan lie the wildest lives and the warmest hearts. In the 1970s and 80s, a group of Chaoshan people who refused to give up fought their way through poverty, loved through storms, and lived by the bonds between people. Some dared to fight and forge ahead, dragging their lives up out of the mud. Others were loyal and true, unwilling to betray anyone even when it cost them. Love brought tangled relationships, family brought its share of strain, and neighbors argued, but when 349Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 92 The Mangroves and Lychee Fragrance Bay 红树林与荔香湾 [Troubled families + drifting careers + tangled romances + unpredictable personalities + tragedy] [A realist tragedy! Readers looking for feel-good wish fulfillment, stay away.] A group of young people who chose the wrong majors and ended up in the wrong fields! In reality, ideals beckon; in pursuit of ideals, reality pulls you back. How do you reconcile the two? Is a person’s misfortune caused by their circumstances, their personality, or fate? Two young women stood before Wu Yifan. Anxious and 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 93 Two Abnormal Humans and a Motorcycle 两个非正常人类与摩托车 Love that defies social norms has often been seen as a symbol of courage and freedom, admired and celebrated. This is the one kind of love people will always despise. This is not a novel, just a story from real life. There are no thrills, no climaxes, no pacing, only despair and oppression. It might be of some small help to people who truly love motorcycles, but be prepared to be mocked. This story has an unconventional outlook on life, values, and the world, and portrays a world of abnormal peo 2.2kReads—Score38014d adds
- 94 Sanxi: From Village Beauty to Village Bully 三喜：从村花到村霸 A beautiful country girl marries in a daze, only for upheaval to strike her family. She goes from depending on others to growing strong on her own, but in the end, desire consumes her and leads her to ruin. In her final moments, she realizes that human nature cannot be controlled… 127Reads—Score3214d adds
- 95 The Years of Growing Up 成长的岁月 Pingping was born in the mid-1960s and grew up in a small town in Jiangnan. Her parents raised five children, and Pingping was the fourth. Born during the Cultural Revolution, Pingping witnessed the country rise from poverty and backwardness to prosperity and strength. Through her own hard work, she grew alongside the times. 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 96 Great-Aunt Xile's Happy Life 姑奶奶喜乐的幸福生活 Home is a sheltered harbor, and family is always there to support you. This is a story about three generations of the Song family living happily in an old building on Tianjin's Five Avenues. It features Tianjin's delicious food, as well as the family's joys and sorrows over the past thirty years. 698Reads9.1Score10414d adds
- 97 Died by the River 逝于江河 Two years into their marriage, Meng Ran became pregnant with Yang Peng's child, but something about it all felt wrong. Those choices that seemed so firm were really just hesitant attempts to weigh the pros and cons. “How wonderful it is to be young” was nothing but an illusion. We all once held lofty dreams, but now we live ignobly. Can Meng Ran and Yang Peng clear away the fog, cross the wilderness, and make a steady passage into the real world? Or are they headed for ruin? 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 98 I Decide What Happens at My Own Funeral 我的葬礼我说了算 I died. As I watched other people hold my funeral, I thought it was terribly unsatisfactory. I decided to hold my funeral my way. It should be my funeral, so I should get to call the shots. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 99 The Door to Vault Three 三号库的门 The Door to Storage Room Three 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 100 True to Myself 本心 No one can live solely for others, but neither can we completely cast aside our responsibilities. In real life, we often waver between “living for others” and “living for ourselves,” all the while judged by moral standards. Family relationships are not static; they change over time. Families that endure hardship may fall apart, rebuild themselves, or eventually go their separate ways, living along parallel paths of their own. As we struggle to survive, how do we come to understand ourselves and 708Reads—Score—14d adds
