Novels like Shanghai People Eat Rice Porridge
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Shanghai People Eat Rice Porridge, best match first.
- 151 Reborn in the 1970s: After Divorcing, I Cleared Out My In-Laws’ Home and Went to the Countryside 重生七零：离婚搬空婆家去下乡 [1970s Setting, Rebirth Power Fantasy, Spirit Spring Space, Making a Fortune, Miracle Doctor, Revenge] Synopsis: On the sixteenth day of her marriage, Xiao Mandong grabbed a thermos full of boiling water and smashed it over her cheating husband and widowed sister-in-law on the bed! In her previous life, she had given everything to support the Lu family, only to have her child switched, her loved ones die tragically, and herself left to die alone with terminal lung cancer. Reborn, she refused to 5.4kReads6.5Score60214d adds
- 152 When Ji Comes, Make Yourself at Home 季来之，则安之 As the empire teeters on the brink of collapse, Ji Shuhe sees through her fiancé’s false affection and turns around to marry Ji Bai. She intends for them to spend their lives treating each other with polite respect, but finds herself falling deeper and deeper under his doting care... 126Reads—Score—14d adds
- 153 A Beauty Like a Flower, Years Flowing Like Water 如花美眷似水流年 This is the story of Fang Fei’s growth as love and fate intertwine. From the innocence of her first love to complicated emotional entanglements, Fang Fei experiences betrayal, loss, and being reborn. Her relationships with three men reveal the tolerance and devotion love can inspire. In the end, Fang Fei finds herself through love and responsibility, showing that love means far more than romance. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 154 Reborn in the 1980s: This Jinx Was Born Under a Lucky Star! 重生八零：这灾星真是天生好命！ [Reborn in the 1980s] + [Independent, Strong Heroine] + [Success Through Her Own Abilities] + [Family Life] + [Building a Fortune] Main character: Liang Yihe In her previous life, she was timid and was manipulated by her uncle’s family. They stole her university admission letter, rewriting her records and her life overnight. They even tried to force her to marry the village idiot! Her cousin Liang Wanjun, born on the very same day, month, and year, stole her life: going to university, marryi 409Reads—Score—14d adds
- 155 You, from the Ming Dynasty 来自大明的你 The Early Cross-Dressing Reversal Has Its Reasons + Urban Slice of Life Xu Youlin is a young man who loves Chengdu. He moved to the city a few years ago to pursue his dreams and eventually bought a home of his own. What he never expected was to have a chance encounter with a swordswoman from the Ming dynasty. Under a series of unusual circumstances, Yan Xiaoyan, the Ming-era swordswoman, temporarily moves into Xu Youlin's home. A series of events follows, leaving him both furious and exasperated 4Reads—Score114d adds
- 156 Water Willow 水性杨花儿 (The rating was just added and will rise. It's already going up!) Neighbor Guo Hongmei ran off with another man? What? That man is Yang Hua'er's husband, Zhao Dashan? Talk about gossip coming right back to bite you. They say nine out of ten people born in the Year of the Sheep are fated to have a hard life, but Yang Hua'er doesn't believe in fate. Even without a man, she can still make a warm and happy life for herself. 10.1kReads8.2Score65814d adds
- 157 Uncovering the Past of the ‘Third-Line’ Defense Industry Workers 揭秘:“小三线”军工人的往事 A Look Back at the Past of the “Third-Line” Defense Industry Workers 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 Jiang Xiaohua 姜晓花 In the bitter winter of 1976, Jiang Xiaohua was sixteen. Her family had almost nothing; her father was gravely ill, her mother weak-willed, and her younger brother still a child. Desperate for food, she was forced into a bride swap and nearly sold off, struggling on the brink of life and death before finally marrying into the Chen family, the most quarrelsome and favoritism-ridden family around. Her sisters-in-law ostracized her, her mother-in-law mistreated her, her husband stumbled, her childr 866Reads—Score—14d adds
- 159 A Comeback After Twenty Years of Widowhood 守寡二十年逆袭 [Period Drama + Strong Female Lead + Farming + Family Life + Widow's Comeback + Single Mother] On her wedding night, her husband is crushed to death by a roof beam, and Liu Chunhong becomes the "husband-killing jinx." Her mother-in-law forces her to give birth to her posthumous child, then turns on her and throws mother and daughter out while she's still recovering from childbirth. Her sister-in-law blocks the door and yells, "A married daughter is like water poured out!" With nowhere else to tu 7.8kReads6.9Score38614d adds
- 160 The Shoe Factory Worker Holds Forth, and She Knows So Much! 鞋厂女工论道，她知道那么多！ [Urban slice of life + romance] The heroine is beautiful and works at a factory. She takes care of looking lovely while the hero works hard to get ahead. He climbs the factory's management ranks and even puts in time on the production line, all so the two of them can tie the knot and enjoy a long, happy life together. But things aren't that simple... 134Reads—Score—14d adds
- 161 Memories of a Small Town 小镇记忆 A story of ordinary life in a small town in Northeast China, charting the town's changing fortunes over the thirty years of reform and opening up. No detail is too small to matter. Joys and sorrows come together in a song. A vivid portrait of the town's many residents and a lifelike panorama of life in a changing era slowly unfold. 115Reads—Score—14d adds
- 162 Shi Shun's Growth 石顺的成长 About Growth At the foot of the Dabie Mountains, a young man named Shi Shun journeys forward, one step at a time. Over the first half of his life, he experiences sincere family affection, treasures friendships forged through hardship, encounters tender love, and strives to build an ordinary career. He grows from a naive, awkward youth into a steady and responsible man, tempering his character amid the everyday bustle of life and coming to understand what life means through the companionship of 4Reads—Score114d adds
- 163 From Beginning to End! 自始至终！ [Independent and ambitious, occasionally emo HR specialist & confident, arrogant, but actually stubborn and devoted programmer] [Reunion after years apart + rekindled romance + everyday realism + slow burn] Five years after they broke up, Jiang Yu returned to her old hometown. On her first day at a new job, she unexpectedly ran into Jiang Yanzhou. There was none of the polite small talk you see in movies, no “Long time no see,” just a cool “Hello.” Not long afterward, Jiang Yanzhou bluntly told 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 164 The Woman with Five Marriages 五婚女人 Among contemporary Chinese literature's portrayals of rural women's lives, Zheng Guozhen's story grips readers with its astonishing realism and tragic depth. Through an ordinary rural woman's five failed marriages, this novel sketches the hardships of rural women's lives and inner worlds during China's social transformation in the 1990s. From an arranged marriage imposed by her parents to a self-serving union built on dependence on power, from an emotional wasteland scarred by violence to a brie 1.9kReads7.9Score24514d adds
- 165 The Little Bridge Cave Family Compound 小桥洞家属院 [Period Setting] [Ensemble Cast] [Everyday Life] The results came out a few months after it was completed. This novel is fantastic! Zhang Yan and Deng Yang were born in the Xiaoqiaodong factory compound and grew up beneath the chimneys of the State Chemical Plant. There was no glamour or respectability here, only the bustle of daily life, sweat, arguments, and warmth. In 1997, as firecrackers exploded to celebrate Hong Kong's return, they still thought their parents would wear their work uniform 591Reads8.1Score10214d adds
- 166 Let Me Build You a Home 我来给你装个家 Who would lose the house they worked so hard to earn just because they fell in love? Jiang Ning. Who would scrimp on everything, from food and clothes to housing and travel, just because they fell in love? Yang Wu. They were both willing to do it for each other. The road may have been hard, but together they were always happy. In the end, they found a home and a life together, sharing three meals a day through all four seasons. 1.5kReads9.4Score14914d adds
- 167 Women on the Career Ladder 职场路上的女人们 Amid the shifting tides of the crowded world, people are always boarding ships and leaving them behind. When they came riding the waves, they carried unspoken obsessions. When they turned away, the hems of their robes swept up the stars, while the warmth frozen in their palms seeped forever into the course of the voyage. 859Reads7.1Score10414d adds
- 168 The Laughingstock Factory Compound 笑料厂大院 [Blended Family + Childhood Sweethearts + Building a Fortune + Healing + Everyday Life] In 1985, my dad brought my mom home as his bride with a copy of Household Budgeting in hand. She was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted; he was a timid bean-counter. Together, they held a family together. For a home of their own, for the sake of making ends meet, and to raise a daughter who wasn’t his by birth. My biological father got out of prison and asked my mom if they could go back to the way things were 1.6kReads6.6Score10714d adds
- 169 My Five Sisters Raised Me, So I Bought Each of Them a House 五个姐姐养大我，我送每人一套房 When I was seven, Mom and Dad were gone. My five older sisters took turns raising me. The eldest dropped out of school to work a sewing machine. The second scavenged rotten vegetables at the market. The third earned money competing in tournaments. The fourth never had an entry labeled “for herself” in her ledger. The fifth cut off her long braids and sold them for eight yuan to pay my tuition. Chen Zi'en lived next door. He was the school bully, feared by everyone. He'd never lost a fight, but 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 Scholar or Tyrant: Who Can Have a Good Life? 学霸和枭雄，什么人能过上好日？ (Dual male leads. Period story. Urban.) One is a poor scholar, the other a big shot in the underworld. They struggle for fifty years. What does it take to live a good life? And what is a good life? 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 171 The Seventies Compound: A Family with Children 七零大院，家有儿女 [No rebirth or transmigration, off-the-charts chemistry | Talented daughter of a condemned family × Upright, loyal military officer | Marriage Before Love + sweet romance + healing in a bygone era] 💥 A ruthless devil by day, a starving wolf by night! Yang Yi, the army's top combat champion, makes even the new recruits' legs shake at the sound of his footsteps. But when he gets home, “I haven't seen you in half a month. I've missed you like crazy.” He pins her against the door, his rough fingerti 1.5kReads—Score10314d adds
- 172 Hello, System 您好，系统 The Human Devolution Report: Don't be fooled by this civilized getup. We're all lining up to take part in a grand pantomime of devolution. We meekly surrender our right to get lost, hand over our memory cards, and even turn our joys and sorrows into ready-made meals you can eat straight from the packet. Five poor souls twisted into knots by the times: an old sailor bets his life in a storm as the satellites fail; a gourmet can no longer taste the warmth of his father's last bowl of hand-pulled n —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 173 They've Got It All Under Control Ta手拿把掐 Shen Qing has no grand ambitions. She’s young, but all she wants is to take it easy. She doesn’t really care whether her guesthouse makes money, as long as she has enough to eat, warm clothes, and a good night’s sleep. That is, until she meets Xu Wang in a town called Zaosheng, where there isn’t a single jujube tree. He can do just about anything under the sun... The first time they meet, he’s a tricycle driver giving people rides, and his bizarre driving nearly throws her out of the vehicle. Th 547Reads8.7Score11214d adds
- 174 Back to the 1990s: I'm Done Being a Good Girl 重回九零，不做乖乖女 [Lighthearted Comedy + Inspirational Youth + Reborn and Doted on by Everyone + Healing] Completed. He Laifa still hasn’t woken up. No one knows if she ever will, but her passion, her hard work, her determination, and her kindness and intelligence have all affected the people around her. The people of Yangjiatun will never forget her. The people of Hejiabao will never forget her. He, and all the others, keep striving in their own posts, shining brightly. She is strength. She is hope. She is their 231Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 175 The Rise and Fall of Boss Fan 范老板的沉浮人生 This story follows 1980s entrepreneur Fan Chenhui through the ups and downs of the business world in Shenzhen. It explores real-world issues including financial crises, family conflicts, workplace rivalries, and tangled relationships, portraying human nature and the changes of the times in vivid detail. 116Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 176 Fireworks on the Islet, Where People Make Their Homes, Starting in the 1970s 洲上烟火有人家，从七十年代开始 [Rural Romance] [Family Life] [Educated Youth Teacher] [Neighborly Disputes] [Eerie Shadows in the Village] [Country Living and Laughs] This book has no pocket dimension, no System, and no transmigration or rebirth. It tells only of ordinary people’s rural lives and the hard-won warmth and bustle of everyday life through years of hardship. The story begins in the 1970s and follows several families living in the countryside. Among them are educated youths sent to work in the villages, militia mem 109Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 177 San Biaozi 三彪子 In 1980, in Kaoshan Village on the banks of the Songhua River, the Gao family’s fifth child is born. Dubbed “San Biaozi” because he is a bit dim, he grows up amid poverty and gossip. His mother bears the painful memory of having been assaulted, while his father quietly shoulders the burden of their broken family. San Biaozi drifts through life in a daze, but after a string of fires, people begin to suspect him of arson. While working the night shift guarding the grain depot, he learns to smoke. 751Reads—Score—14d adds
- 178 Human Life Lies Deep in the Loess 黄土深处是人间 This is a collection of true stories from the countryside. One book captures a century of life in all its variety on the Loess Plateau. Brotherhood, the warmth and coldness of family, partings in life and death, and the changes of an era: one independent story after another weaves together the fates of several generations. There is hardship, pain, tears, and warmth, portraying the struggles of those at the bottom as well as the resilience of ordinary people. There are no chosen-one advantages an 116Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 Reborn in the 1960s: I Became Grandma’s Little Sister 重生六零：我成了外婆的妹妹 [When an ordinary person is reborn in a rural village in the 1960s, forget about getting ahead or making grand plans. First, stay alive.] [1960s rural life + family and neighborhood affairs + education and growth + ensemble cast] [Not a wish-fulfillment story, not a wish-fulfillment story, not a wish-fulfillment story. Please don't read if that's not your thing. Thank you.] When Zhu Yan wakes up in the body of her grandmother's second-youngest sister, who died young, she vows to change her grand —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 180 Her Walled-In World 她的围城 This book is based on a true story. It's not a wish-fulfillment novel, and it is slow-paced. In the 1990s, Jing An gets married. Unsure yet hopeful about marriage, she endures her in-laws' schemes and her sister-in-law's attempts to drive a wedge between her and her husband. At last, she and Jiuguang make it through their difficult adjustment period, and she thinks a brighter future is finally within reach. But that light is stolen by another woman. And so begins a battle of schemes and rivalr 29kReads9.2Score79114d adds
- 181 Bold Pursuit, Secret Indulgence 强撩与暗宠 On one side, his female boss pulls him into an emotional tug-of-war. On the other, the female dean offers him a healing companionship. Caught between them, he doesn't want to give up his stable job, but he can't bear to let go of the peace and comfort she brings, either. Choosing between them becomes his greatest dilemma. 4.7kReads7.1Score42514d adds
- 182 Leave Some Space, My Humble Abode 留白，寒舍 A diary about love, written from a wife’s perspective and addressed to his wife. Some people love flowers simply for their blossoms, and love watching them bloom. Others love a flower from the moment it is still a seed, anticipating what it will become. They watch it sprout, break through the soil, and keep growing upward. Its trunk grows ever sturdier, while leaves seem to appear from nowhere, one after another. They watch the leaves turn from pale green to deep green, then from deep green to a 29Reads—Score—14d adds
- 183 Conflict and Choice 矛盾与抉择 Leng Yan was an attractive, capable, energetic woman with a master’s degree. Thanks to her looks and abilities, she became the office director at the Commercial Bureau of District X before she turned forty. By chance, she met Gao Jian, a fitness trainer. Over time, a special bond developed between them. One day, her husband, Li Mo, learned of their intimacy, and their marriage of many years came to an end. Just then, Leng Yan’s career was beset by one crisis after another, leaving her barely abl 358Reads—Score—14d adds
- 184 Under the Influence of Dopamine 多巴胺作祟 [Mutual pining + reunion after years apart] Sweet, with a little angst, moving moments, warmth, and plenty to relate to. "Sweet, gentle, restless small-town exam ace" vs. "handsome, gentlemanly, brooding ABC" Everyone says Liu Yuqiu is the ideal man. Only Zhou Lingwei knows just how bad he can be. Everyone thinks Zhou Lingwei is harmless. Only Liu Yuqiu knows how ruthless she is. Where’s the love in the CBD? Where’s the romance? It’s all a contest between "bad guys" and "ruthless women." A thou 775Reads8.9Score10714d adds
- 185 The Gray Trade 灰色行业 For a man, whether he's working the edges of the law or investing, success means happiness for the whole family, while failure is his burden alone. There are no gamblers, just poor kids trying to turn their lives around. 528Reads—Score10614d adds
- 186 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 367Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 187 Half-Mad 半痴 Meeting you was the best fate of all, so why spend the rest of my years pining for you? I awoke halfway through my life as if born anew. Reborn, I returned, and my boat had already sailed past a thousand mountains. This is my first full-length novel, so it has plenty of shortcomings. I hope you’ll feel free to offer advice, and I thank you in advance. With your support and encouragement, I’ll work even harder. Let’s go! 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 Three-Inch Golden Lilies 三寸金莲儿 The 1960s. In a dilapidated mansion in Northeast China, the Fan family had eight children, and Fan Jinlian'er became their only source of money. The girl with tiny bound feet supported the entire Fan family. To feed the whole household, Fan Jinlian'er became the family’s bargaining chip. They married her off again and again in exchange for bride prices. They didn’t care whether the groom was blind, lame, or an old man. As long as the betrothal gifts were generous enough, Fan Jinlian'er had to ma 147Reads—Score11214d adds
- 189 A Ten-Year Dream in the Officialdom 十年官场梦 What ordinary people see as a grassroots success story may actually be nothing more than a pawn in the hands of powerful figures, sent out to fight on their behalf. To make the pawn serve its purpose, those figures grant it a measure of power and status for a time. Perhaps that's all a grassroots rise to success really is. The protagonist, Chi Mingyu, may be just such a pawn. During the ten years after leaving university and entering public service, he once enjoyed great success. But in the end, 9Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 190 After Kicking Out My Scumbag Husband, I Became the War King’s Most Cherished One 踹开渣夫后，我成兵王心尖宠 [Period Setting + Strong Female Lead + Military Marriage + Light Ensemble Cast + Reborn + No Golden Finger] [Bold, Spirited Go-Getter + Devoted, Straightforward Man] Everyone in Xingping Village had heard the news: Chai Yubing, the youngest daughter of the Chai family, who had been cherished beyond measure, was dating a self-employed businessman who had served time in jail. Those who were jealous of the Chais, resented them, or were on bad terms with them were secretly waiting for the family to 1.3kReads8.4Score13414d adds
- 191 The 1980s: A Fisherman's Little Life in Southern Guangdong 八零：南粤渔家小日子 [Period Piece] [Shore Foraging Golden Finger] [Fishing and Hunting] [Everyday Child-Rearing] [Family Life] [Cozy] [A Complete Guide to Seafood, Food, and Livelihood] [Later Development in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong] Chen Lizhen had spent half her life working at a fish stall. At last, she got to stay with her daughter for a few days, but after falling asleep, she woke up in a small fishing village in Nanyue in 1985. She was only twenty-five again, and her daughter was a four-year-old li 569Reads—Score10314d adds
- 192 A Way Forward Through Mountains and Rivers 出路之山重水复 [Period setting + Family + Women + Career + Workplace business battles + No romance + Society + An exploration of human nature] No cheat powers, no dramatic comeback. A deep look at the struggles and prospects of 99% of ordinary people! Wish-fulfillment stories are everywhere, but once the excitement fades, only emptiness remains. In the end, we all have to face the grind of daily life and the warmth or coldness of human relationships. This slow-burning work of realism offers no lucky breaks or 2.5kReads9.5Score36214d adds
- 193 Little Seedling Beneath the Shade 树荫下的小禾苗 Miao Yihe loses part of her memory in a car accident, including memories of her high school deskmate, who always looked out for her. But the connection between two people never really goes away. After all the twists and turns, they meet again. Lin Mingyue says he's the shade beneath a vast forest; Miao Yihe says she's a little seedling striving to grow. It was all meant to be. Lin Mingyue cherishes his little seedling, and she loves and supports herself too. They don't ask for much: a cozy littl 164Reads9.4Score—14d adds
- 194 1982: I'm Really Not a Good-for-Nothing 年代1982，我真不是二流子 [Rebirth + period setting + entrepreneurship + social savvy + everyday life + largely an ensemble cast] The rating has just appeared and is climbing. The audiobook and animated series are now available. Give them a try! Back in 1982, Lu Zhigang decided to make up for his regrets and give his family a better life. But why did none of them believe him...? He took over a brickworks, opened a food factory, and led Lujia Village racing down the road to prosperity. 11.6kReads8.3Score48514d adds
- 195 A Capable Village Belle and Her Good-for-Nothing Live-In Son-in-Law 能干村花和她的窝囊倒插门 Zhao Hua is the capable, no-nonsense village beauty of Taiping Village. She supports her family with a small shop, while her adoptive parents hope she'll marry a man who can support them in their old age. A scandalous affair involving a potential match ruins the marriage prospects outright. Unable to find a man willing to marry into her family, she chooses the impoverished Li boy who lives behind her house. His family is buried in debt, he's timid by nature and always lowers his head when troubl 3.8kReads—Score12414d adds
- 196 The Alley: I Transmigrated as Zhuang Tunan and Flipped the Table from the Start 小巷人家：穿越庄图南，开局掀桌 {If you don’t like it, fight back} + {pure wish fulfillment} + {TV adaptations} + {Stories of the Alley} Transmigrating into the world of Stories of the Alley, Zhuang Tunan becomes Huang Ling’s eldest son and is bound to an Emotion Value System. Whenever he makes someone feel something, he earns emotion points, which can be exchanged for rewards. From the start, he sees that his mother and younger sister aren’t allowed to eat at the table. Zhuang Tunan flies into a rage and points at Grandma Zhu 1.3kReads5.5Score7214d adds
- 197 I've Decided to Truly Love Someone 我决定好好去爱一个人 After getting hurt in love, when I meet someone who treats me well, I think I should try to love them wholeheartedly. Even if it ends in failure, that would be better than living with regret. Learning to love again and loving someone I have no feelings for without holding back is not easy for a Scorpio woman. It took me half a lifetime to realize that the person I most needed to love properly was myself. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 198 A Temporary Romance at the Factory! 工厂里的临时爱情！ Wang Dali had just left his rural hometown to find work in the city. After his night shift, he returned to his rented room. As he snapped the key in the lock, he heard a woman's cries from inside. From that day on, life opened up an entirely new world for him. Every day that followed was an adventure. 297Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 199 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? 218Reads—Score—14d adds
- 200 Fate Is a Sunny Day 缘是晴天 Memories of youth, growing up, and heartbreak, buried by time and kept close to the heart. May the love shared by Xie Qiyuan and Jiang Ziqing touch your heart. Because they loved each other so deeply back then, their love turned into countless tears. Even so, at a fork in the road with no hope in sight, they would keep waiting for him to come. 24Reads8.2Score—14d adds
