Novels like Cao the Chef's Happy Life in the Siheyuan
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Cao the Chef's Happy Life in the Siheyuan, best match first.
- 1 Siheyuan: I Became a Nouveau Riche, and the Village Beauty Is Pursuing Me 四合院：成了暴发户，村花倒追我 Li Yang, a young man from the modern era, unexpectedly transmigrates back to a Beijing courtyard in the 1960s. With the intelligence and courage of someone from the modern world, he gradually builds a fortune in an era of scarcity, eventually becoming a nouveau riche. Along the way, he forms deep bonds with his courtyard neighbors and begins a complicated romance with Liu Xiaofang, the beautiful village girl. When the courtyard’s bully tries to marry Liu Xiaofang, Li Yang defeats him, and the co 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Siheyuan: I Reject Xiaodang’s Proposal, So Why Are You Crying, Qin Huairu? 四合院：拒婚小当，秦淮茹你哭啥 [Siheyuan] [1980s] [Making money] [Black technology] [Putting the nasty neighbors in their place] Jiang Yuan transmigrates into the world of a Siheyuan in the 1980s. Reform and opening up has just begun, and the Red Star Steelworks is restructuring. Countless people are quitting their jobs to strike out on their own and make their mark. Yan Jiecheng opens a restaurant, Liu Guangtian sets up a stall in the market, and Third Uncle sells tea from a street cart... With the black technology he gets f —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Living in the Siheyuan: I Can Make Unlimited Wishes 人在四合院：我能无限许愿 Li Ming was watching Love in the Courtyard and got so upset by all the abuse that he fell asleep. When he woke up, he had transmigrated into the world of Love in the Courtyard and obtained the Dragon Ball System. Collect seven Dragon Balls of the same level, and you can make a wish. You can get one low-level Dragon Ball every day. You can get one mid-level Dragon Ball every week. You can get one high-level Dragon Ball every month. You can get one Super Dragon Ball every year. Dragon Balls of dif 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Siheyuan: I’m the Center of Attention, and I Make Qin Huairu Furious 四合院：我是显眼包气哭秦淮茹 [Male lead has a System + seriously builds his career + valued by the military + character growth + one heroine + she pursues him] Chen Yan transmigrates into Love in the Courtyard, a show packed with ridiculous, snack-worthy drama, and awakens the Attention-Seeker System. Xu Damao's chicken has been stolen, so Elder Yi calls a meeting of the whole courtyard. [Congratulations, Host, you've triggered a mission: Make Qin Huairu cry with rage, 3/3. Choose what to do at the meeting: One: Stay quiet 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Siheyuan: From the Start, a Specialist in Everything 四合院：开局专精全能王 [Courtyard + Period Setting + Everyday Life + Big Shot] Zhao Nan transmigrates into the world of the courtyard. See how he carefully works his way up and thrives, using the all-around knowledge he gained in his previous life to make things happen throughout the courtyard... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Siheyuan: A Decent Person Doing Something Indecent 四合院之有道德的人做没道德的事 The harsher survival gets, the more responsibility you need to shoulder. The harder life becomes, the more you should strive to live well. Look after your younger siblings and enjoy a carefree life! Stir up trouble when you’re busy, and enjoy some gossip in your downtime! The First Master wants everyone to donate to the Jia family? No problem. They can donate as much as they like. Then I’ll turn around and take several times that amount from the Jia family and Yi Zhonghai’s household. The Second —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Siheyuan: Another Younger Brother of Silly Zhu 四合院：又一个傻柱的弟弟 Silly Zhu, the ultimate doormat, uses his younger siblings’ grain and cooking-oil rations and clothing coupons to support another family’s wife and children. With no other choice, his younger brother splits from the family, marries a beautiful wife, and helps his younger sister become a college student, making the neighbors in the courtyard green with envy. 143Reads5.7Score—14d adds
- 8 Siheyuan: The Time-and-Space Trader 四合院之时空倒爷 After an accident, Xue Jianjun, a middle-aged man, finds himself in the era depicted in the TV series Courtyard. Unable to adapt to all the changes, he desperately wants to go home. Then he actually makes it back, and from that point on, he begins a new life as a trader dealing in goods between the two worlds. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Siheyuan: He Yuzhu Is Reborn, and I’ll Defy Fate 四合院：何雨柱重生，我逆天改命 [Courtyard life + System + satisfying read + punishing the beasts] He Yuzhu was reborn after death. In this life, He Yuzhu swore he would never again be the lovesick fool Silly Zhu had been in his previous life. With the System bound to him and cheats at his disposal, he swept through the courtyard and gave the beasts a thorough beating! —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Siheyuan: Brothers United, Pursuing a Happy Life 四合院：兄弟同心，奔赴幸福生活 An unexpected accident turns Chu Feifan's life upside down. When he wakes again, he has “regressed” from a promising young man of the 21st century into He Chunsheng, a “fool” living in a courtyard compound in the 1960s! And He Chunsheng is the younger brother of Silly Zhu (He Yuzhu), despite having no blood relation to him! Faced with this upheaval, Chu Feifan is inexplicably excited. From now on, he is He Chunsheng! He is determined to change Silly Zhu's bleak life. The two brothers will work t —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Siheyuan: The Legend of Xu Damao 四合院之许大茂传奇 The story of an ordinary man who transmigrates into a courtyard house and becomes Xu Damao. The editor has always thought that a smooth talker like Xu Damao would do just fine in life. Let’s see whether Xu Damao, with a System and knowledge of what’s to come, will still end up as miserable as he did in the original series. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 From the Neighborhood Office to the Pinnacle of Life in Siheyuan 四合院从街道办开始走上人生巅峰 A modern office drone transmigrates to a courtyard house, where food and clothing are scarce, there's no phone or computer, and neither school nor work is an option. Life couldn't be more miserable. Fortunately, there's a System that grants all kinds of rewards. See how Yan Jiefang creates a bright future of his own! 65Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 13 Siheyuan: Joining the Security Office from the Start 四合院：开局入职保卫科 Modern-day Niu Ping'an transmigrates to the 1960s, inherits his uncle's job at the security office, and moves into the legendary Siheyuan full of beasts. With his status as a security officer, even the neighbors think twice before messing with him. Niu Ping'an watches Silly Zhu fall into a honey trap, step by step, while he enjoys a leisurely life with supplies provided by the System… 291Reads6.0Score—14d adds
- 14 Siheyuan: Silly Zhu Reborn, Leaving Qin Huairu Behind 四合院：傻柱重生之远离秦寡妇 This story is narrated in the first person. After Silly Zhu is reborn, he marries, has children, and lives a quiet life of his own, while becoming embroiled in grudges and feuds with the neighbors in the courtyard. Above all, he must stay away from Qin the Widow's family. 88Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Siheyuan: Leeching Off Yi Zhonghai from the Start 四合院之开局啃老易中海 [Siheyuan courtyard + pocket dimension + period setting + putting the beasts in their place + fishpond owner] He Yu transmigrates into He Yuzhu, a born rebel who knows how to deal with the courtyard's troublemakers. Yi Zhonghai wants me to support him in his old age? He can start by letting me freeload off him. Qin Huairu wants to bleed me dry? I'll turn around and give you hundreds of billions, more than enough to keep you full. Jia Zhangshi suspects I'm having an affair with your daughter-in-l —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Siheyuan: Yu Haitang Is My Sister-in-Law 四合院：于海棠是我小姨子 127Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 17 Siheyuan: From the Start, I Get a Wife for Free 四合院：开局白捡个媳妇 Xu Guoqiang transmigrated to a courtyard in the 1960s. His father was a veteran who died young. With his uncle's help, Xu found Zhang Cuihua and married her, but through a twist of fate, Lou Xiao'e went into the wrong room. They decided to go along with it, and Lou Xiao'e became his wife. Who would have thought that he would activate the System, the source of all evil, and begin a life of cheating his way to success? The System's space activated, and he became a veteran running a rice shop in th 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Siheyuan: Good Fortune Abounds, I’ll Spoil Huairu! 四合院：福气多多，宠淮茹！ (Doting on Qin Huairu + multiple heroines + ambition to become prime minister + refusing to follow the original plot + abundant supplies + pocket dimension + farming + System) Cao Xiangguo is a senior in college on Earth! He was so infuriated watching Love in the Courtyard that he died! And somehow, he transmigrated into the show! From that day on, the whole courtyard changed! Qin Huairu: “Xiangguo, save some food for Huaihua!” Yu Li: “Xiangguo, I don’t have money to get home, sob!” Ever sin 8Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 19 Siheyuan: A Bachelor from the Start, Growing Younger with Every Year 四合院：开局老光棍，越活越年轻 What's going on with the welfare System? Meet the standards for your own appearance and you get welfare benefits; Beautiful women who meet the looks standard also qualify if their affection reaches the required level; At first, the benefits are money, then they become spirit stones. After ascending, who knows what they'll be. With benefits this generous, and looks, physique, and skill proficiency all upgradeable with money, what is there to worry about? 27Reads5.8Score—14d adds
- 20 Siheyuan: I Have Unlimited Supplies 四合院：我有无限物资 [Siheyuan Courtyard + System + Pocket Dimension + Sneaky Schemer + Backstabbing from the Shadows] The struggling author Liu Xiu was locked in solitary confinement for seven days yet again. Just before he lost consciousness, he bonded with the Sneaky Schemer System, which took him into the world of "The Birds of the Siheyuan Courtyard". The Sneaky Schemer System was made just for Liu Xiu. All he had to do was check in with the System every day to get sneaky-schemer tools. Acting like a sneaky sch 34Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Siheyuan: We Throw Punches at the Drop of a Hat, Leaving the Neighbors Stunned 四合院：一言不合开打，众禽麻了 Li Weiguo transmigrates into the world of Love in the Courtyard, a place full of scheming busybodies. He becomes the husband of Zhou Xiaobai, the neighborhood office director whom everyone in the courtyard both envies and fears. His father-in-law has an even more prestigious background! But Zhou Xiaobai has a first love she still cherishes in her heart, and refuses to share a bed with him despite being married for three years. Li Weiguo can't stand it any longer! He directly asks for a divorce! 1.8kReads5.4Score10214d adds
- 22 Siheyuan: Three Orphans Survive by Keeping Their Heads Down 四合院：三个孤儿生存靠苟 Zhao Youtian, an orphan who worked village banquets, transmigrated into the past and arrived at a courtyard house, where he became an orphan raising his younger brother and sister... He thought he'd landed in hell from the start, but luckily, he had a golden finger and figured he was about to take off. In the end, the golden finger merely moved their family into his space, doing the bare minimum. After handing over the beginner's gift pack, it promptly disappeared... 217Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 23 In the Siheyuan, I Became the Strongest Street Loafer 人在四合院，我成了最强街溜子 Reborn in the 1960s, Song Yi becomes a notorious neighborhood loafer! But when he sees his beautiful wife and adorable daughter at home, Song Yi decides to change and give the two of them a better life! It's just that making money in this era isn't easy. There are too many restrictions. Just as Song Yi is struggling to find a way to earn money, the "kindhearted" Jia appears. "Someone, get over here and move that cabinet!" At Jia Zhangshi's command, Qin Huairu and He Yuzhu lead the charge, workin 939Reads6.5Score10114d adds
- 24 Siheyuan: Wiping Out the Jia Family from the Start 四合院：开局先团灭贾家 Wang Fuqiang transmigrated into the world of the Courtyard and gained the Sign-In System, enjoying a carefree life. The Jia family schemed against him, causing his mother's family to die and greedily seizing their inheritance. Since reasoning with them was useless, the only option was to destroy the Jia family completely. Jia Dongxu: “Let's get the death penalty started.” 568Reads5.4Score—14d adds
- 25 Siheyuan: Studying at Technical College and Becoming a Cadre to Help the Nation Rise 四合院：读中专当干部助大国崛起 He transmigrates into the world of a TV drama and becomes He Yuzhu from the courtyard house. Remembering He Yuzhu’s frustrating life, he refuses to repeat the same mistakes. In this life, he’ll go to college, learn technical skills, and become a cadre instead of a cook. He’ll ride the tide of the times, become a senior leader, accelerate industrial development, and revitalize the nation’s industry. Yi Zhonghai: “Who would dare expect him to support them in their old age? Our courtyard has never 5.9kReads7.4Score17514d adds
- 26 Siheyuan: I’m the Sneaky One, and I Outshine All the Scoundrels! 四合院，我老六，秀翻众禽！ A touch of mischief, masterful scheming, an actor through and through, more beastly than the beasts themselves. One day, Yang Sen transmigrates into the beast-filled courtyard. Faced with all those scheming neighbors, he awakens the Show-Off Moves System and never turns back from his life as a sly schemer. Slandered? Then I'll drag everyone down with me and make us all infamous! Can't solve the problem? Then get rid of whoever raised it! A proper schemer knows how to keep himself hidden and make 5kReads7.3Score16514d adds
- 27 Siheyuan: I'm He Yuzhu's Uncle 四合院：我是何雨柱他叔 The protagonist transmigrates to a Beijing courtyard house in 1958, becoming He Dahai, cousin of He Daqing. He Daqing has already run off, so as his cousin, He Dahai takes on the duty of looking after Silly Zhu and Yushui without hesitation. Qin Huairu hasn’t married into the courtyard yet. How could he let her fall into the Jia family’s trap? Armed with a System, the protagonist uses his intelligence to reject moral coercion and bring all the courtyard’s scheming residents to heel. He keeps a l 10.5kReads6.7Score52214d adds
- 28 Siheyuan: The Little Factory Doctor's Comeback 四合院：小厂医的逆袭人生 [Courtyard + countryside + miracle doctor + multiple film and TV worlds + System] Zhang Jianjun was a rural doctor. He transmigrates into the body of Zhang Jianjun, a village doctor with the same name in Love in the Courtyard. He activates two Systems and begins a life with cheats... 108Reads5.8Score10714d adds
- 29 Siheyuan: I Marry Yu Li, and Yan Jiecheng Shows Up with a Grand Gift 四合院：我娶于莉闫解成来送大礼 I married Yu Li, and Yan Jiecheng even gave me a wedding gift. I built a military factory from the ground up to serve the country. General Xu drank the wine I gave him, and I was delighted. Liu Guangtian didn’t want to get beaten, so he became a public security officer. Now Second Uncle won’t be able to beat him anymore, right? Third Uncle actually tried appealing to Yan Jiecheng’s feelings, and his tears brought Yan Jiecheng to his side. Silly Zhu is still young, so I just need to arrange a wif 9.8kReads8.1Score37714d adds
- 30 Siheyuan: The Wonderful Life I Earned 四合院：赚到的美好人生 [A low-key, cautious protagonist who stays behind the scenes and stirs things up, reasonably intelligent, avoids widows and trouble, original female lead, gets a bit hostile later on, slow-paced at first. If that's not your thing, don't read.] Transmigrated? And into the Siheyuan, a world of scarce food and clothing and schemers crowding every corner in the 1960s? Zhang Ping'an says none of that is a problem for someone who's scored a second life. What matters to him is turning that second chanc 29.9kReads7.3Score1.4k14d adds
- 31 Siheyuan: I Just Woke Up and They Want Me to Transfer to Civilian Work 四合院：刚醒就让我转业 Luo Xingchen, a special forces king in the 21st century, is killed in an ambush while saving hostages. His soul travels back fifty years and enters the body of a 20-year-old veteran company commander in Beijing. After years of combat, his body is badly injured and his physical abilities have severely declined, so his superiors order him to leave the military. On his very first day after leaving the service, his former commander arranges a blind date for him. The house he's assigned turns out to 12.9kReads8.4Score37514d adds
- 32 Siheyuan: From the Start, I'm a Police Chief with Reba as My Wife! 四合院：开局警司，老婆热芭！ Zhang Chengfei transmigrated into a courtyard house and became a veteran who had earned a first-class collective merit citation and a third-class individual merit citation. From the start, he joined the police force as a second-level superintendent, earning a monthly salary of 76 yuan. He awakened the Case-Solving System. Every case he cracked earned him generous rewards. He also married the pretty young Reba. Everyone in the courtyard envied them, grew jealous, and was also afraid of him. Grann 38.2kReads7.7Score2.4k14d adds
- 33 Siheyuan: I Have the Original Novel in Hand 四合院之我有原著在手 The strongest male lead takes on the miscreants of the courtyard! He uses PUA tactics on Qin Huairu, turning her into an obsessed woman! He teases Yu Li and keeps her wrapped around his finger. He meets the love of his life, and the lovers finally get their happy ending. 4.5kReads5.8Score15414d adds
- 34 Siheyuan: The Good Life of a Laid-Back Man 四合院：咸鱼的美好生活 After transmigrating to a courtyard house in the 1960s, he gets a sign-in System from the start and enjoys a comfortable, thriving life... A gentle, warm, and cheerful story, lighthearted and witty, all about enjoying life and fulfilling your wishes... 2kReads7.2Score20514d adds
- 35 Siheyuan: I Have a Little World of My Own 四合院：我有一个小世界 After exploring a glowing cave entrance on a sinkhole's cliff face, outdoor enthusiast Wang Yu transmigrates to the world of the Siheyuan, where he discovers that the glowing entrance is a portal to other worlds. Wang Yu leads a leisurely life in the Siheyuan world while exploring other worlds and selling weapons. Traveling back and forth between the two realms, he practices martial arts and cultivates immortality, living a carefree life. 22.7kReads8.2Score1.3k14d adds
- 36 Siheyuan: The Greatest Livestock Breeder 四合院：最牛牲畜养殖人 [No harem protagonist + fierce and ruthless + a little devious + somewhat invincible + easygoing daily life + early-stage growth + decisive and merciless + no saintly do-gooder] My name is Bai Baoshan. I’m 45 years old. I’m a good person. All I know how to do is raise livestock. Don’t believe me? I’ll raise some and show you. And so... Every black pig weighed over 400 jin... The cattle and sheep were all plump and healthy, with delicious meat... Even the dairy cows and goats sprayed milk 11.3kReads8.6Score40714d adds
- 37 Siheyuan: The Old Man Who Collects Scrap 四合院：收废品的老汉 "No pointless romantic subplots + Feiji has never been a saintly do-gooder + easygoing everyday life" Li Shizhen has a very medical-sounding name. A disillusioned and unrestrained man born in the 1980s, he has seen all walks of life and become a scrap collector who grabs junk for a living. He has a change of heart and saves a boy who was supposed to transmigrate, only to unexpectedly transmigrate himself. Well, if he has to transmigrate, so be it. He never started a family in his previous lif 16.9kReads8.9Score67614d adds
- 38 Siheyuan: This Time, It's Finally My Turn, Right?! 四合院之这次终于轮到我了吧！ [If you dislike Qin Huairu, don't read] [Multiple heroines] [System] Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Deaf Granny. With these seven people all in one place, there'll never be a shortage of stories... 45.8kReads8.6Score2.2k14d adds
