Novels like Those Years as a Young Hooligan
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Those Years as a Young Hooligan, best match first.
- 1 The Awakened Are Lowly 觉醒者卑贱 He's clearly a king, but he starts out like a good-for-nothing... After a bizarre plane crash, the survivors are stranded on a deserted island, with no hope of rescue. In this uncivilized wilderness, those who were once lowly ants in the cities rise to prominence. The survivors all share one goal: they long to return to their old lives. The protagonist starts with nothing but a slingshot and embarks on a long struggle to survive. 4.1kReads8.5Score38114d adds
- 2 The Fake Live-In Son-in-Law 挂名赘婿 Tian Yougen, the 17th-generation heir to the Tian family’s traditional Chinese medicine lineage, has been bright and quick-witted since childhood, yet rebellious by nature. First he gives up medicine to pursue literature, then falls out with his future in-laws over marrying into their family. Proud and haughty, he has only his exceptional medical skills to rely on. With those skills in hand, he travels the world, healing the sick without seeking fame, asking only to keep a benevolent heart and a 716Reads7.3Score10114d adds
- 3 Twin Bridges 双桥 Liu Shiyu, a young man from the countryside, starts out at the very bottom. He later joins the army and takes part in the assault on Hill 000 at Narashan Pass, a place of clear waters. He earns a first-class merit award and returns to his hometown of Shuangqiao carrying the remains of his comrade Jin Zhong. Meet one person and stay together for life; choose one city and grow old there. Three women fall for him at the same time: Lu Youyou, a university student who exchanged letters with him from 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 A Double Win at Work and in Love: Rising from the Bottom to Become a Top-Tier Star 职场情场双开挂，从底层杀成顶流 He has tasted every flavor of life and seen the vicissitudes of the world! When Song Yichen first enters society, he suffers setback after setback amid the open and covert attacks of office politics, yet rises again and again. He transforms from an innocent newcomer into a polished professional who knows when to advance and when to hold back, keeping his true abilities hidden. Through the highs and lows of love, he sees how warmly or coldly people can treat one another. Torn between love and bet 2.4kReads—Score11714d adds
- 5 King of the Reverse Scales 逆鳞之王 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 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
- 7 Dreams of the Green Fields 绿野梦 In a turbulent era, Zhao Gen, who had gone away to train as a mason, brought home a beautiful wife named Yanli. A compulsive gambler, he abandoned her without a word. With no one to rely on, Yanli learned all kinds of farm work just to survive. One day, while gathering firewood deep in the mountains, she met with an accident and was rescued by Chun Gen, a man with an ugly face. Zhao Gen remained missing for years. Out of gratitude, Yanli and Chun Gen eventually got together. Just as they were se 35Reads9.2Score—14d adds
- 8 The Swimmer 游泳的人 The Swimmer 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 A Forty-Year-Old Divorcée's Comeback: Starting Over After Divorce 四十岁弃妇逆袭，离婚后重启人生 [Divorce / Light Mystery / Second Marriage / A Middle-Aged Woman's Comeback] After graduating from college, forty-year-old Yao Qing married her “decent man” upperclassman and devoted eighteen years of her youth to her family. She served her husband, raised their daughter, and cared for her ailing in-laws, yet they treated her like a free maid. She thought her selfless sacrifices would earn her gratitude. Instead, she was hit with a devastating shock. Trapped inside a closet, she was forced to 198Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 10 Loving You More and More 越来越爱 Goodbye may mean never seeing you again. In my dreams of endless years of war, I always see you, alone on the cliff; Half of it is longing, half of it is love, and the more I long, the more I love. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Everything has changed, and I have returned… [Lucky to have met you, grateful our paths crossed, and thankful for your companionship all this way.] 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 A Small-Town Story at Full Speed 小城故事一路狂奔 Having grown up without a father's love, he once had a happy family and a steady career. Then, out of nowhere, he got divorced, lost his job, and was plagued by nightmares. His life hit rock bottom. At his lowest point, he chose to start a business and met her while she was working a part-time job. Fate had other plans: after a change in her mother's identity came to light, she became a wealthy heiress. He raced toward love, never wavering in his devotion despite repeated romantic setbacks. On —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 A Comeback: The Most Thrilling Lives Belong to Those Who Never Give Up! 逆袭，不服输的人生最精彩！ Hua Feng was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of his life. But overnight, not only did his beautiful wife run off with a pretty boy, the woman also made off with the millions he had scraped together through countless hardships, leaving nothing but a complete mess... Life’s dramatic ups and downs came far too quickly. He could only start over from scratch! Want to laugh at me? Get lost! What, you want me to back down? Who do you think you are? Keep dreaming! Watch as a man who has hit rock b 117Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 A Stepfather Is Like a Dog 继父如狗 A love story about a man who gives everything for love. Newly married, he takes a second-hand wife with a son, and from then on, muddles his way into becoming a man treated like a dog. Based on a true story, this book perfectly captures the awkward position of a stepfather, as well as human selfishness and the sorrow of marriage. 49Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 The Watcher in the Wheat Fields 麦苗田里的守望者 I'll never forget that rainy summer night. The rain had turned the village's dirt roads to mud. One step could sink you in up to your calves. Clutching half a candle, I hurried home, stumbling through the muck, my heart pounding like I had a rabid rabbit inside me. Mom had promised she'd be home before dark, but it was already nine o'clock. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Our Long River of Years 我们的岁月长河 Our Long River of Years is divided into three parts. Following the ordinary lives of three generations of Zhao Jiafu’s family, railway workers, it spans from the 1950s to the 2020s. It recounts the joys and sorrows, happiness and heartbreak, and everyday troubles experienced by the three generations of the Zhao family and the ordinary people around them over the long river of time. It depicts the turbulent lives of ordinary people as the times change and society develops. Time flows like a river 180Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 The Husband Swap 换夫记 Xue Mingming married simply because she'd reached the right age, only to discover that her husband wasn't the right person for her. She settled into a life that felt like going through the motions. Then she crossed paths with Nie Qiyuan, a former high school classmate whose career was on the brink of bankruptcy and whose marriage was hanging by a thread, though neither recognized the other. How should these two married, middle-aged people handle their work, their lives, and their feelings??? A b 18.3kReads8.6Score1.6k14d adds
- 17 The Story of Fei Xin’s Daughter 飞新的女传 [Marriage + Domestic Abuse + Divorce + Blind Date + Online Romance + Finding True Love + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment] At twenty, Fei Xin was set up by her parents, went on a blind date, got married, suffered domestic abuse, and divorced. At twenty-three, she met an online boyfriend five years younger than her. They got married and had a child! Married Life + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 What the Village Beauty Can't Say 村花不能说的事 The village beauty is the dream goddess all the men in the village adore. What secrets will she experience after she gets married, the kind no one can talk about? She's so beautiful. Will married life bring her happiness and bliss? 1.7kReads6.6Score12514d adds
- 19 Qingtang Was at Peace 青棠本无事 Faced with a marriage she couldn’t escape or get out of, Zhao Qingtang chose to face it head-on. But on the morning of her wedding, she was kidnapped and sold to a mountain village. There, she met a migrant worker she had helped back when she was in college. After learning what had happened to her, the man’s mother said, “Qingtang, I’m your mother. Your real mother.” And so Zhao Qingtang uncovered a secret from twenty-five years ago. My new work is out! You’re welcome to read it on Tomato Novel 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 Waiting for the Wind in Guangzhou 羊城等风来 (This is not a cuckold story.) (This is not a wish-fulfillment story.) My childhood sweetheart, whom I’d been married to for a year, divorced me and made me take the blame for the breakup! I let you fly free, and I’ll bear the pain! Then a mysterious young girl barged into my life. From that moment on, the wheels of fate began to turn, and I gradually fell into one trap and conspiracy after another. Can ordinary people really never defeat the authorities? 79Reads5.0Score—14d adds
- 21 Simple-Minded Ni 憨妮 Hanni is a woman who seems a little dim-witted to outsiders. She marries three men: the first is an ordinary man, the second a tycoon, and the third a young hoodlum. This is the story of her and the people around her, and how Hanni changes her fate... 77Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 22 By the Time She Came to Her Senses, I Was Already Gone! 待她醒悟过来，我早已不在！ “If one day we both stand beneath the same falling snow, then in this life, we can say we've grown old together.” “If love between two people is to last, why should it matter that they can't be together every day?” Yuan Xia and Su Mu were childhood sweethearts, a couple others envied. One heart gave everything to the other without asking for anything in return. But endless selfless devotion only makes the other person take it for granted. If they don't cherish each other, then one day their rela 179Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 I Dumped My Handsome Wife-Beater and Married an Ugly, Scarred Man 甩了家暴美男，嫁给刀疤丑汉 Period drama + rural life + family squabbles + workplace + nightlife + second marriage + entrepreneurship In the early 1980s, rural woman Wang Xiuhong was abused by her handsome husband, Zhao Dayong. After enduring humiliation, she left with nothing. She went to the city to make a living, suffered bullying at a food factory, and was fired. With nowhere else to turn, she ended up at a nightclub. There she met Yang Jun, a discharged soldier with a face full of knife scars, and the only person in t 56Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Commander Te, One of a Kind 特总，不一样 A kidnapping that happened purely by chance, a rescue that came without warning. One was the heir to a conglomerate, the other a retired special forces soldier. Their lives were on completely different tracks, like two lines that should never have crossed, yet they began a long journey toward convergence. Though their story began by chance, what followed was rooted in reality. Perhaps people live in completely different worlds, but in the end, whether true feelings can bring them together may ha 598Reads8.9Score10414d adds
- 25 The Criminal’s Revelation 犯罪启示录 The story follows a detective's day-to-day casework, recounting how a number of representative cases are solved. The plot is full of twists and turns, and every case offers plenty to think about. I hope readers will take something away from the story. 399Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 26 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. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 A Career in Officialdom: With You in This Mortal World 仕途之红尘有你 A Song of Sorrow for the World of Dust Women of the world of dust know much sorrow; a beautiful face is doomed to a short life, with no way to escape. Adrift in the rivers and lakes, with nowhere to return, they wander through the world, drifting and lingering. Deep in the night, dim lamps cast a lonely shadow; the moon is cold, the flowers withered, and tears stream down their cheeks. Who can understand the bitterness within? Only the bright moon remains above the high terrace. This poem was th 60Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 The Runaway Housewife 逃跑的家庭主妇 At forty, Su Meng was manipulated by her husband into having a second child. Her younger daughter’s birth was an impulsive decision, and the start of a nightmarish life. Standing on the balcony of her home on the eighteenth floor, she suddenly thought that jumping might be the only way to find true release… The loneliness, helplessness, pessimism, despair, and weariness with everything made her realize she was ill, seriously ill. And the only thing that might cure her was to run away… Escape, ge 1kReads—Score10214d adds
- 29 Never Turning Back 誓不回头 Also titled: The Ideal Life Is One Where You Can Soar Without Cheats. This is an amusing story with a touch of melancholy. Fresh out of school, Ma Yiming feels lost. “What's a life plan? Adults make plan after plan, but in the end, all they get is a measly paycheck?” His friend Chen Guangxu is just as lost. “...Four of us were sent to intern at the fitness center, and I was the only guy they assigned to sell memberships. I'm a boxing major. What am I doing selling memberships? Damn it, all the 3.7kReads9.1Score40814d adds
- 30 Dustbound Love, Nan Nan 尘缘楠楠 The marriage between Chen Yuan and Nannan, the everyday business of rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, and all the twists and turns of life, its sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty moments, a jumble of emotions... [Urban Life] [Married Life] [Ordinary Lives] 9Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 31 The Peerless Young Master: Ye Hetu 极品公子之叶河图 A dragon rises from the Luo River, bearing the Hetu Diagram. He fights his way out of Kunlun, stirring up a storm in the Forbidden City. Seven letters shake the capital. A thousand-year-old dragon gang, ranked on the Dragon List. With one sword, he heads west and storms the Holy See. On the world’s divine rankings, none can rival him. When it’s over, he brushes off his sleeves and hides his achievements. He secures the realm of Huaxia, then settles into seclusion in the south. An earth-shatterin 4.6kReads7.8Score48714d adds
- 32 After the Divorce, They Help Me Reach for the Sky 离婚后，她们扶我青云志 [Urban Slice of Life + Working-Class Life + Love and Family + Hands-On Dad + Underdog’s Rise] Love is like a game of chess: once you make a move, there’s no turning back. Life is unpredictable, and partings and reunions are left to fate. Cherish true love, for once you part, you may never meet again! When the glamour fades, who will still hold your hand? Amid the endless stream of passersby, who will remain unforgettable? I was just one of countless migrant workers in Shenzhen. After years of wo 9.1kReads8.7Score71514d adds
- 33 In Search of Happiness 寻找幸福 This story follows three close friends and the ups and downs of their marriages and family lives. No matter what hardships they face, they keep searching for happiness in their own ways. How will each of their stories end? 5Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 34 My Heart Still Clings to the Past 我心依旧怀往昔 Faced with the impossible choice between her and his parents, he chose to give up the seven years they had shared. Five years later, he appeared before her again. They had once been inseparable lovers. Now, apart from his face, everything about him felt utterly unfamiliar to her. The novel is now complete! You're welcome to read my work on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 53Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 The Hidden Wife 隐妻 [The comic adaptation is now available! Tap “Adaptation Theater” in the lower-right corner of any page of this book to watch instantly. The original novel and short drama each have their own appeal. Share it with your friends!] No rebirth, no transmigration, and no System golden finger, just the true golden years of an entire generation! Having fled an arranged marriage, he joins the tide of migrant workers heading south. In a southern metropolis brimming with both opportunity and challenges, he 790Reads6.2Score10014d adds
- 36 The Insider 内部人士 In the early 21st century, China’s real estate economy was booming. Many ordinary people caught a favorable wave amid the great tides of history and amassed considerable wealth. The protagonist is an average person with no particular gifts, but as he grows, he continually learns from the wisdom of those around him, including some truly remarkable people. Through constant learning and reflection, he eventually develops a unique kind of wisdom and achieves success of his own. It seems as though fa 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Fan Hua Like Brocade: Taking Down the Scumbag, the Vixen, and My Cold-Blooded Parents 樊花似锦【撕渣男贱女冷血父母】 A realistic story of a woman’s growth, blending satisfaction and heartbreak. There’s no floating comeback powered by a golden finger, only an ordinary woman ground into the dirt by life, slowly crushing the mess of her past and turning the chaos into something beautiful. The more stifled you feel watching her in the first half, the more satisfying the second half will be. Love yourself first, and everything else will fall into place. Everyone and everything that wronged her will have to pay her 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 Simmering Tears to Brew Youth 轻煮眼泪熬青春 In the 1980s, an accident changed the fate of a beautiful fifteen-year-old girl forever. Family, love, and friendship backed her into a dead end. She went far away from home and met an overbearing CEO who loved her. Their love began a journey of mutual healing, as their lives unfolded through streaks of blood and warmth, peeling back the bittersweet layers like an onion. 59Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 39 Blueberry, the Leftover Woman 剩女蓝莓 Blueberry is an unmarried woman who’s still living at home. She has two unreliable best friends: Mihua is a bit of a flirt who teases men and ended up kicked out by her husband with nothing, while Feifei loves mahjong and dreams only of marrying into a wealthy family… Three women, and plenty of drama. Love, ethics, human nature… They say hotpot is all about the lively world around the table. Our story begins with a hotpot meal… The story is a slow burn. I hope you’ll enjoy it! 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Memoirs of the Glazed World 琉璃世界回忆录 [An ensemble story about real life, not a wish-fulfillment story, not a romance, no golden finger, and no absolute main character] Some people are born into privilege, while others are born to toil. The world of Liuli has three parallel layers, each with clearly divided levels of wealth and living conditions. When a mysterious virus that makes no distinction between people strikes, what will become of humanity in these different environments? In terms of economic cost, treating one critically i —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Xue Mei's Story 雪梅的故事 Bare, barren loess hills. Ravines and ridges wind their way into the distance. This is where the story’s heroine, Xuemei, spent her childhood, grew into a shy young woman, and endured until she became a mature wife. She works hard, cultivating this poor yellow earth, and sings the praises of the diligence and simplicity of rural women in the new era. 148Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 The Woman Who Loves Square Dancing 爱跳广场舞的女人 Her name was Qiao Jinzhen, but the villagers called her Enoki. After her husband died, she and her two daughters had only each other. The food she could dig up from the fields was barely enough to fill their stomachs, and sending both girls to school cost money. With no other choice, she followed others to the big city to find work... where she met Zhao Shuanwa, who loved dancing and singing just as much as she did. 74Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 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
- 44 A Fierce Life: Taking the Boss's Wife Along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway 彪悍人生：从川藏线带走老板娘开 In 2005, the Sichuan-Tibet Highway was swept up in a logistics boom. To raise money for his mother’s surgery, discharged soldier Jiang Dachuan took a job driving a freight truck to Lhasa. But soon after he started, his boss, a compulsive gambler, lost all his money in Golmud and abandoned the truck and his delicate, charming wife, Su Mei, with Jiang Dachuan before fleeing in the middle of the night. All he left behind was a mountain of debt, a nearly scrapped Jiefang truck, and a tearful, pennil 123.5kReads8.9Score7.6k14d adds
- 45 Reborn: Starting from Ordinary 重生之从平凡开始 This novel has no System, no womanizing protagonist, and characters with their wits about them. The pacing may be a little slow, so please be patient. Synopsis: A man willing to do anything for love, a man who bet everything on the woman he worshiped. But he lost, and lost everything. So he leaped from a tall building, only for fate to play an enormous joke on him and send him back to the eve of the college entrance exams! 8Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 46 Scarlet Lips 烈焰红唇 After eight years on the job, Chen Dalong is still just an office clerk. He gets caught up in a power struggle among the company’s top executives and becomes a pawn. Then his wife cheats on him, his friends betray him, and his future looks bleak. But after he inadvertently helps his female boss, a shake-up in personnel changes everything... He rises through the ranks and becomes the most sought-after man around! 217Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 True Love Awaits Tomorrow 会有真爱在明天 Seven years into their marriage, his beloved leaves. Once you have seen the ocean, lesser waters pale in comparison. When fate runs its course, each goes their own way. The most magnificent sight in this world is a man finding his drive again, in his career, in politics, and in love. Should we ever look back...? 3.7kReads8.9Score28114d adds
- 48 Desires Beneath the Mask 面具下的欲望 Bacon said that human desire is the driving force behind social progress. This is true: desire can spur people to work harder, bring out their full potential, and push humanity ever forward. But whoever you are, if you cannot control your desires and they turn into greed, disaster is bound to follow. Those without desire are things; those with desire are people; those who can control their desires can become people of consequence. But how many can truly control their desires and know when to sto 10.5kReads8.6Score1.1k14d adds
- 49 A Child's Grief 亲殇 Yu Jiacheng’s mother was full of energy during the 2023 Mid-Autumn Festival, on September 29, and the National Day holiday. Then, on October 4, she suddenly suffered an acute myocardial infarction. She was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, stayed in the UCU until October 23, then moved to a regular ward and remained there until she was discharged on November 3. In all, she spent 31 days in the hospital. During her hospitalization and recovery after discharge, Yu Jiacheng and his olde 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Burning Passion 燃烧的热血 “With heads held high and spirits soaring, we crossed the Yalu River. To preserve peace and defend our motherland is to defend our home. The finest sons and daughters of China stand united as one, resisting American aggression and aiding Korea, defeating the American imperialist wolf!” Whenever I read books or watch films and TV dramas about the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, my heart surges with emotion, and I feel the deepest respect for the martyrs who gave their lives so bravel 664Reads8.2Score—14d adds
