Novels like At Dusk
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as At Dusk, best match first.
- 1 By the Lotus-Picking Lake 采莲湖畔 [1980s | Rural Coal Mines | The Struggles of an Ordinary Man] In 1991, by the shores of Lianhua Lake in southern Shandong, Zheng Qiang grew up in the countryside. His father worked in the coal mines year-round, while his mother held the family together on her own. The mine's coal dust bore witness to his youth. After graduating from vocational school, he returned home to teach in a village. His meager salary left him facing a choice: Was staying behind in the countryside a way to repay his fami 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 2 The Brash Stepmother from the Eighties Becomes a Nobody 八零泼妇养母成了路人甲 Liu Peiyun was ready to enjoy a quiet retirement, but instead transmigrated into a book as Lu Xuebi, a village girl whose engagement had been broken off in the 1980s. Since she was already here, Lu Xuebi decided to make the best of it. She studied for college entrance exams while leading her whole family to seize the opportunities of the times. Only later did she learn she had transmigrated into a book: she was the heroine’s shrewish adoptive mother, an obstacle on the heroine’s road to wealth a 646Reads5.8Score116Shelves
- 3 The Victor Becomes King, the Loser a Bandit: The Story of Today 成王败寇话今朝 This book tells the story of three generations from the Chen and Liu families of Chenjiashan, Liuyang County, in northern Sichuan, from 1958 to 2007, tracing how their fortunes rose and fell amid the country’s development and changing times. Through the eyes of two ordinary families, it records the migration of people brought about by rural urbanization, beginning with the First Five-Year Plan. It recounts the course of reform, from the rural household responsibility system and the contracting o 7Reads—Score—Shelves
- 4 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 593Reads8.5Score106Shelves
- 5 The Candied Hawthorn Skewer Pierces Through 冰糖葫芦竹签儿穿 My new book is out! Everyone is welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. The story is based on real experiences. I'm writing it carefully, and the process has been smooth, without writer's block or made-up details. These experiences are like candied hawthorn skewers: the bamboo sticks pierced my body, yet became the backbone of my life. I hope this honest, heartfelt story brings you joy. Reading brings insight, and I hope you find your own independent perspective along the way. 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 6 A Season of Green, with Drizzling Rain 见青时节疏雨绵绵 The first time Guo Shuyu, the daughter of a landlord, saw Xu Jianqing, the beggar, he was beating his wife, a hulking man like a black bear. Guo Shuyu thought any man would be better than that black bear. Better to be anyone’s wife than Xu Jianqing’s. How pitiful to be scolded and beaten every day. But life is full of surprises, and the Matchmaker in the Moon muddles the red threads. Some inexplicable stroke of bad luck sent everything awry. Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, Guo Shuyu married 49Reads—Score—Shelves
- 7 The 1980s: I Married the Right Divorced Man, with Meat and Grain Filling Our Home 八零：嫁对二婚郎，肉满缸粮满仓 Not reborn + not transmigrated + everyday family life + a fiercely protective stepmother (male lead is not a virgin; female lead is). In the 1980s, in the Su family’s humble home, Su Tang is branded the village’s most sharp-tongued “old maid” at twenty-eight, after putting off marriage years earlier to support her younger brother’s education. Su Tang is tough yet resilient. She keeps chickens and rabbits in the same courtyard and lives with quiet dignity, while secretly longing for warmth. Yu Mi 1.9kReads7.3Score154Shelves
- 8 An Unlawful Marriage 不法婚姻 This is a slice-of-life story that doesn’t follow conventional web-novel genre formulas. One unmarried woman is devoted to a married man, while another woman, his wife, swears to defend her rights and dignity. In the end, the devoted woman cannot let go of her obsession, while the woman who fought for her dignity lets go of hers and frees herself. 6Reads—Score—Shelves
- 9 Her Heat 她的潮热 This is Li Xiaowen's story. A slow-paced slice-of-life novel with an ensemble cast, about women's growth and empowerment. It has family, friendship, and romance, and most importantly, trauma from one's family of origin. If that's not your thing, just quietly move on. Please don't leave a bad review, thank you. 237Reads6.5Score108Shelves
- 10 Real Life: A Middle Schooler's Journey as a Writer 真实人生：一个初中生的写作路 A real life, a painful past: I grew up poor and frail, plagued by illness. At fifteen, I dropped out of school and began pursuing my literary dream at home. After having my work rejected time and again, I finally saw my first-ever piece published. It also became the last thing I ever published in print. Then I turned to the internet and began my journey as a web novelist. 25Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 11 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—Shelves
- 12 Little Stepmom Lihua: Defy Me and Fight 小妈黎花，不服就战 [Traditional period setting + remarriage + marriage first, love later] [Older male lead] [Ensemble cast] [No System] [No pocket dimension] [No golden finger] [Realistic life] Real life doesn’t follow the fast-paced rhythm of a wish-fulfillment novel. Every ordinary woman has a unique, fully realized personality of her own. At eighteen, Li Hua unexpectedly became a “temporary mother” to two children. Through the hardest years, she upheld her promise and raised Chen Wenbo’s two children on her own 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 13 The Pure Wife Awakens 纯妻觉醒 [Romance]+ [Family and everyday life]+ [Self-awakening and ambition]+ [Urban life] Pure-hearted Liu Zi married Yu Feipeng, a classmate she'd had a crush on for years. She thought their marriage was solid, but her masseuse, Xiao Ling, had her eye on her husband. Yu Feipeng fell deep into Xiao Ling's gentle trap and went out of his way to trample on and humiliate Liu Zi… When Liu Zi finally fought back, she discovered that the pure, innocent flower her husband saw in Xiao Ling was actually filthy 43Reads—Score—Shelves
- 14 The Drama Queen Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law 戏精婆媳 A fresh-faced workplace newcomer and a seasoned career woman fight tooth and nail at work, then carry their feud home with them. Cheng Junyi watches the two of them coldly. They aren’t related by blood, but they’re both cut from the same cloth, so neither has any grounds to criticize the other. He decides to sit back and let them wear each other down. 132Reads8.2Score103Shelves
- 15 A Husband’s Punishment 丈夫的惩罚 The heroine was a beautiful, fair-skinned woman from a family of officials, with an outstanding husband. But her husband mistakenly believed she had cheated on him and chose to take revenge. As time passes, they both grow into mature, accomplished people, yet their relationship remains full of twists and turns, with no end in sight. The heroine can never let go of this love. What fate will the two of them ultimately meet… 593Reads5.4Score—Shelves
- 16 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 1.1kReads—Score102Shelves
- 17 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. 51Reads—Score—Shelves
- 18 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—Shelves
- 19 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—Shelves
- 20 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—Shelves
- 21 An Eighties Gofer Marries into a Family of Lovers 八零工具人嫁入恋爱之家 I was one of the heroine’s many useful sidekicks, the one who walked three thousand kilometers to bring back a stone for her. If the heroine thinks it looks nice and wants it, she can have it. If that’s not enough, I’ll go pick up more. The heroine wants to use me as a foil, claiming city folk can’t compare to country folk, and educated people can’t compare to illiterates? Fine, you win! When my mother tried to brainwash me into being a sucker, I put a stop to it with one clean strike. My abusiv 6kReads8.0Score366Shelves
- 22 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! 40Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 Slightly Downcast: Deleting My Love-Brain 轻颓：删除恋爱脑 [Period Novel] [Realistic Fiction] [Women’s Growth] [Family Life] [Literary] Northeast China at the end of the last century. Su Qing (Qing), a 26-year-old cashier at a state-owned enterprise, is burned badly by her obsession with romance: blind dates bring one oddball after another, and her husband cheats on her. Her in-laws find fault with everything she does, the state-owned enterprise undergoes restructuring and offers buyouts of years of service, and she faces constant trouble at work. In th 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 24 Nothing Major in Life 人生无大事 I was born in the abyss and raised in the netherworld. Lost, struggling, helpless, despairing. The hardships along the way shaped my body and mind. When everything had finally calmed down, when spring had come and flowers were blooming, when everything was just right, I finally reached the most important moment of my life. 3.8kReads8.1Score409Shelves
- 25 Flowers Born of the Earth 土生花 The land is silent, yet it can hold all the hardships endured by three generations. On the barren yellow earth, three generations of women are pressed into the mud by fate, bound hand and foot by patriarchy, and slowly tortured by life. They have no choices and nowhere to turn. They don’t even dare to cry aloud. All they can do is endure the darkness, bear the despair, and keep going through days that have been ground to dust, sustained by sheer will. Yang Jinlian is deaf and stutters. All her 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 She's Worth Less Than Rice 她比米贱 That year, in exchange for a sack of millet, Yu Xiaofeng's parents promised her to the simple-minded son of the Liu family in the neighboring village. It was a rural village in northern China during the famine years of the last century. The stove was taller than she was. In the bitter winter, she smashed ice to wash clothes, her hands covered in chilblains that festered with pus. She didn't dare cry aloud. At seventeen, she was made to share a bed with Dazhu. He knew nothing, and tied her to a c 187Reads—Score—Shelves
- 27 My Husband Cheated, So I Swapped Husbands with His Mistress to Change Our Fates 老公出轨，我和小三换夫改命 A new novel currently being serialized, with its rating just posted! [Not a wish-fulfillment story] [Period setting + remarriage + devoted husband + marriage first, love later] [Some ensemble cast elements] [No System] [No pocket dimension] [Realistic everyday life] In the height of summer in 1977, Xu Nan, a temporary worker at a machinery factory, caught her husband, Cheng Peng, having an affair with Liang Yan Min, an employee at the same factory. To protect his reputation and prospects, Cheng 17.2kReads8.4Score1.2kShelves
- 28 Breaking Free 逃离束缚 Su Yu and Tang Yilan met on a blind date arranged by their university professor. After spending some time together, they both decided they liked each other, so they went to meet each other’s parents. At first, everything seemed to go smoothly, but after they got married, they argued over whether to rent a place of their own. Su Yu also has an older brother, Su Lun, who has been married to Zhao Yanan for years, but still has no children of his own. After finally getting married, Tang Yilan reali 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 29 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 102Reads—Score—Shelves
- 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] 12Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 31 The Seasons of a Small Courtyard 小院春秋 A family from the bottom of society faces hardship after hardship, while four siblings struggle along a bumpy road through life. The tide of the times sweeps ordinary people forward, carrying their fates with it. Through joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, love and loss, how should people like you and me choose, and where should we go? 12.1kReads8.8Score1kShelves
- 32 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—Shelves
- 33 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—Shelves
- 34 A Supporting Actress’s Gossip-Filled Life in the 1970s 七十年代女配的吃瓜日常 After learning she has transmigrated into a historical-era novel as a pawn meant to whitewash the protagonist's group, Jiang Yanqiu first steals half of the original heroine's golden finger, then gives away half of the transmigrated heroine's golden finger. Then she keeps her head down, stays away from the protagonist's group, and enjoys the show. With nobody at the educated youth station willing to talk to her, bored Jiang Yanqiu has nothing to do but gossip to pass the time. She has to admit, 1.9kReads6.2Score102Shelves
- 35 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. 94Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 36 Since I Stopped Putting Up with My Marriage, I've Been Living My Best Life 自从婚姻不再忍着过老娘我爽爆了 Hua Roulan stayed in the big city of Hailing after graduating from university. Her husband, Cheng Chuanhe, had a doctorate and ran a company. “You don't earn as much as I do. What gives you the right to make me do the housework?” Whenever Cheng Chuanhe flew into a rage, he erupted like a landslide, completely hysterical. Arguments between married couples are inevitable, but he resorted to verbal attacks and emotional abuse... She really couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want to keep enduri 43Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 37 Beyond the Walls, Where Do We Go? 围墙之外，何去何从 [No fixed couples, and readers with strong moral qualms should stay away! This novel loves pairing people in unexpected ways, and the ex-husband eventually becomes the son-in-law!] [All kinds of tangled relationships, mutual scheming, love and hate, but in the end everyone gets a happy ending!] [Everyone’s status gets reshuffled, and each person finds their own path to happiness! Hahaha~~] She watches her husband give her the green hat, then returns the favor in kind. Life is this thrilling, and 33Reads—Score—Shelves
- 38 Stories from the Construction Site 工地上的那些事儿 [No System, entirely hand-written. Men and women on a construction site, struggling to survive in the workplace.] They say construction sites are chaotic, women are scarce, and beautiful women are even rarer. After graduating from college, I started working at a construction site. On my very first day, I met Sister Xiaoya, who was already married, and accidentally offended the site boss. It turned out that the construction site held more than just men and women. There were also stories few peopl 10.9kReads7.5Score835Shelves
- 39 No Matter How Much You Cherish It, Nothing Lasts Forever 讲究终将不能长久 This should be a story about a woman’s growth, set in a bygone era. A girl who has lived at the bottom of society since childhood works hard and thinks she has crossed into a higher class, only to realize she has climbed just one step. Exhausted, she resigns herself to fate and looks for someone on that same step to lean on. But the person she thinks she can rely on only wants to use her to climb higher. To achieve his own ends, he has to kick her down a step so he can leap a little farther. If 9Reads—Score—Shelves
- 40 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 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 41 An Ordinary Person's Unordinary Journey Through Life 平凡人不甘平凡的人生路 An ordinary person’s life has its occasional ups and downs, but where does a life without guidance lead? After three years working in a factory, a twist of fate sends him into real estate brokerage! He grows immensely proud after enjoying some of the real estate boom. But after the tide goes out, how will he face the decline and deal with family, love, and friendship? This is your story, and it’s mine too. So I’ve heard... 14Reads—Score—Shelves
- 42 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 29.1kReads9.2Score796Shelves
- 43 My Mother and I Are Both Remarried 我和我妈，都是二婚 When my mom was young, my dad tricked her into coming all the way from afar to be his second wife. Before she knew it, she'd become the stepmother of a brother and sister. After having a child of her own, my mom realized that my dad didn't cherish her as much as she'd thought. But by then, she couldn't escape. Being a stepmother was hard, and my mom had to use all her wits to contend with a big family. To secure her place in the household, she even brought over her own niece to marry her stepson 5.4kReads9.1Score604Shelves
- 44 A Post-90s Mountain Girl's Starry Sky 90后，山里姑娘的星空 [Diary] [First person] [No contrived twists] [Not a wish-fulfillment novel] [No overpowered protagonist] [Traditional] [Realistic] [Period] [Countryside] [Hardship] [Marriage] [Family bonds] The 1990s were full of life and energy, but they were also a Period when weeds grew unchecked. Many people born in the 1970s and 1980s went to the cities in pursuit of their dreams. Some worked hard for everything they had, while others lost themselves in the glittering world around them. This is a story a 195Reads8.3Score—Shelves
- 45 Making Do for Half a Lifetime 半生凑合 People say, "For poor people, marriage isn't about love. At its heart, it's just two people making a life together." A candid account of rural women's married lives in the 1980s. Families worlds apart and clashing values bring people together for half a lifetime, all for the sake of appearances, family, and children. These thirty years transform the countryside beyond recognition. Their marriages, too, are swept up and down by the tide of the times. Taste life's many flavors and witness the joys 167kReads9.2Score8.5kShelves
- 46 It's Only Fifty 不过是五十而已 An inspirational, unyielding story of midlife crisis, workplace struggles, bank managers and tellers, married life, and everyday urban life. This book tells the story of Huang Wenxue, a bank manager facing a midlife crisis. She is at that awkward age when she is considered too old to find a new job, yet still too young to retire. How will she answer the unavoidable questions surrounding her career, marriage, family, children, and caring for her aging parents? Even in middle age, even when confro 452Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 47 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. 127Reads—Score—Shelves
- 48 Love Between Two Generations: An Inescapable Bond 两代情之逃不出的羁绊 A bloody maelstrom was set in motion by a marriage swap in the late 1980s. One bride died, and the other fled. The humiliation Hua'er endured on her wedding night is enough to make anyone blush with shame, while the hardships Zijun faced as she fled her marriage are deeply moving. Though the story is named for two generations, it is really about three generations and the sweeping changes in their views on love, marriage, and life. It also shows China's tremendous economic boom and the profound s 5.4kReads9.0Score741Shelves
- 49 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—Shelves
- 50 Northeastern Tales: The Marriage Swap 东北往事之转亲 Period setting + rural life + everyday family matters + farming + building a fortune + a touch of ensemble cast Three women make quite a show. The madman Guo Lixin mistakes Ding Xiang for his deceased girlfriend and follows her around every day, calling her his wife. But Ding Xiang’s father only wants to trade his daughter for a marriage connection for his good-for-nothing son. Guo Limei grits her teeth. Fine, let him trade her. She’s getting married for the second time anyway, and already has a 9.6kReads8.9Score977Shelves
