Novels like The Rules of the Children's Home
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Rules of the Children's Home, best match first.
- 1 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. 21Reads8.0Score214d adds
- 2 A Single Mother’s Road to Redemption 一个单亲妈妈的救赎之路 I was a woman left single, and by the time I reached middle age, becoming a single mother was bound to turn my life upside down. At the halfway point of life, I’ve been through everything you can imagine, and even things you can’t. So what? The middle of life is a battlefield, and I am a shield, guarding a corner of tenderness amid the chaos. Halfway through life, I’ll be my own rock, pressing forward through disorder, gentle yet strong. Through half a lifetime of storms, I give it everything. A 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 No Looking Back on the Past, Meeting My Ex-Husband Again Thirty Years Later 往事不回首，三十年后再遇前夫 I won’t look back on the past. Thirty years later, I meet my ex-husband again. 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 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
- 5 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—14d adds
- 6 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… 682Reads5.4Score—14d adds
- 7 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
- 8 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 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Who Hasn’t Dated a Jerk or Two? Growing Up 谁不经历几个渣男：长大成人 Who doesn’t have to go through a few jerks on the way to growing up? This book explores women’s emotional growth. Drawing mostly on the author’s own experiences and reflections on love, and shaped with literary embellishment, it presents five stages of women’s emotional growth in the hope of offering a little guidance to women who feel lost. 124Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 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. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Working World: A Close-Up Look at 10 True Workplace Stories 职人江湖：直击10段真实职场故事 A look at the hidden side of all kinds of modern professions: a restaurant chef’s secrets, a bar hostess’s romance, a down-and-out painter’s means of survival, online scammers’ traps and lies, a tour guide’s life in chains, counterfeit money production, beauty and ugliness beneath the surgeon’s scalpel... Beneath those glossy surfaces may lie a stubborn struggle, covered in mud! Told in the first person, this takes you face-to-face with lives that are both harshly real and fiercely alive. 96Reads9.3Score—14d adds
- 12 The Loves of Women 女人们的爱情 Women’s Love: Family Memories Across Time is a long-form work of documentary fiction by Hen Jiangyin. Based on true stories from the author’s own family and enriched by extensive interviews with local people, it focuses on the Zhang, Xia, and Li families, vividly tracing the lives of the four Li sisters, the six Xia siblings, and the three Zhang brothers. Their stories are full of twists and turns and deeply moving moments, leaving a lasting impression. The women’s love stories are especially st 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 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 40Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 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. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Half a Life as a Boy 男孩子的半生 It's strange, they say that those with no close relatives are destined for a hard life. Zihan never knew who his father was, and when he was six, his mother secretly hopped on a train and ran off to Shandong. From then on, Zihan was raised by his grandmother. She was running a steamed-bun shop with his eldest aunt, so neither of them really had time to look after him. When he reached school age, his uncle by marriage rode an old bicycle, taking Zihan and his older sister to preschool. From then —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Fired for Refusing to Frame Patients, I Became a Lawyer and Took Down My Former Hospital 不会坑病人被开除，转行当律师闪击前医院 He refused to mistreat patients and got fired, so he switched careers to become a lawyer and launched an attack on his former hospital. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 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
- 18 Shuying Carves Out Her Own Place Amid the Mess of Married Life 淑英在婚姻鸡毛中闯出姐的一片天 A child who never felt loved by their parents believes that the small kindnesses shown by Zhou Xiaotian, the man they meet as an adult, are love. Desperate to hold on to happiness, they never expect Zhou Xiaotian to change completely on their wedding day! The heroine, Shuying, keeps yielding, only to face increasingly brutal beatings and insults. When she finally comes to her senses, the true face of Zhou Xiaotian, the man before her, is gradually revealed. Shuying begins a struggle to resist he —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 After Tricking and Pressuring My Ex into Having Someone Else's Baby, I Disappeared and Ran 哄骗怂恿前女友生下别人孩子后，我失联跑路了 After tricking and persuading my ex-girlfriend to give birth to another man’s child, I cut off contact and ran away. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 The City of Woven Sand 织沙之城 [The first online novel set in Nansha District, Guangzhou, the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A 2023 key project supported by the China Writers Association] A heroine’s coming-of-age story + the gentle flow of everyday life + women’s entrepreneurship What is home? What does one’s hometown mean? As the Pearl River rushes toward the sea, Mai Jiaying, a post-90s small-town exam ace, grows tired of her salt-scented, out-of-the-way hometown. All she wants is to fly to the ca 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 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
- 22 Housewife: My Husband Wants a Divorce 家庭主妇：老公想离婚 Chen Mofei is the head of the hospital's gynecology department, and Tao Yan is a housewife. They were once a harmonious couple, but Tao Yan has a sharp tongue and a kind heart. Her cutting, hurtful words repeatedly push her husband's patience to the limit... The messy, petty troubles of ordinary people! The story takes its time getting going. I hope you'll enjoy it! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 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
- 24 My Wife Didn't Reply for Three Minutes, So I Cut Ties with Her 媳妇三分钟不回我消息，我直接断绝关系 My Wife Didn’t Reply for Three Minutes, So I Cut Ties with Her on the Spot 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 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 49Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 26 The Fleas 跳蚤们 The Fleas is a crime novel about the struggles and ambitions of new Chinese immigrants in Flushing and Manhattan, New York. Set in the early twenty-first century, it follows three ordinary men, Li Xiaodong, Gao Wanli, and Xie Yuan, who came to America as immigrants, undocumented migrants, and international students. Through starkly realistic storytelling, it portrays their hardships and desires as they confront the challenges of building new lives overseas, revealing the difficulties of immigran 7Reads9.5Score314d adds
- 27 The Man Next Door 男邻居 Qiao Mai, a country girl, endures a rough journey from her wedding and childbirth to miscarriage and divorce. Over the course of twelve years of marriage, the special sweetness of being each other’s “darling” fades amid her husband’s disrespect and inaction. Her affection is gradually extinguished by the havoc wreaked by her mother-in-law and three sisters-in-law, until the marriage finally ends in divorce. The story begins with a man living downstairs listening to his neighbors having sex in th 84Reads9.5Score—14d adds
- 28 The Factory Girl's Comeback 工厂打工妹的逆袭 Song Xinyue’s husband, Zhou Jun, is idle and hopelessly addicted to gambling, leaving the family in dire financial straits. With no other choice, Song Xinyue painfully entrusts her young daughter to her in-laws and goes away to work on her own. How will the people and events she encounters at the factory change her life? Is this an opportunity or a trap? Hope or despair? Let’s step into her story together... 52Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 From Street Stall to Success 打工仔从地摊开始 In his parents' eyes, Chen Guang is a good kid, reasonably handsome, and his biggest flaw is that he's poor. Life is pretty rough for a poor kid. He has to shoulder the crushing weight of life while smiling and pushing forward. Heaven never cut him any slack, so he started out selling goods at a street stall and finally turned his fortunes around. 27Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 A Love Triangle in Marriage 婚姻里的三角恋 [Contemporary realistic fiction + the married life of ordinary people in Beijing + love triangles in marriage + real struggles] Bai Xue and Wang Yang are a young married couple living in Beijing. Wang Yang is a typical “phoenix man,” a country boy who made it big in the city. After ten years of marriage, he cheats on her. After they divorce, Bai Xue meets another man, and her new life begins… What makes this book special: A woman faces betrayal in her marriage, but after the hardship comes 1.6kReads8.8Score15414d adds
- 31 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
- 32 A Media Veteran's Career Change in a New Era 传媒老兵降维求职记 If you're looking for a job, about to start looking, or planning to switch jobs, this one's for you! This novel is based on real people's experiences of falling into job-hunting traps. It's practically an online job seeker's guide to spotting scams and avoiding pitfalls. Read Tomato Novel and learn how to protect yourself from fraud. It's fun and useful, a win-win. Dong Shizhang and Zong Jinli's media company is on the verge of collapse, and the online loans they took out are coming due. With no 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 On the Seventh Day of the New Year, I Poured My Life into a Nongfu Spring Bottle 正月初七，我把人生倒进了农夫山泉瓶 On the seventh day of the first lunar month, I poured my life into a Nongfu Spring bottle. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 A Conspiracy Within the Marriage 婚内合谋 After the passion fades, the leads settle into a dull married life, paying off their debts and living without intimacy. Then the male lead's best friend cheats, and through a twist of fate, the female lead receives hush money of 300,000 yuan. Her desire to make money suddenly awakens, and she joins forces with her husband to start a business. As they make money hand over fist, they rediscover the passion of their romance. Greed and the desires of love and hate collide in a tangle of human nature 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 Us in Xiangyang Lane 向阳里的我们 [#Real life, #warm neighborhood stories, #healing family bonds, #raising a child and turning life around] Delivery worker Wang Xiaojun had a pain he couldn't put into words: his six-year-old son Xiaobao lived in his own world, like a star. One moment of carelessness nearly resulted in Xiaobao getting lost, sending the entire Xingfuli residential community into chaos. The incident tore open the cracks in Wang Xiaojun and his wife Li Xiujuan's strained marriage, while also revealing the troubles 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 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
- 37 The Desperate Wife 绝望的妻子 Housewife Li Wenqing had been living a comfortable, affluent life. She had an adorable son and got along well with her stepdaughter. But on the eve of their seventh wedding anniversary, Li Wenqing discovered that her husband was having an affair. Longing for a whole and happy family, she endured a painful inner struggle and hoped her husband would see the error of his ways and return to the family. Instead, he went down a path of no return. Betrayed by her husband and stabbed in the back by her 167Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 38 You Made Me Your Nanny, but Heaven Made Me the Heroine 你逼我当保姆，老天让我当女主 Because of her sweet, pretty looks, the female lead was bullied by her cousin from a young age. But fate seemed terribly unfair to her. When she was 28, a car accident killed both her parents, leaving her all alone. Her well-off cousin took pity on her and invited her to move to the city. From then on, her life changed completely. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Foot Massage Is a Way, Technique Is a Method: Follow the Way of Nature 足道也是道手法也是法道法自然 A young man’s journey through love brings surprises and disappointments, laughter, and moments that leave him wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear. What is love, really… Perhaps it means being together forever, or perhaps it means having loved once. The answer lies in the hearts of all you fellow cultivators… —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 A Match Made in a Tycoon Family: My Love, Come on In 豪门相亲爱妻请入门 [Chasing-the-wife crematorium + sharp-minded leads + domineering CEO] Wei Wenxi returns home for a blind date, only to be rejected by her match. What else can she do? She's fallen for his uncle, and she's determined to become her match's aunt by marriage! She thought wedding bells were just around the corner, but her mother, who favors sons over daughters, objects to the marriage. Why? Because she can't stand the thought of her daughter marrying so well? 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 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—14d adds
- 42 Back on My Feet: I Paid Off 500,000 Yuan in Online Loans with My Own Hands 上岸：我靠双手还清五十万网贷 On a farm in Northeast China, Wang Chen, a 33-year-old married farmer, falls deeper and deeper into online-loan debt as he struggles to pay for his daughter's medical treatment and keep his agricultural business running. This is the story of how he eventually turns his desperate situation around. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 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... 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 A Collection of Modern Shanghai Stories 上海现代故事集 Volume Two: A New Shanghai Mom. She has a second child, a son and a daughter, though her daughter’s troubles in middle school already have her at her wits’ end. She used to think she’d be happy as long as she had a modestly comfortable life, and at least she could count on her husband. But then her deranged sister-in-law shows up and turns both families’ lives into a complete mess! Volume One: An only daughter who has been abroad for twenty years rushes back to Shanghai to claim her grandmother 204Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 The Meaning of Happiness 幸福的标准 Ye Han and He Junshan are, in everyone’s eyes, the perfect love story from campus to the altar. But how can a marriage keep feelings safe from the wear and tear of everyday life? Even their careers are gradually facing new crises… 69Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 Taking the Stage After the Curtain Falls 落幕登场 Liu Mingming heads to Beijing alone, carrying his dream of making music, only to be swindled out of every penny. Doused in the cold reality of life, he grits his teeth, sets aside his passion, and bows his head to make a living. In the end, he finds success in both love and career. 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 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. 229Reads6.5Score10814d adds
- 48 Fireflies in Daylight 荧火虫的白昼 A great period drama. Ignore the awful title: this realistic work comes from a seasoned writer, about a woman from out of town living in Shanghai, in the vein of Blossoms Shanghai. Neighborhood gossip and jokes that hit you right in the heart. No mystery, no wish-fulfillment, no fantasy, nothing added. Just the daily grind: food, rent, petty squabbles, and family affairs. 8Reads—Score114d adds
- 49 A Flower in the Dust, Blooming Toward the Sun 尘埃里的花，向阳而生 This story follows Shi Xiaoying, beginning at eighteen when she elopes for love. It traces her marriage through sweetness, betrayal, and endurance, culminating in her awakening. Woven through the story are her children’s perspectives and the kindness of those who watch from the sidelines. It portrays a woman struggling between betrayal and perseverance before finally breaking free and embracing a new life. Exploring responsibility and self-worth in love and marriage, it reveals the resilience th 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 The Bill for Time 时间的帐单 Set in a modern city, this story focuses on the clashes and eventual reconciliation between two generations of the Jiang family over their views on love and marriage, painting a realistic picture of contemporary society: elders rush their children into romance and marriage, while the younger generation prefers to take things slowly. The two generations struggle with love, marriage, and life choices, then look back on their lives, ultimately finding acceptance and insight in middle age. Everyone —Reads—Score—14d adds
