Novels like The Cunning Woman at Work
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Cunning Woman at Work, best match first.
- 51 A Romantic Career in Officialdom 浪漫仕途 After graduating with a master’s degree, Leng Yu took the civil service exam and landed a post in a poor mountain region, determined to do more good for the people and deliver real results. But while his ideals were lofty, reality dealt him a face-slapping blow. Facing pressure from all sides, he stubbornly fought his way forward and gradually came to understand that to accomplish great things, he would first have to become a high-ranking official. 100Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 52 Turbulent Waves 迷涛 This is a chronicle of a grassroots official's rise and fall, a portrait of county-level officialdom in the 1990s, and, above all, a bittersweet song of an era defined by the struggle between human weakness and steadfastness. When the turbulent waters recede, the embankment still bears the upright figures of those who never bent. 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 53 The Pinnacle of Power: After Breaking Up with My Girlfriend, I Soared to Success 权势巅峰：和女朋友分手后扶摇直上 Betrayed by his girlfriend, with his patron's career hanging by a thread, Lu Xiaoyang, a secretary in the municipal government, suffered a double blow to his love life and political career. Disillusioned, he planned to leave politics for good. But the arrival of one woman completely changed his fate, helping him soar up the political ladder and reach the top of the provincial government compound. 618Reads—Score11014d adds
- 54 Power Plays and Political Intrigue 权谋权术 After the newspaper director passed away, his assistant at the Yun Province Daily was plunged into the darkest period of his life: dismissed by the paper, betrayed by his cheating girlfriend, and targeted by malicious colleagues... It all began when he risked his life to save someone. From there, he left journalism for government service, and his life took off. 1.3kReads7.6Score19014d adds
- 55 The True Face of Officialdom 官场本色 A new political drama is here! Welcome, everyone. I hope you enjoy my work. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 364Reads—Score—14d adds
- 56 Xiaohefeng’s First Book 小荷风的第1本书 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 1kReads6.8Score—14d adds
- 57 The Transferred Soldier King Marries in a Flash During College 转业兵王大学期间闪电结婚 Bai Yitu never expected that after returning to campus, he would be drawn by some mysterious force into one maelstrom after another. To pay for his father's medical treatment, he gave up his first chance at marriage. Then he unexpectedly uncovered the truth behind a college classmate's car accident. The shocking collusion between officials and businesspeople for illicit profits pushed him, against his will, to change everything. From passing the civil service exam for a provincial department to 49Reads—Score—14d adds
- 58 A Rich Second Generation at the Grassroots 富二代在基层 A rich second-generation heir joins the ranks of grassroots civil servants. Moving beyond the pursuit of material inheritance to focus on self-fulfillment and creating social value, he brings professionalism and innovative energy to grassroots work, challenges the one-dimensional narrative of entrenched class divisions, and shows that talented people from different backgrounds can move in both directions. 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 59 The Pinnacle of Power: A Rising Career in Government 权利巅峰：官场之青云仕途 One day, he was implicated in a scandal and demoted from the county committee to a remote border town. Former colleagues turned a cold shoulder, his girlfriend abandoned him, and his future was in ruins. No one knew that, at the lowest point of his life, he would meet a blue-robed old Taoist in the streets and receive guidance from a master. From then on, he would break deadlocks with strategy and navigate the political arena with intelligence, using his deep cunning and far-reaching vision to 13.6kReads7.6Score1.2k14d adds
- 60 When the Phoenix Blossoms: The Phoenix's Rebirth 凤凰花开之凤凰涅槃 She once believed her entire life consisted of her husband's coldness, her mother-in-law's scorn, and the silent world of her daughter, who had cerebral palsy. Then the “pig-butchering scam” struck, and their 800,000 yuan in savings vanished in an instant. Her long-silent husband, Long Qishang, dropped his final mask: a divorce agreement that left her with nothing, while even their daughter became a burden he was eager to cast off. The city left her with nothing but debt and despair. Dragging a 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 61 A Splendid Rise: Starting as a Seconded Secretary 锦绣青云：从借调秘书开始 A junior secretary is swept into a grand game of power. With his pen as his ladder and his heart as his compass, he navigates the whirlpool of power and emotion, step by careful step, until he rises from a temporary posting onto the path to success that is his alone. 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 62 Still Waters Run Deep 静水流深 Can money really fall from the sky? Almost everyone says no. Li Wentao, a deputy director at the municipal government office with no connections or powerful backers, had given up hope of getting anywhere in his career. Then, unexpectedly, a windfall really did fall into his lap: he was appointed director of the municipal government office. By Li Wentao's own reckoning, it was a pretty minor post. But as soon as he took office, he was sidelined. His appointment was merely a compromise in a power 14.4kReads9.3Score1.8k14d adds
- 63 Ten Miles of Red Finery: Not a Single Sedan Chair Can Be Left Behind 十里红妆：一抬都不能少 "Three million. Sign it." She replied with four words: "The shop is not for sale." Her grandmother had passed away, leaving behind a bridal finery shop, twelve volumes of manuscripts, and a grand sedan chair for a wedding procession, its gold leaf only half applied. Everyone urged her to take the money and leave. Only the lawyer told her, "The will says the shop goes to you. If you don't claim it within sixty days, it goes to someone else." So she went to claim it. When buying the shop didn't wo 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 64 Weng Xiaoge’s 12th Book 翁小哥的书第12本书 After choking to death on a rice cake, the heroine was reborn and took up the post of Party secretary, governing a region and bringing prosperity to its people. The ladder of officialdom has ten rungs, each one a new height. She can play the game of officialdom however she likes. Fearing no hostile forces, she draws on the experience and abilities she gained in her previous life. This time, she refuses to bow to fate. She challenges Heaven and refuses to believe in destiny. Using herself as a bl —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 65 The Road to Officialdom: I’m No Broker 官途：我不是掮客 A broker: what is a broker? As the name suggests, a broker uses their connections to help others make a profit, or uses their network to get things done for them. That is what a broker does. There are many kinds of brokers, including business brokers, political brokers, relationship brokers, and many others. The most powerful of them are political brokers. Politics, politics: once anything is tied to politics, it is never going to be simple. Political brokers in particular need exceptional intel 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 66 The Deputy Secretary on Temporary Assignment 挂职副书记 Zhuang Xiaobo, vice chairman of the Writers' Association, arrives in Jiangcheng on a transfer order and takes up a deputy secretary post overseeing cultural projects. With nothing but his pen, he pries open a web of corruption. His scholar's cunning cuts to the bone. With no powerful backer, he relies on ink and paper to fight his way through... 144Reads—Score—14d adds
- 67 The Bitter and Sweet of Bureaucracy 机关的苦辣酸甜 This story follows Lu Zhenyu, a brilliant graduate of a prestigious university. After joining the government, he finds that he cannot shake his scholarly nature. As he struggles with the clash between ideals and reality, see how he experiences the bitter and sweet sides of life in the bureaucracy. 25Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 68 A Grassroots Female Official 基层女干部 This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. It took me three years to write this book. Over those three years, I interviewed more than a dozen women working in grassroots government positions. Some of their stories made me laugh, some made me cry, and some left me silent for a long time. I wanted to write about a real person. Most of all, she keeps moving forward. No matter what lies ahead. As a preface. Spring 2026 · Chongqing 1.2kReads6.2Score—14d adds
- 69 After the Divorce, My Official Wife Regretted It! 离婚后，官妻后悔莫及！ Some say the official world is all scheming and deceit, about choosing sides and making choices, a life-or-death struggle. For Liu Qing, the official world can make his ex-wife regret everything, help his family prosper, and bring benefits to the wider public... 2.8kReads6.4Score22014d adds
- 70 A Comeback in Public Service 仕路逆袭 On the eve of his wedding, his lover breaks up with him and his boss starts targeting him. His life hits rock bottom... New to politics, He Qiang is struck by the coldness of the world. Just as he gives up and decides to lie flat, one act of heroism turns his fortunes around: he wins a huge prize and his political career takes off... Follow the extraordinary rise of a political prodigy, from township clerk to the top. 16.2kReads9.0Score1.1k14d adds
- 71 The Road to Officialdom: Starting at the Grassroots 官道：从基层做起 [Officialdom + Power + Romance + Workplace] Once you figure out how the system works, it’s like activating a cheat code. It’s an exciting ride from the start. This realistic novel about officialdom follows Lin Yaodong’s step-by-step rise from the grassroots to the heights of power. 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 72 The Young People at the Judicial Office 司法所里的年轻人 Fresh graduate Xu Daqi starts working at a judicial office. He goes from inexperienced and clueless to mature and steady, navigating the minutiae of grassroots work and the bizarre realities of life on the ground. After learning that good deeds are not always rewarded, he comes to understand that kindness must be accompanied by diligence. From suspicious-death investigations and land-flooding disputes to group petitions over contract breaches, he holds fast to the belief that public service is a 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 73 The Exceptional Principal 极品校长 Lin Tiannan enters the political arena as a school principal, ready to ride the waves and stride forward with confidence. His life takes off from there. Watch Principal Lin smile as he observes the winds of change... 37Reads—Score—14d adds
- 74 Those Who Left the Village 从村里走出去的人们 Meng Ziqiang started out on the village construction crew and became the richest man in Linqu County. After six divorces and seven marriages, he was killed in an explosion on New Year's Eve. Qiao Yu'er entered a business school and escaped her peasant upbringing. Through diligent writing, she began to make a name for herself, then threw herself into politics and set out on a career in government. Wu Yuexia built up a fish farm and fought her way forward, eventually becoming the deputy county mag 55Reads—Score—14d adds
- 75 A Bloody Road to Power 血色宦途 No System, and no wish-fulfillment fantasy. A bloodstained scrap of paper, the “ticket of admission” his father Qiu Guozheng passed to him with his dying breath, plunges Qiu Xingbang into the treacherous political arena, a veritable hell on earth. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, he sets out on a glittering yet perilous ladder to power. To the world, he is a modest, diligent rising star in politics. In secret, he is a hunter of revenge, advancing one careful step at a time. He navigates the for 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 76 To the Peak of the Azure Clouds, Starting with My Ex-Girlfriend 青云之巅，从前女友开始 Now that you’ve been reborn, do you still have to be timid and submissive? Gu Yang will tell you: life is precious, so why not live it a little more freely... Good and evil in human nature are all here. See the story for a look at the twists and turns of officialdom. 1.5kReads7.4Score15014d adds
- 77 Tales of Officialdom in Jinlin 晋林官宦风云录 Amid the political turmoil of Jinlin County, a small fifth-tier city, County Party Secretary Peng Shusheng was once a pioneer of reform, but died on the eve of his promotion. His secretary, Lu Suiyuan, had been his right-hand man. He resolutely gave up the chance to transfer to the provincial capital and remained in this challenging city. As he carries forward Secretary Peng’s unfinished work, Lu Suiyuan must not only face the countless traps laid by local interest groups, but also resist the co 88Reads—Score—14d adds
- 78 A Promising Career: The Village Doctor's Meteoric Rise in Politics 官运：小村医的妖孽仕途 [Political career + No rebirth + Medical skills] A single needle and prescription can save lives, and also help you navigate the political world and rise to prominence. After making a house call in the middle of the night, village doctor Yang Xiaochuan stumbled into an opportunity to enter public service. With his outstanding medical skills and his commitment to serving the people, he writes a brilliant chapter in the worlds of medicine and politics! 9.9kReads8.1Score97514d adds
- 79 The Cold and Warmth of the Halls of Power 官场冷暖 Zhang Ming is an ordinary grassroots civil servant. Navigating the gap between personal relationships and the rules, he climbs step by step to the pinnacle of power. This is a story of political maneuvering, difficult choices, and personal redemption. The protagonist, Zhang Ming, starts out as a low-ranking township clerk. After demonstrating extraordinary courage and ability during an unexpected incident, he catches the attention of his superiors. In the treacherous world of officialdom, he 23Reads6.8Score10014d adds
- 80 The Ridgeline 山脊线 [How cruel is society? Look at how battered I am! How strong am I? Watch me rise smoothly through the ranks!] The grassroots front line is a crucible that refines the strong, a gilded stage for the average, and a sinkhole that eats away at the weak. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 81 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. 125Reads8.2Score10314d adds
- 82 The Provincial Party Compound: In the Name of the Queen of Spades 省委大院，黑桃皇的名义 Political schemes and power plays, civil war erupting on all sides, and clashes between powerful figures leaving countless dead and wounded. A spectacular anti-corruption campaign unfolds in Longxi Province. The protagonist, Weng Qingyun, starts out in a high-ranking position and enters a life-and-death struggle with Professor Meng Dehu, who just can't help snapping, “Look at you, getting worked up again.” This is more than a brilliant battle between two individuals. It's also a fierce clash bet —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 83 The Wind Rises: The Deer Call 大风起兮：呦呦鹿鸣 The Scales Tip Left, the People Turn Right Also known as "The Political Arena: Don't Mess with the Village Secretary" Ordered to take up a village post at his engagement banquet, he plans to build roads and help the villagers escape poverty, only to get caught up in the undercurrents of the political arena. He dares to talk back to leaders, take on the well-connected, and tackle the toughest challenges. Decisive and ruthless, he rises from a lowly village secretary to the very heart of power. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 84 Rising Step by Step in Middle Age 人到中年：步步高升 Cheng Dawei has offended his beautiful boss and is constantly being targeted by her. He never expected that one good deed would turn his luck around and send him climbing the career ladder. From a nobody in the company whom everyone bullied, he rises to become the darling everyone fawns over and curries favor with... 811Reads8.7Score10714d adds
- 85 Officialdom: I Saved a Mysterious Big Shot and Rose to the Top 官场：救了神秘大佬，乘风破浪 A deeply realistic story about the political arena. No golden finger, and no brainless characters. Born into an ordinary family, he hacks his way through obstacles and rides the winds and waves. Can he reach the pinnacle of power? Just how cruel is reality? This novel will show you that power follows rules! 5.6kReads8.5Score61714d adds
- 86 The Road to Power: From Secretary to the Top 权力之路：从秘书走向巅峰 Song Siming, a master's graduate of Dongda, was recruited by Donghai Television through its talent program. He worked hard but had no knack for sucking up, so his immediate superior kept him down. His wife was unfaithful, and his in-laws looked down on him. The only thing keeping him going was his beloved son, until a paternity test report shattered him. Just when all seemed lost, a glimmer of hope appeared: an older alumnus from Dongda had become a prominent figure in Donghai City, and Song Sim 65Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 87 Her Second Game: A Future Full of Promise 她的二次博弈：遥遥可期 An older, guiding lover, by your side every step of the way. A ten-year age gap. Love is a journey of healing, and a lighthouse that guides us as we grow. The best kind of love isn't rescue when you're down and out. It's walking side by side and helping each other become better versions of ourselves. She had been through a failed marriage. When love quietly began to appear, she was confused, retreated, hesitated, afraid, and too scared to take the leap... Shen Qiyu said, “Being good to you was n 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 88 In the Political Arena, Fighting Corruption Is for the People 官场之反腐是为了人民 From the officials’ roster corruption case in Xiling Province to the corn and vegetable project in Qiangui Province, a series of corruption cases harmed the interests of the people. As a discipline inspection official, Zhong Xiaohua handles each case meticulously and calmly, steadily increasing his authority while always protecting the people’s interests from harm. He makes serving the people his foremost duty. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 89 The Ranks of Officialdom: Step by Step to the Top 官阶之步步高升 Someone took my place in the civil service exam. By a twist of fate, I ended up as a temporary worker at the township government in my hometown. Someone set me up, and I accidentally stumbled upon a secret of one of the leaders. No need to panic. I'm just a temp. What have I got to worry about… My name is Liu Su. According to my great-grandfather, our branch descends from Liu Fei, the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu, Liu Bang. We have an ancestral copy of The Founder’s Boxing Manual. I soaked in med 26Reads—Score—14d adds
- 90 They Stole My Credit, So I Slacked Off and Made the Whole Industry Panic 抢我功绩？我摆烂后卷哭全行业 When your boss takes credit for your work, when the results of your all-nighters become someone else's reward, what do you do? Lin Zhou's answer: he slacks off on the spot! He refuses 996 work schedules and empty promises, and vanishes the moment quitting time comes. Everyone thinks he's washed up, but little do they know that the instant he smashes the sign proclaiming him a "workaholic," he awakens the [Anti-Grind God-Tier System]! The harder he slacks off, the bigger the rewards! He uses a te —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 91 Reborn to Win in Politics 重生之仕途赢家 (Reborn + officialdom + no System + technology + one female lead) In officialdom, rising through the ranks is like climbing a sheer mountain face, moving carefully at every step. Being an official is a technical job. If you won't serve the people, you might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes. Jiang Shiguo is reborn forty years in the past, just as he graduates from university and is assigned his first post, on the verge of entering officialdom. Every move he makes is meticulously planned, w 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 92 The Move That Breaks the Deadlock 破局之举 Chen Zimo's rise from the grassroots to the inner circle takes an unusual path. While others chase undercurrents, he devotes himself to studying the most transparent and solid system of rules, and finds in it a “cloud staircase” of his own. It is both his methodology and his shield. See how a wise man uses rules as steps and wisdom as his guide, climbing ever higher through a world of shifting tides and hidden currents. 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 93 My Road to Department Head: A Country Kid’s Comeback 我的厅长之路：农村娃的逆袭 A country boy passes the civil service exam in another province and works his way up from a township to the county seat and then the provincial capital, rising from a junior clerk to department head. This is a story of turning his life around, with all the hardships and bitterness along the way. Perhaps it will offer something for many readers to learn from. 34Reads—Score—14d adds
- 94 Gamalang Terrace 噶玛兰台 A realistic look at the limits of what an ordinary person can achieve! The protagonist, Li Li, goes from being a demobilized soldier to a schoolteacher, then, by a twist of fate, leaves the public education system to enter the administrative ranks. Driven forward by the tide of the times, and through events that seem accidental but are in fact inevitable, he grows step by step into a towering tree. Spring snow, the moon in a well, wine at the mountain pass, flowers in a mirror: the secret lies w —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 95 Reborn: You Dump Me for a Government Job? I'm No Saint 重生：考公就分手？我不是好人 Fourth place on the written exam, but failed to get a civil service job? Sorry, I’m done being a good guy. This year, I’m getting in! A breakup? Fine. If I can’t have your heart, I’ll have your body! Trying to put me down? Sorry, I have connections up above! When Lin Fan, reborn with the experience of two lifetimes, chose a different way to live, everything turned out differently. In the world of powerful officials, it has always been every man for himself, full of schemes and intrigue. With the 54.8kReads7.2Score5.5k14d adds
- 96 You in a Parallel World: How Did You End Up So Miserable? 平行世界的你，咋混这么惨 After a wedding that left her utterly exhausted, Jia Qianjin accidentally transmigrated into a parallel world. When she woke up, she found herself sitting in a classroom in a foreign country. Everyone around her spoke English she couldn’t understand, and her phone’s photo album was full of strangers. All she could leave in her notes app was one sentence: “Oh my god, did I transmigrate?” Seven days later, the note updated itself. “Oh my god, did I transmigrate too?” From then on, two parallel lin 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 97 Officialdom: The People Trust Me, So Even in Death, I Have No Regrets! 官场：百姓信我，我死亦道哉！ There is no golden finger, no hilarious power fantasy, and no one who has transmigrated. This book will slowly push its male lead into the anguish of officialdom, all the way to his death. Yuan Tong repeatedly finds himself trapped in deadly predicaments. Death seems like an everyday nuisance at his side, but he cannot forget the people's high hopes for him. Integrity is a crime. Serving the people is a sin. Yuan Tong, born to a poor family, is caught in the middle of it all. He watches those wh —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 98 Officialdom: Special Inspector 官场：巡视特使 Is the standard male lead in an officialdom novel a wealthy family's lost heir who gets cheated on from the start? With an official transfer order, Xu Juyi, a decorated national hero returning from abroad, is recommended by his mentor Zhong Baoguo, known as Elder Zhong, whose daughter is Zhong Xia'ai and son-in-law is Hou Liangping. He officially takes personal authority over inspections and disciplinary investigations, stepping into the turbulent chess game of officialdom. Even a commoner can w 24.4kReads8.1Score2.3k14d adds
- 99 Setting Sail for Yunzhou 启航云州 Driven by the ideal of “making Yunzhou a better place,” dedicated official Chen Wangshu leads his team into a new chapter. They conduct in-depth research and develop plans to upgrade local industries, connect businesses with resources to help them overcome difficulties, and organize activities to enrich residents’ cultural and spiritual lives. With each new effort, they move steadily toward their goal and help Yunzhou set sail for a brighter future. 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 100 A Junior Civil Servant in the County Government 县直单位的小公务员 My new work is out! You're welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you'll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well! 70Reads—Score—14d adds
