Novels like Starting from Scratch: Three Years Flipping Little Boxes Made Me a Millionaire
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Starting from Scratch: Three Years Flipping Little Boxes Made Me a Millionaire, best match first.
- 101 Those Years in Dongguan 在东莞那些年 This book tells the story of an ordinary loser who finds love while working at a factory. After his future mother-in-law demands an outrageous bride price, he works hard, sets out to build a business, and pursues his dream. Giving up a high-paying job, he leads his friends back to their hometown to start a business, transforming a place so poor that no one could find a wife into a place young women are eager to marry into. 86Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 102 A Future to Look Forward to, Morning and Night 朝暮可盼 Cheerful, healing, adorably goofy art student × aloof on the outside, warm-hearted and proud academic ace On the second day after Shen Mu transferred schools, her homeroom teacher assigned her to Lin Lizhao, the grade's top student and resident “ice block.” People said he was cold and taciturn. Even classmates who had been with him for three years didn't dare strike up a conversation. Then one day, the usually stone-faced top student cornered her in the stairwell, his voice low and plaintive. “D 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 The Year the Wutong Rain Fell 那一年梧桐雨落 Young love, charging headlong into a relationship at an age when you don't yet understand love. I always regretted how one relationship ended, and it wasn't until years later that I learned there was another version of the story from back then. 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 104 Shenzhen Stories: Sister Ji 深圳往事霁姐 You resent that I was born too soon; I resent that you were born too late. Though we could not live at the same time, we can still share a grave. Mo Chou happens to meet Wu Zhiji, a beautiful, kind-hearted young widow ten years her senior. Was it that love came too early, before she knew how to cherish it, or that by the time she learned to love, they had become strangers? Disclaimer: The locations, people, companies, and events in this book are unrelated to real life! 56Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 105 Love with All Your Heart 尽情去爱吧 Based on a true story, newly rated. A literary gem, finely written, not a web novel. When desire and morality collide, human weakness becomes a blade that wounds others. The Peking University campus is merely the story’s starting point. The Beijing financial world is where the real story unfolds. The author graduated with an undergraduate degree from Peking University’s Department of Physics. 18.5kReads8.7Score75214d adds
- 106 A Coder’s Rewind: The Flying Youth of 1997 码农回档：飞扬的青春1997 Programmer Lü Xin is sent back to 1997 after a car accident, his soul traveling through time. Back on his high school campus, he refuses to settle for an ordinary life. With the times at his back and the knowledge and memories of his past life to rely on, why shouldn't his youth soar on the winds of change? [Reborn in a bygone era + no System + no golden finger + campus life + entrepreneurship] 20.3kReads7.4Score1.8k14d adds
- 107 Back to High School, Where an Invincible Youth Begins 重返高中时代，开启所向无敌青春 [Transmigration + School Life + Youth + Romance + One Heroine in the End] When Chen Xiyuan woke up, he discovered that he had transmigrated ten years into the past, going from an overworked middle-aged man to a youthful teenager. “Ah! I remember my lost youth, those years full of regrets. I want to change everything and enjoy life to the fullest...” From then on: In his single-parent family, Chen Xiyuan reconciled with his younger sister and made sure his mother no longer had to worry. At school —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 108 Through the Sea of People, I Run to You 绕遍人海奔向你 Everyone says Wen Zheng spent every last flutter of her heart on Lu Zhi'ang. And indeed, ever since that midsummer when she was in eighth grade, Wen Zheng had devoted her whole heart to the boy. Setting and characters: A tender teenage romance set in middle school, with both of them crossing paths, and a long, unrequited crush stretched across different classes and schools. Yet a veil always seemed to lie between them. They chatted online every day, but rarely crossed paths in person. Conflic 180Reads—Score—14d adds
- 109 Better Late Than Never. There's Still a Long Road Ahead 迟到但无妨，来日且方长 Chu Mingxi thinks of herself as a piece of charcoal and Li Cheng as a spark. Only when she meets Li Cheng does she grow warm and begin to shine. She was late to their promise, but in the days ahead, she’ll make a living from the simple pleasures of life and find love through poetry. She once thought beauty lay in partings and reunions, but in the end, even life’s everyday necessities are poetry. 506Reads9.4Score—14d adds
- 110 Overnight, the Uncle's Life Bounced Back from Rock Bottom 一夜之间，大叔的生活触底反弹 Gao Weiguo, a middle-aged man born in the 1970s, had thought he would retire from his insurance company in quiet mediocrity. Little did he know that an opportunity that suddenly came his way would completely change his life… 3.9kReads8.7Score30614d adds
- 111 Perfectly Complementary 极致互补 [Short drama now streaming] [Emotion-led brand strategist Zhang Xinbei × rational investor Gao Jiawei] Modern romance / cerebral love / workplace maneuvering / mature push and pull A power couple who complement each other · One-on-one · Mutual salvation · (Those who mind a non-virgin heroine should proceed with caution. No rivalry between women, just a normal romance with sound values.) * She is a top-tier brand strategist who breaks through by understanding human nature; he is a capital markets 3.1kReads8.7Score32814d adds
- 112 A Romance at a Shenzhen Factory 深圳工厂情缘 My new story is here! 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! 3kReads8.9Score21714d adds
- 113 Neither Storm Nor Sunshine! 也无风雨也无晴！ Marriage Before Love, a realistic urban romance about everyday married life! Su Qin and Zhou Xinping marry after being introduced through a matchmaking arrangement, and they bicker constantly. Just as Su Qin feels disappointed and lost, a new dawn arrives. She discovers that her husband truly cares for her, and together they take on a new stage of life! 419Reads—Score—14d adds
- 114 Foolish Mother 傻娘 My father was dead, my mother had gone mad. The day I came home, I saw someone destroying it... 43.1kReads9.0Score1.3k14d adds
- 115 Her Secret Thoughts: A Young Man’s Hidden Diary in a Small Village 致她的心事：小村青年的隐秘日记 No formulaic plot | Not a wish-fulfillment novel | Realistic fiction | Zhou Zhiqiang grows up amid poverty and chaos in her birth family, with her father instilling in her the survival rule that “you have to please people to survive.” She gets into college and lands a job at a bank. A well-off man, Ke Qingyan, pursues her, but as the truth about her family comes out, she gradually loses her self-respect and her relationship. Later, burdened with debt, she returns to her hometown and, under he 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 116 A Different Kind of Youth 不一样的青春味道 Everything came so suddenly, as brief as dew... But she had to learn to accept the unexpected losses life brings: spilled milk, a lost wallet, a friendship broken, a lover gone astray... Overnight, her stable career was swept into a tangled struggle of competing interests, and she nearly lost her job... In a single day, the boyfriend she had loved for years turned and walked away, with a reason that sounded so noble... In an instant, one look seemed to last a lifetime. You suddenly appeared befo 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 117 The Fierce Middle-Aged Man 大叔凶猛 “I've realized I'm liking you more and more.” Looking at the radiant beauty beside him, Lin Feng felt his heart clench. He wasn't single, and faced with such unexpected candor, he felt not the slightest bit of joy. If anything, his scalp prickled. As soon as Lin Feng took over the Jiangdong branch of Wansheng Plaza, all kinds of temptations came pouring in. What followed was a dangerous struggle of wits, without a single flash of blades. The Game of Thrones, the realities of the workplace, and t 1.5kReads6.1Score10414d adds
- 118 A Trap Within a Trap, a Lie Within a Lie 局中局，骗中骗 Greed grows in people’s hearts, and scams can find their way through any opening. No one is born lucky or immune to being deceived. The only reason you haven’t fallen into a trap is that you haven’t yet encountered one designed specifically for you. Desire is the bait, weakness is the opening. As long as greed remains, there will always be a scam waiting to draw you in. 2.3kReads8.3Score27314d adds
- 119 The Awakening of a Middle-Aged Woman 一个中年女人的觉醒 [Family of Origin vs. the Fortress of Marriage] Chen Qingchen, an only child, is madly in love. She steals her household register and marries Lin Jiaxin, a man from a poor family who has made it on his own, unaware of what awaits her: a sharp-tongued mother-in-law who makes her life difficult, her father’s sudden death, her mother being forced out of the home, and underhanded attacks at work. When she hits rock bottom, two women become her lifelines. Her tough mother stands firmly behind her, wh 7.8kReads8.5Score75014d adds
- 120 Kisses on a Beijing Night 京夜有吻 The rating was just posted, so don't worry about it! [Unrequited Love | Mutual Pining After Reunion | Powerful Family Background] Xiao Ning had received praise her whole life. She came from a good family, did well in school, had a successful career, and had the face of everyone's first love. With her parents' protection and support, as well as her own hard work, she rose higher and higher, with nothing but smooth sailing ahead. The one place she hit a wall was marriage, which plunged her into de 11.3kReads8.9Score1k14d adds
- 121 The Comeback: From Wage Slave to CEO 逆袭！从打工仔到总裁 This book tells the story of Lin Qiang, an 18-year-old from a rural village in northwest China. When his family was struck by sudden hardship, with his father seriously ill and debts piling up, he had no choice but to give up his place at a prestigious university. With just 200 yuan in his pocket, he set off alone for the prosperous coastal city of Donghai to make a living. He started out hauling bricks at construction sites, then seized opportunities to learn new skills and struggle through the 13Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 122 My Online Gaming Buddy Is My Homeroom Teacher? 线上游戏搭子，是我班主任？ [Multiple Female Leads] [Lighthearted Comedy] [Everyday Campus Life] Lu Anping discovers something strange. Why can only he see the posts his homeroom teacher shares on Moments? And why do they seem to be posted just for him? What are the odds? Are they set to “visible to me only”? Or did she simply forget to block me? Could she hear my thoughts, like in that novel I’ve been reading lately? During class, Lu Anping stares at his homeroom teacher and thinks with a sneer: Stop pretending, teach. I 1.5kReads8.4Score10414d adds
- 123 A Motherless Child, Cared for by His Sister-in-Law 没妈的孩子，嫂子疼 [Period drama + No System or storage space] After my adoptive parents died in a car accident, my older brother Zhang Dakui and I depended on each other. Ever since Dakui brought my sister-in-law Liu Chunmei home, our lives changed. And so did my life... 98Reads6.2Score11214d adds
- 124 These Years, These Things 这些年，这些事 Campus + urban life + everyday moments + a hint of mystery + the underworld + romance + explosive plot twists He should have been destined for greatness, a top student in everyone's eyes. But one unexpected incident made him destroy his own promising future. The consequences changed not only the course of his life, but the lives of many others as well. All characters, places, and events in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 125 The Phoenix Woman Marries a Phoenix Man 凤凰女嫁给凤凰男 This is an inspirational story about Yan Yan and Liang Liang, two top students who make their way from the countryside to Beijing. Through their own hard work, they put down roots there, buy a home and a car, and raise a family. Their journey is filled with hardships and laughter, as they keep facing new challenges and growing along the way. 255Reads—Score—14d adds
- 126 Chasing Summer 逐夏 [From Campus to Wedding Dress + Both Pure + Sweet Romance + Healing] [Cheerful, sunny top student who seems like a good girl vs. cold, obsessive campus king] One day, the campus king of Jiang University was on his way to teach a few street thugs a lesson. When he arrived, he found that several of them had already been beaten black and blue. They were on their knees, kowtowing and begging for mercy. "Don't ask us. Our boss makes the decisions." "If you want to ask someone, ask our boss." "Boss, w 3.2kReads6.9Score47514d adds
- 127 Redemption: Spoiling the Down-and-Out Campus Beauty Until She Becomes a Reverse Yandere 救赎：把落魄校花宠成反向病娇 I've been dreaming of adapting this into an animated comic. I hope all my fellow readers will help me by tapping "Make a Wish Now" under More Settings. (One female lead) + (Both leads are each other's first and only) + (Mutual healing) + (Absolute trust) + (They always choose each other) + (Pure love) + (No System) Li Chen: You're the pride of heaven, while I'm just a piece of trash, a rat in the gutter. We're from two different worlds! Su Xingwan: I love you. If you leave me, I'll kill myself! 3.3kReads8.2Score32214d adds
- 128 My Five Sisters Raised Me, So I Bought Each of Them a House 五个姐姐养大我，我送每人一套房 When I was seven, Mom and Dad were gone. My five older sisters took turns raising me. The eldest dropped out of school to work a sewing machine. The second scavenged rotten vegetables at the market. The third earned money competing in tournaments. The fourth never had an entry labeled “for herself” in her ledger. The fifth cut off her long braids and sold them for eight yuan to pay my tuition. Chen Zi'en lived next door. He was the school bully, feared by everyone. He'd never lost a fight, but 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 129 Mist Bites the Bones of Green Branches 雾咬青枝骨 Growing up, Su Man was nothing but a pawn her mother used to curry favor with her father. Her life felt utterly pointless, and she'd planned to drift through it in a daze. She never expected to meet someone at university who brought her nothing but bad luck and irritation. She was exasperated and frustrated. Her favorite catchphrase became, “You sleazy jerk, get the hell away from me!” But he stuck to her like glue. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake him off! She was so annoyed. Sh 12Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 130 Died by the River 逝于江河 Two years into their marriage, Meng Ran became pregnant with Yang Peng's child, but something about it all felt wrong. Those choices that seemed so firm were really just hesitant attempts to weigh the pros and cons. “How wonderful it is to be young” was nothing but an illusion. We all once held lofty dreams, but now we live ignobly. Can Meng Ran and Yang Peng clear away the fog, cross the wilderness, and make a steady passage into the real world? Or are they headed for ruin? 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 131 Those of Us Who Don’t Want to Go to Work 不想上班的我们 There are three protagonists in this story: a young man who only wants to open a bar, a young woman who drops out of school to become a livestreamer, and me, someone who always played by the rules but eventually became thoroughly disillusioned with office life. This is a story about a group of young people, just like you and me in our youth. We don't want to go to work, but society beats us down and grinds us into the floor. After enduring hardship, a band of little good-for-nothings rises up to 587Reads—Score10814d adds
- 132 When Will I Come of Age? The Campus Arc 何时而立之校园篇 This story, based on real people, is the first installment in the When Will I Come of Age series: When Will I Come of Age: Campus Days. It follows the events in the life of the protagonist, He Li, during his university years, including his daily life, studies, and romance. His self-discipline in both life and study ultimately takes him to the top of his academic field. The novel feels so authentic that readers can relate to it and feel as though they’re right there in the story. Its gripping plo 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 133 What's Got You So Proud? 你牛什么牛 Also known as The Yueyue’s Terrible Mother-in-Law. Through the story of an unusually strong-willed woman’s life, this novel offers a profound look at the dialectical relationship between personality and fate. From many angles, it examines the rise of extreme feminism in contemporary society. It also gives serious thought to marriage and romance, raising children, and human relationships in the modern world. It offers important guidance for a new generation in the twenty-first century on developi 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 134 Let Me Build You a Home 我来给你装个家 Who would lose the house they worked so hard to earn just because they fell in love? Jiang Ning. Who would scrimp on everything, from food and clothes to housing and travel, just because they fell in love? Yang Wu. They were both willing to do it for each other. The road may have been hard, but together they were always happy. In the end, they found a home and a life together, sharing three meals a day through all four seasons. 1.5kReads9.4Score14914d adds
- 135 Top Student, Don't Hide. The Campus Heartthrob Is Crazy About You 学霸别躲，校草他超爱 Top Student, Don’t Hide. The Campus Heartthrob Is Really Into You 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 136 Spring Winds in Winter 冬季有春风 [Female Growth] [Childhood Sweethearts] [Turning the Tables Against the Odds] [Realistic] A girl battered by her dysfunctional family wants nothing more than to save the naive young boy who loves her. Life in the cramped alleyways is always the same, while the surging tide of the times takes everyone by surprise. In the winter at the end of the century, the gears of Xu Chunfeng's fate quietly began to turn. 3kReads8.0Score12714d adds
- 137 A Second New Beginning 二次新生 [No System] [Not Reborn] [Realistic Urban Life] [Restaurant Startup] [Slice of Life] It wasn’t until the day I got divorced that I understood: closing the noodle shop wasn’t the hardest part. The hardest part was watching my ex-wife get into someone else’s car, then having to smile as I served the last pot of bone broth to my summer customers. Later, I won a bet to take over a restaurant. I thought my life was finally turning around. Until I realized that every step I took was a square on someon 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 138 The Texas Underworld 德州江湖 A tale of hooligans in Dezhou, Shandong, China? No. A tale of gangsters in Texas, USA? No. Texas hold 'em? Getting warmer. There are no miraculous gambling skills, no tense showdowns at the poker table, and no underdog comeback story. All there is is a poker table and the assortment of people around it: cops, businessmen, spies, brothers, high-ranking officials, lovers, and lowlifes. The worlds of money, power, loyalty, and love are all deadly. They aren't gambling on cards. They're gambling on 343Reads—Score—14d adds
- 139 Blazing Summer Starry Sky 炽夏星空 Icy beauty × arrogant simp Xiao Nianli’s first day of school goes spectacularly wrong: she gets caught sneaking into the principal’s office to steal cigarettes from the old bald man, earning herself a two-month suspension as a bonus. Transfer student He Xubai is even more impressive. On his first day, he gets suspended for calling the discipline director “a bit thin on top” and tossing his toupee into the principal’s spittoon. When the queen of cigarette thieves meets the king of troublemaker 101Reads—Score1814d adds
- 140 A False Marriage 假嫁 Lang Xi, a businesswoman bent on revenge, is willing to put herself in harm’s way and marry her enemy’s son, Liu Ze. But Liu Ze cheats on her repeatedly during their marriage. Hounded by her mother-in-law and locked in a bitter struggle with his mistress, Lang Xi joins forces with her biological father, Liu Huazi, to avenge her mother and reclaim her grandfather’s estate. Lang Xi’s monologue: After I married into this family, my mother-in-law hit me, my husband hit me, and even his mistress hit 142Reads—Score1014d adds
- 141 Middle-Aged and Alone, With No One to Lean On 人到中年，无人可依 A middle-aged couple have no sex life and barely communicate. With elderly parents to care for and children to raise, they hit a dead end at work and struggle through a life full of endless chores. Then suddenly, an unforeseen and terrifying crisis sweeps them into a storm. What should they do next? Can they keep going? How can they turn things around? 240Reads7.4Score12914d adds
- 142 A Tangled Parallel Line 一条交错的平行线 [Everyday life + School life + One heroine] (The ratings just opened. They should go up later, right?) (Big boss, big boss, does anyone actually read our book?) (They will, they will. There’ll be readers like Yifei and Yanzhu.) Who doesn’t want a colorful youth? High school lasts long enough for all kinds of things to happen and for you to meet countless people. Relationships that once grew distant and encounters that never got the chance to begin will quietly take a turn at some point. Liang Ji 147Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 143 My Years as a Migrant Worker in Shenzhen 我在深圳打工那些年 Two AI comic adaptations of this book are already online, and a third is in production. In 1997, I was 17, carrying 300 yuan as I left my hometown in Hunan and headed south to Shenzhen alone. With no skills and no temporary residence permit, I was chased by security patrols, turned away by factories, left hungry, and forced to spend nights hiding in a cemetery. I went from a penniless kid to a sewing-machine operator at a handbag factory, then seized the opportunities of the times, opened a shop 18.8kReads8.8Score1.5k14d adds
- 144 The Freezer 冰柜 In today's restless society, people's innate kindness can easily be lost amid rampant materialism. Sometimes, love and devotion are repaid with betrayal, or even death. Based on real cases, this book warns readers that the dark side of human nature is always present, and that desire and dissatisfaction can corrode even the deepest bonds. 44Reads—Score—14d adds
- 145 The Wife I Met at the Civil Affairs Bureau Turned Out to Be a Millionaire 民政局捡到的老婆竟然是个富婆 Zhao Muyuan was delivering divorce papers to his boss when he found himself a wife outside the Civil Affairs Bureau. “Why do you carry your household registration booklet around with you?” Xiang Qiu was at a loss for words. Zhao Muyuan held the booklet, eagerly waiting for her to act on impulse. “Congratulations, you are now legally married.” 1.6kReads6.6Score23614d adds
- 146 Middle Age: City of Desire 人到中年：欲望之都 [Urban] + [Everyday Life] + [Special Agent] + [Sound Values] The story begins when the male lead, Li Wujiao, retires from service and comes home late at night, hoping to surprise his wife. Instead, he discovers that his wife, Jiang Zhirou, hasn't come home, and someone is harassing her... What? You say your grandfather was once a big shot in the Magic City? And your father is a financial tycoon there, too? No need to panic... Watch a retired agent prove that retirement hasn't dulled his skills. 6.1kReads9.0Score60514d adds
- 147 Reborn, I Went Back to High School, What a Rush 重生之我回高中了，爽 Pei Yun returned to high school with a few regrets and did the things he'd always wanted to do. There are old attachments, regrets, and memories here! No more being invisible. Escape the city's clamor and just go for it! Please show your support~ Thanks! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 148 A Temporary Romance at the Factory! 工厂里的临时爱情！ Wang Dali had just left his rural hometown to find work in the city. After his night shift, he returned to his rented room. As he snapped the key in the lock, he heard a woman's cries from inside. From that day on, life opened up an entirely new world for him. Every day that followed was an adventure. 307Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 149 Green Vine 绿萝 This book is for everyone who has ever waited. This is a novel about all the things left unsaid: not saying you like someone, not saying you are waiting, not saying whether it was worth it. But all those unspoken words are tucked inside candy wrappers, hidden in a tin box, and buried in the beeping sounds of a phone booth. The bravest thing Lin Dong ever did was not repairing that imported machine or saving enough for a down payment on a house with a courtyard. It was telling Su Xiyue, “It's t 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 150 The Little Bridge Cave Family Compound 小桥洞家属院 [Period Setting] [Ensemble Cast] [Everyday Life] The results came out a few months after it was completed. This novel is fantastic! Zhang Yan and Deng Yang were born in the Xiaoqiaodong factory compound and grew up beneath the chimneys of the State Chemical Plant. There was no glamour or respectability here, only the bustle of daily life, sweat, arguments, and warmth. In 1997, as firecrackers exploded to celebrate Hong Kong's return, they still thought their parents would wear their work uniform 591Reads8.1Score10214d adds
