Cold Winds Rise in the Jianghu

River of Time

Time is a river, and we are travelers. We've come a long way, with dust clinging to our feet. Sitting by the river, we wash the dust away and gaze at our reflections. When the water is calm, perhaps we can see our own shadows clearly: tired and sad. Losing your memory can't make you forget a person or an event, but hardship can help. To grow in life, you can't travel in a straight line. You have to climb over obstacles.

Must-Read Novel Recommendations

Some must-read web novels

Afternoon Tea and Novels

My personal standards for a good book: the writing must be solid, and the story must be logical and internally consistent. Imaginative ideas are fine, but they need to be developed plausibly. I prefer books with substance and finely detailed plots. This list reflects my personal taste and collects works that Chiji personally read and thought worth recommending. I’m not trying to please everyone! I’m especially fond of strong writing, imaginative worldbuilding, and farming stories. If that’s not

Only the Good Stuff. Take Your Pick

My personal reading notes, mostly snarky commentary.

A Record of the Web Novels I've Read

Recording the novels I’ve read and sharing my taste

Hot Picks: Top-Notch Reads, Classic Hits, and Satisfying Stories

I used to think I’d read a lot of web novels, and for a while I was always complaining that I had nothing to read. Looking back now, it seems I really have read quite a lot. Finding a book you can sit down and enjoy all the way through feels wonderful. I put care into recommending good books.

2020 New Book Recommendations

I've been reading for years, and lately I've found it harder and harder to find good books. On a whim, I decided to make a list and gather all the good books I've read in one place to share with friends. You're welcome to recommend books here, too. If one catches my eye, I'll add it to the list.

Pretty Good Books Worth Checking Out

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All Kinds of Genres

Fan fiction

Books I Think Are Good

All classics

A World in Every Book

Some books I like

Books I’ve Read

Must-reads

Books I Like to Read

Cultivation

In a Reading Slump

Hahahahaha

Pretty good.

Let’s Put on a Show

The red apricots have blossomed, the peach flowers have all faded; alone, I claim the beauty of spring. Unlike the orchids and musk of the human world, my fragrance rises naturally from deep within. Let us not forget each other over wine. Like a beauty, it possesses the radiance of moonlight. I fear only that the flute will blow the flowers away; only Prince Ning could prevent it.

A Lonely Wine Cup

The red apricots have blossomed, the peach flowers have all faded; alone, I claim the beauty of spring. Unlike the orchids and musk of the human world, my fragrance rises naturally from deep within. Let us not forget each other over wine. Like a beauty, it possesses the radiance of moonlight. I fear only that the flute will blow the flowers away; only Prince Ning could prevent it.

A Sequel to Yi Wu Di Zhou

Green clouds of leaves, sheltering golden flakes below. It claims the finest reputation among flowers, pure in both fragrance and grace. Unsurpassed! Listen, it comes from elsewhere. Look: its immortal robes still bear the dew of the Golden Court and the moonlight on jade steps.

The Stockholm Lover

Flowers bloom and fade without regret; fate comes and goes like water. Flowers wilt so they may bloom again; petals fall, bringing sorrow. Sorrow turns to tears, and tears shatter into petals. Flowers dance as they fall, weeping as their petals drift away. For whom do flowers bloom and fade? For whom do they wither in sorrow?

Bitterness Between the Brows

Leaning by the tall tower, I feel the gentle breeze. I gaze into the distance, where spring sorrow rises dimly along the horizon. Amid the grass and fading light, who can understand my silent thoughts as I stand by the railing? I meant to drown my sorrows in wine and sing with abandon, but even forced merriment over a cup tastes dull. My belt grows looser, yet I have no regrets; for her, I grow haggard.

Life Ground to Dust

Behind deep layered curtains, in the Hall of Morrowless Sorrow, I lie awake through the long, quiet night. The goddess's life was but a dream; the young aunt lived alone, with no lover. The wind and waves do not believe the water chestnut vine is weak. Who taught the osmanthus leaves to release their fragrance in the moonlit dew? Though they say that longing brings no good, I don't mind this lovesick melancholy.

Charming, Handsome, and All Man

Where are you now, beneath the distant night sky? I walk beneath the moon reflected in the clear waters. The heavens stretch wide and endless, and my longing for home grows ever stronger. The world around me is quiet and undisturbed. Midstream, the waters are calm and clear. I think of returning as the forest leaves change, and sit sorrowfully as the dew gathers. Still, the cranes on the sandbar let out a sudden cry at midnight.

Loneliness Is No Crime

The paulownia wind stirs the hearts of brave men, who suffer as the dying lamp glows and the cold weaver sings. Who reads this volume of history, and lets the silverfish feast on its pages? Thoughts tug at me tonight, straightening my heart; cold rain falls as a fragrant spirit mourns the scholar. Ghosts sing Bao's poems in autumn graves, their blood-red hatred staining the earth green for a thousand years.

You Can't Top This

Dew on the orchids, like tear-filled eyes. Nothing binds our hearts together; the fireworks are too beautiful to cut down. Grass like a cushion, pines like a canopy. Wind for robes, water for ornaments. The lacquered carriage waits for me at dusk. Cold emerald candles, their light wasted. At Xiling, wind blows and rain falls.