"Zhao Ce traveled through time to the Ming Dynasty and became a notorious poor scholar. He realized that he borrowed money to marry a wife but spent all the money and ended up buying a pitiful little cripple to be his wife. This little cripple had heterochromia and was treated like a monster. Zhao Ce thought to himself: 'What kind of human suffering is this?' However, when he took a closer look at the little cripple, who was thin and small with big blinking eyes...she was a bit cute. With their poverty-stricken home, Zhao Ce, a farmer's son, had to roll up his sleeves and study while also finding ways to become prosperous with his little wife."
This is a story set in the Ming dynasty, in the village of Shuiqiao. A young man with a tall and thin build, but handsome looks, named Zhao Ce, sits under the eaves outside his room.
He sighs while looking at the corners covered with moss, realizing that he has traveled back in time.
Zhao Ce has just finished digesting the memories of the original owner of this body, who shares the same name as him. Unlike his previous life, where he has been protecting animals for nearly thirty years, in this body, he is just a 19-year-old poor scholar.
As a scholar, his age is not considered young, but the original owner of this body had only started learning a year or two. At the age of 14, his father earned some money and decided to send him to school in the city.
He arrived at the school wearing a plain cotton jacket that was better than what the villagers wore, looking excitedly at the city people.
However, he soon realized the huge wealth gap between him and the city people. His classmates, who were sons of wealthy families, could casually throw money at their servants, which was more than his pocket money for several days. He began to feel discontented and his mind became more narrow.
Although he had not learned many characters, his vision had become higher. He constantly thought about how he would become a high-ranking official in the future and enjoy a life of luxury.
When he returned to the village, he looked down on the farmers and wore a long robe, carrying himself with a pretentious air of superiority, often using words that he didn't even understand. If any of the village children came too close, he would scold them.
Over time, the villagers began to distance themselves from him, even though they knew he was a scholar. He was no longer welcome in the village.
However, his good fortune did not last long. When his parents were preparing to build a new house, they had an accident and both passed away. The original owner of this body, who had only learned a few characters and was daydreaming about becoming a high-ranking official through the imperial examination, was left in shock and confusion.
The original master's uncle pitied him for being a lonely person and helped him with the funeral arrangements.
For the past two years, he had been helping the original master. He urged him to strive for success and study hard to comfort his deceased parents' spirits. The original master was deeply moved and started to pull himself together.
As a scholar, he refused to accept any handouts and assistance from his uncle's family. He thought to himself that even if he was the only one left in his family, he must strive for success and not let the villagers ridicule him.
So he worked hard, but unfortunately, he squandered all the money set aside for building a house in just two years. Last night, the original master was probably drunk and angry, and he died of anger, which allowed Zhao Ce to cross over to this world.
Thinking about all of this, Zhao Ce felt a sense of desolation. "What kind of situation is this..." "A transmigration that started with a catastrophe."
Looking at the soil falling from the wall, Zhao Ce shook his still-dizzy head. "Well, since I'm here, I should live well." "I have already eaten two bowls of porridge, so I can definitely survive."
He looked down at the original master's bony body. "Although he is thin, he is still tall enough." "As long as he exercises more in the future, he can become a great leader again, and there shouldn't be any problems."
In the original master's memory, although this Ming dynasty was different from the one in Zhao Ce's original history, it was similar. Therefore, even though the original master had lost all of his family's wealth, Zhao Ce was not afraid.
He had a lot of knowledge in his mind, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to escape poverty in this ancient world. Feeling a little more relaxed, Zhao Ce stood up from the ground and dusted off his clothes.
"I always feel like I forgot something..."
Zhao Ce furrowed his brow. "Never mind, I'll go back to my room and take stock of what I still have."
As he was about to head back, he heard a knock on the door.
Zhao Ce walked over and opened it, revealing a middle-aged man with a weathered face standing outside.
When the man saw Zhao Ce, his kindly face broke into a smile.
The man was Zhao Youcai, the uncle of the original owner of the body Zhao Ce was currently inhabiting.
Zhao Youcai was the village chief of Shuiqiao Village, and he commanded respect among the villagers.
However, in front of his nephew, he couldn't maintain his stern demeanor.
He asked tentatively, "Ce'er, have you brought the person back?"
Person? What person?
Zhao Ce was momentarily confused.
Zhao Youcai clarified, "Yesterday, didn't you give the betrothal gifts to the matchmaker and say you were going to bring back a wife?"
"You said she came from a good family but lived far away."
He paused and asked, "I noticed you haven't put up any red paper in your house. Is it because you don't have enough money?"
"I've brought you some more money for the wedding. It's a big event, so you need to prepare properly."
After Zhao Youcai reminded him, Zhao Ce remembered.
He grimaced and thought to himself: I just said I forgot something, and it turns out to be this.
In the past two years, the original owner of the body had been brought to a brothel in the city by his classmates who looked down on him.
He became infatuated with a courtesan there, and all the family's money was spent on the brothel.
After the money his parents had saved up for building a house was gone, they had to sell off their land.
And yet, he hadn't even touched the hand of the courtesan...
Yesterday, he heard that the courtesan was going to take in another patron.
Since he was broke, he had to swallow his pride and ask his uncle for money.
He lied and said that the marriage had been arranged by the matchmaker, and the bride was from a neighboring county.
All he needed to do was pay the betrothal gifts, and he could bring her back.
In ancient times, the government encouraged population growth and imposed fines on men who were not married by the age of 20 and women who were not married by the age of 16.
And these fines were cumulative.
So, whether poor or ugly or born into a wealthy family, everyone had to do their part to procreate and contribute to society.
Zhao Ce was already 19 years old.
Because of his previous estrangement from Zhao Youcai's family, Zhao Youcai didn't feel comfortable suggesting a match for him.
As a result, when he suddenly asked for money to marry, Zhao Youcai was overjoyed.
Without a second thought, he gave Zhao Ce five taels of silver, ignoring the objections of his own family, so that he could bring the bride back and prepare for the wedding.
As expected, all the money was spent at the brothel...
"Um, Uncle..."
Zhao Ce hesitated. "About the person..."
Zhao Youcai smelled the lingering scent of alcohol on Zhao Ce and was initially unhappy.
But when he heard his nephew call him "Uncle," the wrinkles on his face softened into a smile.
Since Zhao Ce's parents had passed away, he refused the family's help after a year and even refused to call Zhao Youcai "Uncle" due to various issues.
Zhao Youcai felt his eyes moisten.
He swallowed the words he wanted to say and cleared his throat, "Ahem," wiping away the tears from his eyes.
"What happened to the person?"
"Is she not pretty enough? That's okay."
"As long as she's a reliable and capable person who can give birth, it's fine."
As they were talking, a young girl walked out of the room.
She timidly said, "Hus...husband..."
"We can eat now."
She walked out of the room and was momentarily stunned to see Zhao Youcai and Zhao Ce at the door.
The smile on Zhao Youcai's face gradually disappeared as he looked at the thin young girl.
Zhao Ce slapped his forehead.
He had forgotten about this.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but Little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"