Okay so let me just say this: the plot in these chapters is absolutely locked in. We go from a petty village harassment incident with Wu Yong to Xu Xi outsmarting human traffickers on a train, and somehow it all feels connected and purposeful. That's not easy to do. The inciting incident—Wu Yong showing up and stirring up rumors—is such a smart choice by the author. It's not just random conflict; it's what actually forces Xu Xi to make her big decision to leave the village. Before that, she might have just sat around suffering. But once her reputation is on the line? She packs her bags and goes. And then the trafficking subplot! I love how the author sets it up. First, that suspicious woman asking to trade pancakes for fried dough sticks—red flag number one. Then the man sitting diagonally across who starts egging people on—red flag number two. Xu Xi notices both, connects the dots, and instead of just staying quiet, she actively protects the young girl. That's not passive protagonist energy; that's main character energy. The only thing I'd say is that the transition from village drama to train adventure feels just a *tiny* bit fast, but honestly, the momentum carries it. I wasn't bored for a second.
Let me just say this: the factory broadcasting station scene is one of the most vividly cinematic moments I've read in any novel, and I've read a lot. The image of those four girls marching into the station, the director deliberately posting someone at the entrance to block them because 'Little Qiaozhi, who had once relied on her small size to slip into the broadcasting station under someone's elbow, had clearly left a lasting impression'—this is a single sentence that does so much worldbuilding. It tells us these girls have a history of causing trouble. It tells us the factory compound is a place where everyone knows everyone's kids. It tells us the broadcasting station is a controlled space, not something you just walk into. And then the noon broadcast: workers in the workshops, cafeteria, offices, apartment buildings—all hearing their children's names read aloud, 'every time a name was announced, that child's parents would be met with playful cheering from the surrounding workers and surrounded by envious looks. It truly felt like paradise!' Paradise. The author chose that word deliberately. In a state-run factory compound where everything is allocated, where your child's future determines your family's trajectory, having your daughter's name announced over the loudspeaker IS paradise. The sensory detail of the summer heat not dampening their enthusiasm, the cicadas later accompanying their study sessions—the world feels incredibly tangible. The scene where Lin Qiaozhi files metal, 'Sweat soaked through her clothes. The constant clanging of metal filled the summer air'—you can hear it. You can feel the humidity. This isn't a backdrop; it's a living, breathing environment.
I'm still not over the food descriptions in this chapter. The author didn't just say "the food was good"—no, we got the full sensory experience. The chicken soup with its "golden sheen" and "faint hint of medicinal herbs." The oven-roasted lamb chops that were "coated in a thick sauce and roasted to a golden-brown crisp." Yi Shang biting into it and feeling "tears of happiness well up." This isn't just worldbuilding, this is ASMR in text form. But what's really interesting is how the food becomes a bridge between two completely different worlds. Su Yin comes from the lowest rungs of society—her father's in prison, her mother is dead, she's been abused since childhood. And yet her cooking is described as "on par with the royal palace chefs." The contrast is staggering. She's preparing meals that rival what the queen eats, and the queen herself gets hungry just hearing about it. The palace scenes are also wonderfully painted. Queen Zhou Xianghui summoning Lu Xingcun because she's "waiting a long time" and getting straight to the point about her desserts—this is a woman who runs a kingdom but also has the patience of nobody. And Lu Xingcun's response of "I ate them all" with complete innocence? The queen's silence speaks volumes. You can feel the entire royal household's dynamic just from these small moments. The forum scene too—where people are pointing and whispering and gossiping wherever Su Yin goes. It creates this palpable atmosphere of hostility, but then Zhou Xianghan's arrival shifts the entire energy. The way the crowd instinctively steps back at the sight of her? That's worldbuilding through behavior, not exposition. You understand the power structure of this world in one gesture.
The pigsty metaphor keeps coming back and I can't stop thinking about it. Su Ci tells Wang's wife: "No matter how broken a house is, it's for people, not pigs. With a little effort, even a pigsty can turn golden." This isn't just a clapback — it's the entire thesis of the novel compressed into one sentence. The Lu family's house IS a pigsty. The island life IS a pigsty. But Su Ci is transforming it, not just physically with wallpaper and leather sofas, but spiritually. She's saying: you don't have to accept the squalor you were born into. And the cream scene doubles down on this — Lu Xiangnan's face is described as looking like she fell into a flour vat, and Su Ci transforms it. It's literal and figurative purification. Even the aloe gel is symbolic — green, like new life, like something growing in harsh conditions. The recurring motif here is transformation through care. Beauty isn't superficial in this story; it's an act of defiance against a world that wants these people to stay dirty and broken. Every jar of cream, every piece of wallpaper, is a small rebellion.
I've been thinking about this book a lot since I finished these chapters, and I keep coming back to one image: the meat bun, stained with blood. On the surface, this is a story about political intrigue, exile, and survival. But underneath? It's about what we hold onto when everything else is stripped away. The bun represents everything simple and human in a situation designed to dehumanize. Cheng Qiqi could have eaten it herself. She was probably starving. But she offers it to Liu Suyi, the woman who represents everything she's not—noble birth, status, connection to the family she's being cast out with. The family register is another huge symbol. The fact that Cheng Qiqi and her daughter weren't on it initially becomes both a curse and a blessing. They're not officially part of the Jin family, which means Cui Lie can technically ignore them—but it also means Cheng Qiqi has a strange kind of freedom. She's not bound by the same expectations. When she insists on being registered, she's not seeking validation from a family that despises her. She's claiming her right to stand beside her dead husband's legacy on her own terms. Then there's the dungeon itself. A place meant to break people, to strip them of dignity, to make them forget who they are. But instead, that's where the most human moments happen. The bun. The child falling asleep on someone's shoulder. Liu Suyi kicking Lin Huilan. These are acts of defiance—not through violence, but through maintaining basic humanity in an inhumane situation. The salt angle is fascinating too. Cheng Qiqi thinking about producing sea salt in Lingnan isn't just practical survival planning—it's about transformation. Salt preserves. Salt adds flavor to bland food. Salt was worth more than gold in ancient times. This woman is literally thinking about how to turn their punishment into power. The exile becomes an opportunity. That's the core theme I think: transformation through suffering. Not the romanticized version, but the gritty, practical, "I will survive this and you will see" version. And the dead husband—Jin Mozhi. He's dead but he's everywhere. In Cheng Qiqi's loyalty, in Liu Suyi's grief, in Lin Huilan's rage, in Cui Lie's need to defile his body. The dead man controls the living, and that's a kind of power in itself.
Shameless 5 star review from me. I think its a great book. And its complete.
I read all your works in one day including the ones in Novelah since everything's on your instagram link, I didn't realize I already finished all the English ones now I am demanding updates thank you hahaha
Are you dead since you haven't uploaded for some time?
"Thank you for joining me on this journey! Each chapter brings us closer to uncovering the depths of Kael’s path—his struggles, his victories, and the darkness he embraces. Your support means everything, and I can’t wait to share what’s coming next. Let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear them!"
Although this season is just short, I hope the author can give us lengthy one next time! I'll def recommend this to my friends! Satisfying to read after all! Thank you for the wonderful 1st season!!!
Amei a historia e o seu contexto e o desencolvimento dos personagens.
The tone is very dark at first but is executed well and feels natural. In just two chapters, the author made me feel connected to the MC and his struggles. Before I knew it, I found myself rooting for him. As long as he keeps uploading, the book will definitely become a gem.