After the Beautiful Village Woman Catches the Powerful Minister’s Eye

A scheming-but-not-too-much honest beauty of a village woman X an older feudal patriarch [Body type difference/age gap/forcible seizure/old house catching fire/chasing-wife crematorium] Yun Zhen came to Ning Village fleeing hardship with her adoptive mother. She was born with a face as lovely as flowers and jade, a famously voluptuous beauty throughout the surrounding villages. She was currently troubled over the money needed to cure her fiancé’s illness. Just as she was at her wit’s end, a respectable-looking old woman arrived in the village, claiming she could solve Yun Zhen’s urgent problem—saying that a certain great lord had taken a fancy to her, and that if she would only give herself to him for a few days, she would receive a large sum of money. The villagers didn’t practice chastity; to survive, widows remarrying and widowers taking new wives were common occurrences. She also had some private motives of her own, and after hesitating for a few days, she agreed. The moment she stepped through the tall gates of the grand estate—with soaring eaves, upturned corners, vermilion pillars, and carved beams—Yun Zhen, who had endured so much hardship, was dazzled. Moreover, this great lord was exceedingly handsome—elegant and refined, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Even the most ordinary plain blue robe looked impossibly noble on him. When she knelt between his legs, she was easily enveloped by his tall, hard frame, held in his solid, bulging arms. The warm breath at the back of her neck, with every inhale and exhale, radiated absolute possessiveness and an impulse that made one want to submit. Yun Zhen began to harbor thoughts she shouldn’t have: the lord’s household was clean and quiet, and he was generous with his money—so why couldn’t the position of mistress of the house be hers? Yun Zhen used every trick in her arsenal, seducing the great lord from cold restraint into insatiable desire. Already a rare beauty, she was pampered until she grew ever softer, more delicate, and more alluring. She believed she had become the lord’s most cherished person. On her birthday, she had intended to hint subtly at marriage, but she accidentally overheard a letter from the capital urging the lord to return home and take a wife. When the attendant asked about Yun Zhen, the man’s words were heartless and cruel: “A village woman who came for money—give her a bit more and send her off.” In that moment, Yun Zhen woke from her dream as if struck by lightning. She swallowed all her words with tears. Once the man went out, she didn’t hesitate—taking the gold, silver, and jewels he had given her, she left decisively. And she also took something extremely important to that great lord. Pei Shu came from a prestigious family and had risen to the highest ranks of power at a young age. He was devoted to authority, and marriage was nothing but a burden to him. While on an official inspection trip through Rao City, he took a fancy to a village woman. The woman wore clothes so rustic they were practically falling apart, but she made up for it with a face beautiful enough and a figure alluring enough. She had a few overreaching little schemes, but her heart wasn’t wicked. Though he had no intention of taking a wife, he saw no harm in tacitly allowing Yun Zhen to remain by his side. Until one day, when he learned she had fled with his gold and silver. Pei Shu flew into a rage and searched for her like a madman. He set traps waiting for Yun Zhen to walk right into them, but who would have thought she wouldn’t take the bait? He saw with his own eyes that she now lived in a fine residence, with several handsome young men of eighteen or nineteen kept by her side. Yun Zhen politely declined his proposal of marriage, smiling as brilliantly as a blooming peach blossom: “I am but a village woman—money-obsessed, and fond of young men. I’m afraid I’m not worthy of a great lord like you.” Money-obsessed? What a coincidence—he had plenty of money. As for young men? Did she think he was too old? Pei Shu laughed in exasperation, pinching Yun Zhen’s soft waist as he coaxed her near her ear: “They may be young, but can any of them make you feel as good as I do?” #Old House on Fire# Reading Guide: 1. 1v1 SC, HE, a product of kinks, 9-year age gap. This is me feeding myself this particular trope—sour and astringent, pulling at the heartstrings, sweet-and-sour in flavor, featuring a bloody melodrama. 2. The female lead is not the type to foolishly sacrifice herself for others. Her agreement to submit to the male lead certainly comes with her own ulterior motives. Only the male lead is written as chaste. The transaction of submission has its reasons—spoilers involved. At its core, it’s a clichéd strong-arm snatch-and-grab trope, except the female lead just happens to need money and the male lead uses this to bait her onto his hook. Please don’t make wild assumptions. 3. The blurb is not the whole story. The male lead is a real dog in the early stages, with a chasing-wife crematorium later on. There’s hidden truth behind the marriage, and the male lead will not be replaced. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: After the Beautiful Village Woman Catches the Powerful Minister’s Eye — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠