The Substitute Bride in the 50s Courtyard

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Lin Yao has transmigrated into a novel. At the beginning of the story, her parents have passed away, her elder brother is stationed far away in the Xinjiang Military Corps, and she’s been tricked by her uncle’s family into marrying into a crowded courtyard as a replacement bride.

Her reborn cousin looks down on the chaotic courtyard life, focusing solely on marrying up to become a wealthy lady.

Her uncle, with his honeyed words and a venomous heart, deceived the original Lin Yao with promises of a hefty dowry, using her to replace his own daughter in marriage.

In the 1950s, when food and clothing were scarce, Lin Yao, who ended up in the crowded courtyard by a twist of fate, was actually delighted.

Her father-in-law is a Level 5 machinist earning sixty-five yuan a month, her mother-in-law is an advanced worker at a state-owned pig farm, her sister-in-law is the head of a supply and marketing cooperative, and her husband, who’s serving in the army, isn’t home. The entire family genuinely cherishes Lin Yao, treating her like their own daughter.

Moreover, Lin Yao has a space supermarket at her disposal. Every day, she enjoys red-braised pork and bone broth—her life is practically heavenly.

When her husband returns home from the army, Lin Yao finds herself facing a cold, handsome soldier with sharp features…

Face-loving Lin Yao: “Yes, I can definitely work with this!!!”

*

Lin Hongna has been reborn. In her previous life, she married into the crowded courtyard and spent her whole life envying her cousin.

Despite her cousin’s timid personality, she managed to marry into a good family thanks to her pretty face. After the reforms, her cousin’s husband went into business and became a wealthy merchant, allowing her cousin, with her average skills, to live a life of luxury.

But Lin Hongna married Gu Shi’an, a soldier from the courtyard, and couldn’t bear the loneliness, eventually finding a lover. This led to her being kicked out and living a miserable life.

Upon rebirth, Lin Hongna seizes the opportunity. After throwing tantrums and threatening su*cide, she finally convinces her family to have her cousin marry into the courtyard in her place.

She then successfully pursues the man who was her cousin’s husband in her past life.

As she eagerly anticipates becoming a wealthy lady and watching her cousin suffer, she instead witnesses her cousin leisurely basking in the sun in the courtyard. Gu Shi’an, now the Deputy Director of the Public Security Bureau, looks tenderly at her cousin while squatting in the courtyard, washing a pile of floral skirts.

And as for herself, all her efforts have been for nothing.

An enraged Lin Hongna: “What?!!”

Associated Names
One entry per line
五零大杂院替嫁小媳妇[穿书]
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Diary of the Army in the 1970s (1)
The Daily Life of an 80s Gangster Spoiling His Wife (1)
The Little Widow Cannon Fodder In The ’70 (1)
The Little Widow of the Sixties (1)
’70s Delicate Little Wife (1)
’70s Villain Female Educated Youth (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s and more part 2
  2. CHINESE HISTORICAL ROMANCE
  3. 40-90's China [THE BEST LIST!]
  4. Comfort books to re-read 5
  5. Best 60s, 70s and more

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/03/25 Shanghai Fantasy c97
06/03/25 Shanghai Fantasy c96
05/27/25 Shanghai Fantasy c95
05/27/25 Shanghai Fantasy c94
05/20/25 Shanghai Fantasy c93
05/20/25 Shanghai Fantasy c92
05/13/25 Shanghai Fantasy c91
05/13/25 Shanghai Fantasy c90
05/06/25 Shanghai Fantasy c89
05/06/25 Shanghai Fantasy c88
04/29/25 Shanghai Fantasy c87
04/29/25 Shanghai Fantasy c86
04/22/25 Shanghai Fantasy c85
04/22/25 Shanghai Fantasy c84
04/15/25 Shanghai Fantasy c83
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Review
7 Reviews


Agnieszka
Agnieszka
Jan 14, 2025
Status: c58
Strangely, the MC knows about the years of starvation that will come, but she refuses to say a word and hopes her in-laws are smart enough to figure it out themselves.

Her new husband was greviously injured in the past life but not in this life. Why?? She literally sleeps all day and does nothing else, yet its never explained how this change happens.

Yet the novel has looong and detailed explanations of how the Soviet Union and the Japanese are bad. Each country has specific examples of how they wronged China... more>> and how China is numba wan and has great citizens who defend the country. Which, may be true, but coupled with the lazy writing mentioned above, gives you a good idea of the author's beliefs and makes you disbelive what is written. <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Uninspiredfae
Uninspiredfa
Sep 07, 2024
Status: --
The story is cute but very slice of life so it's mundane. MC is a beautiful salted fish character. Although she is skilled in sewing and is filial, everything in the house is handled by her in-laws and husband. Even child rearing, she mostly just feeds and play with her son then he is hoisted on to his dad or grandma. Please note that everyone is happy to take care of MC though.

There is the element of a supermarket space but it is rarely useful due to her unable to... more>> explain additional food when everyone is starving.
Spoiler

There was just a small blurb in the entire story that said when ML found out about the space and his wife's story, he was only fearful that his wife might leave him. He doesn't care about the supernatural.

[collapse]

Bad guys mostly ruin themselves and with pig teammates, they rarely bother MC lol. <<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
DaydreamGe
DaydreamGe
Sep 28, 2024
Status: Completed
If you want to read something light and not so much up and down then this is the right one.

MC have space yes but not really using it till later in the story. And it also doesn't really impact the story.

Doesn't mention getting rich using the space too.

The story can be said to be typical too, which transmigrates to past era, reminiscent with the past era, what happen so on. Usually we start with farming time to improvement but this is start with married to county place not the usual... more>> village.

In the 50s, so college exam falls on the child generation not on MC.

The villain story more like a joke of how bad retribution of evil is. Though the ending in the end kinda not a typical ending. Usually the villain ends in prison or poor all the time, regretting all the life that ends in failure. This time it is ending with death so unexpectedly.

MC can be said to be smart but her husband kinda overpowered in all-rounded context. The bad guy always fail and criminal was caught before the family get hurt. <<less
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Yayayayaya
Yayayayaya
Sep 01, 2024
Status: Completed
Slice-of-life book with a transmigrating FL whose gold finger (a space always filled with supplies) is handwaved away as being familial, then kind of forgotten about until occasionally needed. She goes back to the 1950s and lives her life in a fairly historically accurate manner, which did impress me. Other than missing air conditioning, she really at no point acted like a modern person, which was fine but then, why bother?

3 stars for a very minimal conflict, weird perspective- and time-skipping, kind of boring book that really does manage to... more>> go through 40 years of turbulent Chinese history accurately. <<less
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Reyansh23
Reyansh23
Sep 10, 2024
Status: --
The story is charming but quite slice-of-life and mundane. The main character is a beautiful, humble woman who excels in sewing and is very devoted to her family. However, her in-laws and husband handle most of the household responsibilities, including child-rearing. She primarily feeds and plays with her son before he is handed off to his father or grandmother. It's worth noting that everyone is happy to take care of her.
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
chande
chande
Aug 17, 2024
Status: Completed
A very laid-back novel about a life in a county. Nothing too dramatic and thrilling happened. Most conflicts were caused by petty people who couldn't stand other's happy life, typical 50's to 70's novel.

MC and ML were in an arranged marriage (although MC was a substitute) and fell in love with each other quite fast but they didn't do the deed until MC really fell for ML.

... more>>
Spoiler

For this thing, it's thanks to ML's mother, one of the best mother-in-law ever. She knew MC didn't marry ML out of willingness and probably wasn't comfortable with sharing the room with ML so she considerately arranged a separate room for MC and ML when ML went back to the county. She told ML to catch MC's heart first before thinking about sharing a room.

[collapse]

It's just that... it wasn't explained well about why the story was quite different from the original story that MC knew.

Spoiler

In the original story, ML was badly injured before being discharged from army and he could only be a worker in factory to make a living but in the reality, ML was only slightly injured and he still could a policeman after going back to the county.

I mean, what changed? MC didn't even do anything to change his fate but he just miraculously did well by himself.

[collapse]
<<less
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User.948761
User.948761
Nov 26, 2024
Status: Completed
It's a slice of life novel going from 50s to 90s. I won't speak on the accuracy of the novel but author does put years in the storyline. Although there are a few comments that seem nationalistic, it's only a few lines here and there. If anything, certain things are a bit more critical of the times.

We have the classic minutia typical of a slice of life covering eating and cooking and whatnot. But similarly the author does expanses of time skips and vague happenings. So nothing was particularly memorable... more>> about the story.

The romance is 1v1 between the MC and ML with ML being super doting and MC being a salted fish.

There is a decent amount of child rearing and honestly I like that MC's family is quite simply and loving. They dote on her quite a bit. Women are very favored.

I expected more of MC's magical supermarket space but it was sidelined quickly. The reason was that it was too conspicuous but I feel like MC could have used it in more ways than she did. It was mentioned a few times throughout the story but she might as well not have had it.

Her backstory was interesting too (regarding her old world and family) but that doesn't pan out to anything much further so a waste of an interesting idea.

Faceslapping does happen but most of it is of the antagonist's own doing. Their own comeuppance. Although MC and ML also do actively retaliate, it's not that often. Writing wasn't bad but nothing particular to comment about. I'd recommend this for someone who's looking for an easy and simple slice of life story. But don't read expecting much of a plot. <<less
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