The Sweet Stepmother and Her Cute Cubs

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It has been six years since the country stopped admitting college students, and no one knows when the college entrance examination will resume. Su Xiaoxiao, who was an outstanding student, was now humiliated after not being able to attend university.

She was too high for the people in the village and too poor for the people in the city. Due to this, she became a “leftover girl.”

An educated youth said he was willing to try. When Father Su then asked the educated youth when he planned to marry his daughter, the educated youth said it was Su Xiaoxiao who took the initiative to pester him before agreeing to give it a try, and he wanted to go back to the city in the future and did not plan to marry a country girl.

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t take this humiliation anymore and decided to jump into the river to commit su*cide. This made her reputation become even worse. The matchmakers had to go around when they passed by the Su family’s house. Mother Su and Father Su were so angry that they almost rode a crane to death. They decided to marry their daughter in the city regardless of the dowry.

Han Cheng, who had lost his wife for a year, went back to the city to visit his sons on his vacation. His two sons, who were once white and chubby cubs, became skinny and gloomy after living with his teacher’s wife. He was so angry and immediately asked the matchmaker to go to the countryside and find him a match. The only requirement he asked for was, that she must be literate.

The matchmaker went to the Su family’s house, and there, Su Xiaoxiao, who came from the 21st century, didn’t raise any objections and accepted it.

However, the unreliable matchmaker actually invited another girl besides Su Xiaoxiao and arranged their dates at the same time.

Han Cheng asked Su Xiaoxiao, who looked like a good match for him: “Are you literate? Do you mind taking care of my two sons?”

Associated Names
One entry per line
娇后娘与萌崽崽[七零]
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Lazy Stepmother of the 70s Island (3)
Transmigrate to the ’80s to Be a Stepmother (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Stepmother edition
  2. Transmigration: Eastern
  3. All Novels I've Read Sorted By Rating (3.7 Stars &...
  4. Entertaining novels with FL. Part 7
  5. Childcare female protag

Latest Release

Date Group Release
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 5 (end)
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part6
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part5
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part4
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part3
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part2
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 4 part1
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 3 part3
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 3 part2
09/26/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 3 part1
09/25/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 2 part11
09/25/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 2 part10
09/25/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 2 part9
09/25/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 2 part8
09/25/24 Shanghai Fantasy extra 2 part7
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39 Reviews sorted by


shine bright
shine bright rated it
October 1, 2024
Status: c130
2/5 is being highly generous rating from my side. I literally cried as I wanted to read something of this era and I came across this novel with such high rating and reviews. I pushed & pushed but wasted my days reading this!!! There is no story, I get it this is slice of life with slow pace but to read a novel there should be something to Keep it engaged! I am not exaggerating when I say that almost all characters are good and the fl&mls family including 2... more>> year child is genius. Apparently the FL, ml, children all are op/genius. No twists, turns. And to make it worse it is filled with almost 70% focus on cooking. The author did not had clarity what it wanted out of it. It should be clearly mentioned in description if it mainly focuses on food or atleast tag that genre.

I dropped it at ch 130 however I kept getting that nagging feeling to just drop this at 30-40 but I kept on going! Foolish!!! This one is for those who want nothing in storyline with everything working out for the main leads. <<less
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Eeria
Eeria rated it
September 28, 2024
Status: Completed
It’s a 4.75

its a sweet slice of life combine with from rags to riches story. FL is ideal, ML is the perfect partner. Loved reading about their family stories.
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VeryBusyDee
VeryBusyDee rated it
September 27, 2024
Status: Completed
I found a gem!

I thought the story would be boring looking at the stars rating. But the dynamic between MC and the cubs really heals me... 🥰

And eventho few lines/convos between the cubs and other characters a bit boring because it's too mom-centered, it's forgivable!
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CinnamonLover
CinnamonLover rated it
July 28, 2024
Status: Completed
5 stars - good slice of life / calm story

If you are looking for a good slice of life or like a calming story then this one is a good read. Especially if you just want something light and not overly complicated

The FL just wants to fulfill the dream of the previous body’s owner and at the same time have a good life which is nice. After reading this I became curious with the food that was described and at some times made me try looking and cooking them (which... more>> I kinda failed/succeeded)

The story and over all flow is pleasant and a good read. <<less
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bohda27
bohda27 rated it
January 17, 2024
Status: Completed
It's a calm and peaceful story. The MC is a bit OP, but it's her own acquired skills, no magic. And the characters around the MC are all good, villains appear only for a short time. The interactions between family members are touching.

Very sweet.
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kyrez
kyrez rated it
January 12, 2024
Status: Completed
A very nice reading~

Author wrote the story in a laid-back kind of tone. Not much drama, and full of hope..

... more>>
Spoiler

ML actually fell in 'love' at first sight (he was given 2 'choices' which he found unexpected and a bit 'rude').

The leads got married without getting the certificate first, which was rare (I don't think I've read any like this so far).

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Spoiler

ML was full of praises for the FL (he fell deeper in love with her every day). He felt that he has picked a treasure (which was kind of endearing).

FL was very calm and clever. She's a 'southener' who is sweet and soft.. but also firm and careful. FL aims to improve her quality of life, and those she considers family.

Original FL (since FL was a transmigrator) seems to be no different from her (that it feels like they're the same person, except that the original FL was kind of silly since she committed su*cide for having her heart broken by a 'scummy' educated youth. Anyway, other than that, they're basically giving off the exact same vibe)..

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The element of 'expert in cooking to conquer the world' is there... but the most important theme of the story is actually 'education', which is gratifying. I really like how intelligent, smart and educated their family is~

I also like the side characters and their stories! 👍🏻

The story doesn't really have an 'ending' to all the main characters.. it feels like they're still living their lives, and their adventures are still ongoing.. a very HE indeed (to keep on living) 🌈🌥️

Recommended reading! 💌 <<less
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User.948761
User.948761 rated it
October 5, 2023
Status: Completed
It’s a super fluffy slice of life story with zero upheaval as the MC succeeds at everything. MC has a loving relationship with ML and has unproblematic super genius kids. Even her family (parents and siblings) are atypical in how much they care for her (for this time period I mean).

On a darker note, I would call this story subliminal propaganda with an underlying nationalism. But if one ignores those aspects then this story is just cute.
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puregarnet
puregarnet rated it
March 15, 2025
Status: c201
2.99 Stars C201: Dropped

Date Read: 12/3/2025

Personal Enjoyment: 2/5

I can't finish it XP. I love 50’s+ era type of stories and this one is a rare completed story with a high rating light novel. So I wanted to like and finish it but I couldn't continue. This story is like reading someone constantly patting themselves on the back, especially during chapters 40-160. It was a constant line of “so lucky to have such smart/obedient/beautiful children” by absolutely everyone. All the side characters exist to praise the children and the MC for... more>> being such a gentle and kind stepmother. By C102, I really wanted to drop the story but I wanted to at least reach the university part. Now that I have reached it, and it isn't any more interesting, I feel there isn't much for me left. In any case, I stuck on for 80% of the story so I'm gonna give a rating.

Plot: 3.7/5

The plot is kinda typical of these types of stories. But there are some random extra bits that feel kinda there. For example, Zhuzi. I thought he was just a kid that the MC would adopt to show part of the 60’s China-era landscape. But then it turned out he's not even the real Zhang family and has some important background that will be revealed later. Then, it turned out that both his real parents were alive and they came back to the military zone. So he has to go back to them. But they are super grateful to the MC and live next door. Also, they were really bland and normal despite being part of some super important capital people? So... what was the point of his whole backstory?? It doesn't seem to go anywhere or add anything to the plot?

Then there is the whole MC working while having kids trouble. Honestly... , I was just getting annoyed at her lol. Not sure what but something about it rubbed me the wrong way. Like if you actually treasure your flexibility, don't work -.-’. Especially in that era. If I were an employer, I sure would find her too troublesome and I am a woman lol. I also feel they have no dignity and have to keep begging her to work. Mostly, I don't get why the author included that whole thing. To show the MC is so amazing that people are breaking down her door to keep her? It also felt by the 2nd time that she wanted to eat her cake too, what with also having a job as a teacher. Idk, I just didn't like that whole plot and I can't pinpoint exactly why.

Ok, now with the big warning. If you don't like constant food descriptions and raising kids everyday type of scenes, this is not for you. Every chapter, especially the first 150, will have a food/meal-related paragraph, minimum 2 long paragraphs. How to cook it, what ingredients there are and so on. Then there is the time of buying the food, deciding what to eat, buying it, cooking it and then serving it. By then it's four/five paragraphs. Now add in the kids salivating over the food and then eating it. Now you have half the chapter. And then, them praising the food. Ugh. I was perfectly fine in the first 50 chapters as I was exploring the setting, characters and the story. But it kept repeating gah. The different food. But the reactions are all the same. It was the worst type of slice of life, monotone.

Then, you add in every freaking celebration in such detail as if it was the first one. Every New Year, moon viewing or grave visiting occasion, the author will describe what they do life the first time. And repeats the sentiments of all the characters again. As if we don't already know. They love the food, and they are grateful for having such a loving mother/wife/daughter/sister-in-law/children/brother/friend. And then, the crying when they have to part. For yeeeeears. The author does it from when Fantuan was 5 until 10. Dude.

Luckily, there were some changes when the university exams finally started. It definitely interrupted the constant food and praising of the MC and her kids for the same things. They now praise them for their smarts instead LOL. At least it's something new. And the plot feels like it's progressing again.

I stuck around because I wanted to read about taking advantage of future knowledge to better their lives. I also wanted to read about her making money at the capital or doing amazing in her classes. But they have gold bars in the Ml’s old courtyard :D And the MC barely spends her time with other people at the college. It feels like she doesn't need to do anything and she's set for life. For her, money really fell from the sky. Sigh. It feels too easy. The kids also had royalties when they were kids already.

If there was some intermittent petty face slapping to rejuvenate the story, I would have been happy to continue. But they were very far apart and most of the time, it was pretty quick that it wasn't satisfying. Or solved without any catharsis as they were all solved painlessly. If they were turned into friends that would be one thing. But most of the time they just fade out of the story.

Writing/Translation: 3.7/5

The translation I read is from Shanghai Fantasy. It was above average. Not the best. There were frequent minor pronoun/name mistakes. And at some points, two translations of the same sentence/paragraphs. And at one point, part of a chapter got accidentally cut and pasted into the footnotes. So the main text was weird. But it was still easy to read and the flow was good.

Pacing: 1.5/5

The time the MC spent after giving birth to the reinstatement of the college exams was so freaking slow. I almost dropped it then but stuck around to read until she attended college.

Setting/Worldbuilding: 3.7/5

I guess it was a bit better detailed than normal 60’s era-type stories. There is the village, the military base, the county and then the capital.

Characters: 3/5

The main family is interesting. Especially the kids. But the aide characters feel like they exist just to be in awe/grateful/admire/exclaim over the MC and her kids. It got pretty annoying, the constant wondering of how the heck she managed to raise such [insert good adjective here] kids. Sigh. The ML is a tad bland. The MC was fine until she got annoyingly whiny when pregnant. Then got back to normal at the college exams part. Now she feels a bit like a prop to display the good life.

Romance: 3.3/5

The romance is meh. It was good at the beginning when they just got to know each other. But then the child raising completely took over and they faded into the background. And became way more told not shown.

My Created Lists (I include my rating and review in the list itself XD)

  • All Novels I've Read Sorted By Rating - Where I ranked every single novel I read on novelupdates.
  • Economic Reform! 50's-90's
  • My Favourites!
  • Family/Village/Wealth Building, Poor to Rich, Business Management
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Celtyin
Celtyin rated it
December 23, 2024
Status: Completed
The title was aptly chosen. FL is a super sweet and chill character. The cubs are adorable little geniuses. It’s an overall wholesome family oriented story. If you like feel good stories about being kind and loving on kiddos and the kiddos loving you back, this is the story for you. Character development is really good.
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LemmonPaii
LemmonPaii rated it
November 16, 2024
Status: Completed
What a cute book. Very slice of life, child raring and no drama at all.

The love story is developed with time and the cubs are absolutely adorable, very sensible and love their parents.
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Nelle
Nelle rated it
September 23, 2023
Status: c120
I love how MC's cooking was described in the novel. I often got envious that I'm unable to taste the exquisite food she cooks. Eventually, it got so repetitive that I no longer feel the same about it. The characters seemed stuck in a loop of uninteresting routines. I had to drop this after 120 chapters because it's boring even for a slice of life story. The everyday events were dragged on without any excitement. It's a shame because the novel was promising at first. The romance was quick and... more>> has no misunderstandings. The children are cute and smart. MC is skilled as she has practiced in her previous life. It was really fun at first, but it got boring after a hundred chapters. <<less
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RayyaYin
RayyaYin rated it
April 30, 2025
Status: c230
If I was only reading the full story, this is in my opinion, one of the best slice of life reborn stories that I've read.

... more>>
Spoiler

However, the reason why I personally deducted a star, is because, in my opinion, the two children getting together ruined the entire story. Age gap relationships are fine if you meet them in adulthood just like the MC and ml.

The problem with the relationship with those two is it's been hinted at since Tangyuan was born, they raised Zhuzi like a brother, and they have a significant age gap to where the older neighbor kid crush/romance doesn't work here in an appropriate way.

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Renaechan
Renaechan rated it
January 14, 2025
Status: Completed
Super sweet romance. They were immediately attracted to each other, got married, and fell in love. It focuses on cooking at the beginning, but gradually becomes more slice of life and focuses more on the kids. I really enjoyed the extra stories at the end which go into the romances of some side characters.
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iHeartnovelsMeng
iHeartnovelsMeng rated it
October 18, 2024
Status: Completed
This novel is exactly as the title implied the whole novel mainly revolves around the kids just day to day life with her cubs with little to none drama. Any problem/drama that arises got solved so quick within 2-3 chapters a slow pace slice of life novel not much plot.

I feel like FL transmigration tag purposes was only to give her knowledge of the development of the future other then that FL and original body pretty much could pass as the same person they are pretty much alike in almost... more>> every way🤷‍♀️ <<less
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amikyun
amikyun rated it
October 13, 2024
Status: Completed
*sigh... I Finally manage to finished it, this is the longest time that I ever had to finish read something (with determination and no reason to drop it, also bcs I don't want to early judge it) I personally don't have problem with daily life, slice-of-life interaction, or the fact that MC and the Peoples around her/her family is godly spect, like god beloved human, but... such dragged without up and down + repetitive specific act is really boring, I need to rest and take another detour before continue read... more>> this, for romance aspect, we can considered it as fast romance but after that fast encounter and commitment the romance part almost became sub plot if not for the several occasion at the last chapters, I would just drop it, agree with someone who said this is too long if they can make it as 100+ at least, definitely will be make it better. Well it's not bad.. 4.0 for me standard 70's with on and off execution pacing <<less
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Evie Ren A
Evie Ren A rated it
October 5, 2024
Status: Completed
I enjoyed it a lot. If you enjoy the slice of life, slow paced, heart-warming, caring for cute cubs, lovey-dovey main couple, with no special drama with very insignificant antagonists type of stories, then I'll wholeheartedly recommend this for you.

All the characters were sweet, cute, endearing and heart-warming. There is no main conflict, not even a climax to the story, is all about their slice of life through the years. I liked that the FL had this kind of halo for motherhood, but otherwise, she was wise enough to not meddle in things she wasn't certain about. I loved the children, all of them were so funny, adorable and healing to the soul.
Spoiler

I specially loved Zhuzi, his background story was kind of all over the place for the sake of making him kind of pitiful. But the scene when he finally calls Su Xiaoxiao "Mom" had me in tears ngl

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A good thing that stuck with me from the ML was; he truly is a good father. He is not a perfect father, but he is grows in his role and learns from the FL, eventually he becomes a great role model and paternal figure to not only his biological children but also to all the kids him and the FL had the opportunity to care for. I loved it. 10/10
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MeicchiO
MeicchiO rated it
January 8, 2024
Status: Completed
This was such a good read for a slice of life genre! I enjoy the theme of education and parenting style which I find is quite rare in most chinese webnovels. The MC is such a good mother and have a positive personality. MC and ML relationship is also great and you can feel their mutual respect, care and love they have for each other 🫶🏼 MC also values education and making sure her kids understand why education is important but also allow them to grow at their own pace.... more>> The children also act like their age, even if they do have a higher IQ you can still tell that they are children. The writer doesn't turn them into mini adults and it feels natural. Overall if you like slice of life genre with childcare element, this novel is for you! <<less
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MakiG
MakiG
July 4, 2023
Status: Completed
super cute fluff story for families. More like an old couple story and childhood dev. MC is OP but not too exaggerated :)
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trash_generalist
trash_generalist
March 4, 2023
Status: c83
Slice of life novel set in the 1970s. I quite liked it. But I was distracted midway and wasn't able to enjoy it fully, so I dropped it while I was ahead DX. I intend to come back and reread later though, especially when I'm in the mood for something relatively simple and casual.

__________

SUMMARY: The FL, Su Xiaoxiao, lived a salted fish kind of life in modern day China, only working when she has to, and spending most of her time exploring the country in search for new recipes. By... more>> some freaky twist of fate, she ends up transmigrating into the body of the educated Su Xiaoxiao from the early 1970s. The original owner of the body had a loving family, and had raised the OG owner to go to college. Unfortunately, this era made it impossible for the OG owner to accomplish this, leading her to go back to the village to be married off as a leftover girl (since she's 24yo). When the FL transmigrated, it just so happened that the ML, Han Cheng, was looking for a stepmother that would be willing to take care of his two children at home. The two click at first sight, and ended up starting a partnership that was less about romance and more about sustainable development — with the FL doing a good job as a stepmother and the ML being a hardworking, and devoted military dad.

___________

THOUGHTS: I have to admit, this kind of slow, slice of life story, which focuses more on day to day affairs, is not usually my cup of tea. I prefer stories with more excitement. But! The characters of this novel are charming, and the unique perspective of the culture at the time was enough to keep me interested. I think I could have read this till the end if I hadn't been distracted midway, which says a lot! Anyway, if you're into slice of life stories, this is not bad to read when you're free. I intend to reread this while drawing next time. Or doing chores XD. As for the rating... I didn't get to the halfway point. Yup. I checked, I only read 37% of the original text. Anyway, I read it mostly in MTL (which was surprisingly readable — 70%. Even 80% if you forget about the nicknames of the children, which are a mess LMFAO) so for now I won't be giving it one. If I really had to, it would be around 3-4 stars. <<less
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