#jinbao marries a wife

[ellsieee]

After @yannig mentioned that there was a sequel to the Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow (MYATB novel) that features Siming and Jinbao, I had to investigate.

The sequel is called Jinbao Marries a Wife and is being translated here. I haven't started reading, so I don't know if it's getting a proper translation or it's MTL, but from what I can tell from a preliminary skim, it doesn't look like a copy and paste G translate job.

Until we can manifest a live action sequel into existence, this will have to do.

[theoncomingchaos]

Que Siming x Jinbao Novel

So, the novel isn't fully translated yet, but the last update was pretty recent, so hopefully we don't have to wait too long.

I read the first couple of chapters (1-3), so if you are curious about:

-Jinbao x Que Siming meet cute & first impressions

Spoilers are after the cut

First Impressions: (Note that they are small children- Jinbao is 5!)

Jinbao: Jinbao is a lot like what we see when he is an adult. He is brave, a bit dumb, and genuinely a good kid that listens to his parents. He doesn't like to hurt other people, but he can lose his temper. That being said, he hangs out with a group of boys and the leader bullies him a bit. He is willing to face scary and dangerous situations rather than lose their friendship because he's afraid to be alone. Growing up poor in a rural area, he has a lot of experiences being outside, catching fish, playing in the snow, rough housing etc.

Siming: Siming was born prematurely and gets sick a lot. This is likely the source of his germ-phobia.He is the son of a great retired general who had Siming fairly late in life, so his father dotes on him and is very over protective. He isn't allowed to go outside of the estate, so he doesn't have any friends. He is highly educated and wealthy, but really frustrated at how everyone treats him like he's breakable. He knows how to play his dad to get what he wants and he has a mean streak. He will often start bullying when Jinbao seems too happy about something, but then if Jinbao gets too sad or threatens to leave, he will do something nice for him. (It's nice to see Jinbao does stand up for himself and doesn't take Siming 's crap).

The Meet Cute: Jinbao is bullied into crawling through a long, narrow hole to sneak into the retired general's estate. When he gets through, he is immediately found by Siming . At first, Jinbao thinks he is a girl (fairy), but unlike Xiaobao he actually asks pretty quickly haha. Siming is so excited to meet someone his own age, but the boy is really dirty, so he makes him take a bath and it's the BEST bath Jinbao has ever had. They go to Siming's room, and Siming tricks him into eating medicine which was baked into a pastry. Then, he gives him a sweet one and makes it into a game. After that, he shows off his treasures and Jinbao is amazed! So, Siming gives him a glass grasshopper. Jinbao's mama taught him well, if someone gives you something, you give something back, so he goes to the courtyard, grabs some grass and MAKES a grasshopper. Siming is amazing by it, so Jinbaoo offers to teach him. Unfortunately, Siming gets upset about the dirty grass and Jinbao tries to wash it in the tub which is filled with all the dirt that came off of him, so Siming gets angrier. Jinbao gets upset at Siming being ungrateful and tackles him.

Siming decides at this point that he wants to keep Jinbao forever because even if he's uneducated and dirty, this is someone new his own age who will play with him and treat him like a person. However, Jinbao decides he wants to go home after their fight. He goes to leave, and Siming calls for help. His dad comes and Jinbao begs not to be killed for sneaking in. Siming makes a cute face and asks his dad to make Jinbao his playmate. So, Jinbao is allowed to go home, his parents are talked to and paid, and the next day he is brought to be Siming's playmate.

Basically, this means Jinbao can't go home without his parents getting into trouble because they more or less sold him...

[onlyonewoman]

A few hours ago I made the mistake of reading "Jinbao marries a wife" and I regret it. Look, if you have a rape fantasy kink, then yeah, sure, but for the love of Lan Wangji, this wasn't some incence burner embarressment, it was countless rapes over 34 chapters and Que Siming was such an asshole it was depressing. I'm eternally grateful MYATB transformed him into a person who's most aggressive move was to hold on to Jinbao in shock from seeing the bracelet. Men being raped isn't fun or hot. It's just that: rape. Like...what is it with BL writers and their idea of sex scenes? I can't wrap my head around it. And now I will make a mighty eyeroll worthy of Zhao Cai at this tiresome trope and decide that AO3, as per usual, will make it up to me. I will also send my most grateful thoughts towards all the people working on MYATB who decided to take the rapist out with the trash and make a sassy wine aunt out of him - like a good fanfic writer

[feychild1225]

oh, just found out Que Siming and Jin Bao has their own novel. Wouldn’t it be nice if this was made into a sequel to Meet You at the Blossom?

[hobunaga]

UPDATED VERSION, thank you @guzhufuren for the additional info!!!

my friend wanted me to make a chart of, Meet you at the Blossom, characters and what their relationship is. Now I don't know everything, I don't even know if I got the names correct but I hope this clarifies a little what is going on here.

here are some clarifications(careful, spoilers)

Xiaobao's parents: Xiaobao's dad found Xiaobao's mom wandering around town one day and assumed she was the daughter of a wealthy family and had lived a really sheltered life(she is). He got her drunk, they slept together and he took responsibility by marrying her and taking care of her.

Tong'en: Now I don't know for sure if she loved any of the men that I attached her to, but they were in love with her so I kinda just added it in case her feelings were genuine or if she was only doing what she had to to survive. The only person I can confirm she truly cared for is Zongzheng Qiyuan and they had a brotherly and sisterly bond only.

Xue Xiaoyu: Now ya'll might be wondering why she has a red line towards Xiaobao and it's kinda given that she has a big crush on him. Her cousin however is his true love so I think she'll put on her big girl pants eventually and move on. Her brother is Xue Lianyu, Xiaobao's best friend. She is also the cousin of Huai'en.

Que Siming and Jinbao: They have 2 names cause in the extra I read, they had changed their names at least once. Jinbao was originally known as Wang Erhu and Que Siming was called Yue Siming. Que Siming was most likely adopted by the doctor whom was caring for him after his father was sentenced for treason and Jinbao was sold to Xiaobao at a young age.

Jinbao and Zhao Cai and Que Siming: Similar to the Xiaobao, Su Yin, and Huai'en jealousy trope, Que Siming's jealousy is mainly centered around Jinbao and Zhao Cai's relationship. Now I don't know if Jinbao has a thing for Zhao Cai, but Jinbao maybe masturbated to Zhao Cai once??? or Zhao Cai ran into him while he was masturbating??? I don't know... if someone can interpret this scene let me know because English is not my first language.

Zhao Cai and Medicine Girl: In Jinbao's side story, Jinbao Marries a Wife, it was stated that Zhao Cai was in a heated relationship with this medicine girl and frequently went out to see her during the time Xiaobao was still sick with the cold needle poison. I don't know if they end up together at the end but it was the only relationship that was mentioned in the story for him.

Shaoyu and Su Yin: So apparently there is a one sided interest in their interactions according to the awe inspiring @guzhufuren . When I read it, I wasn't sure how to exactly interpret their relationship but I can see it now that Shaoyu is just as obsessive and possessive as his older brother is. Good luck getting away, Su Yin!

Shaoyu and Huai'en: Half brothers with a somewhat refreshing ending in the live action that hints that there is a possibility of them bonding later in the future. Now I'm not sure which woman mothered Shaoyu, but I'm going to assume it's the ex empress which makes them half-brothers(well Tong'en only birthed one child so it's a given). Now usually if the mother loses the favor of the emperor to even be demoted out of being empress, that must mean that it heavily affects Shaoyu's standing as crown prince as well. Luckily no other princes were mentioned so it's more likely that Huai'en won't compete for the throne and Shaoyu will still inherit it.

The Zongzhen 4 brothers: Now they're just fucking insane and the only sane one is Zongzhen Qiyuan. Even the emperor is a little cuckoo but hey, that's what stress does to you right? They need to sit down, relax, and chill a little. I'm so glad two of them greatly support Huai'en's decisions.

ps: I'm sorry if I got the names wrong or I didn't name a few of the characters. Either way, I think this is the relationship chart?

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

BFSS vs. MYATB

I had some Thoughts(TM) after finishing “Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow” and thought I’d put them out into the universe.

I’m definitely glad that I read the book and plan to start “Jinbao Marries a Wife” after the extra episodes air. That being said, this is nevertheless one of the rare occasions where I actually preferred the show to the novel. I have already rewatched the series more times than I care to admit publicly, but I don’t really see myself reading the book again unless an official English translation is released to see the approved wording and whether anything was left out of the translation I read.

For anyone who plans to read and wants to avoid spoilers, I’ll hide the rest below the cut. If you loved the book, no worries—this won’t be a negative review!

The Story

I’m extremely impressed that the story is basically the same and, in parts where it isn’t, maintains full fidelity to the original plot and characters. Like MDZS and The Untamed, there were some plot points that got shuffled around in order to suit the medium of television rather than written narrative—and only twelve episodes of television, at that—but it didn’t alter the essence of the story or even the overarching plot at all. Some events were consolidated where it made sense (ex., finding Zongzheng Yuzhan’s dahlia and escaping with Xiaoyu), and others were fragmented in a manner that allowed us more time to get to know the characters (ex., Xiaobao delivering the medicine and their intimate moment in episode three being at two different times). Even Xiaobao’s illness, which was shortened to the spring rather than the following autumn, was still written and portrayed in such a way that you really felt the passage of time and how excruciating it could be when finding the dahlias before their window passed was at the fore of everyone’s minds.

There are a few points, however, where I feel like the show was able to add something to the narrative that I found I missed when reading the book, while I didn’t encounter anything while reading that I really wished had made it into the show. To be honest, given how few episodes they had to tell this story and how important pacing was as a result, that really surprised me. Here are some things that come to mind:

Toning down the non-con elements. While the show depicts those moments as almost more of a non-con initiation transforming into something more tacitly consensual as it progressed (or dubious consent due to drinking or drugging), the book really stuck to the non-con focus of their interactions. I was surprised how long it remained that way, as well as how much more Huai’en pushed it by trying to initiate things after the betrayal and poisoning. I know a lot of that is due to the medium—in a show of this nature, I’d have been more surprised if they’d kept it the same. It’s just something I preferred about how it was depicted in the show and felt made the romance a little more believable as it evolved so quickly.

More conversations between Xiaobao and Huai’en. As with the last point, it made the budding romance more believable for me, not to mention adding that extra bit of heartbreak when Huai’en betrayed Xiaobao. In the book, he doesn’t mention anything about his family history or his father after Jin Bao’s asthma crisis; much of what Xiaobao learns about Huai’en doesn’t come up until the latter is already gone. Sharing the truths (or what Huai’en thought were the truths) of his past added to the half-truths of what he’s doing in Jiangnan created a much deeper sense of manipulation for me and added to the weight of both what he does in episode six as well as how he still tries to keep the Jins alive in the aftermath.

The overall character growth. I’ll put more on this in the characters section, but I was left feeling a little disappointed at the end of the book in a way I wasn’t when I finished the show. It’s not that the growth was bad or missing, just that it didn’t feel as deep as the show for me. At the end of MYATB, Xiaobao is more mature and mindful of what his family needs and his own responsibilities in making that happen; in BFSS, he’s mostly acting like a young master again, gallivanting around with Huai’en and bemoaning how useless he can be. In MYATB, Huai’en grows to care about more than just Xiaobao, even though Xiaobao is still his true north; in BFSS, he’s seriously considering killing Xiaoyu out of jealousy in the last few chapters while rescuing her. In MYATB, Su Yin is angry at the situation, not with Xiaobao, and eventually comes to terms with the idea that Xiaobao has matured and can be trusted to make his own choices; in BFSS, we don’t really see the closure to that disagreement, which was one of my favorite scenes in the finale. Again, nothing wrong with how the book portrayed things, but I felt there was a certain growth in these characters in the show that I’d have liked to see mirrored there.

Xue Tong’en’s ubiquitous presence. She’s startlingly absent in the book while her presence in the show seems to be the backdrop to everything. Zongzheng Yuzhan’s obsession and even madness are palpable in the show, and his strange hatred for yet attachment to Huai’en is especially moving. All of that was absent in the book except for a couple of mentions in the overall narration and Zongzheng Yuzhan’s unwillingness to relinquish Xiaoyu. I just didn’t feel it like I did while watching MYATB.

Their strange but heartwarming little found family. My jaw dropped to see Zuoying and Youying peace out during the final battle, leaving Huai’en to fend for himself, and Zhaocai have an off-screen love interest he was determined to marry before he, too, caught a case of bisexuality. (His sentiment, not mine.) No tearful farewells after a year of huddling together for survival? No beautiful little scene of Huai’en’s two shadows keeping him alive until help arrived? No Zhaocai-Xiaoyu tag-teaming to interrupt Xiaobao and Huai’en at every turn? Don’t get me wrong—the two of them going off on their romantic road-tripping was satisfying, but… Well, as someone who sees platonic and romantic relationships as equally important, I was a little sad to see that it’s just…them.

First, the raid; next, the cure. Having Xiaobao’s remedy come last made Huai’en’s journey feel like there were higher stakes for me. In the book, it’s like tying up a loose end—“bring back Xiaoyu, and I’ll fully forgive you.” In the show, Huai’en gets to see what’s at stake and can make the conscious decision to inconvenience and further endanger himself by taking Xiaoyu away. He knows Xiaobao still loves him and has to just sit there helplessly while he continues to go through episodes that leave him unconscious for hours or days; he has to leave without saying goodbye, with no prompting from Xiaobao to bring Xiaoyu back or ultimatums on his forgiveness. And if he failed? In the show, that’s it for Xiaobao; in the book, it’s just whether his sister comes home, which Huai’en isn’t as bothered about even if he’s willing to die for it. For me, it read as a little more…transactional in the novel, so it wasn’t quite as emotionally stirring. Plus, waiting until later to heal Xiaobao meant Su Yin and Huai’en had to work together after everything that happened between them, which may have gone a long way towards that reconciliation I mentioned.

Li Gongxiang. …That’s it. ‘Nuff said.

All the little things that made the characters more real. Obviously, visual mediums are going to fill in personalities in ways that written narratives can’t, but MYATB did so in such a way that I deeply missed those details when they weren’t there. Zhaocai and Jinbao’s odd sleeping arrangements. Xiaobao and the dancer…and the guy in the restaurant… Shaoyu coming back to stake his claim only to get out-bratted by Xiaobao. Youying royally screwing up and putting the Jins on alert, necessitating an in-universe convoluted plot to make it seem like a random jianghu misunderstanding. None of it was necessary, no, but it was fun and made me care more about the characters as I watched. The only moment like this in the book that really stood out to me was Su Yin tickling Xiaobao into submission, which was honestly amazing. In any case, adding depth to the supporting characters that wasn’t there in the book added more to the main characters as well, so I missed those small details as I read.

The Characters

I know it seems like I covered that already, but there were a couple of specifics that really stood out to me regarding character choices and personalities in the book compared to the show. As with the story, there wasn’t much I felt hadn’t been incorporated from the book, while there were elements from the show that I did miss seeing as I read. Overall, I thought the show did a fantastic job of taking who the characters were on a fundamental level in the book and enhancing them with certain narrative choices.

Huai’en: I am unspeakably grateful for whoever decided to age him up to 20. It facilitated the conversations he had with Xiaobao that deepened their relationship and made the romance more believable. With that added maturity, his cold manipulation makes a lot of sense for his character rather than the angry and violent outbursts that the teenage Huai’en in the book was prone to. Even in MYATB, Huai’en experienced a few of those, but they only came at pivotal moments and, as a result, had more meaning to me. (Note: not morally right, but still meaningful.) On another note, I was mourning the loss of his scene with the emperor as I read. The majority was still there, namely the blood test, dahlia, and refusing his title. However, exonerating the Jins was a huge moment that contributed to his reconciliation with Xiaobao and their ability to live happily later. For me, it was more moving to see him take that initiative in the show rather than have it offered to him as an incentive for providing information that could free Prince Shen later in the book.

Xiaobao: …It’s the word “lecherous.” I just can’t get past it! In the show, we’re made aware that he’s frequented brothels in the past, and no further details are given. His attempts to woo “Miss Zheng” are slightly sleazy, but they hardly count as “lecherous,” which I really liked. It’s more of a wide-eyed “she could kick my ass in any context and I’d thank her for it” situation than…well, “lecherous.” (Nope, still can’t get past it even when I use it.) With an aged-up Huai’en, I think that having Xiaobao be more of an adorable wannabe player matched a bit better. He was still that way in the book, but the sexual element was a lot more prevalent (namely trying to switch positions), while MYATB moved him past that very quickly.

Su Yin: As I mentioned above, I really mourned the loss of their closure. In the show, we see a Su Yin who goes through hell trying to avenge Xiaobao only to learn that he needs to take a step back and trust that Xiaobao can take care of himself. He isn’t that same spoiled young master who needs Su Yin to constantly come to his rescue anymore by the end, and Su Yin has seen Huai’en’s sincerity even if he will never be able to forgive Huai’en’s indiscretions himself. Su Yin is very similar in much of the book, but I felt that their roads diverged some after Xiaobao went to warn Huai’en about the trap at Chifeng Cliff. In BFSS, we never really see him get over that, and his anger is truly at Xiaobao—he even insults him multiple times. MYATB shows it as concern with Xiaobao’s self-esteem and seeming willingness to degrade himself, shortly followed by understanding and acceptance, however hesitant. I loved that growth for both Su Yin and their relationship, so I was quite disappointed that it wasn’t the same in the book.

Que Siming: This was a case where expectations didn’t meet reality. I’d heard from people who read the book how he was the only one rooting for Huai’en and Xiaobao, but…that wasn’t entirely the vibe I got. It was still there, as it was in the show, but perhaps it was his personality that made it a bit difficult to see. In the show, Que Siming is eccentric, self-serving, and arrogant. However, there are moments when he displays genuine emotion towards Xiaobao’s suffering and Huai’en’s fate that show he really does care, even if his taste for gossip outweighs most other things a lot of the time. In the book, he was mostly just mean. The self-serving arrogance was there, but I didn’t really see much else. It could have been lost in translation, and I’m sure I’ll have a better grasp of him after “Jinbao Marries a Wife,” but on the whole I was left feeling like he was one of the only characters who was extremely different and far more likable in the show. Props to Kou Weilong!

Xiaoyu: She is one of the other characters who felt extremely different between the two mediums, and I vastly prefer the show’s version. In the book, Xiaoyu almost didn’t even seem like a kid of only about ten. Her dialogue read like a young woman, and I have to agree with the book version of Huai’en that her feelings about Xiaobao were…uh…wow. I definitely preferred Su Yin alluding to a marriage as merely a parting shot at Huai’en. Of course, the context is important: in the book, the Jins already decided Xiaoyu would run the family business, and she was also aware of what had happened to the Xues and that she wasn’t actually a Jin. In those circumstances, it makes sense that she would have been groomed to consider this eventuality without much thought given to their brother-sister relationship beyond just always being together. Still, uh…very glad they didn’t go that route. It also meant she could be more of a child in MYATB and wage a war for Xiaobao’s attention against Huai’en without that loaded underlying meaning.

Zongzheng Yuzhan: In MYATB, he seems to have gotten an upgrade. Even more than just being an oftentimes off-screen, absentee antagonist, he was a character foil for Huai’en. We are meant to see that Huai’en’s understanding of love is twisted, as Li Gongxiang said, because his only example is his foster father’s obsessive and possessive form of love. What makes Zongzheng Yuzhan monstrous is that he can’t change. What makes Huai’en human is that he can. He could have been a monster—a beast, as Xiaobao calls him in the book multiple times—but he takes a different road. That road leads to direct conflict with Zongzheng Yuzhan and emphasizes their differences in a dramatic and captivating way. In the book, that conflict really isn’t there. Zongzheng Yuzhan very easily lets go of Huai’en being Zongzheng Yunlian’s son and urges him to be free until he comes back for Xiaoyu. Perhaps that’s the Zongzheng Yuzhan we’d have seen if Huai’en had visited him in prison, but that steady escalation of their differences until it reached a boiling point made the stakes in the second half of the show that much more impactful for me.

In all, I enjoyed BFSS. It was worth reading and did add a lot of insight into certain scenes that couldn’t possibly include dialogue, especially Xiaobao’s thoughts during poison episodes and his quieter moments as Huai’en insisted on proving what a joke Su Yin’s security was to him. (I’m imagining Su Yin with a clown nose and wig asking, “Am I a joke to you?” Yes. Yes, you are. But I love you anyway.)

Perhaps I’d feel a little differently if I’d read the book before watching the show. Having gone the opposite direction, though, I’m left astounded at how well MYATB took a book with over a hundred chapters, adapted it for the screen, enhanced both the plot and characters, and told the story in twelve episodes with time to spare for an extra fluffy epilogue. There was a lot of love put into the show, and while I did enjoy the book, that may have made all the difference for me.

[eldritch-bisexual]

Ok, I got my painkillers and jasmine tea, let's do this!

MYATB Episode 12: Da Finale

-> I haven't watched that intro one single time xD

-> Really love this blanket-robe that Xiaobao has. I need one. It surely would help with my horrible joints in winter.

-> "He's gone to where he belongs" S U Y I N M Y D U D E. Technically, not a lie. It's where you think he belongs.

-> Someone give Xiaobao's VA a break. He can't cry anymore. They're wasting the actors ability to cry on command. Also, his hairpiece is still upside down!

-> I cannot watch kissing scenes, so I was kinda looking through my fingers while my boyfriend lectured me about accepting gay marriage.

-> Hauien looks like he's dying. Kudos to the make-up team.

-> Siming stop being homophobic, you're also gay!

-> NEEDLE CONTINUITY

-> Goooood I don't care about the Emperor's drama. They should all die and let Shaoyu inherit and run the country to the ground. Eventually Su Yin will get his chance

-> Huaien's dad is pathetic and I won't even pretend I didn't skip the prison scene

-> When the older actors are on screen I even forget they had two Real to make this show. The Dude Li fucking slays

-> Jinbao is fucking precious and he deserves all the joy in the world and I want to EAT him and Siming, they're so cute

-> "It's chaos out there! Believe me! You just gotta do the CQL magic and multiply the extras by 10"

-> Huaien is being such a wife. You give him a fan and he'll start spewing poetry about shoulder blades.

-> Shaoyu makes more sense knowing he's 12, but I still want him to die in a pond

-> Sometimes a family is three guards, a gay couple and the little girl that one of them was supposed to marry.

-> "You can't give me a baby..." I mean, it's not like you had the chance to try...

-> Zhao Cai feat Xiaoyu wasn't the team I was expecting but I'm glad

-> Xiaobao really did say "Let's FUCK" as the last line of the show. AMAZING.

Lovely. Great last ep. What the fuck happened. I'm so happy.

[springsheep]

Meet You At The Blossom Notes Ep. 1 - 2

Ep 1 -> Jin Xiaobao's first appearance: asking Mr. Sun to write a book (praising him) cuz he wants to find a wife ah.

Huaien's first appearance, wearing a veil and riding horse. Surrounded by assassins.

Oh my god Jin Xiaobao this is just the first episode how can you be so cute omg.

Jin Xiaobao proposed to three girls... and got rejected ofc.

He saw Huaien: Fairy!! A fairy has descended!!!

Xiaobao tells his men to save the "fairy". JXB: that's your Young Madam ah!

Xiaobao talks to Huai en.

Jin Xiaobao: 金小宝

Zheng Huai'En: 郑怀恩

Jin Xiaobao: Guniang~~

Huai'en: ???

Zhaocai = 招财

Jinbao = 进宝

JXB: just now there was a huge mosquito looking at you, it kept staring at you!

Huai'en: ...(i think that mosquito is you ah)

Jin Xiaobao goes home (meets his family). Zheng Huai'en decides to use Xiaobao etc.

Huai'en wearing a dress, Xiaobao is like wowwww.

Jin Xiaobao: This old pervert (Prince Shen), how dare he look at my wife!!!

Huai'en confrontation with Prince Shen (his uncle?): What does the people of the world have to do with me? What do I care about right or wrong?

Jin Xiaobao rushes to save his "wife": I don't care who she is, since she's my wife (baby you're not married yet ok...), then I have to protect her!

I know this is just the first ep but we need a modern au of this... Jin Xiaobao the innocent son of a CEO and Huai'en the mafia boss... tsk tsk

OH my goddd i love this wth...

Jin Xiaobao rush to save his "wife" holding a sword.

Jin Xiaobao: Don't you dare hurt my wife!!

Asassins: What wife lol

Huai'en: fuck, where's my dignity.

Jin Xiaobao poisoned the assassins: Did you think it'd be that easy to get gold from my Jin family?! Hmph!!

Assassins: Before we die, we must advance the plot! *throws aphrodisiac darts*

Huai'en: *shields Xiaobao*

Jin Xiaobao: My Wife!!

Assassins: Come on, consummate your marriage! (the viewers are perverts and want to see you guys do it, we're just providing fanservice hahaha).

Awww Huai'en faints in Xiaobao's arms tsk tsk.

Ep 2 -> *cough cough* you know...

Xiaobao wakes up (he was out for two days wow). He's upset obviously. Huai'en sends people to tell the Jin family he's okay.

Zhao cai: We couldn't find you, we only found some clothes....

Xiaobao: ...

Jinbao: Oh, your brother? He's in my bed!

Xiaobao: Don't keep hitting Jinbao's head, he's stupid enough...

Jinbao: Exactly.

Jin Xiaobao sees Huai En in other girl's face lol

The trio: What you can't get... Is the thing you want the most...

Su Yin appears. Childhood friend...?

Su Yin chats with Xiaobao.

Su Yin "hugging" Xiaobao and then Huai En sees hahahhahaa

Huai En: I'm here to take my man back.

Su Yin: Jin Xiaobao, you won't even let go of men huh... (Jealous huh?)

Jin Xiaobao: I want to tame him hahaha (lol be careful of your own chrysanthemum baby boiii)

Jin Xiaobao: I've thought about it, true love doesn't care about gender, I won't love you less because you're a man.

Huai En avoids Xiaobao (tsk you'll regret it later) and thinks of his mom and Su Yin hugging Xiaobao.

We see the crown Prince.

[bahoreal]

ill be real i think that myatb missed the mark a little bit for me because the character journeys were a little bit flat?? some rambling under the cut ig

huaien went from i hate that guy can he stop proposing to me to ill kill his whole family to get him to rely on me to im ok being a wife guy without like confronting or dealing with the hyperpossessive shit he just kinda lost it between one episode and the next

xiaobao went from i wish to marry the most beautiful woman in the world to im ok with this guy sexually assaulting me to i hate him but i still deeply love him (which i still dont understand lok huaien never treated him well what did he love...) to i just love him ill marry him and spend the rest of my life with him

and the plot influenced the characters a lot but the drive felt a bit like it was missing? like. i saw the characters progress but the lack of motivations for the character progressions made it feel a bit flat to me like the characters just went ok! i am now feeling x (and i saw ppl say the same abt the book lol sometimes it is something i feel is missing esp in romance focused dramas and novels my standards are high and i love to see emotional journeys.. just aro things i guess)

even su yin whomst i adore went from i must do everything to protect xiaobao and stayed on that reaching extremes and then right turned to ok you will love huaien thats fine i will leave ig (and the scene where they talk wasnt even in the book? like. ok?)

idk i did enjoy the series overall but the whole 'look at this concept of a couple arent they hot together they want to spend the rest of their lives together' without much substance never worked on me. anyway i still hope they make the jinbao siming sequel i think they could have a fun journey and flesh out those characters a bit more. its sad when i fall in love with a character and then their journey is cut short or just not done justice the way i imagine lgmfkgjrk

[newkittypoom]

post-series thoughts of huaibao in the new jin mansion

i want huaien leaning in deep to his role as madam jin/金夫人 and pretty much abandoning his own surname and refusing to acknowledge his own lineage and since hes so frickin pretty no one questions why madam jin likes to wear male hairstyles and robes sometimes. nobody knows for sure if madam jin is male or female and theres a running betting pool until someone figures it out

xiaobao was talking about setting up a little shop somewhere and running a modest business after the Everything so i have decided that they should run a women's fashion store. because for marketing reasons i think huaien should wear women's robes around town with a veil again and be a trophy wife to xiaobao

also because when the young maidens and married women come to the store to ogle at the handsome owner, i want madam jin to be jealous af and huaien is tempted to kill all these bitches who dare to lay eyes on his husband but instead he blacklists anyone who flirts with xiaobao and their whole household. but the women's robes that he wears/models are so popular in town that none of the women dare to risk being blacklisted for fear of missing out on the latest trends so it is an incredibly effective way to ward off women

also as xiaoyu grows up i think she would definitely learn to run the business as well, plus she wants to stay with and protect xiaobao as much as huaien does so she learns the ropes and becomes the head designer for the store (plus she gets to play dress up with a real life barbie doll with perfect proportions so score for her)

after the store has settled in and business is regular, xiaobao takes huaien out for holidays often. half of it is because he wants to go out exploring the world and half of it is because he wants to show the world to huaien, that it isnt bad beyond the shitty upbringing and parenting that huaien grew up with. its the guzhuang version of diagnosing your wife with hysteria and the cure is to vacation at the beach house. except your wife has severe ptsd and tried to ruin your family and behaves like a rabid dog off leash if you so much as breathe too close to someone else.

i dont think huaien ever learns how to love xiaobao in a healthier way, not when all hes ever known is a vengeful and all-consuming obsession. he does tone down his murderous tendencies a lot, mainly because if he doesnt then su yin shows up to clean up the mess and he hates su yin being around more than he hates not being able to murder people. hes still codependent af on xiaobao and will not tolerate even the slightest hint that xiaobao might consider concubines or other wives but at least he understands that he cant mess with xiaobao's platonic relationships (e.g: parents, xiaoyu, zhaocai, jinbao, su yin)

id like them to have some shenanigans on one of their holidays and accidentally acquire an orphan who has lost their parents and xiaobao, with his bleeding heart, asks huaien if they can adopt the kid as their heir, and also because he wants a widdle baby who will call them mum and dad :') huaien has some Big Feelings about adopting a kid, but at the end of the day he will do anything that makes xiaobao happy (except tolerating another lover)

[theoncomingchaos]

Siming x Jinbao Novel

Here are some of the best scenes from chapters 4-6

These two are hilarious tbh. The pain doesn't start until chapter 6, so before that it's all pretty cute. I think the author does a great job writing children too.

I do really hope they make this into a drama, but they are going to need some good kid actors. I'm honestly not even sure when this book is going to lead into adulthood.

-Jinbao wants to leave, but he knows if he goes outside the guards will catch him, so he runs in circles around Siming's room. Siming chases him until he gets tired and falls on the bed. (They are 5 ok?!)

-SIming makes Jinbao fan him while he goes to sleep, but won't let him onto the bed. Jinbao can only sleep after he falls asleep, so Jinbao says, "Got it, hurry up and sleep then," and starts singing a lullaby off-key!

-Jinbao got so sleepy fanning him that he fell asleep on top of him. Siming freaks out about the germs and wants an entirely new bed. Jinbao has had it and starts rolling around on his bed. "I'll sleep on your bed! I'm sleeping here! What are you going to do about it? I'll sleep ALL over it!" Meanwhile Siming is hitting him with a pillow, so Jinbao tackles him and then rolls around with him. Siming is too weak to fight back...so he bites him! And of course.. Jinbao bites him back.

-Siming gets angry and threatens to starve Jinbao, so Jinbao teaches him hopscotch and they forget all about it. Definitely 5 years old.

-Jinbao gets a crush on SIming's doctor and Siming gets upset. He hates the doctor and suspects him of being a fox spirit that is up to something. He saw the beautiful doctor once looking through his things...

-Siming's dead mother is brought up and he gets sad, so Jinbao tries to cheer him up. He promises to always back him up. If SIming hates the doctor, he will too. As long as Siming feeds him and is nice to him, he'll be loyal to him.

-Jinbao can eat A LOT and he especially loves meat, but Siming doesn't like it and tries to not eat much. Jinbao pushes him to eat more and the servants are happy because Siming doesn't listen to anyone else, and they've been worried about him being so thin and sickly.

-Siming gets a stomach ache from eating so much, so Jinbao rubs his stomach. This is the first time we have reached level: You can touch me as long as you washed your hands. SIming also lets him nap with him together (reluctantly).

-Jinbao has an older brother and a younger sister.

-Siming doesn't want to study with tutors because his mom, who died recently, used to teach him. So, he instead decides to teach Jinbao to read and write himself.

-Jinbao calls Siming handsome, and he says "Don't look! You aren't allowed to look!" Jinbao asks him then to be his little wife. Siming is so upset, he hits the ink stone and splashes them both with ink. Then he actually smears ink all over Jinbao's face and leaves. Jinbao's thought process: Wow mom was right, getting a wife really isn't easy! Jinbao is determined though because he knows other people will try to compete for Siming, so he needs to start early. Siming agrees to think about it if Jinbao can remember how to write his name correctly. (Siming actually thinks they can't get married because they are both men, but if they could he wouldn't be opposed...) As Jinbao's writing gets better, he starts calling Siming his little wife, and Siming stops complaining.

-Jinbao's father comes to take him home...Siming is unhappy, but he knows he needs to go because something bad happened. He tells Jinbao to think of their time together when he gets sad. Jinbao says he will keep practicing writing, and when he finishes, Siming should marry him. Siming agrees. Siming is really afraid to part because he thinks it will be like with his mother...she promised to stay with him, but death still took her.

-After Jinbao's beloved grandfather died, he got a fever. People think the grandfather is trying to take him with him...

-While Jinbao is away, Siming's father is charged with treason. Jinbao hears about the trouble and though he doesn't understand, he runs off to find Siming. Jinbao finds them in the prison carts and begs Siming not to leave. He shows him his writing and says Siming has to fulfill his promise and be his little bride. Children and the elderly get exiled, not executed, but Siming is worried Jinbao will get punished too, so he tries to tell him to go away. Jinbao falls and cries, and Siming (also crying) tells him: "I don't know where I'm going, I'm so scared. Don't forget me. When you grow up, come find me! If you find me, I'll be your little bride! Don't forget about me!"

-Jinbao is KIDNAPPED BY THE DOCTOR?!?!?!

[theoncomingchaos]

Jinbao Marries a Wife (Si Ming x Jinbao official novel) part 4 (Ch. 16-18)

We finally find out where Jinbao went and why....!

Trigger warnings and spoilers below.

@guzhufuren

Trigger Warnings: There is a really intense rape scene in chapter 16.

-Honestly, I think it's even worse than all of the Huaibao ones. At least with them most of the time when they have dubcon and rape scenes, Xiaobao was trying to rape and got raped back. Still not ok, but Jinbao's rape felt so much more brutal because he didn't want anything to do with Si Ming. At all. He was threatened into promising sex (Si Ming threatened to stop treating Xiaobao), then drugged and fucked while he literally couldn't move. The only thing he could do was scream and bite when Si Ming tried to kiss him...it's bad.

What happened next...

-Zhao Cai is best bro. When he finds out what happened the next morning, he is ready to kill Si Ming. He immediately gets Jinbao out of there even knowing that it will upset people with power over him, and sends Jinbao out of the city to his (Zhao Cai's) girlfriend's parents' place. They are wealthy and have spare rooms in a nice country home.

-Zhao Cai was absolutely fearless even when Si Ming went off on him. In the book, they actually fight and Zhao Cai manages to keep up. Su Yin came to break it up and then the discussion goes really similarly to the TV series.

-Xiaobao wants to know what happened, he is very worried about Jinbao, but no one will tell him. Su Yin is so worried about Xiaobao and fearful of Si Ming refusing to treat him, so he wants to brush everything under the carpet, basically hoping that whatever happened is an exaggeration of some small slight.

-Su Yin and Si Ming go to look for him, but Zhao Cai doesn't tell them anything. Si Ming finds him catching birds in the snow. HE DID NOT COME BACK ON HIS OWN.

-Si Ming is pretty horrible saying Jinbao liked it and that Jinbao owes him (for forgetting him) but at least Jinbao always stands up for himself.

-One sweet thing is that Jinbao kept the paper he wrote Si Ming's name on when he was a little boy. It was the proof he had that he had done what he was supposed to and now Si Ming would have to be his wife. He forgot all about it, but he knew it was important because he couldn't write anything else as a child and he'd held onto it so tightly during his fever. When he was lonely at the Jin residence when he was first sold, he would look at it often and he always had it with him in his pouch. (I think this is what was replaced by the bracelets in the show)

Overall:

Honestly, the childhood stuff and the set up from how they parted was so good. It feels like such a waste to throw in the rape so unnecessarily when there were so many other ways the situation could have been written. I don't know if the TV series will ever do this book, but I really hope they do. I have full confidence that they could fix this.

[theoncomingchaos]

Si Ming x Jin Bao official novel pt 3

Some scenes I liked or found interesting from chapters 7 -15

-Ok, so apparently he wasn't kidnapped just taken home. Jin Bao got really sick for a month though and after that he had a lot of memory problems which is why he doesn't recognize Si Ming later. He also started having trouble remembering things without reminders.

-Jin Bao is sold when the Jin family is looking to pay for a playmate for Xiaobao. His family is starving and homeless at this point. His 3 year old sister is sick. They planned to sell his older brother, but the Jin family wanted someone Xiaobao's age.

-First meeting with Xiaobao & Zhao Cai: Jin Bao falls asleep after eating a lot and wakes up with Xiaobao sitting on his stomach, writing on his face. Zhao Cai watches and laughs.

-Zhao Cai sneaks him food after he spends the day crying. (He realized he's been sold) He also walks Jin Bao in circles outside until he's tired enough to sleep. (He can't sleep, just cries.)

-Xiaobao treated them like brothers <3

-Si Ming's opera mask returns.

-Growing up, Si Ming wrote about his memories of Jin Bao and drew him, so he wouldn't forget. Those memories were his happy place after his father's execution. It makes it hurt all the more that Jin Bao has forgotten him. (He doesn't know about the long fever and brain damage, so he thinks Jin Bao just forgot him normally.)

-Jin Bao gets stuck with all the chores because Zhao Cai is too lazy and they couldn't hire maids because Xiaobao is perv and would probably sleep with them ><

-Jin Bao's top 3 hottest guys in no particular order: Si Ming (Devilish beauty), Su Yin (Pine), and Huai'en (Moon). Literally every person he thought was hot in this entire book has been a guy and he still as the audacity to be confused when he kisses a guy. (Edit: he does show attraction to Chan'er later, so he is bisexual after all).

-The responsibility line came into play! Si Ming said anyone who saw him without his mask had to take responsibility. He took off his mask and kissed Jin Bao while he was in the tub. Naked Jin Bao flies out of the tub and ATTACKS HIM kicking and punching.

-JIn Bao agrees to sleep with him so he'll help Xiaobao =( Si Ming wants to make him remember, and if he can't, he wants to punish him and give him memories he can't forget. He feels really embarrassed for pining his whole life over someone who has forgotten him. He's also angry because Jin Bao was the one who wanted to get married and made promises, and now he is disinterested.

-Zhao Cai meets a girl in the medicine shop! Her name is Xiao Rou!! She actually gets to meet Jin Bao and it looks like she and Zhao Cai are trying to hook him up with her cousin Chan'er.

-Si Ming is ALSO caught up in some sort of intrigue. He's got a blood curse and a family after him. I think it's the doctor from before. He wants revenge for his father. So he brings something to Shao Yu who also wants to deal with that family because they threaten the throne. The blood curse left red vines around his eyes which is why he wears the mask.

-omg...in the book Shao Yu is 11 or 12?!?!!? No wonder he acts like a child in the series. He IS a child.

[feychild1225]

I am reading Jin Bao marries a wife both because I adore the couple and because I want more canon interactions between them for my omegaverse fic. Blooming Flowers Silent Sorrow and the series barely show anything.

However, I think I could write an entire fic of just them as children. Five years old and Siming is already just so very Siming 🤭

[ellsieee]

bonus: If Que Siming and Jinbao were to be married, who between the two would be a bigger bridezilla?

There is no question in my mind that Siming would be a huge bridezilla. He is picky about everything, bossy, sassy, and has a temper. Not to mention, he would be the one pushing to get married. 🤭 Jinbao is too much of a cinnamon roll to be that obnoxious.

The novel basically names Siming as the wife lol.

When they were kids: "Young master Yue, you're really handsome. Be my little wife." Siming's neck turned bright red, feeling like his head was about to overheat. Angry and embarrassed, he shouted, "You... you're a pig! Dirty, stupid, and ugly. Who would want to be your... Get out!" "Young master Yue, really, I'm serious." "Who would want to be your little wife? You can't even remember my name!" "So if I remember it, you'll be my little wife?"

When they get separated: "Don't leave! Where are you going? I'll go with you! You promised to be my bride! I can write your name now! You must keep your promise!" Siming suddenly turned his head, tears streaming down his face, "When you grow up, come find me. If you find me, I'll be your bride! Don't forget me!"

When they meet again in present time: Due to some events, Jinbao has lost his memory of Siming. Jinbao was anxious, "Responsible? For what? Am I supposed to marry you or something?!" "Exactly. You have to marry me. I don't like my people disobeying me. I'm giving you time to prepare, but you still have to sleep with me, understand?" "Why do you like men when women are so good...?" "Women aren't bad, but I don't like women, and it's all thanks to you. So you should be responsible."

tldr, but yeah, Siming is the bridezilla, no contest. 😂

Thank you for the asks! They were fun to think about. :D

[theoncomingchaos]

Jinbao takes a wife (Official novel) part 5

I found this in my drafts. It was the last chapter I read before the translation got pulled and honestly it was so bad I was going to give up on the book anyway...so I guess for those who are curious about the story I'll post it anyway, but yeah I'm out. (ch 19)

-So, Siming finally told Jinbao about his true identity and found out about the brain damage from the fever. He is really happy that there is a real reason he was forgotten, but he still wants Jinbao to remember.

-Jinbao is having some vague memories, but he can't tell what is real or not. Either way, he still doesn't like Siming. He thinks he's attractive, but he doesn't want to be with him.

-Siming takes advantage of Jibao not being very smart and says things like "You are months older than me, so you took advantage and made me believe men could marry men. You begged to be in my bed and said we would be married. I'm gay because of you! I won't have children because of you! Now you have to take responsibility!"

-Jinbao genuinely feels guilty about this, but he doesn't want to be with him still. He is only going to obey to protect Xiaobao.

-Siming pushes and tells him that he must tell Xiaobao "I am serving him willingly and I have to take responsibility" or he will tell the whole world how Jinbao ruined him.

I miss TV series sibao.

-There is some tragic backstory with a longevity stone and blood worms which normally would be really interesting, but it is really hard to care about Siming when he is threatening Jinbao with the ghost of his dead father to make Jinbao swear to care more about him than he does about Xiaobao.

-Siming is shockingly really beloved by his shixiong and shifu. Apparently, he is very kind and gentle with them but we have never seen him like that even as a child and not to Jinbao at all, so it feels really out of nowhere. He basically has a night meal with his shixiong, ignoring Jinbao and making him sit with another servant, then the minute they are alone again he's manipulating and coercing him into sex again.

-There was a pretty cool fight scene. Siming & his enemies have a lot of interesting tricks and Jinbao gets to show off his skills a bit.