The Profligate (Volume 1)

半瓶Nov 2022

3.2

Word count: 187K words
Chapters: 72

Summary

After the heir's wife Xie Nanjia is murdered in the delivery room, she returns to the marquis's estate as a maid, determined to find the culprit and avenge herself. To gain a foothold amid open attacks and hidden schemes, she must secure a patron.

The wastrel second son of the Dingyuan Marquis's estate has lately become infatuated with a pretty little maid who is sweet in appearance but full of schemes—she wants an alliance against their enemies and to put him in the heir's position.

The second son waves his folding fan airily: I've no interest in power, only in beauty.

The beauty flatly refuses: My elder brother's wife is like a mother to me—please show some respect, Second Young Master!

Editor's review

Using rebirth and revenge as its hook, this book deftly blends household intrigue with light comedy. The heroine, Xie Nanjia, falls from heir's wife to maid, and the gap in status creates strong narrative tension: she must hide her true purpose while surviving the open attacks and hidden schemes of the marquis's estate. The pacing is tight. The male lead, the second son of the Dingyuan Marquis's estate, seems a wastrel but is in fact clear-eyed, and his push-and-pull with the heroine over their “alliance to elevate him” forms the book's main attraction; witty dialogue and misunderstandings bring humor to the tense atmosphere. Author Ban Ping is meticulous in building relationships, and the factions and conflicts within the estate are layered, so the heroine's step-by-step calculations never feel abrupt. Suitable for readers who enjoy rebirth household intrigue, evenly matched scheming, and light comedy in their spare time, especially as relaxing reading for commutes or bedtime. This first volume focuses on establishing characters and planting clues, so readers should be patient for what follows.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Female readers who enjoy rebirth revenge and household intrigue
Readers who prefer evenly matched scheming and mutual testing and pull between the leads
Readers looking for an easy web novel to follow on the commute or before bed
Readers interested in the ensemble cast and power-play subplots within the marquis's estate

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious historical research or a straight drama tone
Readers not interested in rebirth or maid-rises-to-power setups
Readers who prefer standalone volumes and dislike following serials

Reading tips

Sort out the estate's characters and factions first; the household intrigue is easier to follow once you do.
Treat each of the heroine's identity tests and her interactions with the male lead as clue points, noting foreshadowing as you read.
Read it as light reading for bedtime or commutes; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.

版权信息
第一章你去死吧
第二章新生
第三章悲从中来
第四章侯府来人
第五章声名狼藉
第六章命运的安排
第七章模样好吗
第八章美人何在
第九章叫什么名字
第十章欲擒故纵
第十一章洗手做羹汤
第十二章赏你今晚侍寝
第十三章各怀心思
第十四章你喂我
第十五章公子请自重
第十六章自恋狂
第十七章男人果然靠不住
第十八章雷霆手段
第十九章转机
第二十章听闻
第二十一章人心
第二十二章契机
第二十三章引蛇出洞
第二十四章承诺
第二十五章最大的危险
第二十六章山匪杀人
第二十七章借刀杀人
第二十八章成败就在此一举
第二十九章扇耳光
第三十章祝姨娘一路顺风
第三十一章归途
第三十二章我信你
第三十三章美人要来了
第三十四章男人与男人不同
第三十五章梦回
第三十六章替死
第三十七章前途未卜
第三十八章下马威
第三十九章她的命是我的
第四十章你舍不得我
第四十一章冲冠一怒
第四十二章先放你一马
第四十三章故人
第四十四章口出狂言
第四十五章出气
第四十六章因为你是我的丫头
第四十七章人不助天助
第四十八章最后一次机会
第四十九章打的什么主意
第五十章撒野
第五十一章羞辱
第五十二章机关算尽
第五十三章只能成功
第五十四章第一次
第五十五章和丹凤眼的人有缘
第五十六章乖，不要哭
第五十七章得见
第五十八章查她祖宗十八代
第五十九章齐聚
第六十章美男计
第六十一章柳姨娘
第六十二章贵客
第六十三章没有你不敢的事
第六十四章遮丑
第六十五章变动
第六十六章条件
第六十七撑腰
第六十八章一击必中就是最好的法子
第六十九章又一个助力
第七十章是真是假
第七十一章那丫头可狡猾了

FAQ

I haven't read the author's other works. Can I start with this one?

Yes. This is the first volume of the series, and it opens by establishing the heroine's rebirth background and the estate's setup, so new readers can jump right in. Just pay attention to the character relationships; the foreshadowing for later volumes is planted here, and reading in order gives a fuller experience.

Is the romance the main plot or a subplot?

In this volume the romance mainly serves the heroine's survival line of gaining a foothold and finding a patron. The leads focus on alliance and mutual testing, with ambiguity and push-and-pull woven into the household intrigue; it is not yet fully developed. Readers who like slow-burn, strategic romance will adapt more easily.

Does the first volume end on a clear cliffhanger?

Yes. The first volume focuses on establishing characters and planting clues; the heroine's revenge goal and the estate's internal strife are not yet resolved, and the ending leaves a hook to drive the later plot. Readers who expect a complete ending from one volume should be prepared to keep following.

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About the author

半瓶 Author

Ban Ping is a contemporary Chinese author about whom little public information is available. What can be confirmed is that the author writes mainly modern romance, with forays into time-travel and alternate-world fiction as well as youth literature. Eleven of the author's works are held in the collection, including the modern relationship novels Xianluo (Fall), Jiehun (Breaking Off the Marriage), Liehun (Shattered Marriage), and Shibadu Wanfeng (An Evening Breeze at Eighteen Degrees), along with the multi-volume Wanku (The Prodigal), issued in volumes 1 to 3 and as a complete six-volume set. Judging from the titles and categories, the writing centers on the emotional entanglements, marital relationships, and coming-of-age choices of urban men and women, while alternate settings expand the narrative range; the style tends toward accessible, fluent storytelling suited to popular reading. As no reliable records exist for the author's dates, nationality, education, or awards, personal biography cannot be traced, and only the published works can outline the general shape of the author's writing.