The Lady in Butcher's House (2022)

The meek shall inherit the earth.

This is a very funny, romantic romp through the antics of an unlikely couple in a marriage of convenience that turns into the real thing. Xu Qingjia is a talented young scholar who jilts a highborn lady to fulfil an old promise to marry Hu Jiao, a butcher's daughter. At surface, they could not be more different - he is book smart, humble, meek and measured in his actions while she is street smart, commercial, direct impulsive and a total gangster when provoked. As Qingjia hilariously navigates the challenges of his new assignment as a backwater county magistrate, they discover their differences are complementary and where it counts, their core values are the same.

The surrounding plot of this drama is yet another age old corruption case involving the previous generation with some decent twists. What's different about it is that it unravels slowly over the daily lives and trials of a group of humble merchants and working level government officials. The characters are colourful, often comical and avoid the most cringeworthy familial and love rival archetypes. The romances unfold at a realistic pace and have an honest, down to earth appeal about them. No one character is super smart, infallible or is the main driver of the plot. They all have strengths and weaknesses that make them at times succeed and other times fail. But together it is immensely satisfying to see their combined abilities enable them to prevail over the petty neighbourhood bullies, business rivals and corrupt politicians and win the day with their sincerity, persistence and hard work - the meek shall inherit the earth. Best of all, the ensemble cast is fun, witty and can be very, very funny without being slapstick.

I wouldn't say that the actors are among the best out there (its so great to see Tong Meng Shi/Uncle Wu Zhu from JOL as ML) but everyone delivers very solid performances and the cast somehow just "clicks". I really love how Tong Meng Shi manages to convey the henpecked husband with immense inner courage. Although not a huge Baby Zhang fan, I think she also managed to play the husband training shrew while retaining her femininity. I really enjoyed Gao Zheng and Yu Niang's story as well and I think the casting of Hu Jiao's bovine butcher brother is simply brilliant I laugh just looking at him!

This lively, riotously humorous watch that conveys some grains of wisdom about honour, friendship, love and marriage is a fantastic way to pass some time. I rate it a very enjoyable 7.5/10.

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Underrated fun, hilarious and sweet show!

Starting with the opening scene illustrations, I found this drama funny and quirky. It did not feel like a big-budget production, the sets were nondescript, and the costumes were not that memorable. Still, those did not detract from the show's charm. Instead, it is ultimately entertaining, mixing cute romance, just the right amount of melodrama, and on-point comedy.

I thought that the drama did well in combining romantic and "slice of life" scenes featuring the different characters with the political shenanigans in the palace and courts. It stood out for me because it was a historical drama accompanied by non-traditional touches like the gender role reversal between the main couple. In this show, the male lead played the traditionally weaker and gentler role, while the female lead was the strong one, unpolished like a diamond in the rough.

As individual characters, the leads were likable, and together, they were endearing. Hu Jiao, played by Baby Zhang, was strong and domineering, the daughter of a butcher with some impressive knife skills. She had no formal education and was blunt as well as impulsive, but she was perceptive and street smart. She was also honest, principled, and upright, just like the male lead, Xu Qingjia, played by Tong Men Shi. In contrast to A'Jiao's physical strength, Xu Qingjia can be considered a xiǎobáiliǎn or pretty-faced boy, delicate and frail. However, he was incredibly intelligent, a learned scholar who was rational and thoughtful. His level-headedness tempered A'Jiao's fiery personality.

I enjoyed the sincere and simple romance between A'Jiao and Xu Qingjia. Their love was adorably dorky. Despite being new to marriage and still trying to work through their feelings, both did not shy away from sharing their thoughts. I also appreciated their care and respect for each other, especially regarding their relationship and life goals. Even when one did not want the other to make sacrifices, they still listened to each other and understood that they wanted to protect each other. There was no noble idiocy which is a trope I find most annoying.

It was great to see A Jiao's character develop. Typically straightforward, she did not usually mince her words, but she slowly started to consider Xu Qingjia's feelings. She learned to yield, saw things from his point of view, and did not hesitate to show her admiration for his brilliance. Xu Qingjia, on the other hand, would acknowledge that even though A'Jiao's words hurt, there was truth in them. He was always sweet towards her, so giving, but he would stand up for his beliefs when it came to important matters, at the risk of being beaten by A'Jiao.

These two managed to find common ground and reveled in each other's strengths, rather than expecting each other to possess the traditional gender-related skills. When conflict appeared, it was not a test of whether it would break them up but more of a testament that their relationship was strong enough to adapt and overcome. They were partners through and through.

The second couple, Yu Niang and Gao Zheng were equally delightful, with Gao Zheng just as dorky as Xu Qingjia but more emotionally clueless. Yu Niang was another awesome female character, and along with Lin Cui, A'Jiao's best friend, and other characters, there was a message of female empowerment. Actually, both ladies and men shone in this show. I liked the sismance, bromance, and the lack of tiresome third parties or love triangles. My favorite aspect of the show was the emphasis on wholesome masculinity and strong female characters.

It was also fun to watch the dynamics of A'Jiao's family members. They were hilarious and so supportive and protective of each other. Some characters fell flat, like the villains, but the cast did fine overall. It is the first time I watched the main actors, and while they were pretty good, they do need to hone their acting skills.

Musically, the song tracks were memorable, and by that, I mean the songs were effective in evoking memories of the scenes for me. I like the closing song, sung by our main couple, Baby Zhang and Tong Men Shi, but my favorite is Guòmén (Cross the door) by Liu Fengyao. It is incredibly romantic and, when played during the scenes of the couples, heightened the watching experience for me. For posterity, I included the track list at the end of this review.

Whether you need to cure bad-day blues or just a distraction, this drama might do the trick. I recommend that you try this drama out and decide for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4liQrjrq1M&t=547s

佟梦实&张含韵 - 春日愿 (Spring Day Wish - Tong Mengshi & Zhang Hanyun)
入梦 - 袁咏琳 (Into a Dream - Yuan Yonglin)
过门 - 刘凤瑶 (Cross the Door - Liu Fengyao)
许你清嘉 - 戴欣梦露 (Xu Ni Qing Jia - Dai Xin梦露)
牵红 - 曹璐 (Bringing Red - Cao Lu)

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Touching, Humorous, Intelligent Characters, Great Side Couples

Many viewers drop this wonderful drama at the beginning episode because they don’t like the main characters – a crass and fearsome female lead and a timid and fearful male lead. After reading my review, I hope viewers give this drama a chance and I hope you would not be disappointed. This drama does remind me of many real couples from the older generations (for younger generations, they would have divorced each other) with strong empress dowagers for wives and scaredy-cats for husbands.

Hu Jiao (Zhang Hanyun) is illiterate, unsophisticated and fierce, for she is a butcher and also a shrewd business lady and knows how to fend off enemies and protect her family. She is betrothed to Xu Qingjia (Tong Mengshi) since both were children. Xu Qingjia is a learned man, poor and rather faint-hearted. He is appointed as a lowly magistrate in another small city, and after their wedding, the couple moves to live in that city. Their relationship started off rather hostile as Hu Jiao is unwilling to marry without love to such a weakling for a husband; she is a lot stronger than him physically. And how she treats Xu Qingjia is almost like a slapstick comedy at the initial part of the drama; multiple times she strikes him faint because she doesn’t want him to get near her. The scenes are hilarious. In their journey struggling through hardship and danger, they grow to trust and love each other. At the moments of despair or weakness, they give each other courage, and energize each other; she's his mental support, and he hers.

Though both female and male leads have totally different traits, they complement and supplement each other like a toothed gear working in harmony and precision. Both are honorable, upstanding, wise, strong and courageous. They believe in one simple philosophy: 尽人事安天命 or “do your best”. With their magnanimity, they convert enemies into alliances, and serendipity follows.

This is a new cast for me but I have enjoyed everyone’s acting here. Zhang Hanyun puts up a very believable Hu Jiao, and her knife skills, either in mincing her pork or shaving the scoundrels’ hair, are very convincing and funny. Tong Mengshi’s Xu Qingjia is humble and lovable. As much as I love the main characters, my favorite character is Gao Zheng (Chen Yilong), the county lieutenant sheriff. This is one of the best supporting actors I’ve seen. Gao Zheng is cold faced with no emotions, and yet, when he’s ticked, by words or actions, the skin on his side forehead jerks subtly, even for an ephemeral moment, showing viewers that indeed this man has deep hidden feelings. This drama also gives us some very lovely side couples. I love the story of Gao Zheng and Yu Niang (Zeng Yixuan); it is beautiful and heart-wrenching. Though kissing scenes are very limited here, the emotions shown in the actors’ eyes, especially in Chen Yilong’s (Gao Zheng) and Zeng Yixuan’s (Yu Niang) when they look into each other, are authentic and believable.

My Verdict

The writer has a great sense of humor. Many of the characters have very funny names representing the characteristics of the characters. Hu Jiao has the homophone of “peppercorn”, Qingjia (homophone) means “in-law”. And there is the Zhen Fugui (Truly prosperous) shop keeper, Jia Yi (Pretend), Jia Quan (Fake Power) the powerless housekeeper, Fei Jing (Strenuous) the failed thief, Hua Tuo the herb collector (Hua Tuo was a very famous miracle doctor during the Three Kingdoms period), and others.

At the beginning while the characters are being introduced, the viewers are not given a hint whether the introduced characters are protagonists or antagonists. Initially I even thought Hu Jiao’s father was bad because he forces her to marry Xu Qingjia. And we have a very funny blackface thief (whom I have thought harmless but turns out deadly) who has never been successful in stealing Xu Qingjia’s umbrella. Then we have a tea house owner whom I had thought a loose woman. Even Cui Wulang and Ning Wang seem flirtatious and unworthy. The writer even teases the viewers with some seeming bromance. All the characters turn out to be rather surprises as they are not what they seem to be.

Do not be deterred by some negative comments here on MDL. This is actually a very good and funny drama with an interesting plot and story. There are very few noticeable plot holes and the logic is sound.

Our characters embrace a courageous risk taking approach as how they perceive what it means to be a worthy human, and that's the message of the story.

Amazing watch. Don’t miss it. Bravo!

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Are you kidding me? Give this drama a better rating c'mon!

I absolutely had to write a review because the rating is unfair. This is an amazing drama, great writing, direction and cast. This deals with social issues like feminism, class, inequality but also love, marriage and personal growth.

What most people will love about this drama is the character development. The MCs are written beautifully, they're complex unconventional characters that have layers. ML is adorable, sweet and caring and not afraid to change his mind when he's unsure. He makes mistakes and is insecure at times, but he always has a goal and strong values. FL has a tough exterior to protect herself in a world where women are still property. Some watchers will give up on her too early instead of understanding her hardships. But when she loves she loves hard and will be a ride or die. The rest of the cast is just as detailed. This is the kind of drama that leaves you feeling really close with characters because they felt real.

This is also without a doubt a romcom, but not a dumb one. Its funny but still has some intrigue and the problems get resolved quickly. What I appreciated the most about the writing is how every new character and event intertwines and leads somewhere. There's no nonsense or holes.

Overall, I feel like the only people who will dislike this are the ones who will give up on it too early or were expecting something else. Because for what it is (cute romcom with unconventional characters) this is great.

Giving this a 10 because this is well above average and is up there in quality when it comes to cdramas.

(Also the set design is rich and has variety (big budget))

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A light and fun drama about the common folks. Follow the leads journey of love and growth.

Completed - 5/30/2022

“The Lady in the Butcher’s House” might not be a masterpiece, but it brought me joy with its comedic moments throughout the drama. But in order to truly enjoy this drama, you can’t take it too seriously. Also know that our FL might come off as crude and violent in the first few episodes. Many commented on her hitting her husband, and that is true. If the role is reversed and her husband is hitting her, we would be crying foul and calling the police. If you can move past this, you will be rewarded with a heartwarming and funny drama, and witness how this couple complement and support each other through good times and bad times.

Acting is decent overall. I recently watched Baby Zhang in “Delicious Romance” as a 30-year sophisticated, divorced woman, so it took me a few episodes to get used to her character here as a loud, a little violent tomboy. I do think she does a pretty good job acting as a teenager and growing to be a wife. On the other hand, I never would have recognized Tong Meng Shi as Uncle Wu in “Joy of Life”. I really like his portrayal of a timid husband, weak scholar and a just official. He is also hilarious with so many embarrassing scenes.

I enjoy stories about commoners and how they live through their everyday struggles.. Although this drama still has a subplot about court officials and the royal family, the majority of the drama is about our main couple’s journey. We follow them as they grow closer to each other, falling in love and working hard and supporting each other. They might be different on the outside, but they have the same values and ethics, and complement each other. They make for a very fun couple to watch. Although there are many comedic moments, mainly from Xu Qing Jia, there are also many heartwarming scenes. They have a rough start as a contract married couple, but they have very honest and open communication, and are there to support each other. Along the way, they make new friends, start up new businesses and save and help fellow commoners.

When you look at the romances/relationships in this drama, you will notice a role reversal here. The women in this drama are smart and strong. They are go-getters, savvy business women and often take the lead in their relationships. The men, on the other hand, are shy and quiet, and don’t know how to respond to their women’s advances or teasing. Actually, all the women in this drama are pretty independent and smart.

As much as I enjoy this show, I do have to say the plot and storylines are quite predictable. This could be a comfortable watch, or one that is lacking excitement/twists and turns. The pacing is pretty good in the first ⅔ of the drama, but it slows down a little in the last ⅓. There are some plot holes but they do not affect the main storylines. I would have loved to see more on how the second leads fall in love. I was told that they are attracted to each other but I wasn’t shown how. I also wonder how our female lead, who is only a butcher’s daughter, is so business savvy that she knows so much about tea and medicine to open different businesses. I thought she only knows about pigs.

Other Random Observations:
1. Love the animated opening theme.
2. Love the way ML looks at FL.
3. Putting a black covering over a rooster’s head? Genius and Hilarious! (PETA, don’t hate me).
4. No annoying character is a big plus.
5. Decent music and not overplayed

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Should get 10, at least 9.

Curious why this drama got a bad review, I started to watch and found out that this was actually A very good one. Couldn't stop until the last episode. Those naysayers were being unfair in reviewing and grading this drama. Talented actors and actresses, Refreshing storyline in fast places, not dragging . No love obsession . Strong family ties, friendship, loyalty, no status gap, independent, not to mention business savvy women. ML& FL started their relationship kinda off the grid in the beginning, but developed into loving relationship. Yu Ning & Gao Cheng made this drama even better and entertaining.

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Short version of Story of Minglan but better chemistry compared to my Heroic Husband

Finally finished this drama and I must say it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a wholesome drama, with relevant side characters, that is not too draggy, and has a good ending.

As my intro, TLitBH is similar to Story of Minglan where the main story revolves around the butcher Hu Jiao and her fiancé Qing Jia. Like in Story of Minglan, both the ML and FL are given almost the same amount of scenes to give life to their characters. The first half the focus is the FL but the ML is still in the episodes, while the latter focused on the ML while the FL is the supporting lead. Though this has a more similar plot to my Heroic husband, the focus is better in TLitBH because none of the couple disappears in an episode. Unlike in MHH, there was a story arc where the FL wasn’t even in the same location as the ML that you can almost forget that she exists.

In terms of chemistry, this drama reminded me of the older/more traditional Cdramas which are very chaste so you don’t get a lot of kiss scenes, so the actors have it harder to make the audience see their chemistry in their interactions. SoM will be in the forefront in terms of chemistry, followed by TLitBH, then last will be MHH.

In terms of plot, SoM with its 78eps definitely had more time to deliver a great plot. MHH and TLitBH both have 36 eps and though MHH showed us several story arcs with better plot developments and villains, I still like TLitBH more. It’s because it’s the right amount of serious and light at the same time. They don’t give us unnecessary angst, problems are resolved after 1 or 2 episodes, and we still get our happy ending.

PS. IMHO Qing Jia (Tong Meng Shi) is also better looking than Ning Yi (Guo Qi Lin).

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The Good Guys Win in This One!

What a great series. Honestly! It was really well done. The story was simple and straightforward. The villains were villains and no surprises. The good guys were GOOD GUYS, and I could relate to every single one (well, except for the poison girl, but even she had redemption in the end).

Can we talk about the ML & FL and SML & SFL? What chemistry!!! Their friendships were believable and even that had chemistry. Despite being timid and intimidated by his wife, QingJai's character was his greatest strength, and his love for his wife was evident in every glance and touch. A'Jaio's strength of character and her fierce protection of her husband were endearing, and as she came to understand and love him, it was precious to watch. BUT my overall favorite couple was Gao Zheng and Yu Niang. What a love-story, and what chemistry. Those two were electric. I just adored that couple.

Everything tied up in the end, and for once the final episode was not rushed and sloppy. I would have liked some more PDA but that's the romantic in me. I just rewatched the scenes I loved best.

This is one drama I will be sure to rewatch. I cannot say enough how well done it was. The story, the acting, the music (love that ending song that Zhang Han Yun & Tong Meng Shi sing - they are fantastic), and of course, the romance. If there was a score higher than 10, I would have given it!

I'm hoping for some leading roles for Chin Yi Long - there's just something about that actor.

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Simple yet engaging

I know a lot of people were turned off by FL at the beginning but she is a market girl after all. She can be unruly and rough but deep down, she's kindhearted. Yes ML and FL did start off shaky with the arranged marriage but FL still went with it. ML is your rare, loyal, kind bookworm. He is truly a bookworm and naive to certain things and that's when FL comes in and helps him. Their relationship grew into a mature and almost realistic one. She truly fell in love when she found out how righteous he was and supported him regardless of the danger. He had to correct her sometimes when it came to scholarly stuff but never in a demeaning way. I enjoyed seeing them progressed as a couple.

2nd FL and ML were the right BFFs for the lead couple. All were smart, righteous and wanted to do good for the people. I sensed some bromance every now and then. 2nd ML just needed to find the right friend he can be cool with and he found it with ML! I just loved seeing how they are loyal to their friendship and trust one another wholeheartedly. I even enjoyed fake cousin Cui.

Besides the main villain of the drama, you still have minor villains or annoying characters. Their plot didn't drag and they either got what they deserved or they turned over a new leaf.

If you have time, check it out. If you're able to get past the first few eps, go for it. If not, it's okay to skip. Overall, I didn't regret watching this drama.

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I watched it from beginning to end and I found it enjoyable. If you’re looking for a lighthearted comedy, this one is worth the watch. If you’re looking for some romantic components, you’ll get multiple here. You’ll also get some action and some pretty interesting fighting moments. If you’re looking for something swoon worthy, you might not get a lot of it here but you’ll get some sweet moments. The ending was pleasant and I have nothing to complain about.

But I like most about the series with that it was lighthearted and it provided some pretty insightful relationship conversations. There were no crazy relatives and no overly ridiculous characters. In addition to that they were not low triangles which made it all the better for me. The progression moved at a really good pace. There was a good amount of humor, mystery and explanation amount of sweet moments between the main characters as well as the supporting cast. I also enjoy the fact that they’re supporting cast were able to get closure and good endings. I was able to laugh at some moments and he it wasn’t completely predictable, well a little but not completely. I enjoy the fact that the female lead was driven and hard-working and she was also very smart.

I definitely feel like it provided a good amount of entertainment. I also really liked the supporting cast. I enjoyed the funny elements of it, the sweet moments as well as the bits of action that took place. There were lots of teaching moments that were very relevant. They were really enjoyable. What I did not care for so much was the fact that the female lead was somewhat abusive. Yes I know many people will disagree with me or may even find the actions cute. I did not. I’m just being honest. As a female I will be honest and say I didn’t find it cute. I can honestly say that if the roles were reversed and the male was being aggressive toward the female lead like that I wouldn’t like that either. Aside from her being domineering and bits of aggressiveness towards the male lead I found it enjoyable. Sorry not sorry. I’m just not OK with people hitting people simply because they don’t agree.

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Is consistency the new mark of quality?

I shall begin by saying that I enjoyed this show. It is not perfect by any means and both the plot and execution is fairly old school but what it lacks in impact is more than made up by its steady pacing and consistency. A bit like an old friend that you caught up from time to time and retell old stories or share some gossips. When I first started watching dramas, this show would have been deemed mediocre and a bit boring. After watching many shows and suffered through some whose sole purpose seem to be to find the bottom of the barrel, my perspective has certainly changed.
As I mentioned before, the plot and characters are fairly old school. Feisty FL paired up with a honest, decent ML. There is the usual push-pull and fake relationship which turned very real in an nice way. It doesn’t try to shock or confuse us but just stick the well-thumbed playbook. I certainly appreciate the consistency. Plots and romances progress just as you’d expect. Characters are true to their personas. There are no whiplash changes or shock twists. If there is a realignment, they are usually for the better. The love lines are sweet and pure. Almost too pure but there are some skinship but not a lot of passion.
Of course, there are plot holes and minor subplots that seemed to lead nowhere, but the overarching theme is always there and unwavering. Most of the enemies became friends, brain usually wins over brawn. Plots are resolved with satisfaction while rewarding the good and punishing the bad. I have to say that there is a little too much emphasis on making money, but it is balanced by using some of that money to do good, so you have to cut them some slack. This emphasis on doing business did cause the middle part of the show to feel samey and a little draggy but it is bearable.
Acting is mostly solid. A few one-dimensional characters and there is not a lot of dynamic range for some roles but the actors play them earnestly so props to them. OST is serviceable.

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Simple Funny Story

A comic look of an every day life of an average common marriage in a common family and a regular neighborhood. The female is very strong and dominant wife and a young man who is just happy to be in a relationship and a family. He is in love with her and happy to complete his mission that his family made with the arrange marriage. Like any young married couple who fake that they are married, they start the marriage with the wife is not happy and treats him terrible but he sticks to it and protects her. Around the middle she finally start falling in love with her. Typical story. I did think it was to long. Especially with the push and pull game that writers always do to a couple. The actors performance was good. The story need it a little help but it was entertaining.

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