Chapter 1: The Son of a Humble Family
l relied on farming, and most villagers struggled to make ends meet with their three-tenths of an acre of land. Only a few landlords were relatively wealthy.The landlord's family was wealthy and had h...This is Xiahe Village, an ordinary yet extraordinary little village.
Situated amidst mountains and by the water, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. The mountains are covered in lush trees, while the water teems with fish and shrimp. In front of the village stand fences and walls, and behind it, loquat trees flourish. Gardens brimming with melons and beans occupy the spaces before and after each house. It possesses the rustic simplicity of thatched-roof cottages enclosed by fences, yet also exudes the tranquil serenity of verdant mountains and shimmering waters.
In modern times, this place could undoubtedly be called the most beautiful village. However, in ancient times, it was quite different; it was simply poor and backward with no beauty.
On the west side of the village stood a high hill, from which one could see most of the village. On top of the hill stood a tigerish boy of about five or six years old, gazing at the village with emotion.
The beautiful scenery of green mountains and clear water is nice, but it's of little use when transportation is inconvenient and people rely on nature for food. They are constantly ravaged by natural disasters. Those struggling to make ends meet have little time for anything besides food. It's more practical to give them a coarse flour bun than to show them the sunrise rising over the mountains.
Isn't it a little strange for a child to express such feelings
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In fact, it wasn't so. Although his body was that of a five or six-year-old child, inside he was a 21st-century graduate student in Classical Chinese who had been repeatedly crushed on the job market. He was penniless, powerless, and without a girlfriend. After 100 consecutive job rejections, he lamented before sleep that finding a job in his field as a literature major was as difficult as reaching the heavens. Unexpectedly, when he woke up, he had become Zhu Ping'an, nicknamed Xiao Zhi, a little boy.
This body fell ill before I came, it might not have made it. I don't know how, but I woke up one day and was someone else entirely.
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After several days of careful probing, I learned that this was the Ming Dynasty, an era known for its emphasis on the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the Eight-legged Essay. It's a truly depressing realization; I can only look up at the sky at 45 degrees and feel deep introspection. Such a perfect match...
If it has come, then accept it. Think about the predicament of a professional in the 21st century with nowhere to use their skills. Since now there's an opportunity to get a job from heaven, not taking the chance would be a waste of heaven's gift. Besides, I was an orphan without any ties in my past life anyway.
“Little Piglet, Little Piglet, it's time to go home. Be careful, or your mother will beat you until you cry.”
A group of rambunctious kids ran down the hill, yelling and shouting. They were afraid of getting home late and being punished by their elders.
Well, Little Piglet! What a strange name. Even Tiger Cub or Pebble would sound better. Of course, he was just grumbling. He knew why ancient people gave their children such odd names.
In ancient times, people believed that children had a difficult time surviving because they had to face a series of obstacles created by ghosts and monsters from birth. If they failed to pass the tests, they would lose their lives. Livestock were different; they were considered lowly and didn't have to go through these trials, which is why their survival rate was so high. Therefore, people believed that giving children names that sounded cheap and unhumanlike was a good thing because it made them more like animals. After all, animals had such a high survival rate. The more animalistic the name, the easier it was to fool the ghosts of hell and be mistaken for livestock, thus avoiding the trials altogether.
When Zhu Ping'an heard that there were still young boys in the village called "Dog Sister" and even "Dog Shit", he suddenly felt a wave of relief after surviving a disaster. Xiao Zhì, Zhì'er, compared to the previous two names, tasted much more bland.
It had been over ten days since Zhu Ping'an arrived in this era. He had transitioned from feeling out of place to accepting the situation with resignation.
In this era, living habits are more important than a person's name. This is an age where old morality and Confucian ethics prevail. Without electricity or the internet, it might be bearable, but the Three Bonds and Five Constants, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and the belief in fate all run rampant. Therefore, those protagonists in novels who, upon traveling through time, instantly command respect with their aura and become unbeatable with a cheat code are pure fantasy. If you were to travel through time like that, you would be burned to ashes by village elders or similar figures long ago. In this feudal society where tradition consumes people, any deviation from the norm could lead to being labeled as possessed by a demon and burned at the stake.
This is no exaggeration. Old Wang, the village elder, was forcibly fed a bowl of water made from burnt paper talismans after talking in his sleep for several nights; Wang Ermazi, who learned to speak Hokkien in the county town, was tied to a pillar and sun-baked for three days after returning to the village and uttering just a few phrases. He was believed to be possessed by a ghost.
How can one person stand up against the whole world
So, over the past ten days in this world, Zhu Ping'an has been diligently playing the role of a child. He has been careful and cautious, trying his best not to do anything out of line, for fear of being tied to a wooden frame and grilled. He definitely doesn't want to be someone who speaks up for himself (with salt).
It was getting late, he had to hurry home or else he would be scolded. Zhu Ping'an took big strides down the slope, running towards home.
How can I feel a chill at the back of my thigh as if there's a wind blowing Could it be that my short legs have moved at lightning speed
After running down the slope, Zhu Ping'an stopped and looked down. He saw a small piece of noodles lying on the ground, fluttering in the wind.
Boxer shorts
What's the point of dressing someone mentally 20 years old in underwear, and not letting them have fun
This is unbearable! When I get back, I must fight for the right not to wear crotchless pants.
Along the way, the irregular arrangement of thatched huts and earthen houses, Xiashan Village, although nestled by mountains and water, remained a remote and impoverished village. The local people's utilization of the mountains and water was limited to meeting their basic needs. To build a house, they would go up the mountain to cut down a few trees to bring back as beams; when there was no rice for cooking, they would go up the mountain to find some wild vegetables and fruits, or fish a couple of small fish from the river to cook. The feudal peasant economy still relied on farming, and most villagers struggled to make ends meet with their three-tenths of an acre of land. Only a few landlords were relatively wealthy.
The landlord's family was wealthy and had hundreds of acres of good farmland. Renting it out brought in enough income each year to support the average person for an entire lifetime. With money, they could buy more land or set up several shops. Money makes more money; life is as sweet as honey. For impoverished families, their meager three-tenths of an acre of land barely yielded enough to fill their bellies. They had to rent land to grow crops. In ancient times, there were no policies to exempt landowners from taxes. After a year of hard work, they could barely afford to feed their families after paying exorbitant taxes and rent.
The Zhu family was still doing alright, with over ten acres of good farmland. They were considered a middle-class family in the village. However, with so many mouths to feed and Uncle's reluctance to work, plus the high expenses of his studies and examinations for government service, the old Zhu family was also struggling financially.
Of course, from the outside looking in, the Zhu family seemed to be doing alright. Compared to the common thatched-roof mud brick houses found in the village, the Zhu family at least had a traditional wooden structure compound. However, in reality, the Zhu family was worse off than most ordinary families in the village.
The moment Zhu Ping'an stepped through the door, he bumped into his mother of this life, Chen Shi. Chen Shi was standing at the entrance of the courtyard with a stern expression, glaring at him. Seeing him return in such a haphazard manner, her eyes softened like ice meeting spring. She had been waiting for him to come back specifically. Chen Shi was in her thirties, dressed as a young married woman. Her eyebrows carried a hint of fierceness, and she wore her hair in an updo with a chipped hairpin. On her clean, matching top and bottom garments, there were two patches.
"Mother, I'll never wear open-crotch pants again." Zhu Ping'an, his short legs barely past the threshold, immediately began arguing for the right not to wear open-crotch pants.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he was grabbed by the ear by Mrs. Chen.
"You little brat, you're causing trouble again! I worked so hard to raise you, saving and scrimping to make clothes for you, and now you're complaining about them How old are you It's time to stop wearing diapers!"
“Mother, oh, it hurts, it hurts! I'm not a child of two or three anymore,” Zhu Ping’an cried for mercy, his chubby little hand clutching Chen’s arm, tiptoeing to lessen the pain.
"Phooey, you're only five," Chen lowered her head and looked at her five-year-old son as he said this, a strange feeling of amusement washing over her. Her youngest son, with his energetic and lively nature, was much more spirited than his older brother.
Although it's funny, Chen's grip hasn't loosened at all. This little rascal was never honest to begin with, and after getting sick a few days ago, he's become even more mischievous, running around outside all day long.
“You still know how to feel pain. You’re out and about all day long, nowhere to be seen. When you were taken away by that flower-seller, your old mother finally found peace.” Mrs. Chen said, giving Zhu Pingan a glare. Thinking about the missing children in the county town made her uneasy, but luckily, the village was quite safe with people coming and going constantly.
“Sister-in-law, no boy child is truly not rambunctious, it's better to be tough. Don't scold little Zhuzhi.” Zhang shi, the third aunt, who was washing dishes by the well in the courtyard, looked at Zhuzhi with a hint of envy and persuaded Chen shi to calm down. Chen shi was only just thirty years old, but she had only one daughter, Zhu Pinyu, who was a year younger than Zhu Ping'an. So she envied Chen shi having two sons.”
"Old Third, don't plead for him! That scoundrel is just a troublemaker who can't stay out of mischief for three days." Mrs. Chen said, grabbing Little Zhu Ping'an by the ear and dragging him into the kitchen.
"Say, do you dare to go outside and eat again" Mrs. Chen said loudly, but from the steamer she took out a peeled boiled egg and looked out the window to see that no one was paying attention to them. Then she quietly slipped it into Zhu Ping'an's hand.
Eggs! Zhu Ping'an's eyes lit up. After ten days of coarse tea and plain rice, he finally saw some meat.
There's simply no way to refuse this.
“Ouch, Mother! I won't dare again.” Zhu Ping’an took the egg and pretended to yelp in pain.
In the 21st century, eating is one of his few hobbies. When "Flavor of China" aired, he ate every cheap and affordable dish imaginable, definitely a veteran foodie.
Purely natural and non-polluting, it melts in your mouth, the taste is truly excellent. It feels like it's many times better than modern eggs, of course, it could also be because since I arrived here, it's been plain tea and rice, and I don't know what meat tastes like.
The little mischievous one, Mrs. Chen chuckled and tapped Zhu Ping'an's forehead lightly, saying in a low voice, "Eat quickly, it will be served on the table soon. Is your mind wandering so far to that Mumu again, all glued to the eldest house"
At this time, Zhu Ping'an's heart was filled with warmth. The family members of this life, whether it was his hot-tempered mother, his taciturn father, or his older brother who was about ten years old but surprisingly mature and honest, were all kind to him from the bottom of their hearts.
Parental love is deep and true, brotherly affection warm and sincere, everywhere one sees warmth and kindness.
This is also the main reason Zhu Ping'an accepted the fact of time travel. As an orphan in the 21st century, he had never felt the warmth of family. Here, he felt the love like an old cow licking a calf, and gradually became willing to accept it.
"Mother, you're so kind. When I grow up, I will be filial to you." Zhu Ping'an embraced Chen Shi's leg and said emotionally. "I am your son, and in the future, I will definitely be filial to both of you."
Chen looked at her youngest son, acting like a little rascal and cuddling up to her. She clearly enjoyed it, feeling that her youngest son was much cuter than her eldest. Earlier, she had called her eldest son over, but the silly boy, just like his father, said something about not being a man if he stole food. She almost got angry enough to explode, so she sent him away. Thankfully, her youngest son wasn't so rigid. She smiled and tapped his forehead playfully, "Don't get mad at me, I'm already grateful! Just wipe your mouth so you don't get seen later."s; when there was no rice for cooking, they would go up the mountain to find some wild vegetables and fruits, or fish a couple of small fish from the river to cook. The feudal peasant economy still re...