Chapter 4

Yang Heng, after inquiring, finally learned that it was now the late autumn of the sixth year of the Wu De era in the Tang Dynasty, and his family was currently in trouble.

"Heaven and earth, other people who travel through time end up as nobles or generals, but why am I so unlucky to be reborn as the son of a blacksmith, and in a family about to suffer misfortune?" Yang Heng silently complained about the unfairness of fate.

To be fair, Yang Heng's family was not bad; they were the owners of a small workshop, a small merchant family. Moreover, they had a special relationship with the maternal side, which helped them establish themselves here, processing and selling iron tools, and sometimes making farming tools for others. Otherwise, in this ancient era where salt and iron were strictly controlled, how could they have opened such a blacksmith shop? It was said that at its peak, there were over a dozen people working in the forge at the same time. But now, the family of three, with the maternal side having a single lineage, had no male descendants by the time his mother's generation came around. Over a decade ago, his father, whom she had rescued from the snow in front of their house, was taken in as a son-in-law through a secret agreement. On the surface, it appeared that his father had married his mother, but their relationship was indeed good, and his mother did not look down on his father.

In the nearly ten years since Yang Heng's birth, many significant events had occurred, including dynastic changes and wars, which directly affected the household registration of people in the neighborhood and even the entire county. Every time things stabilized and the new village head organized the household registration, something would happen, and the registration would be left unresolved. Just when things were about to stabilize again, they were disrupted by some rogue soldiers. It was under these circumstances that Li Sanlang appeared.

Who was Li Sanlang? He was the only son of the Li family from a village five miles outside the city. Why was he called Sanlang? Although he was the only legitimate son, he was the third in line, with two older sisters. To give the impression of having many brothers, he was called Sanlang instead of Dalang. This spoiled him, making him arrogant and entitled, always getting what he wanted. Coincidentally, his father had some murky connections with the county magistrate, making Li Sanlang even more arrogant. He had his eye on the location of Yang Heng's family workshop and wanted to buy it for a small sum. When his father refused, Li Sanlang planned to take it by force, without even offering the small sum.

But the Yang family was just a small merchant family, and they were now even without household registration, which, in modern terms, made them "black households." However, the entire county was in a similar situation due to the ongoing wars and chaos. Although the Tang Dynasty had been established for six years, it had not yet truly stabilized.

Even if it did stabilize, the Yang family would have no way to fight against a large landowner. As a small merchant, what good would come from such a struggle? Yang Heng was most grateful that the household registration had not yet been reported, meaning there was still room for maneuver. They could temporarily abandon this place and return to settle accounts with Li Sanlang when he was in a better position. As the saying goes, "A gentleman's revenge is ten years in the making." Yang Heng thought that as a time traveler, if he couldn't make a name for himself in the Tang Dynasty, he wouldn't be much of a person. Unfortunately, he forgot that once he achieved success, he might no longer care about these matters.

"Father, about our family's finances," Yang Heng asked somewhat nervously. "Speaking of finances, I have to mention your father," his mother said, naturally giving his father some face in front of Yang Heng. "You don't know, but since your birth, your father has spent all our money on the medicinal formula passed down from your maternal grandmother. Now, we have very little money left. Heng, do you have any ideas?"

"What kind of formula?" Yang Heng asked curiously. What kind of formula could make his father spend so much money? "It's a formula for strengthening the body and bones, passed down from your maternal grandmother. It's best used by blacksmiths after a hard day's work, usually once a year. We only use it for our family, not for hired blacksmiths. The formula is passed down to male heirs, not females, and to the eldest, not the youngest. Since your maternal grandmother had no sons, your grandfather passed it to me after your father was taken in as a son-in-law. Naturally, your father didn't care about the formula, but he insisted that we all use it regularly. The formula does say that using it after fatigue can improve health. So, we usually use it three to five times a month. Before we knew it, all the money was gone."

"Dear, you're being a bit unfair. Haven't you noticed how strong we are? I don't understand why your maternal ancestors didn't use such a good thing."

What was the deal? The formula was good, though it didn't contain many expensive herbs. However, it couldn't withstand long-term use. Moreover, someone who obtained the formula wouldn't experiment with it for ten years to see its full effects. Just relieving fatigue was enough, and there was a saying in the folk: "All medicine is three parts poison." Even for bathing, it shouldn't be used for too long.

But with his father, a hot-headed young man, they used it frequently, or rather, every time after forging. After his grandfather's death, his father insisted that his mother use the herbs to bathe after forging. Even his mother and Yang Heng benefited, with Yang Heng gaining the most without any noticeable side effects.

"Father, how could you use the herbs so recklessly? What if something goes wrong?" Yang Heng said, somewhat frightened. His mother's expression was also not good. "Yes, yes, fortunately, nothing happened." "Enough, if it weren't for these herbs, you wouldn't be sitting here, you brat." His father believed that the baths were the reason Yang Heng was still alive, unaware that his son's soul had already been replaced.

"Ah, you've talked so much, and you've been sidetracked, brat. Why did you ask about the family's finances?" his father said fiercely.

"Don't be so fierce, you'll scare the child." His mother was unhappy. "You're the one who wasted the money. Look at how we're living now." "Alright, alright, let's hear what the brat has to say."

"I think we should temporarily move. Our current status isn't good. As they say, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—the merchants are at the bottom. By the way, where is Father's hometown?"

"Not far. This is Yunyang County, and Father's home is on the edge of Yunyang, in Jingyang. It's a beautiful place with clear mountains and water, though there are more wild animals. It's been over a decade, and it's time to return." His father's face showed a hint of nostalgia.