Chapter 2

This is Xiahe Village, an ordinary yet extraordinary small village.

Fields surround the village, with mountains behind it, where ancient trees provide dense shade. In front of the village is water, which borders the fields, creating a simple and rustic scene with fences and thatched cottages, the clear and pure green mountains and blue waters, and the tranquil pastoral scenery.

It was now twilight, and the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of the farmhouses, like floating clouds, the "moo" sounds of the oxen being herded back by the shepherd boys, and the rough, unmelodious songs sung by the farmers as they returned with their hoes, all painted a picture of the peaceful life in the mountain village, akin to a "utopia."

In modern times, this place would undoubtedly be considered one of the most beautiful villages, but in ancient times, it was different. There was only poverty and backwardness, no beauty.

At the western end of the village, there was a high slope from which most of the village could be seen. On this slope, a five or six-year-old boy with a round, chubby face gazed at the village, sighing.

No matter how beautiful the green mountains and clear waters were, the inconvenient transportation, reliance on the weather for food, and frequent natural disasters made life hard. People struggling to survive could hardly appreciate anything beyond their basic needs. To him, watching the sunrise from the mountains was less practical than having a steamed corn bun.

Isn't it a bit strange for a child to have such thoughts?

Actually, it's not. Although his body was that of a five or six-year-old, his mind belonged to a 21st-century graduate student in Classical Chinese, who had been repeatedly rejected in his job search, having no money, no power, and no girlfriend. After 100 failed job applications, he had lamented the difficulty of finding a job in his field before going to sleep, only to wake up as this child named Zhu Ping'an, with the nickname "Xizhe."

The body he had taken over had been ill before he arrived, and it seemed he hadn't made it through. He didn't know how he had woken up in this body, but he had taken his place.

After learning through various means that this was the Ming Dynasty, an era dominated by the Four Books, Five Classics, and the Eight-part Essay, he could only look up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, feeling deeply hurt. At least his major was relevant here...

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. Thinking about the frustration of having a specialized degree in the 21st century with no place to apply it, he decided to seize this opportunity. After all, he had been an orphan in his previous life with no attachments.

"Xizhe, Xizhe, come home! Be careful, or your mother will beat you until you cry."

A group of children rushed past the slope, shouting, afraid of being scolded by their elders if they returned home late.

Xizhe! What a ridiculous nickname. Even names like "Tiger" or "Stone" would be better. Of course, he only complained about it, knowing the reason for giving children such humble names in ancient times.

According to Ouyang Xiu's "Daoshan Qinghua," "People often give their children humble names to make them easier to raise, such as 'Dog,' 'Sheep,' 'Horse,' etc." The ancients believed that children were easily harmed by external factors, especially by superstitious beliefs. They thought that a person had three souls and six spirits, all of which were necessary for life. Children had to pass through various stages of life, such as the "Yanwang Pass," "Fate Collision Pass," "Jade Hanging Pass," "Four Seasons Pass," "Monk Pass," and "Well Falling Pass." Giving children names like "Black Ox," "Stone," "Stone Roller," "Steel Bullet," "Iron Egg," or "Stinky Egg" was meant to deceive evil spirits, making them think the child wasn't human, thus avoiding trouble and allowing the child to survive.

There was also a saying in this period that "pigs bring poverty, dogs bring wealth." In this village, many boys were named "Dog," such as "Dong Dog," "Xi Dog," "Dog Treasure," "Dog Puppy," and "Dog Child." The elders had two reasons for giving Zhu Ping'an the nickname "Xizhe": first, almost all the dog-related names had been used, and the elders couldn't think of any more; second, the family was already poor, and a poorer-sounding name was easier to raise.

When Zhu Ping'an heard that some boys in the village were even named "Dog Sister" or "Dog Shit," he felt a sense of relief, thinking that "Xizhe" was much better than those names.

It had been over ten days since he arrived in this era, and Zhu Ping'an had gradually accepted his new life.

In this era, the customs and habits were secondary; the main challenge was the lifestyle. This was an age of old morals and old rituals, with no electricity or internet. The Three Bonds and Five Constants, the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and beliefs in ghosts and fate were prevalent. The idea of a protagonist in a novel suddenly gaining supernatural powers and dominating the world was pure nonsense. If you tried that here, you'd be burned to ashes by the village elders. In such a feudal society, any abnormal behavior could lead to being labeled as a demon and burned alive.

This wasn't an exaggeration. An old man in the village had been forced to drink a bowl of water mixed with the ashes of burned talismans because he had spoken in his sleep for a few nights. In a neighboring village, a man named Wang Ermao had been tied to a post and exposed to the sun for three days for imitating the speech of foreign women in the county town.

How could one person stand against the entire world?

So, for the past ten days, Zhu Ping'an had been carefully playing the role of a child, being cautious and avoiding any out-of-the-ordinary behavior to prevent being burned at the stake.

It was getting late, and he needed to hurry home, or he would be scolded. Zhu Ping'an ran down the slope toward his home, his small legs moving as fast as they could.

Why did he feel a cool breeze on his thighs? Could he be running so fast that the wind was blowing through his legs?

When he reached the bottom of the slope, he stopped and looked down to see a small noodle-like object flapping in the wind.

Open-crotch pants?

How could a person in his twenties wear open-crotch pants? It was unbearable. He had to fight for the right not to wear them.

As he walked through the village, he saw thatched cottages and mud-brick houses scattered irregularly. Xiahe Village, despite its beautiful location, was still a poor and remote area. The locals used the mountains and water only to meet their basic needs. To build a house, they would cut trees from the mountain and drag them home for beams. When they ran out of food, they would gather wild vegetables and fruits from the mountains or catch fish from the water. The feudal peasant economy was primarily based on farming, with most villagers struggling to survive on their small plots of land. Only a few wealthy families owned more land.

The wealthy could rent out their land, sell grain, and buy more land, creating a virtuous cycle. The poor, however, could barely survive on their small plots and had to rent land. With no tax relief policies, they worked hard all year, but after paying taxes and rent, they barely had enough to feed their families.

The Zhu family was relatively better off, with about ten acres of good land, making them a middle-class family in the village. However, with a large family and the expenses of his older brother's education, the Zhu family was also struggling financially.

From the outside, the Zhu family seemed to be doing well, with a brick and wood structure house, unlike the common thatched cottages and mud-brick houses in the village. However, in reality, they were worse off than many other families.

As Zhu Ping'an entered the house, he met his mother, Chen Shi, who was standing at the gate, glaring at him. Her expression softened when she saw him, as she had been waiting for him. Chen Shi was in her thirties, wearing a blue cotton jacket with a large lapel, her hair tied back in a bun with a wooden hairpin, and silver earrings. She had a somewhat fierce look.

"Mother, I don't want to wear open-crotch pants anymore," Zhu Ping'an said as soon as he stepped through the door, trying to assert his right.

Before he could finish, Chen Shi grabbed his ear.

"Brat, you're getting too big for your britches. I've worked hard to raise you and saved money to make your clothes, and now you're complaining? How old are you to refuse to wear open-crotch pants?"

"Mother, ouch, ouch, ouch, I'm not a toddler anymore," Zhu Ping'an said, pulling on Chen Shi's arm to ease the pain.

Nonsense, you're only five, Chen Shi thought, looking at her five-year-old son, who was more lively and mischievous than his older brother.

Though she found it amusing, she didn't lessen her grip. This boy was always getting into trouble, especially after recovering from an illness a few days ago.

"Do you still feel pain? You run around all day, and if you get kidnapped, I'll be relieved," Chen Shi said, glaring at Zhu Ping'an, thinking of the missing children in the county town, which made her uneasy. Fortunately, the village was safe with people coming and going.

"Second Sister-in-law, all boys are mischievous. It's better for them to be active. Don't punish Xizhe," Zhang Shi, who was washing dishes by the well, said enviously, as she only had a daughter a year younger than Zhu Ping'an and envied Chen Shi for having two sons.

"Third Sister-in-law, don't plead for him. This rascal needs a good beating to keep him in line," Chen Shi said, dragging Zhu Ping'an by the ear to the kitchen.

"Tell me, will you still run around and forget to come home for meals?" Chen Shi said loudly, but then took a boiled egg from the steamer and, seeing no one was paying attention, secretly gave it to Zhu Ping'an.

Egg! Zhu Ping'an's eyes lit up. He had been eating coarse food for over ten days and was finally getting some meat.

He couldn't resist.

"Ouch, Mother, I won't do it again," Zhu Ping'an said, taking the egg and pretending to cry.

In the 21st century, eating was one of his few hobbies. He had saved money to try all the cheap but delicious foods featured in "A Bite of China," making him a seasoned foodie.

The egg was pure and natural, soft and delicious, far better than modern eggs, though it might also be because he had been eating coarse food for so long.

Chen Shi smiled and tapped Zhu Ping'an's forehead. "Eat it quickly. When we sit down to eat, your biased aunt will favor the older house."

Zhu Ping'an felt a warm feeling in his heart. His new family, whether his fierce mother, quiet father, or ten-year-old, mature, and honest older brother, all genuinely cared for him.

The love and care from his family, which he had never experienced as an orphan in the 21st century, made him gradually accept his new life.

"Mother, you're so good. I'll take good care of you when I grow up," Zhu Ping'an said, hugging Chen Shi's leg. I am your son, and I will take good care of you.