Chapter 3

As the sun set in the west, the main room of the Zhu family was filled with people, and dinner was ready. The Zhu family usually had dinner at this time to save on lamp oil, taking advantage of the natural light.

In the center of the east room of the main house, a large table was placed. In Zhu Ping'an's eyes, this set of furniture could be considered the best in the Zhu family. It had to be said that the furniture of the Ming Dynasty was well-made, both simple and elegant, even the furniture in the countryside was of high quality. The tables and chairs of the Ming Dynasty were famous for their fine materials and craftsmanship, like a master poet who would spend a year to create two lines of poetry, "a year to create two lines, a recitation brings tears to both eyes." A good chair, once made, "touched three times a day, how can it compare to the skin of a fifteen-year-old girl!"

The patriarch of the Zhu family was a tall, thin old man with a square face, wearing a set of blue coarse cloth clothes, holding a tobacco pipe, and occasionally taking a puff.

In front of the patriarch, a plate of boiled peanuts was placed, along with a cup of turbid wine, forming a stark contrast with the steamed buns, rotten vegetable leaves, pickled vegetables, and thin porridge on the table.

Beside the patriarch sat the matriarch, Lady Liu, whose hair was sparse but neatly combed, indicating that she was not someone to be trifled with. Next to her sat the patriarch's youngest son and his wife, who were also the fourth uncle and fourth aunt of Zhu Ping'an. The fourth uncle, Zhu Shouxin, and the fourth aunt, Lady Zhao, had just gotten married this year. The fourth uncle had a fair complexion, resembling the matriarch as if they were cut from the same mold, and was much favored by the old lady. The fourth aunt wore a new silver-red embroidered jacket, with a shiny braid coiled into a bun on her head, adorned with a gilded phoenix head hairpin and a pink velvet flower.

Opposite the patriarch, a middle-aged man with a fair complexion sat, who was Zhu Ping'an's eldest uncle, Zhu Shouren. He wore a half-new yellow silk robe, with wide sleeves and a square flat cap, his head lowered, lost in thought. Beside him sat his wife, Lady Wu, wearing a half-new straight-collar jacket with a small-sleeved pleated skirt, looking older than Lady Chen but well-groomed. Their six-year-old son, Zhu Pingjun, also wore a new embroidered jacket, pouting and half-reclining in his mother's arms.

Next were Zhu Ping'an's parents in this life. His father, Zhu Shouyi, had a bronze complexion and was very sturdy, a typical farmer. However, over the past few days, Zhu Ping'an had learned that his father was a versatile person, skilled in hunting, carpentry, and farming, though he was particularly honest and taciturn. Zhu Ping'an's older brother, Zhu Pingchuan, was ten years old, almost a carbon copy of his father, sturdy and honest.

The third uncle was very similar to the father, and at first glance, he looked like a typical honest farmer. The third aunt was the one who had just been trying to persuade Lady Chen at the door. The third uncle and third aunt had been married for many years but only had one daughter, the timid little girl Zhu Pingyu, who was in the third aunt's arms.

In a peasant household, there were no shortage of conflicts.

The eldest uncle, Zhu Shouren, was a scholar. Although he had not passed the examination for a scholar (xiucai) after more than ten years of study, he had at least passed the preliminary examination (tongsheng). To become a scholar, one had to pass the county, prefecture, and provincial examinations. Zhu Shouren had dedicated himself to studying and not farming, and after more than ten years, he passed the county and prefecture examinations six years ago, earning the title of tongsheng. Although he had not yet passed the examination for a scholar, he had taken the first step in a long journey. The patriarch and matriarch placed great importance on their eldest son, seeing him as the hope for the Zhu family's glory. After Zhu Shouren became a tongsheng, they favored his family even more. The fourth uncle, being the youngest son, was even more favored by the matriarch. As for the father and third uncle's families, they received less attention. With some being favored and others not, conflicts were inevitable in such a large family.

The patriarch and matriarch's favoritism was quite evident. Just from their clothing, there was a significant difference. The eldest uncle and fourth uncle's families wore better clothes, while the father and third uncle's families wore coarse cloth with patches.

It seemed he needed to work hard, not to mention bringing glory to the family, at least to improve his family's living conditions.

As he entered the room with his short legs, Zhu Ping'an noticed a strange phenomenon: each member of the Zhu family had a white column of air above their heads. The white column above the eldest uncle, Zhu Shouren, was slightly thicker than the others, but they were all white.

The sudden appearance of this phenomenon startled Zhu Ping'an. He shook his head and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the strange phenomenon had disappeared, and everyone looked normal, with no white columns visible.

Strange, what just happened? It definitely wasn't an illusion; his vision couldn't have been that bad. It almost seemed like the "qi" (vital energy) described in novels. Could he see other people's qi? His rebirth was already strange enough, and being able to see other people's qi made sense, but why couldn't he see it now?

"Zi'er, what are you standing there for? Come and eat." Mother Chen saw Zhu Ping'an standing at the door, lost in thought, and reminded him. You silly boy, if you don't come, your biased grandmother will give your share to the eldest and fourth uncle's families!

"Oh, I'm coming." Zhu Ping'an quickly snapped out of it and responded. It was normal to be confused about such a strange phenomenon.

Before eating, Zhu Ping'an, keeping his habits from his previous life, ran to the basin to wash his hands.

This was somewhat unusual in the ancient countryside, where hygiene was not a priority. The village boys were all like mud monkeys, and the eldest uncle's son, Zhu Pingjun, was currently sniffling in his mother's arms. Since becoming this little boy, Zhu Ping'an had insisted on washing his hands and face, and after ten days, he was clearly different from the other snot-nosed children, a clean and healthy little boy, quite eye-catching.

"Zi'er, this boy has become so particular about cleanliness since he recovered from his illness. Has he been possessed by a spirit?" The fourth aunt, Lady Zhao, covered her mouth with a handkerchief and scrutinized Zhu Ping'an with her narrow eyes.

Possessed by a spirit?

Zhu Ping'an was clearly startled by the fourth aunt's words. In such a closed and backward rural area, being suspected of being possessed was very dangerous. Just think of the old Wang who was forced to drink a bowl of ash water for talking in his sleep! He had been very careful, not showing any advanced ideas, just washing his hands. The fourth aunt was truly a troublemaker, a perfect match for his idle fourth uncle.

Zhu Ping'an decided to keep the fact that he could see qi a secret, telling no one.

Before he could think of how to respond to the fourth aunt, his mother, Lady Chen, was already angry!

"Who are you calling possessed? I think you're the one possessed. My son being particular about cleanliness means he's possessed? What about you, who washes your hands and face every day and often wears new clothes? Are you possessed by a fox spirit?" Hearing Lady Zhao's words, Lady Chen's anger flared up, and she stood up, taking two steps forward to confront Lady Zhao, demanding an explanation.

Zhu Ping'an's ten-year-old brother, Zhu Pingchuan, also spoke up, saying his younger brother was not possessed.

"Mother, look at Second Aunt, I just said a word, and she reacts like this." Lady Zhao avoided Lady Chen's gaze, turning to the matriarch with a look of委屈 (grievance) and wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, as if she were very wronged.

"Like this? I just said a word, and you start crying. How dramatic. I'm not the fourth uncle, so I won't fall for your act! Fourth Aunt, you must explain yourself today, or I won't let it go." Lady Chen was not swayed by Lady Zhao's act, speaking coldly and firmly, in stark contrast to the fourth aunt's feigned gentleness and pitiful demeanor.