Chapter 2

The stream gurgled, fish leaped and frolicked, and the grass seemed to be rejoicing; her skills were excellent, using a sharp stone to cut open the fish's belly, removing the entrails and roe, then washing the fish clean before skewering it on a branch to roast slowly. Before long, the fish began to turn a golden hue, emitting a faint aroma of fish meat.

There was no need to remove the scales when roasting fish, as this allowed for more even heat distribution and prevented the fish meat from burning. When the fish was about seven-tenths cooked, she gently shook it and scraped it a few times with the stone, causing the scales to fall off, revealing the slightly golden, crispy fish meat beneath. Grass looked at the color of the meat, then evenly sprinkled the washed roe over the two fish. The heat quickly cooked the roe, slightly lowering the surface temperature of the fish meat, achieving a balance of gentle and intense cooking, adding a layer of fresh flavor from the roe. This was called "fresh on top of fresh," and no additional seasonings were needed, as the natural taste was the goal. Compared to Grass's skills, modern BBQ was nothing, and should all be thrown in the trash.

"Brother, the fish is ready. I'll give you the bigger one. If it's not enough, I'll give you this one too?"

Handing over the larger fish, Grass's eyes were full of pride; every time she roasted fish, her brother would drool, which made her feel very satisfied even if she didn't eat.

"Eat together, or I won't eat either."

White's laughter echoed in the air as he took the larger fish and stuffed it into Grass's mouth. What a good girl, beautiful, cute, and skilled at roasting fish and warming the bed. Just thinking about which lucky guy would get her in the future made him feel annoyed. The more he thought about it, the worse his mood became, even affecting his appetite. He ate only half of the fish before losing interest. White was puzzled by his own sentimentality today. Was it because of the perfect fusion of his two lifetimes? He didn't want to think about it anymore. Grass was watching, and even with a bad mood, he had to eat. Turn resentment into appetite.

"Anping, your mother is calling you home."

A young man in his early twenties ran over from a distance, shouting from a few meters away, "The roasted fish smells so good, save some for me."

"All gone, nothing left."

Glaring at his childhood friend, White was very unhappy. Interrupting his time with his sister was unforgivable. "Sangwaizi, did my mother say anything?"

"Good news, you have a guest, a distant one. I saw your mother so happy, the wrinkles around her eyes were all smiling." The young man ran over, snatched the fish tail from White's hand, and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "Your family is probably going to kill a chicken, I'll go drink the chicken soup too?"

"Spit, your mother has wrinkles, and your family kills chickens. We only have one chicken, and it's for laying eggs, how can we kill it?"

Kicking the guy's butt lightly, White pulled Grass and ran, in a hurry. This chicken couldn't be killed; Grass waited eagerly for the eggs every day...

Just as they reached the front of the house, Grass started crying. Through the fence, they saw chicken feathers and bloodstains on the ground. "My eggs, no, my Huahua, waa..."

Huahua was the only hen in the family, raised for over two years, and most of the eggs she laid went into Grass's stomach. Now it was all over. Grass sobbed in White's arms, her heartbroken cries echoing, unsure if she was crying for the chicken or the lost eggs.

White looked up, very displeased, at the person sitting on a stone stool in the yard, holding the only intact pottery bowl in the house. He wore a deep robe, a wooden crown on his head, and a bamboo pin in his hair. This attire was out of place in the village, where adult men wore headscarves. Only the ancient custom of wearing crowns lasted until the Qing army entered the pass, making it hard to determine the current dynasty.

This unwelcome guest was quite refined, speaking with a pleasant and melodious voice, like a bird singing. Hearing the commotion behind him, he turned his head, immediately stood up, and bowed from a distance, "I am a traveling scholar named Chu Tong, greeting the young brother."

A scholar? From the Spring and Autumn period to the Ming dynasty, each dynasty had different governance, but scholars always had the right to travel freely. In the Ming dynasty, ordinary people were not allowed to leave their county, or they would be punished as vagrants, but traveling scholars with books and swords were exempt. This was a scholar with status?

White was delighted. It was rare for a scholar to visit their home. Whether this guy was just a pretender or a learned man, he could help determine the current era. He wanted to return the bow but, thinking of the wrongfully killed Huahua, felt angry and snorted, "Hello, guest."

Grass paid no attention to the man, running to the stove. The strong smell of chicken made the little girl lose her resolve instantly. Her tears were still wet, but her mouth was already watering.

Mother glared at White, busy apologizing to the guest, adding hot tea, and asking White to get bowls and chopsticks. In the countryside, there was no dining room, so they ate in the yard. A makeshift stone slab served as a table, with mixed wild vegetables, boiled eggs, and pine nuts. The only jar of old wine in the house was brought out, making White feel very pained.

When the chicken was placed on the table, Mother took Grass to the thatched hut. This was a rural custom; women did not sit at the table when guests were present, as it was considered disrespectful. White didn't care about etiquette, tearing off the chicken head and legs and sending them to Grass. Mother scolded him, but he didn't care; he couldn't let the guest have everything. Grass grabbed the chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "Brother is so nice." Back in the yard, White steeled himself, broke the mud seal, and poured the wine. He had never tasted the family's hidden wine before and couldn't let this guy enjoy it alone.

"Where are you from, sir?" White smiled and raised his wine bowl, thinking about how to get the information he needed and then politely ask the guest to leave. He didn't understand why Mother had invited the guest. There were over twenty households in the village; why did they have to invite an outsider? According to Mother, this was an outsider scholar, very precious, and many families in the village were vying for him. In the end, the old clan leader, considering the hardship of the widow and her son, invited him to their home.

White was puzzled. Widows and orphans already had a hard life; why invite a guest? Was the clan leader confused? Poor old mother hen.

There was no time to think. Mother was watching. Not giving the guest the chicken legs had already angered her. If he didn't serve the guest well, he might face punishment. Despite Mother's love, when she was angry, her hand was very heavy.

"Since my name is Chu Tong, I am naturally from the State of Chu."

The guest answered politely, his voice still as pleasant as a bird singing, but White felt a sense of condescension. His past career had honed his ability to read people, and this guest was far from skilled in reading others.

However, there was no time to think about this. Chu Tong's words startled White. "The State of Chu? Which Chu?"

"There is only one Chu in the world. It is the glorious Chu under the Zhou emperor, the richest and most fertile land in the world. Does the young brother not know?"

Zhou emperor, Chu... White's mind buzzed. This was a trip back two thousand years.

Chu Tong shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with disdain. Poor and ignorant, they indeed didn't know the state of the world, which was not surprising. Despite his low status, as a traveling scholar and a guest, he needed to maintain some politeness, especially with a beautiful young girl in the house.

To Chu Tong, his arrival was like an angel's visit, giving the farmer's family the greatest hope. This thought was not despicable, and even among the nobility and scholars, it was considered a noble deed.

White naturally didn't think about the guest's intentions. After the shock, he felt that this era was not bad. It was a time of great competition and debate, where scholars were highly valued. Compared to the strict hierarchy of the Han and Jin dynasties and the difficult path of the imperial examinations in later dynasties, it was easier to achieve success.

He didn't have much ambition and even enjoyed the current rural life. However, Mother and Grass needed a magic lamp, which he had to create.

From Chu Tong, he learned that he was a Qin person, and the current ruler of Qin was Ying Lian, who was leading the army against Wei in the west. This battle was recorded as a draw, and after returning, Ying Lian soon died, with the temple name Xian Gong. The great hero who collaborated with Shang Yang to implement reforms was his second son, but at the moment, he was just a passionate young man...

The sky gradually darkened, and Chu Tong, eager to show off his knowledge, became happier the more questions White asked, answering everything. White also gained more understanding of the state of the world. Seeing that the two were getting along well and it was getting late, Mother even came out of the house, forcing White to drink a few more cups with "Mr. Chu."

White was happy. Mother had finally come to her senses and cared about the family's wine, willing to let her son drink a few more bowls. Otherwise, why would she make him drink two bowls and offer one? Mother was good, knowing how to care for her son.

The wine from Qin had a low alcohol content and a sour taste like old vinegar, which was more for whetting the appetite. If it were his past body, he could drink many bowls without feeling anything. Unfortunately, this body was given by Mother, and it was the first time he had alcohol, so getting drunk was inevitable.

He couldn't remember what he said to Chu Tong at the end. The last thing White remembered was looking up at the stars. The stars in the early Warring States period must have been different from later times. He wanted to take a good look, but why were they so blurry? Falling, falling...

PS: New book uploaded, urgently needs support. Hope all new and old friends will collect and recommend. Light and Dark bow in gratitude.