Chapter 1

The Min River's waters surged, and for ten miles, the river was turbid and yellow.

Wilted branches and leaves drifted downstream.

The typhoon ravaged, causing the Min River to flood, submerging a hundred miles upstream and destroying bridges and houses downstream. The people living outside the levee suffered greatly.

After the typhoon passed, the sky cleared, and the scorching sun shone down. The areas that had just been flooded were now hot and stinky.

The heat rose, and it was already the time of the Dog Days of July.

In Fangle Village of Houguan County, which was beside the Min River, the floodwaters had not yet receded outside the levee, while inside, the aftermath of the flooding was a mess.

The floodwaters had just receded by a large part, but the water marks on the beams were still visible. Pots, pans, and other household items floated in the sewage, which resembled a cesspool, passing by the doors of every household. On both sides of the street, adults and children held long bamboo poles, striking the water from the second-floor windows, hoping to salvage a pot or a pan.

In an ordinary house in Fangle Village, similar to the stilt houses of the Tanka people, there were two floors. The lower floor was damp and hot, prone to flooding, and in spring, it was prone to mold, and in summer, to flooding. Only the upper floor was habitable, while the lower floor was used as a toilet and kitchen.

However, a family lived on the lower floor. A boy was lying on a rattan bed, unconscious.

The room still showed the traces of the recent flood, in a state of disarray, and filled with the smell of mold and decay, but he remained there.

Suddenly, his head began to throb, and the young man on the bed showed signs of struggle.

"No, this is not my body, not my memories."

"I am not Lin Yanchao, I am not."

"I want to go back, I would rather be a ghost in the Heavenly Dynasty than a person in the Ming Dynasty."

He took a long breath, feeling a splitting headache, and squinted his eyes. Low whispers continued to echo in his ears.

Vaguely, an old man was cutting his wrist and said, "This illness is difficult. After taking these few doses of medicine, it should have improved, but there has been little change. In my opinion, if this continues, the wind evil will turn into tuberculosis."

"Doctor, please, save him. Aren't you known for your miraculous healing?"

"Don't say that, medicine cannot save the dead... Forget it, considering our long-term neighborhood, how much money do you have left?... What do you mean, no money? I am at a loss!"

"Quack, where is your medical ethics?"

...

The young man on the bed wanted to speak but could not muster any strength.

It seems he had really traveled through time, reading another person's memories, and the scenes of his former life unfolded before his eyes.

His thoughts were chaotic, and he felt his eyelids go dark, fainting once again.

When he woke up again, he was startled by the voices from next door.

"Madam, I want to borrow some money to go to the neighboring village to find Doctor Zhang to see."

"Doctor Xu is renowned for his miraculous healing, and he was invited with my father's help after much pleading. How could his medicine not work?"

The young man thought, so the quack you invited was Doctor Xu.

"Madam, Doctor Xu did not help Chao at all and only cared about the money. I have already driven him away. Doctor Zhang is highly skilled. He saved the son of my neighbor's aunt when he was bitten by a snake. Only he can save Chao. Not only the medicine money, but also the tuition and fees for the village school, which have been owed for half a year. But I can't think about that now. Madam, please save Chao first. I will pay you back with the money from the straw mats I make this month."

"Saving a life is like putting out a fire; there is no time to waste. I understand this, but look at the house, which has just been flooded. There is a big hole to fill, and the money I have is barely enough. Where is there any extra money? Didn't Chao's parents leave you some money as a dowry? I remember a gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin. If I take it to the pawnshop, I can get two taels of silver to save Chao."

"Don't take it." The young man wanted to speak but could not. This madam clearly wanted the gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin and was taking advantage of the situation.

But a firm voice said, "Madam, this gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin is the last thing Chao's mother gave me. I will not pawn it. If Madam is unwilling to help, I will borrow from Chao's uncle and grandfather."

"You are being unreasonable. Do you think I am unfair? If you think you can bypass me and talk to my husband or father-in-law, go ahead and try."

The other party did not respond, and the madam, feeling she had intimidated the other, said, "Qianqian, if you borrow from them, it's the same as borrowing from me. This is the household money. If I give it to you, the whole family will starve. My husband just incurred a lot of debt, almost to the point of pawning me. Yanshou is still studying, and I am worried day and night. As for me, managing such a large family, with the elderly and the young, there are expenses everywhere."

What a combination of soft and hard tactics, the young man had a clear picture of this housewife in his mind.

"In the end, it's all about money. If you are willing to give me the gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin, I can get more money from the pawnshop, and you can use it to treat Chao. Don't you care about Chao's health?"

"Madam, don't push me too far. The gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin was made with ten taels of silver by Chao's grandmother. Even if it's sold at a discount, it shouldn't be worth only two taels of silver."

"Are you saying you don't trust me? Look at the Min River flood, with people selling their children for only two or three taels of silver. Is your phoenix hairpin more valuable than a human life? Take it or leave it."

"Don't take it!"

"Don't take it!"

The young man on the bed wanted to shout in anger but could not make a sound. He used all his strength to push the medicine bowl beside him, and there was a clatter.

A woman rushed to the bedside, exclaiming in surprise and joy, "Chao, Chao, you're awake?"

A faint fragrance of a woman filled his nose, but the young man on the bed could see only a blurry image.

In his excitement, he fainted again.

This time, he did not know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke up for the third time, the dim oil lamp flickered, and a young girl was leaning by his bed. The room was filled with a musty smell that made him uncomfortable.

"It seems I really did travel through time."

The young man raised his hand, closed his eyes, and the memories of the previous owner of his body were still clear, replaying in his mind like a movie.

The body's owner was named Lin Yanchao, a student who had studied for two years but could not even recite the Three-Character Classic clearly, and whose parents had both died. He lived in the ancestral home of Yongle Village in Fuzhou Prefecture.

The ancestral home housed seven members of the Lin family.

Lin Yanchao's grandfather, Lin Gaozhu, was a postmaster of the express delivery station, often stationed there and rarely returning home. He had three sons: the eldest, who was usually away; the second, who were Lin Yanchao's parents, died in a pirate raid a few years ago; and the third, who was Lin Yanchao's uncle, farmed at home.

Lin Yanchao's parents had died, but fortunately, his father had arranged a child bride for him, who lived with him. Thus, Lin Yanchao and his child bride, Lin Qianqian, lived together.

When the grandfather was not around, the eldest son's wife managed the household, controlling all the family's finances. She was stingy and mean, and Lin Yanchao received no help from her. He could only rely on Lin Qianqian, who made straw mats to support their life and his studies.

Unfortunately, Lin Yanchao, who was not a good swimmer, almost lost his life one day while trying to save someone. He fell ill when he returned home, and the illness was difficult to treat. Lin Qianqian used all the money left by Lin Yanchao's parents to treat him, but it was all gone, leading to the scene where she pleaded with her aunt.

The candle flickered, and Lin Yanchao was pulled back from his memories. He saw the woman by his bedside, her eyes filled with tears, clearly overjoyed.

She clasped her hands and said, "Thank you, Lady Mazu, thank you, Lady Mazu, you have returned Chao to me. I will work like a cow and a horse to repay you."

The young girl's eyes were filled with tears, showing a special kind of weakness. Lin Yanchao quickly comforted her, "Qianqian, don't cry, don't cry."

"Okay," Lin Qianqian nodded but continued to sob.

Seeing Lin Qianqian's disheveled hair, Lin Yanchao felt a bit of tenderness. Her two braids were so cute, and her long lashes framed her watery eyes, with tears still hanging from the corners.

What a sin, what a sin.

Lin Yanchao had already understood his current situation and could not bear to let such a cute girl suffer with him.

Lin Yanchao sighed, "Qianqian, my illness may not get better. I don't want to drag you down. You are so young, find a good family to take you in. After all, you haven't even crossed the threshold yet."

"Why are you pinching me? I'm not... " Lin Yanchao stopped mid-sentence, seeing Lin Qianqian's tears welling up in her eyes.

The young girl said firmly, "I knelt in the Mazu Temple all night. Lady Mazu said you would be fine. You are not allowed to say you won't get better. Even if something happens to you, I am still your betrothed. Whether I remarry is my decision, not yours."

"Besides, I promised your parents to take care of you. You must take care of me too. If you die, leaving me alone, that would be unfilial. Do you understand?"

Lin Yanchao looked at her, thinking that he had initially thought his betrothed was a gentle and easy-to-manage little girl, but she turned out to be so fierce. Weren't ancient women supposed to be obedient and virtuous?

The door creaked open.

Lin Yanchao looked up and saw a plump woman with high cheekbones enter.

"Oh, Chao is awake. I was so worried about you, Madam."

Lin Yanchao remembered that this was the woman who had argued with Lin Qianqian while he was unconscious. His body was still weak, and he did not want to speak or deal with her.

"Madam, Chao's illness is better, so I have decided not to pawn the gold-inlaid phoenix hairpin," Lin Qianqian said.

"If you don't want to pawn it, that's your choice. We are all one family under the same roof. It sounds like I'm forcing you," the madam smiled, "Speaking of which, the money Chao's parents left, it's not a big deal. I'm not refusing to help you. Owing a few months is nothing. Your uncle said that with the current situation, it's better for Chao to stop studying and help at home, saving the tuition. Qianqian, you won't have to work so hard then."

"No, I promised Chao's parents that I would let him study..."

"Chao, I'm not looking down on you, but you are not cut out for studying. Why go to the village school? My son Yanshou, who is a year older than you, has already finished the Four Books. The teacher said he can take the county exam next year," the madam said with a hint of pride.

"Madam, you can't belittle Chao like that," Lin Qianqian stood protectively in front of Lin Yanchao, like a little tigress.

"Qianqian, I'm doing this for your own good. Other people's sons study to achieve success. Chao, throwing money into the water, it's a waste. Why spend this money?"

"Madam, why can Yanshou study in the village school, but Chao has to walk ten miles to the Hongtang school? Why is Yanshou's teacher a scholar, while Chao's teacher is just a student? Isn't it because the tuition at the Hongtang school is cheaper? And now you are hesitating to pay even that. I know your intentions; you want to keep Chao's tuition for yourself."

Lin Qianqian stood up and argued, not afraid of the much larger madam.

The madam stomped her foot and looked at Lin Yanchao, "My son Yanshou is better at studying than you. Why can't he have a better teacher? If you were sensible, you would stay home and help instead of going to school. Isn't it embarrassing for a grown man to be supported by a betrothed who hasn't even crossed the threshold?"

Lin Yanchao was furious, glaring at the madam. The madam's heart skipped a beat, thinking that this useless nephew had the nerve to show her a face.

After the surge of anger, Lin Yanchao quickly controlled his emotions and said calmly, "My affairs are my own, and you have no right to interfere. If you are not satisfied, Qianqian and I will split from you."

Saying this, Lin Yanchao turned to Lin Qianqian, "Qianqian, my father is from the second branch. I remember that when he became a scholar, the clan gave us ten acres of land. If we split, it should belong to me, right?"

The madam's face turned green and white, and she said, "You are stirring up trouble to split the family. Do you think you can threaten me? Who said I won't let you study? If you want to waste money, go ahead. I don't care. It's your family's money anyway."

The last sentence revealed the madam's inner weakness, and she hurriedly left.

Seeing that he had the upper hand, Lin Yanchao said, "Qianqian, with such a mean and stingy person, if you show any weakness, she will become stronger. If you show strength, she will become weaker. Don't give in. If necessary, we will split the family."

Lin Qianqian said, "We can't split the family?"

Lin Yanchao smiled confidently, "What are you afraid of? To split the family, we can ask the village elders to decide. She can't control everything. If that doesn't work, I will report it to the government. I will make a big fuss, and see how she can face the village."

In his previous life, Lin Yanchao would never have taken such a beating without fighting back. He was not an ignorant ancient person who would be terrified of the government. As long as he exposed the issue and sought justice, he would not fear the madam.

But before he could finish speaking, Lin Qianqian said, "Chao, you don't know that the government has a law: if grandparents or parents are alive, and their descendants establish separate households and divide property, they will be punished with 100 strokes. The madam might not know, but you, as a student, should know."

Lin Yanchao was stunned, thinking that ignorance of the law really was a killer. He had read too many novels and thought he could intimidate the madam, but he ended up shooting himself in the foot.

Lin Qianqian counted on her fingers, not giving Lin Yanchao any face, "Not only that, but you can't expect the government to help you. The official notice says that for all minor matters, such as household disputes, land disputes, and fights, you must first go through the village elders. If you don't, the person who files the complaint will be punished with 60 strokes and sent back to the elders for judgment."

Hearing this, Lin Yanchao realized he had been thinking like a modern person. In this era, the government did not interfere in village affairs, and the county magistrate was too busy to deal with trivial matters. Even if he had the time, he would not see a commoner like him.

"Finally, the madam's family is part of the village elders. Forcing a split will definitely be biased, so we have no chance of winning."

Lin Yanchao was completely outmaneuvered and was speechless.

"Qianqian, forget about splitting the family. Let's talk about something else. Qianqian, there is only one bed in the house. Where do you sleep?"