Chapter 1

Amidst the chorus of cicadas and frogs, it seemed there were also a few cries, but before he could hear them clearly, a sharp pain shot through his head, as if a large mass had been forcefully stuffed into it. The sensation made his breathing feel stifled, and he instinctively struggled, causing a ray of light to pierce through the darkness before his eyes. Immediately, a gaunt face appeared before him, with a sallow complexion, dry hair, and a malnourished appearance.

"Brother... Brother-in-law?..." His voice was hoarse and dry, causing a painful sensation in his throat.

"Hongsheng, your brother-in-law is here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid!" The woman immediately raised her hand to gently pat him.

Hongsheng... who is he? Is... I? My name is Xia Hongsheng? No, I am not Xia Hongsheng, no, I am Xia Hongsheng... His mind was a chaotic mess, like a pot of paste, as if another person's thoughts were blending with his own. Xia Hongsheng... yes, I remember, she is calling me, this body is called Xia Hongsheng, but how did I end up in this body? As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Xia Hongsheng struggled to sit up and saw that he was in a very dilapidated house. The walls were made of yellow earth mixed with straw, and the roof, though tiled, had several patches of thatch. The woman sitting by the bed, supporting him, was dressed in ancient attire, with her hair styled in an ancient bun.

Tang Dynasty, the first year of the Zhenguan era. This place is called Luozhou City. The original owner of this body is named Xia Hongsheng, with the courtesy name Jingshi. The woman before him is his sister-in-law. His mother passed away early, and his father and elder brother died in the war. It was this sister-in-law who raised Xia Hongsheng to this age.

Xia Hongsheng slowly took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned back slightly. The woman quickly placed a cushion behind him. Xia Hongsheng, leaning against the cushion, closed his eyes as scenes from the past flashed before him, like a movie playing out. When it ended, Xia Hongsheng opened his eyes, and the panic and confusion in them had vanished, leaving only a calmness.

"Sister-in-law, Hongsheng is fine, don't worry." Xia Hongsheng said politely to the woman, who seemed startled by his courteous demeanor and looked at him in a daze. Xia Hongsheng knew what had happened. It wasn't serious; he had been studying hard for the exams at the academy, staying up late for several nights in a row. Due to his weak constitution, he had become overly fatigued and fainted. The original owner of this body was very poor. The only one who could support the family was his sister-in-law, who had gritted her teeth and sent Xia Hongsheng to the academy. This had already drained the family's resources, leaving no extra money for food. Xia Hongsheng glanced at the woman by the bed, who, though only twenty-two, looked like she was forty-two due to the hardships she had endured. The original owner of this body was just a teenager, still a child, who knew that his sister-in-law had used everything to send him to the academy. Therefore, he worked hard, though not exceptionally talented, he was diligent and hardworking, and his grades were decent. This time, the top student in the academy's exam would become the disciple of the academy's headmaster, and Xia Hongsheng had vowed to be the top student, not for any other reason, but to become the headmaster's disciple, which would exempt him from the academy's fees. If he performed well, he might receive some rewards from the headmaster, which could be exchanged for money and food to help the family. This led to his late-night studying and subsequent overwork and fainting.

"Heaven has shown mercy, truly, the ancestors have blessed you, you have finally woken up, our family only has you left..." After carefully examining him and finding no issues, tears rolled down the woman's face. She clasped her hands and thanked the gods, then said to Xia Hongsheng, "If anything happened to you, how could I face your deceased father and brother?"

"Sister-in-law, don't cry, I'm fine!" Xia Hongsheng shook his head and smiled, taking advantage of his young age to act cute and make his sister-in-law laugh. However, soon, a look of sadness appeared on the woman's face, as if she had something to say but didn't know how to start. Although Xia Hongsheng still looked like the same Xia Hongsheng on the surface, he was no longer the naive and socially awkward young boy inside. He could easily tell that the woman had something to say, so he smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, is there something you want to tell Hongsheng? Just say it, don't worry."

Hearing this, the woman bit her lip and cautiously said, "Hongsheng, listen to your sister-in-law, don't be upset. The academy's exams happen every year, and you are still young, we don't need to rush this year!..."

Before she could finish, Xia Hongsheng guessed what she was going to say and asked, "Sister-in-law, did I miss the academy's exam?"

The woman hesitated but finally nodded.

However, the worry she had didn't seem to materialize. When Xia Hongsheng heard that he had missed the exam, he didn't react strongly, just nodded and said, "Oh," without further comment.

This made the woman even more worried. Her young brother-in-law had always been a quiet person, keeping things to himself, which had put a lot of pressure on him. Seeing his lack of reaction, she thought he was bottling it up inside. She was about to offer some comforting words when a voice came from outside the door, "I am a teacher from Luozhou Academy, is anyone inside?"

A teacher from the academy? Oh, it's the teacher! Xia Hongsheng's sister-in-law quickly responded and helped Xia Hongsheng, who was about to get out of bed, to go outside. In the small courtyard surrounded by a fence, they saw an elderly man in a black robe, accompanied by a slightly older young man.

The moment Xia Hongsheng saw the elderly man, information about him flashed through his mind. He quickly broke free from his sister-in-law, walked up to the man, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Student did not know the teacher was visiting, and failed to welcome you properly, please forgive me!"

The elderly man waved his hand, signaling Xia Hongsheng to stand up. He looked him over and asked, "Jingshi, I heard from your sister-in-law that you fainted and didn't wake up. How is your body now? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Thank you for your concern, teacher. I just woke up, and it was due to staying up late for several nights, but I am fine now," Xia Hongsheng replied respectfully. The elderly man was his teacher at the academy, who had always treated him well, explaining the lessons in detail and never looking down on him because of his poverty. He had also shown him much care, so Xia Hongsheng couldn't help but show respect.

"That's good. Jingshi, although you missed the exam, there's no need to be overly concerned. The headmaster hasn't closed the door, you can try again next year," the elderly man patted Xia Hongsheng's shoulder, comforting him.

The young man behind the elderly man also smiled and extended his hand, handing over something he was holding, saying, "Brother Jingshi, the teacher is right. We can try again next year. Ha, I didn't get first place either and wasn't accepted by the headmaster. It was that Bai fool who got lucky with a few poems he bought from somewhere!"

The young man was playful, showing no signs of disappointment at not being accepted by the headmaster, and even teasing the top student. The "Bai fool" was another classmate at the academy, who wasn't really foolish but had some talent. However, he liked to take shortcuts and had bullied his classmates, using his family's influence. He also knew how to win the favor of the teachers, so the students either envied or resented him, calling him the "Bai fool" in private.

"Rubbish!" Seeing his student speak without restraint, the elderly man immediately frowned and scolded, "A scholar should know that if his knowledge is inferior to others, he should work harder to catch up, not spread rumors and slander others. Be careful, or I'll spank your hands!"

The young man quickly lowered his head and bowed, saying, "Student knows his mistake!"

However, as he spoke, he winked and raised his eyebrows at Xia Hongsheng, showing no sign of remorse, which almost made Xia Hongsheng laugh.

"Please rest assured, teacher and Brother Xu, Jingshi will not be discouraged. I missed this time, but I will try again next year, it's no problem," Xia Hongsheng said, bowing respectfully to both of them.

Seeing that Xia Hongsheng was fine, the two men comforted him a few more times and then left. Xia Hongsheng and his sister-in-law returned to the house, and she opened the two packages, exclaiming in surprise. Xia Hongsheng looked up and saw that one package contained some millet, and the other contained a piece of meat—beef! Beef was not ordinary; as a tool for farming, cattle were precious in ancient times. They had to be carefully cared for and not harmed, and slaughtering a working ox was a serious crime, punishable by the authorities. Even if a cow died of illness or old age, it had to be reported to the authorities, who would send someone to verify the cause of death. Not to mention poor families, even wealthy and powerful families couldn't eat beef at will!

"This piece of beef is not something we can enjoy, Hongsheng, wait here, I'll go exchange it for some food!" The woman excitedly picked up the beef, carefully wrapped it again, and said excitedly.

Looking at the cold walls, Xia Hongsheng noticed a few leeks leaning against the door and had an idea. He turned to his sister-in-law and said, "Sister-in-law, wait a moment."

He went to the stove, took a knife, and cut a small piece of fat from the beef. "It would be better if we had pork fat... never mind, Sister-in-law, if you are going to exchange it, don't get millet. Get more flour and oil instead, and I'll teach you a skill to earn food!"

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