Chapter 2

Wanli? Wanli! Zhao Jin was stunned for a moment, finally realizing what era he had arrived in—it was the Ming Dynasty!

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The doctor who had previously examined Zhao Jin had concluded that he wouldn't live much longer. When called again, he was quite impatient, thinking that it was just the parents' love for their child that made them desperate. He could only try his best, treating a dead horse as if it were alive. However, after checking Zhao Jin's pulse, he found that apart from being weak, everything else was normal.

The doctor couldn't explain the reason, so he returned the consultation fee, pinched his nose, and wished Zhao Jin good luck for surviving a great calamity. After being scolded by He Cuihua as a quack, he left in embarrassment.

Three days later, Zhao Jin was able to get out of bed and walk, with no unusual symptoms. Zhao Jin, who had been in a state of shock and confusion, finally understood the situation.

It was now the 15th of September in the 38th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. If converted to the Gregorian calendar, it should be early or mid-October. During that time in his previous life, Zhao Jin had once been on a business trip to Xuzhou and found the climate very pleasant, though a bit hot at noon. He never expected it to be so cold in this era, with two light snowfalls already.

His father, Zhao Zhentang, was 38 years old and a hereditary hundred-man commander of the Xuzhou Guard. His mother, He Cuihua, was 36 years old and the daughter of a butcher from the west of Xuzhou City. His uncle, Zhao Zhenxing, was 36 years old. And there was himself, Zhao Jin, 10 years old, the only child of the Zhao family.

As a sixth-rank military official, Zhao Zhentang served as an executioner in Xuzhou City. A few days ago, Zhao Zhentang had taken Zhao Jin to watch an execution, and the bloody scene had frightened the 10-year-old Zhao Jin into fainting. The doctor had diagnosed him as not having much time left, but unexpectedly, such an incredible change had occurred.

A hundred-man commander in the Ming military system was a sixth-rank official, while a county magistrate was only a seventh-rank official. This sixth-rank position sounded impressive but was actually worthless.

If he only managed a hundred-man unit, he would have some power and benefits, but the Xuzhou Guard protected Xuzhou and did not have separate thousand-man or hundred-man units. Therefore, Zhao Zhentang's position as a hundred-man commander was just a title.

The Xuzhou Guard was established by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang at the founding of the Ming Dynasty. It was once a formidable force, but over the past two hundred years, the once fierce generals and elite soldiers had degenerated into landlords and farmers. The military units themselves were military colonies, with the government allocating large tracts of land for the military households to farm. The former military commanders had become landlords collecting rent, while the military households had become farmers paying taxes.

In theory, a hundred-man commander had a hundred soldiers, or a hundred farming households. Owning the land of a hundred households was no small feat, and life should be comfortable. However, the accounts didn't add up. First, the military households had to pay taxes, and in addition to the government's share, they also had to pay the commander and the thousand-man commanders. After these payments, there was little left.

Moreover, the soil in Xuzhou was poor due to frequent Yellow River floods, and the harvests were not good. The commander and the five thousand-man commanders had to be well-fed, leaving nothing for the hundred-man commanders and the flag leaders. They became foremen, just managing to feed their families. In bad years, they even had to subsidize from their own pockets, making the position of a hundred-man commander a standard hard job.

Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua often talked about these matters, never avoiding Zhao Jin. A 10-year-old child couldn't understand much, but the current Zhao Jin could analyze a lot from it.

"Xiao Jin, go call your uncle to come home for dinner. It's cold outside, so wear more clothes," He Cuihua called from the kitchen, the aroma of the food already wafting out.

Zhao Jin responded, put on a cotton jacket, and went out of the house. Walking in the courtyard, the monkey called out twice, as if greeting him. Zhao Jin subconsciously nodded to the monkey and then laughed to himself, quickening his pace.

When he first saw the monkey, Zhao Jin was quite surprised. He couldn't understand why a hundred-man commander would keep a monkey. If he wanted a pet, a cat or a dog would be more normal and easier to manage.

Zhao Jin soon understood the reason. His father, Zhao Zhentang, kept the monkey to study how to better behead people. Every day, he could see Zhao Zhentang feeling the back of the monkey's neck, probably studying the distribution of the neck bones.

Thinking about this, Zhao Jin looked back at his family's courtyard. It was a two-courtyard house, not very large but well-kept, clearly the residence of a wealthy family. Zhao Jin had an impression of this house; his father, Zhao Zhentang, had bought it from a merchant. Although the merchant had sold it at a low price due to an urgent move, it still cost a lot of silver.

A hundred-man commander could barely provide for his family, so how could he afford such a good house? The Zhao family's comfortable life was because Zhao Zhentang didn't rely on the military colony for a living but found a job in Xuzhou City as an executioner.

The executioner's job of beheading people was considered inauspicious by many. In the prefecture, the executioner was not even considered a minor official, ranking below even an unranked constable, with a very low status.

However, the position of executioner was highly sought after because after each execution, the government would give a red envelope, the relatives of the condemned would give a red envelope, and even those buying blood-soaked buns would give a red envelope. The executioner's aura of killing could ward off evil, and they were often invited to religious ceremonies, adding to their income. All these combined made the annual earnings quite substantial.

Despite the low status and inauspicious nature of the job, many people still wanted it. However, eight years ago, the executioner in Xuzhou City suddenly died, and no one dared to take the job. Zhao Zhentang seized the opportunity, using his meager savings and borrowing some silver from his father-in-law to find the right connections and secure the position.

A sixth-rank military official taking on a lowly, inauspicious job was a blow to his pride, but life gradually improved.

Zhao Jin walked slowly on the road, his childish face showing a mature and thoughtful expression, which looked quite strange. Zhao Jin had been like this for the past few days, always in a daze, worrying Zhao Zhentang and He Cuihua, who thought he was still recovering from the shock.

No one could imagine that Zhao Jin was recalling everything he could remember from this life. In this unfamiliar era and place, every detail of his memories would be a great help.

Although he had just arrived, Zhao Jin didn't feel strange. He liked the warmth of being loved by his parents, the noisy family life, and the somewhat dilapidated and cold Xuzhou City. Therefore, Zhao Jin was very cautious and meticulous, not wanting to miss any detail.

The streets were very quiet, as it was almost lunchtime, and everyone had gone home to eat. Zhao Jin walked while thinking, turned down two streets, and arrived at the back door of a shop. The back door was open, and the place was equally quiet. Zhao Jin, who had been there a few times, called out at the door, "Second Uncle, Mother is calling you to come home for dinner."

After calling out, someone responded, and Zhao Zhenxing walked out. Zhao Zhenxing was taller than Zhao Zhentang but had a sallow complexion, walked with a wheeze, and was very weak. Zhao Jin knew that his uncle worked as a gatekeeper and did odd jobs at the shop to earn a living. However, Zhao Jin could infer that it was probably Zhao Zhentang who had helped him find the job, as officials in the government, regardless of their rank, still had some influence.

"Xiao Jin, are you feeling better?" Zhao Zhenxing smiled and patted Zhao Jin's head.

In his previous life, as an orphan, no one had cared much, and as an adult, he had to fend for himself. Zhao Jin was still not used to being patted on the head and instinctively wanted to dodge, but he held back and said innocently, "I'm all better!"

"That's good, that's good." Zhao Zhenxing smiled, took Zhao Jin's hand, and they walked back together. This behavior also made Zhao Jin feel uncomfortable, but he endured it, knowing that a child should act like a child.

Turning onto the street, it was noon, but the street was deserted, with many shops closed and sealed.

"The opening of the Jia River will ruin our Xuzhou market," Zhao Zhenxing sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice.