Chapter 2

Wang Shiji and Wang He were cousins, but Wang Shiji was much more accomplished. This was because Wang Shiji came from a family of military nobility and had inherited his father's military rank. He had also distinguished himself in the battle against Wei Chi Jiong, which made him arrogant and dismissive of Wang He.

This year, the Sui Dynasty was preparing to launch a southern campaign against the Chen Kingdom, with hundreds of thousands of troops ready along the Yangtze River. However, the Turks in the north took advantage of this opportunity to invade with 400,000 troops, forcing Emperor Yang Jian to recall the southern expedition forces to defend the north. Wang Shiji, who was originally stationed in Jingzhou, led the vanguard northward, passing through Xinfeng County, where he took the opportunity to forcibly seize Wang He's property.

Wang He, who had never practiced martial arts and was a scholar, became extremely agitated. Seeing this, his three sons, including the frail Wang Huaqiang, rushed forward to try to drive Wang Shiji out of their home.

Wang Shiji did not act himself, but the several fierce guards with him were well-prepared. They beat Wang Huaqiang to the ground, rendering him unconscious. In reality, Wang Huaqiang was aware that he had been reborn into this young body because he had already died in his previous life.

Wang Huaqiang did not know what happened afterward. From the hurried departure of his father, he could guess that his older and younger brothers were also seriously injured. The fact that he was still lying in his own home suggested that Wang Shiji, knowing he was in the wrong, had temporarily retreated.

Wang Huaqiang thought about the last image he saw before losing consciousness: his father, a frail man, lunging at the massive man named Huangfu Xiaoxie, who was as strong as a bear. He felt a surge of emotion, his eyes welling up with tears.

Still recovering from his injuries, the thoughts of the day overwhelmed him, and he fell into a faint again.

When Wang Huaqiang awoke again, it was night, and the room was lit. His two brothers, dressed in simple clothes and bruised, were sitting by his bed with their father, Wang He. Upon seeing him awake, the youngest brother, Wang Huawei, exclaimed, "Elder Brother, look, Second Brother is awake, Second Brother is awake."

Wang He, who had been dozing off, immediately perked up and looked at Wang Huaqiang with concern, asking, "Huaqiang, how are you feeling now?"

Wang Huaqiang felt a bit dizzy, but he was much better than he had been earlier. He struggled to speak, asking, "Elder Brother, did that Wang Shiji leave?"

Wang He glanced at Wang Huashi and Wang Huawei, then nodded. "After Huangfu Xiaoxie beat you to the ground and saw blood on the back of your head, he panicked. Since I also hold an official position, forcibly seizing property and injuring someone would get him into trouble. So, he left after making some threats."

Wang Huawei said angrily, "That scoundrel, he beat us and then left. Elder Brother, we can't just let him get away with this. We'll go to the authorities tomorrow morning and file a complaint."

Wang Huashi, being a few years older and more composed, had black eyes from the beating. His left eye was completely swollen shut. Hearing his brother, he shook his head vigorously. "Younger Brother, that won't work. Wang Shiji is a high-ranking general in the court. With the Turks invading, the court still needs him to lead the troops. Since no one died this time, even if we file a complaint, it probably won't do any good."

Wang He, listening to his sons, sighed deeply. "It's my fault for not being capable enough, causing you to suffer. My concern now is not whether we can file a complaint against Wang Shiji, but what we will do if he comes back to cause trouble again."

Wang Huaqiang, understanding the situation, said, "Elder Brother, if I remember correctly, Wang Shiji is claiming that we three brothers are incapable and can't protect our family's property, right?"

Wang Huawei gritted his teeth. "Yes, Second Brother. He says we three brothers can't read or ride, and we won't be able to manage the family's affairs, so he's trying to take over with the help of some of our uncles. We're just too young and weak to fight them."

Wang Huaqiang smiled. "Elder Brother, don't worry. I have a plan. In a few days, once I can get out of bed, I'll make sure Wang Shiji won't have the nerve to mention dividing the property again."

After saying this, Wang Huaqiang closed his eyes and began to quickly recall the knowledge he had learned before his high school graduation in his previous life.

Seeing Wang Huaqiang like this, Wang He and his two sons exchanged glances, sighed, and left the room. Wang Huaqiang faintly heard Wang Huawei mutter, "Is Second Brother out of his mind?"

This was followed by Wang He's stern rebuke, "Don't speak nonsense!"

As the footsteps of his father and brothers faded away, Wang Huaqiang sighed. At this moment, he could finally calm down and let the memories of his previous life flood back.

Before his rebirth, Wang Huaqiang was the general manager of a logistics company in a city in Hebei Province. He had worked in a factory in the city in his early years, with both his parents deceased, leaving him to support his younger brother, Wang Huawen. He had entered the factory early to provide for his brother's education.

In 1987, the factory allocated housing, and based on various criteria, Wang Huaqiang should have received a suite. However, the factory manager took it and gave it to his driver.

Wang Huawen, unable to accept this, went to the factory manager's house with a kitchen knife, resulting in his arrest and the loss of his college entrance examination eligibility. Wang Huaqiang was also fired from the factory, and the two brothers became drifters and troublemakers.

After years of living on the streets, Wang Huaqiang and his brother gradually gathered dozens of loyal followers. By 1998, they had opened a freight station near a train station in the city, becoming well-known figures. With money, they began to build connections, becoming local public figures.

Unfortunately, good times didn't last. While Wang Huaqiang was on a business trip, his enemies attacked Wang Huawen at night, leaving him in a vegetative state after dozens of knife wounds.

Seeing his brother in the hospital, Wang Huaqiang went on a killing spree, eliminating all four of his enemies in the city within a month, causing a nationwide sensation.

The police were efficient, and within days, Wang Huaqiang's followers were arrested. Under intense pressure, they betrayed him, leading to his arrest and execution.

At that moment, Wang Huaqiang silently thought to himself: even brothers can't be relied upon. If there is a next life, I only want family.

This rebirth filled him with a strong sense of family, even the long-lost fatherly love. Thinking of his brother and father's frail bodies rushing at those massive men, Wang Huaqiang felt an urge to cry.

However, the experiences of his previous life quickly steadied him, and he began to think of strategies. In this body, he was a quiet and reserved person, and due to his mother's poor health during childbirth, he had always been the weakest of the three brothers.

Although Wang Huaqiang was not sickly, his physical condition was better than it had been in his previous life at the same age. At thirteen, he could already ride a horse, but in this era of martial prowess, he was still not outstanding.

His older brother, Wang Huashi, could perform various difficult maneuvers on horseback, and even his younger brother, Wang Huawei, could lift a 100-pound stone lock. Wang Huaqiang could only manage 60 pounds.

Because his physical condition was inferior to his brothers, Wang Huaqiang read more books than they did. Although his father was often away on official duties, and his older brother often mocked him for being a bookworm, saying that reading books had no practical value compared to physical training and military achievements, Wang Huaqiang continued to read.

In this era, there was no imperial examination system, and becoming a civil official mainly depended on recommendations and inherited titles. Wang He, despite serving as a high-ranking official, had not received any titles, and thus could not pass them down to his children. This was the fundamental reason why Wang Shiji dared to seize their property once Wang He was no longer in office.

Wang Huaqiang thought about this and smiled. In his memory, the illiteracy rate in this era was over 95%, and even his two brothers only had basic reading skills. His junior high school education in his previous life made him a relatively educated person in this era.

During Wang He's years of service, the family's business was managed by an old steward. After the steward's death two years ago, Wang He was the only one in the family who could manage finances. The three brothers could barely read, let alone do arithmetic, which was the best excuse for Wang Shiji to seize their property.

In his previous life, Wang Huaqiang had learned abacus skills. The Wang family had a copy of the "Zhou Bi Suan Jing" and the "Jiu Zhang Suan Shu," the latter being a classic in arithmetic for this era. However, compared to the arithmetic he had learned in his previous life, these were rudimentary.

Wang Huaqiang had a plan. He could already imagine the shocked expression on Wang Shiji's face when he was next confronted. With a smile, he fell back into a peaceful sleep.