Chapter 001: Rebirth in the Ming Dynasty
Zhang Li felt a sense of resentment in his heart. Why is it that others who travel back to ancient times become either scholars or the sons of wealthy families, while I have come here only to find myself in a situation of utter poverty? This world is truly unfair!
The house at the westernmost edge of the village consists of three dilapidated thatched cottages, surrounded by a fence made of tree stumps that is in a state of disrepair, with several large gaps missing. Occasionally, a crow perches alone on the wooden fence, chirping and humming a song of solitude.
What should be done
Golden State Warriors
Hi, this!" Kang Xing'an slapped his forehead, "Isn't it still the fourth year of Chongzhen this year? The year has only passed halfway!"
In the summer of the fourth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty
This village is located over sixty miles southeast of Jinzou Wei City, with barren land and only more than fifty households.
Change the era with one's advanced knowledge of both Chinese and Western medicine from future generations
Zhang Li thought that he still did not know exactly where he was, so he opened his mouth to ask: "Anzi, which state capital is this?"
In this year, Kong Youde instigated chaos in the Shandong provinces of Deng and Lai, with the flames of war spreading to Shandong and southern Liaoning.
Upon hearing the words "the fourth year of Chongzhen," Zhang Li nearly lost his breath
The woman wore an expression of astonishment, her hands trembling as she gently caressed the corners of Zhang Li's eyes, as if fearing that those familiar eyes might close at any moment.
Kang Xing'an, while speaking, pretended to slap his own mouth, which made Zhang Li chuckle softly.
Upon hearing this, Kang Xing'an's face showed a look of compassion: "Alas, Li Ge'er, your injury is truly severe—this is Jinzhou Guard after all"
From the woman's incessant chatter just now, Zhang Li understood an indisputable fact—he had traveled through time!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Li understood that this Anzi was the son of Uncle Kang mentioned by his mother. Although it was their first meeting, he felt a stir of emotions within him.
Zhang Li weakly uttered "I—", but found that he no longer had the strength to continue speaking
My child, my heart aches so much. Even if our family is struggling to make ends meet, you should not secretly go to the mountains to collect bird's nests for money. Those nests are located on cliffs that are twenty to thirty zhang high. If you fall, it would be like crashing down in a metal bucket... Wuwuwu
The thought of being a thirty-year-old man who has unexpectedly transformed into a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth made Zhang Li unable to suppress his laughter. His immediate thought was to find a mirror to see what he actually looked like.
This summer is particularly strange, with power struggles, wars, banditry, and military conflicts chattering incessantly like cicadas on the branches. Summer, therefore, has lost all desire to depart, simply hanging motionless in the air
Li Ge'er, how are you feeling? I heard from the village doctor, Old Liu, that you won't last more than three days. I originally wanted to stay by your side. But yesterday, my father caught me and took me home with a stick, saying he needed to dig for wild vegetables. Li Ge'er, you know my family has no surplus grain either, so you won't blame me, will you? Anzi felt a bit frustrated and somewhat helpless.
Zhang Li suddenly felt a surge of resentment in his chest. In later years, Zhang Li often lamented the fall of the Ming Dynasty. This dynasty may not have been perfect, but it possessed its own integrity! Now that he had traveled back to the fourth year of Chongzhen, he must do something!
Song Xiuniang smiled and said, "Anzi, you usually get along well with my son Li'er. Please keep an eye on him for me and make sure he doesn't misbehave."
Consider the likes of Xianfeng and Cixi in later generations; before foreign enemies even reached the gates of Beijing, they had already fled north and west in a hurry
The original self who has been traversed is also named Zhang Li. This middle-aged woman is called Song He Tushu Xiuniang, and she is Zhang Li's mother. Just now, Song Xiuniang mentioned that Zhang Li's father passed away about ten years ago, when Zhang Li was six years old. It appears that the previous life of Zhang Li is a few years younger than himself, around sixteen or seventeen years old. A complete young handsome man, full of vitality
Zhang Li was originally born into a renowned family of traditional Chinese medicine. From a young age, he exhibited exceptional talent and, under the influence of his family, developed a profound understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, particularly excelling in acupuncture. After obtaining a master's degree from a medical university, he went on to enroll in a prestigious medical school in Germany for his doctoral studies, where he systematically learned the essence of Western medicine. By the age of thirty, Zhang Li had already gained significant recognition in the medical field, focusing on the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, with the aspiration of becoming a dedicated and sincere physician being his lifelong dream. However, the unpredictability of life is striking; it is quite bizarre that upon returning from his studies abroad, the plane he was on was struck by lightning.
The boy named Anzi quickly walked to the earthen bed, turned back to Song Xiuniang and said: "Aunt Song, you can rest assured, I will take good care of Lige, I promise not to leave his side for a moment"
Zhang Li thought for a moment and said, "If I rest for another two days, there shouldn't be any major issues. By then, we can exchange the bird's nest for some food."
Zhang Li felt an overwhelming pain throughout his body, his head was throbbing as if it would burst, and the sound of a woman’s incessant weeping filled his ears. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a gaunt middle-aged woman sitting beside him. She was dressed in a gray, patched-up coarse linen garment, and with her right hand, she discreetly wiped away her tears while clutching the hem of her clothing.
Zhang Li shook his head, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, and softly said: "I do not blame you"
No matter what you do, just focus on surviving first! This is the most urgent matter.
The woman trembled all over, suddenly widening her reddened eyes: "Li'er, is that you? Is it you speaking? You actually managed to wake up? wwwhetushucom .com"
Zhang Lidian nodded and asked, "I'm feeling a bit confused; Anzi, could you tell me what day it is today?"
At this point, Kang Xing'an suddenly recalled something. He carefully took out a handkerchief from his pocket, which was wrapped around an object. Kang Xing'an said: "This is the swallow's nest we collected the other day, which I have been keeping carefully. I originally thought that Li Ge'er would... cough, look at my foul mouth! Ha, I was thinking of exchanging it for some broken coffin boards... cough, look at my foul mouth!"... cough, look at my foul mouth! Ha, I was thinking of exchanging it for some broken coffin boards... cough, look at my foul mouth!
Zhang Li observed the dilapidated thatched cottage, and the first thing that caught his eye was a small hole in the roof. A distinct beam of light streamed through the breach into the room, and beneath the small hole lay a ceramic basin, presumably placed there to collect rainwater in case of rain.
This is truly destitute
Inside the room, there was only a wooden table, yet it was missing a leg, propped up with a stone at the uneven spot. Zhang Li did not find a chair; he only saw two large stones placed beside the table, guessing that these must serve as chairs.
Zhang Li remained speechless, quietly listening to the ramblings of the middle-aged woman. His meticulous thinking prevented him from easily interrupting her words, as he aimed to extract as much information as possible from the conversation
Zhang Li smiled and said, "What I meant was the era name; I am a bit confused."
Chongzhen may not have been a good emperor; he was unable to manage the vast empire riddled with wounds. However, in his own way, he interpreted the ancestral teachings of the Ming Dynasty: the Son of Heaven guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the state. Among the emperors of all time, he can be considered a ruler of integrity.
Song Xiuniang said that Zhang Li had been in a coma since falling down the mountain, and the village's somewhat skilled healer, Old Liu, had come to examine him, stating that he would not survive for more than three days. However, Zhang Li's mother, Song Xiuniang, kept vigil by her son and the books, crying for an entire day and night without a drop of water.
Seeing that Li could speak, An Zi became excited and quickly said: "Li Ge, please don’t talk. Aunt Song said you haven’t eaten anything for a whole day and night. My father is not a stingy person; as soon as he heard you had woken up, he immediately lent half of our life-sustaining food to Aunt Song. You’ve hurt your head now, so you need to rest and recuperate for a few days. Conserve your strength."
As she was pondering, Song Xiuniang walked in holding a clay pot, her face filled with joy: "Li'er, Uncle Kang lent me some miscellaneous grains, I will go cook porridge for you now"
Kang Xing'an also showed a smile on his face and said, "I have heard from my brother. I told my father that Aunt Song is too busy to manage everything on her own, so I will come over these days to help out. You can rest assured and focus on your recovery!"
Child, mother will go with you... sob sob
After muttering a few curses, Zhang Li had no choice but to accept reality. He pondered that for now, it would be wise to think about how to support himself and his mother, as thinking too much about anything else would be futile. It is better to retreat and set a net than to think and catch nothing.
Zhang Li furrowed his brow slightly and said slowly, "Anzi, I hit my head and there are some things I might not remember. What was the name of Kang again?"
The original Zhang Li was a military enthusiast and a history buff, who enjoyed browsing forums related to historical military topics in his spare time. He was well aware of what "the fourth year of Chongzhen" signified
This summer is somewhat peculiar. The wind is faint and calm; the rain hangs in the void, rarely descending; the heat, like a large steamer, continuously adds fuel. Can a person, once roasted, be consumed?
My child, if anything were to happen to you, how would I live... sob sob
In addition, the wind comes and goes, the rain arrives and departs, and there are no furnishings or furniture left in the room
As the tension unfolds and the eyes of the books open wide, this is the scene before us
Anzi nodded and gestured for Zhang Li not to speak: "Li Ge, this time you really fell dangerously; you even forgot my name. Don't say anything, I am Kang Xing'an. Just the other day, I was the one who went up the mountain with you to collect bird's nests..."
Liaonan, Jinzhou Wei, Lianhua Tun
"Li Ge'er! Aunt Song said you are awake, and I am filled with joy, so I came to see you!" A youthful voice came from behind Song Xiuniang, and in the blink of an eye, the speaker darted to the front of her. Zhang Li focused his gaze and saw a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, his face brimming with delight.
However, as soon as he raised his eyes, Zhang Li realized how absurd his idea of looking for a mirror was
Zhang Li had a thousand questions in his mind, but his body was so weak that he could not utter a single word. At this moment, Zhang Li felt somewhat bewildered, yet a strange sense of emotion still stirred within him
Kang Xing'an was taken aback: "What day? What day is it? There are no special days, the market days are the 1st and the 15th, today is only the 8th, there's still plenty of time!"
Song Xiuniang was in a good mood, walking cheerfully towards the west corner of the house, where there was a smoke-stained bamboo door leading to the kitchen
Indeed, this is the worst of times. The common people are struggling to survive, bandits are rampant, the Ming Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and the Tartars frequently invade. Thirteen years later, Emperor Chongzhen hangs himself in solitude from the crooked tree on Coal Mountain, with only the eunuch Wang Cheng'en following him to the end.
Zhang Li suddenly noticed Kang Xing'an's puzzled gaze directed at him, and could only manage a wry smile, secretly cursing himself for overthinking.
After rambling for quite a while, the woman suddenly realized that her son had not eaten anything for a day and a night. After repeatedly reminding Zhang Li not to move around, she said she would go borrow some grains from Uncle Kang to cook porridge, and then she quickly walked out of the dilapidated straw hut