Chapter 2: Ancestry
Gao Huan interrupted Gao Hanshi with dissatisfaction, saying: "Mother, I am still a young man, and I haven't even courted anyone yet. Besides, I don't look bad at all. Why should I have to marry a widow to live my life?"
Goodness, how dare you rob in broad daylight! This way of making money is something even I, Gao Huan, would not dare to imagine, yet you few petty thieves actually have the audacity to do it! Let me show you how I, Gao, will teach you a lesson today. With this thought, Gao Huan quickly got up and ran home, yes, he ran in the direction of home. This is our protagonist
At this moment, Gao Huan was lying on the grass, basking in the afternoon sun around two or three o'clock. He was lazily squinting and dozing off when he suddenly heard what seemed to be the sound of horses neighing not far away, along with someone shouting for help, and it sounded like a woman!
Mother, I want to go to Heisei to find my sister!" As soon as he entered the door, Gao Huan put down his coat and went to scoop water from the water tank to drink. In the past half month, Gao Huan had not eaten enough or slept well, and he felt that this water had a bit of a taste. The clear spring water from the mountains is certainly better than the tap water that has been treated with bleach later on
My son has made up his mind. This time when we go to Pingcheng, I will ask your sister to help find some work for him to learn some skills. It is better than just herding cattle in the countryside. Once my son earns some money and settles down properly, I will bring you and your brother over to enjoy a good life together
Gao Han was initially furious, but upon hearing Cheng Lu change his words, he scolded, "Your full name is Gao Huan, and your courtesy name is He Liu Hun. I see that you must have been beaten senseless by your father, forgetting all these matters! You truly deserve a beating!" After saying this, he lightly tapped Cheng Lu's forehead with his finger
Where are the younger brother and sister?
I am not hungry, Mother, you can eat by yourself. " Saying this, she went back to the water tank and scooped up two ladles of water, gulping it down until she was full, then said: "Our family is really suffering now. The four of us rely on you and your younger brother to work while I earn a little money by carrying bricks. Life is tight, not to mention giving Father money to drink and gamble every day. A couple of days ago, Father borrowed one hundred taels from Li Er at Linzhuang again, with old debts unpaid and new ones added. With our hard work, when will it ever end?
Frustrated, Cheng Lu pondered for an entire day and finally came to a realization: until he found a way to return, he could only temporarily live in this village under the identity of Gao Huan. This is a fact, harsh yet real, and there is no choice but to accept it
Aunt ... ... Mother, what did you say my name was?
"My child, I have noticed that ever since you were beaten, your memory has worsened and your mind is muddled. Handan is quite far from here, several thousand miles away. It is currently the first year of the Zhengguang era, and the reigning emperor is the Shunwu Xiaoming Emperor. You do not know this?" Gao Han looked at Cheng Lu with a face full of concern
What the heck!
"Ouch... it hurts!" Cheng Lu pretended to dodge that finger, secretly thinking, who is Gao Huan? I don't remember anyone named Gao Huan in history. Damn it, when people travel through time, they either come from wealthy and powerful military families or possess extraordinary martial arts skills as legendary heroes. As for me, I have traveled into the body of a person I don't even know, and I turn out to be a nameless figure in history! This is really frustrating! Damn it, when people travel through time, they either come from wealthy and powerful military families or possess extraordinary martial arts skills as legendary heroes. As for me, I have traveled into the body of a person I don't even know, and I turn out to be a nameless figure in history! This is really frustrating!
Cheng Luxin thought: Goodness, what loyalty, no, what filial piety! An old man like this strikes a twenty-year-old young man, yet this family is truly unafraid and does not retaliate, enduring the blows.
Suddenly sitting up, Gao Huan turned his gaze towards the sound. In the nearby woods, it seemed that several horsemen were surrounding a carriage and robbing it. Meanwhile, a few farmers working in the fields were hastily running towards the village, shouting for help as they ran.
Mother still thinks you should stay honest, work diligently in the fields, and secretly save some pocket money for you over the next two years to find a widow as a wife, and then have a child, so that you will have everything...
At this point, Gao Huan put down the cattle whip in his hand and turned around to head home
Oh, besides my father and you, who else is at home? First, I need to clarify the basic situation before figuring out how to leave; otherwise, if I really have to escape, I will be completely in the dark, knowing nothing. What if I am sent to a lunatic asylum by some unscrupulous people? I would truly never be able to return home. Cheng Lu closed his eyes, thinking to himself.
Of course, my daughter knows that a young lady from a good family is desirable, but given our current situation, do we have extra money to find you a young bride? A young widow is both economical and practical; once married, she will be able to work, which is quite advantageous
How could you only remember what this body has done in the past? I am diligently working in modern society to realize our country's true rule of law and to achieve the beautiful Chinese dream. Yet, a car accident has thrown me into this strange era. Who can I turn to for reason? Cheng Lu cursed the gods' mothers a hundred times in his heart
Silly child, you are twenty this year, and you still haven't married a wife. Look, your mind isn't working well now, and it will be even harder to marry in the future. What are you going to do?" Gao Han's heart ached as she came over to pat Cheng Lu's head, saying, "You still have an older sister in Heisei, as well as a younger sister and a younger brother.
Gao Huan threw down the water ladle, turned around, and left. What does this old woman in the countryside understand? It would be pointless to explain it to her. She even suggested that I marry a widow; does a second-hand wife come without a price? A petty bourgeois! Gao Huan thought to himself
Your younger sister has also gotten married, and she is now married to Zhao Si's family in Linzhuang, so she does not live at home. Your younger brother is working as an apprentice at a tailor shop in the city and does not have time to come back
Gao Han handed a piece of yellow cake from the earthen stove pot to Gao Huan, saying: "This is what Mother saved for lunch. Eat it, and after you finish, go back to work. Pingcheng is quite far from here."
"Oh dear, my whole body hurts," Cheng Lu lay on the kang and groaned
The next day, Cheng Luoben wanted to take the opportunity of working for others to escape, but when he looked around, he found himself surrounded by vast plains, devoid of any semblance of modern society. This was a true time travel! He had arrived in this wilderness.
Mother, where are we here, and how far is it from Handan? Also, which dynasty is it now? Cheng Lu sat on the kang and took a sip of the precious food at home: corn porridge, which is made by grinding a large handful of dry corn seeds into a paste and boiling it, without a hint of salt. It was terribly unpalatable (Later, Cheng Lu learned that salt was considered a luxury item in the inland areas at that time, and ordinary families could hardly afford it, and even if they did, they used very little of it)
Gao Huan (Cheng Lu) simply could not adapt to the pace of life in primitive society, especially at night! The long, endless nights were too difficult to endure. He had had enough of the days spent counting sheep with his eyes.
After spending half a month in a daze, Gao Huan (Cheng Lu) could no longer endure this hardship. He began to contemplate that, after all, he was a university graduate. Even if he had crossed over to more than 1,500 years ago, his knowledge remained intact. Chairman Mao once said, "Posture changes destiny!" No, it was knowledge! If he could invent a few small technologies, it should not be a problem to make a living in this backward era. Why should he toil every day, facing the yellow earth and turning his back to the sky? This was truly too arduous for Gao Huan. With this thought, he suddenly understood why his father, Gao Shu, had ceased agricultural production. How could a man who had enjoyed a life of comfort be willing to bend down and toil like the farmers? It was too hard. Moreover, life is short, so one should enjoy it while they can, right?
While lost in his own thoughts, Gao Huan wandered aimlessly until he reached the outside of the village. He strolled to a small hillside behind the village, a newly discovered place for him. Looking down at the scenery on the other side of the hill: vast rice fields embraced by mountains, lush greenery on the hills, and the harmonious coexistence of egrets and old cows in the rice fields below, with distant houses sending up curling smoke. It was a beautiful picture of clear mountains and waters, close to nature, with verdant grass covering the hills. Just thinking about university life, friendships with colleagues, and the delicious meals made by his mother. He looked again at the scenery below: vast rice fields embraced by mountains, lush greenery on the hills, and the harmonious coexistence of egrets and old cows in the rice fields below, with distant houses sending up curling smoke. It was a beautiful picture of clear mountains and waters, close to nature, with verdant grass covering the hills. Just thinking about university life, friendships with colleagues, and the delicious meals made by his mother. Moreover, the ample bosom and voluptuous figure of Shufen next door kept swaying before his eyes. Gao Huan often lay down for half a day, but now, here, he felt that each day dragged on like a year. Every morning he woke up hoping he was dreaming, wanting to quickly return to reality, but each time he awoke to the dark walls of the room covered in spider webs, the creaking sound of the Gao Han's shuttle back and forth, along with the crowing of roosters, barking of dogs, and the mooing of old cows, it truly felt like a nightmare!
After two days of living, Cheng Lu discovered a shocking fact: he had actually traveled through time! What the hell, what is going on!
Later, Cheng Lu (Gao Huan) learned that the Gao clan also had a glorious history. Gao Huan's great-grandfather was a high-ranking official during the Jin Dynasty, and his grandfather was a first-rank official in the court of the Yan state. By the time of his grandfather, he was also a censor in the Northern Wei. However, due to the schemes of petty individuals, Gao Huan's grandfather was dismissed by the emperor and exiled to the border town of Huaishuo, living as a commoner. Now, Cheng Lu's father is named Gao Shu, a dissolute and extravagant man who knows only how to indulge in drinking and entertainment, neglecting productive work. He is fond of gambling, and with the decline of the family fortune coupled with Gao Shu's wastefulness, life has become quite difficult. Gao Han (Cheng Lu's current mother) told him that one day Gao Shu wanted to sell the family's only sheep to pay off debts, but his mother disagreed. Gao Huan then confronted his father, leading to a quarrel that escalated into a physical altercation, with Gao Shu being the one to strike. Gao Huan was beaten but did not retaliate, resulting in him being injured.
Gao Huan originally intended to take the corn cake, but seeing Gao Han's wife gazing at the cake in her hands with an expression of reluctance, he thought of how his own mother had endured hunger to save this little bit of food
That being said, Cheng Lu could not understand why, despite having been in a car accident, he should be in such a state where, logically, he should be completely broken. However, in the past few days, aside from injuries on his buttocks and back (reportedly inflicted by his new father with a pickaxe), his mind remained quite clear. This defies common sense. Regardless of whether it makes sense or not, I have already crossed over; why should I concern myself with such trivial matters? The real priority is to find a way back to modern society.
Taking one step at a time, if it really doesn't work out, I will sneak away. The situation here is quite chaotic; just a couple of days ago, several young men from the village secretly left, saying they were going south to seek a way to make a living. No one cared about them, did they? Gao Huan still harbored certain fantasies; in any case, leaving this cursed place was what he most wanted to do. Who could possibly be retained in such a desolate place where even birds wouldn't defecate?
"I said my whole body hurts, what is this He Liu? My name is Cheng Lu... Ouch, it hurts..." Cheng Lu was unable to accept the current situation. I must find a way to return! Even if it means jumping off the roof with a hoe in my arms, I will try to return to my own time. I cannot survive in this world without electricity; I cannot live in the agricultural era. I have secretly made up my mind. Even if it means jumping off the roof with a hoe in my arms, I will try to return to my own time. I cannot survive in this world without electricity; I cannot live in the agricultural era. I have secretly made up my mind.
Thinking about being far away from everything in modern society, Cheng Lu felt quite unaccustomed. From a city white-collar worker to a bricklayer in an instant, no, it was more like a laborer. What on earth is going on! At night, there is not even an electric light; the only place that is somewhat illuminated in the entire village is the village chief's house, where a few shabby lanterns are hung high up!
Silly child, this may be good, but even if your father agrees, will the court agree? Do not forget that our family is currently in a state of disgrace, and our name is still on the list of displaced persons!
This child, do you still remember that your name is He Liuhun? It seems you haven't completely lost your mind. The old woman told Cheng Lu that her name is Gao Hanshi, and she is his biological mother. He is her son Gao Huan, and the boy is He Liuhun.
Gao Han put down the shuttle in his hand and got off the loom, saying, "Son, why aren't you working properly? Why did you run to Pingcheng to find your sister? When your father comes back and sees this, he will surely scold you again"