Chapter 1: The Fiancée of Bubbling

I would not dare, please rise quickly

Qin Shou wanted to say something more, but before he could utter a word, a familiar sound of a dry cough from outside interrupted him. Upon hearing that familiar voice, Qin Shou couldn't help but grit his teeth and turn his head.

Qin Shou suddenly clasped his hands over his head and let out a mournful cry, startling the middle-aged woman who was crying with her face covered. In her panic, she gently patted the chest of Qin Shou's robe, feeling embarrassed that their family's misfortune left them with no spare money to hire a doctor.

Time quietly slipped away, and when the tender-hearted Jia Rong brought in the white porridge, Qin Shou could not help but feel a pang in the corner of his eye, nearly breaking down in tears.

After absorbing the memories of his former self, Qin Shou began to show signs of a breakdown. Having lost his job due to the closure of the library and having drunk excessively, he unexpectedly found himself transported to the winter of 635 AD during the Tang Dynasty, over a thousand years ago

I humbly visit and hope that Lady Qin will forgive me

His timid and introverted personality makes him afraid of interacting with outsiders. Without his uncle accompanying him, he would not dare to go out, typical of someone who just rolls with the punches.

"Mother, I am going out for a walk!" Qin Shou finished the warm porridge prepared by Jia Rong in one breath, tossed aside the bowl, and dashed out like a gust of wind.

After being taken aback, the middle-aged woman gently lifted her cumbersome sleeve to cover her face and began to cry. A perfectly fine person, she never expected to fall into the river and suffer from a loss of spirit.

Qin Shou suddenly felt a wave of sadness. Jia Rong, at the age of thirty, already had most of his hair turning gray, and wrinkles had begun to appear on his face. Each gray hair and every wrinkle is a testament to the effort and toil he has invested in life and for himself

Ah ... ...

Shouer, Mother has no work today, feeling a bit wronged... Shouer, you...

Still unaccustomed to the changes before him, Qin Shou used the excuse of sending away his biological mother, or more precisely, the mother who occupied the body of this painting.

Qin Shou let out a startled cry as he attempted to sit up, a pain like needles spreading throughout his body, causing him to grit his teeth and tear his mouth in agony, unable to suppress a cry of despair.

No, it's nothing. Mother, I apologize. The child was momentarily confused and caused you to be startled

Qin Shou returned to the dilapidated house of over fifty square meters. When Jia Rong brought in the hot boiled water to ward off the cold, he drank it all in one go, driving away the early winter chill from his body. After placing the empty bowl aside, he pondered for a long time before finally asking Jia Rong.

The beautiful woman before me overshadowed the exquisite appearance of Qian Ling behind her. Observing Qian Ling's obedient demeanor, it was clear without asking that the woman before me was the fiancée arranged by my uncle, the eldest daughter of the Qian family in Chang'an, Qian Yuxin

In his memory, Qin Shou recalled the bits and pieces before the incident involving his previous life, where his fiancée, along with a wicked maid and outsiders, conspired to deceive him, drug him, and push him into the river, attempting to murder him in order to escape the erroneous marriage of her family’s young lady

Without looking back, Qin Shou hurriedly passed through a group of middle-aged and elderly people who were idly chatting after the busy farming season. Witnessing the leisurely scene of the villagers before him, Qin Shou could not help but sigh that the early Tang Dynasty was indeed a fortunate era. At least the officials were too preoccupied with post-war policies and reputation to have time to ponder the two blades of greed.

The idle villagers disregarded Qin Shou's question and turned to engage in a discussion about the winter topics that surpassed even a dozen Zhuge Liangs.

Mother, I vow to you that from this day forward, I will ensure that you live a life of wealth and prosperity! Qin Shou disregarded Jia Rong's startled expression and raised the bowl of porridge, making a heartfelt oath with great fervor

The layout of Changle Township is identical to the specifications of the neighborhoods in Chang'an City, with the entire village's residential population divided in a grid and book shape. The most esteemed village chief resides in the center, facilitating the management of the entire village

Come on, let's not digress; quickly tell me how to spend the winter properly!

Longevity, my child! Alas...

Wait, stop, who exactly are you? Where is this place?

The middle-aged woman gently wiped the tear stains at the corners of her eyes, softly stopping Qin Shou, who was trying to get up. The tears that fell from her blinking eyes dripped onto the collar of Qin Shou's shirt, stunning him like a heavy blow, making him forget his pain.

Niang? Qin Shou could hardly believe his ears, let alone the reality before him. In his memories, Tang Xiao grew up in an orphanage; where could her parents possibly come from?

What can three wen do? Qin Shou looked at the three wen in Jia Rong's hand with a face full of cold sweat and shock. The delicate hands he remembered from childhood have now become calloused and cracked.

Mother, the child is hungry

Under the gentle touch of the middle-aged woman, Qin Shou gradually adapted to the overwhelming resurgence of memories that felt as if his head would split open. Faced with the meticulous care of the middle-aged woman, Qin Shou felt an unbearable shame, leaving him at a loss for where to hide.

When Qin Shouman eagerly ran to the five acres of wasteland, a chill ran through his heart, and he stared in disbelief at the withered weeds that were taller than a person.

Two women appeared one after the other outside Qin Shou's broken house. The leading woman was extraordinarily beautiful, with an ethereal grace that seemed almost otherworldly, as if she were a fairy descended from the heavens. Without the need for makeup, her natural beauty was striking, outshining all others. She was as lovely as a painting, and her exquisite white dress added to her celestial charm. At that moment, Qin Shou was utterly mesmerized

Jia Rong looked at Qin Shou in disbelief for a long time, and finally, with a light brush of her tear-stained eyes, she choked out words of suppressed comfort, saying that the once foolish Qin Shou had now become more understanding

Jia Rong did not ask Qin Shou what he needed the money for, and without hesitation, took out three coins from the folded part of her ruqun, which were Kaiyuan Tongbao from the early Tang dynasty

Jia Rong's words of shame and self-reproach had not yet finished when Qin Shou, as if nothing had happened, turned over and got out of bed, taking the bowl of porridge from Jia Rong's hands.

Not only is the five acres of wasteland allocated to Qin Shou's family like this, but several households unable to cultivate their land are in the same situation. From the village entrance, one can see a vast expanse of sky and wilderness, with the wind blowing and snow swirling, revealing the weeds.

As Qin Shou opened his swollen eyes for a moment, he stared blankly at the dilapidated mud-walled house that was bare of furnishings. The cool room was filled with a faint scent of herbs, and a middle-aged woman in coarse cloth squeezed out two lines of joyful tears.

Oh? How strange, the foolish and clumsy little Qinzi is responding now

Xiao Qin, when will you help me repair the wooden plow

Shou'er, is it not enough? Mother only has this much. How about this, tomorrow Mother will wash clothes for Old Wang from the west of the village for a few days

Qian Yuxin lightly lifted her flowing skirt, her white attire as pure as snow. She bent her slender waist and walked into the room with delicate steps. Her gaze was piercingly cold, yet her expression was icy and indifferent. Truly, she was as pure as ice and snow, yet equally as cold. One could not discern whether she was joyful or angry, sorrowful or happy.

Shouer, Shouer, where do you feel unwell? Don't scare your mother...

Hmm...

Ah? Shouer, you, you...

Jia Rong looked on with a headache as Qin Shou ran out. The changes in this child brought Jia Rong both comfort and an unavoidable sense of worry, fearing that Qin Shou might drown and cause unimaginable consequences. With a heavy heart, Jia Rong put away the bowl that Qin Shou had carelessly left on the bed.

Qian Yuxin Shan Shan bowed respectfully to Jia Rong as a greeting, which startled Jia Rong greatly. He was at a loss, wanting to reach out to help Qian Yuxin, yet hesitated, fearing that he might dirty her beautiful attire

"Shou'er, you are awake! That's wonderful..."

What is even more outrageous is that the shabby furniture in front of him is practically an antique. Is this for filming or what? Qin Shou cannot make sense of the situation before him

Qian Ling, you wicked maid, how dare you conspire with outsiders to push me into the river

What on earth is going on here

My poor child, don't move, just lie there obediently

Throughout the village, the sounds of roosters crowing, dogs barking, horses neighing, and cows mooing, combined with the cheerful laughter and voices of the people, create a vibrant symphony of the afternoon

This is the five acres of land at my home

Good, good, Shouer has grown up, my Shouer has grown up

Shou'er, your mother still has three wen, you can take it!

The most speechless aspect is that my former self was a simple-minded, physically strong fool. Since childhood, I learned the craft of blacksmithing from my uncle, but unfortunately, despite having the skills, I was unable to be self-sufficient

What kind of matter is this

Changle Township, located only twenty li away from the imperial city of Chang'an, is home to over two hundred households. Qin Shou's residence is situated within the boundaries of Changle Township, with five mu of wasteland conveniently located at the village entrance

With grand ambitions and a desire to achieve great feats, Qin Shou, after witnessing the towering weeds and barren land, felt as if he had fallen into an abyss where even the most skilled housewife could not cook without rice, and he returned home in a state of despair.

Mother, how much money do we still have

Qin Shou ran out of the village and sprinted to his family's five acres of barren land at the edge of the village. Along the way, he could see only some vacant straw stacks in the fields, but unfortunately, the early winter snow covered everything, greatly diminishing the scenery.

The scene before him was utterly unfamiliar, and the sight of the middle-aged woman weeping inconsolably filled Qin Shou with a sense of panic that was hard to bear, accompanied by an absurd illusion and a sense of attachment that was difficult to relinquish

Interestingly, the owner of this body is also named Qin Shou, residing in the suburbs outside Chang'an. Among the countless ordinary people of the Tang Dynasty, Qin Shou never dreamed that he would actually traverse time and space

The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment, gently wiping the tear stains from the corners of her eyes, and hurriedly rolled up her skirt to walk out

The simple elders in the village gather around, roasting firewood and engaging in idle chatter. Mischievous children run on the snow-covered path, throwing snowballs. As one walks by, the cheerful conversations of the women washing clothes by the well can be faintly heard, along with the sound of villagers repairing wooden plows in the yard.

Where is this? Ah ... ...

Thinking that I have actually traveled back over a thousand years, and unfortunately, I have taken over the body of a destitute family with nothing to my name, Qin Shou could not help but feel a sense of sorrow. Fortunately, this body is quite strong.

Jia Rong discovered that Qin Shou had not responded, and feeling somewhat uneasy, she sought ways to earn money to satisfy the sole request of her only child, as it was the first time Qin Shou had asked her for money

Have some free time first

What chilled Qin Shou even more was that the actions of the wicked maidservant would not have been so bold if it were not for the tacit approval of his fiancée

The middle-aged woman broke into a smile, her years of hard work evident in the faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, as she incoherently reached out to gently stroke Qin Shou's disheveled long hair

Alright, alright, Shouer take a break, Mother will go start the fire and prepare the meal now

The departing middle-aged woman is named Jia Rong, the mother of Qin Shou. She tends to the five acres of barren land left by her deceased uncle, earning wages by washing clothes and doing needlework to support the entire dilapidated household

Thinking of the unjustly executed predecessor who was pushed into the river, which led to his own time travel, Qin Shou could not help but feel a chill. He never expected that his fiancée would have such a malicious and wicked maid.

Silly child, how could your mother blame you? As long as everything is fine, may the Bodhisattva bless you, as long as everything is fine...