Section 1

By the end of the first year of Taichang, Huang Shi could gather enough firewood for two average individuals, and occasionally he could catch some small game. These advantages, along with his physique, brought him considerable charm. Some military households with grown daughters hinted to Huang Shi that for a promising young man like him, a reduced bride price could be considered.

After finishing the chores, Huang Shi danced back with Old Zhang's family to have lunch. After the meal, they wiped their mouths and went out to chop firewood. However, when Huang Shi returned with the items in the evening, Old Zhang's wife insisted on not letting him leave empty-handed. She firmly pressed a coin into Huang Shi's hand, stating that starting tomorrow, all of this would be considered as her purchasing on his behalf, and she also mentioned that Old Zhang had asked her to give him the old axe.

A bitter smile involuntarily crept across Huang Shi's face; he had neither a wife nor a daughter. Old Zhang's thoughts were indeed quite far-reaching: "Certainly, that is certainly the case."

Without waiting for Huang Shi's response, Old Zhang, who was very pleased with his son's speech, pushed aside his bowl. First, he coughed to attract the attention of a few people, then pointed to his eldest daughter-in-law standing by the wall, smiling warmly at Huang Shi, and said: "If she can give birth to a son, you can marry my daughter to your grandson in the future. You won't need to provide a dowry, and I won't ask for a bride price either"

Old Zhang's eldest son, sitting on the right, nodded repeatedly, saying, "Not bad, Shitou, hurry up and find a wife to have a child. You are not getting any younger."

Old Zhang waved his hand dismissively and said, "There is no rush. If you can't pay this year, you can pay next year. If you can't pay, your son can pay, and my son can take care of it. Our two families will be neighbors for many generations to come"

Huang Shi immediately understood the implied meaning behind the words; the intention of letting the girl go out for a while was to arrange a match for himself. Following this, Wang Tiejiang began to praise Huang Shi personally. Due to his height, within just a few months, he had already risen to the front ranks, and a promotion was imminent. Wang Tiejiang's point was that a wise person not only focuses on the present but also pays great attention to the future. If a young man is ambitious and can provide a good support for his daughter, then delaying the bride price for a few years is not a significant issue.

The old soldier named Zhang, who was picked up from Huangshi, has three sons. The names of these three sons are very reflective of the era, namely: Youdi, Youdi, and Zaidi.

Upon returning home, he secured the door latch. In the darkness, Huang Shi quietly made his way to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and lay down. Gradually, he drifted into slumber amidst the profound silence, his eyes already brimming with tears before he fell asleep.

Under the recommendation of Old Zhang, in February of the 46th year of the Wanli era, Huang Shi also enlisted in the military, finally securing a means of sustenance

In July, with the sponsorship from Old Zhang and the assistance of his several sons, Huangshi finally completed his small house. He also received an old bed and a full set of old bedding that he had been using for the past six months. After installing the door panels, Old Zhang's youngest son, Zhang Zaidi, joyfully ran from home with firecrackers.

Originally, Huang Shi intended to use the bowls, chopsticks, and pots from Old Zhang's family, leaving behind those new items. However, they insisted that having only old things in the house would bring bad luck. In addition, Old Zhang's wife also placed three protections on Huang Shi's new residence, invited a wooden statue of a Bodhisattva from the temple, purchased a wooden sword from a wandering Taoist priest, and finally brought back a bag of incense ash from the City God Temple.

One should truly express gratitude to Uncle Zhang

The next six months of life were as calm as a still lake, with Huang Shi engaging in a monotonous routine of exercises, meals, chopping wood, eating, studying, and sleeping each day. It became evident that these new household items were wasted on Huang Shi's family, as he did not even light a fire until the New Year, and the New Year's Eve dinner was spent at Old Zhang's house.

This reflects Huang Shi's view of the ancients; if future generations are inferior to the sages of Huaxia, it would not only be a failure to honor the ancients but also a disgrace to one's ancestors. Holding this belief, he was determined to achieve something extraordinary in this era.

As this thought arose, all the enthusiasm drained away from Huang Shi. After casually gathering today's harvest, Huang Shi set off early on the path home. When he reached the edge of the forest, a peculiar sight suddenly caught his attention. As he approached to take a closer look, he heard a loud shout.

The deity seemingly heard Old Zhang's prayers, thus granting him three sons in one go. However, naming the youngest "Zai Di" clearly reflects his excessive greed. It appears that the deity was somewhat displeased and did not bestow any more children.

Amidst the sound of firecrackers, Huang Shi caressed the brand-new door, greedily inhaling the fresh scent of the wood. From this day forward, Huang Shi would no longer be a lost dog; even if he were to face hunger and cold again, he would no longer be at a loss for direction.

Dinner was still at Old Zhang's house as usual. To help Huang Shi add some household items, Old Zhang's eldest son, Zhang Youdi, sold his waist knife. After adding the furniture, the extra money was used by Old Zhang's wife to buy two taels of meat, which she stir-fried into a plate of shredded meat, as a way to celebrate their housewarming.

The eldest and the second have already joined the military, while Zhang Zai is still young. However, as a descendant of the military households of the Ming Dynasty, the fate of a soldier was already determined at the moment of his birth—if Huang Shi had not traveled through time.

He once secretly observed the brushwork of several private tutors of the - picture - book, which, in the context of the 21st century, could only be described as unsightly. This reminded him of the cautious reverence that later calligraphers held for their predecessors. For instance, the Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, established a school of thought; his status as a master is undoubtedly unshakeable. However, if modern calligraphers, who possess more resources, claim that their work is inferior to that of the Sage, it would be a disservice to him. As an amateur calligraphy enthusiast, Huang Shi's writing cannot be said to be exceptional, but it is certainly superior to that of the vast majority of intellectuals from the Ming Dynasty.

Do not touch my bird

"Stone, all that is missing now is a woman." As this phrase echoed in his ears, Huang Shi felt a large hand slap hard on his back, causing the food he was chewing to be sprayed back into the bowl.

It is certainly not a major issue. Wang the blacksmith has three daughters and one son, so how could there be any problem? Ultimately, Old Zhang suffers from this, having named his first two sons: Youdi and Youdi. As a result, contrary to his wishes, he has not had a single daughter, and now he is deeply troubled over the marriage of his second son

Although he cannot produce the money at the moment, it is not a substantial amount. Given the current situation in Huangshi, he should be able to gather this sum within a few months; he simply has other plans.

Since joining the army for several months, apart from the military uniform, nothing else has been issued. Early the next morning, Huang Shi, as usual, took his thick wooden stick to participate in the morning exercises, amusing himself along the way by striking a few poses reminiscent of the Monkey King.

Chen the blacksmith has a daughter who has just turned seventeen. Yesterday, while waiting in the shop, she was called out by her father to fetch water. At that moment, he sensed that the girl's expression was somewhat unusual. When the young lady returned, Wang the blacksmith subtly praised his daughter for her diligence and thriftiness, even mentioning that a fortune teller had remarked that his daughter had the appearance of someone who would bear sons.

Seeing that Old Zhang's second son had also finished his meal, Huang Shi quickly stuffed all the remaining brown rice in his bowl into his mouth in one go, chewing while mumbling, "I have eaten well"

This talent of Huangshi cannot yet be revealed, as in a feudal society where the average literacy rate is less than one percent, being literate is an exceedingly conspicuous trait, let alone being able to write beautifully.

The youngest son of the Zhang family has been completely captivated by Huang Shi through various stories. Despite spending so much time on the forum, Huang Shi has not truly learned any real skills, but has instead accumulated a wealth of miscellaneous knowledge. Now, because Zhang Zai Di is still young and has not joined the military, he always has time to admire and revolve around him.

On the twenty-fourth day of the first month in the first year of the Apocalypse, in the afternoon, Huang Shi ventured out into the wind and snow to chop firewood. His axe had just been sharpened at Chen the blacksmith's yesterday, so he found today's work quite easy. As he swung the axe, he couldn't help but recall yesterday's events, and a proud smile immediately appeared on his face

Huang Shi also understood that joining the military during the Ming Dynasty was akin to boarding a pirate ship, and that one's descendants would essentially be wholly devoted to the Ming Emperor and the court. If he were to be reincarnated at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it is likely that his descendants would indeed be neighbors with the old Zhang family for several hundred years

While Huang Shi was engrossed in his meal, he was caught off guard, nearly plunging his head into the bowl. After swallowing the last morsel in his mouth, he looked up and replied: "That is something that will happen a long time from now; first, I need to repay Uncle Zhang after I receive my salary."

The price of writing paper during the Ming Dynasty was still relatively expensive. The paper used by Huangshi in the new society would be worth at least several hundred taels of silver in this era. The diligent scholars of the Ming Dynasty were still more inclined to practice writing with twigs and sand, drawing and sketching on plain paper every day, which at that time was not an easy burden even for the wealthy.

With the income from the coming months, Huang Shi is confident that he can save a small sum of money, which would provide some stability for the second son of the Lao Zhang family. However, the thought of next year's history fills him with a sense of absurdity, as it ultimately seems to lead to nothing.

Moreover, Huangshi is actually quite skilled at calligraphy, as paper is readily available in modern society. Huangshi's original hobby was writing large characters, and he has even won awards in amateur competitions.

Experience is easily acquired, but physical advantages are innate. As a youth born under the red flag and raised in the new society, Huang Shi enjoys meat and eggs, drinks cola, and the care of the Party has granted him a tall stature of 1.85 meters

"You all come and eat." As Huang Shi, Lao Zhang, and his eldest and second sons left the table, Lao Zhang's wife, along with Zhang Zai Di and her daughter-in-law, came over to sit down and also began to eat. Zhang Zai Di picked up his chopsticks and started to pick at the leftover shredded meat. His sister-in-law first served rice to her mother-in-law, and then filled the bowl for her younger brother-in-law.

Old Zhang rejected his proposal to return the new iron pot and other items, reasoning that when Huangshi gets married in the future, the home should be filled with new things to appear grand. Otherwise, they would have to spend money to acquire new items later, as no girl would be willing to use someone else's old belongings. In the end, Old Zhang reiterated his request: that in the future, his daughter be promised to his grandson, even though Huangshi still does not know where his future wife is.

Although I have endured considerable hardship after my time travel, the average height of men in the Ming Dynasty, who generally suffered from calcium and vitamin deficiencies during their childhood, was only 1.6 meters. In terms of bone strength and organ development, they cannot be compared to the modern, well-rounded individuals.