Chapter 0001: The thirty-seventh year of the Wanli era

At present, it is the 17th century during the Ming Dynasty, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides certainly do not exist. Farmers use organic manure for farming, which makes this organic manure quite precious. Unless absolutely necessary, farmers are reluctant to relieve themselves outside, which is the origin of the saying "the rich soil and water should not fall on others' fields"

The yard is a typical farmhouse courtyard, consisting of three main rooms, one kitchen, a toilet, and a storage room. Except for the three main rooms which are built with bricks, the rest are constructed with adobe, covered with straw and tiles.

Three months ago, Liang Chen secretly went to the horse factory of the Taipu Temple in the county to steal horses for riding. As a result, he was caught red-handed and was beaten nearly to death before being carried back.

Some cunning individuals take advantage of their neighbors' absence to steal their manure. As a result, every year there are several disputes in the village regarding manure theft, which are mostly resolved by the village elders who intervene to settle the matter and suppress the issue. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing for the village elders to escalate such trivial "manure matters" to the county, as the county officials would find it bothersome.

Moreover, what is most critical is that since failing the provincial examination two years ago, Wei Liangchen has been unwilling to devote himself to studying, thus wasting two years in vain

At that time, among the students of his cohort, one had already passed the examination to become a xiucai, while the others either abandoned their studies to farm or went to the city to become apprentices. He, on the other hand, spent his days mingling with local ruffians and had long since tarnished his reputation, making it impossible for him to return to school

Although Liang Chen is still young, he entered the academy at the age of 9, and in the blink of an eye, seven years have passed, yet he has not even been able to pass the examination for a child scholar

After finishing the entire pancake, Liang Chen felt quite satisfied in his stomach. The outside was already bright with daylight, and he could no longer stay in the room. He crawled out of bed and carefully tested his injured right leg. Once he confirmed there was no issue, he walked out into the courtyard

As for the second uncle, he has been missing; in any case, over the years, Liangchen has not heard his father mention him, so it is likely that he has died outside.

The individuals who transport excrement from the city for sale earn a considerable income by making repeated trips. Working in the excrement industry is also a rather lucrative profession, with earnings that are quite good compared to the average household.

All things are of low status, only reading is esteemed. In the Ming Dynasty, being a scholar was certainly superior to being a peasant. Otherwise, why would his father Wei Jinde and brother Wei Liangqing have to live frugally to support him in attending the academy

In addition to this brother, Wei Liangchen also has an elder sister who is married to the Wang family from the neighboring village

Those who reported grievances against the Wei family did so incessantly. The teacher of social studies was so infuriated that he explicitly told Wei Jinde that he would never teach this student again in his lifetime

But how can he change his fate

The two of them took care of him day and night, and only then was they able to save half of Liang Chen's life. However, the two of them did not know that although Liang Chen had returned, he had become a different person.

A call in the early morning made Li Zirong, who had not slept all night, realize that he must confront the fact before him: he was no longer the internet historian of the 21st century, but had truly arrived in the Ming Dynasty, becoming a "native" of the 17th century—a 16-year-old boy

However, the issue is that if Liang Chen remembers correctly, Master Wu of the Social Studies indeed stated in front of his father, Wei Jinde, that he would never teach Wei Liangchen as a student again in his lifetime

The purpose is that one day, my younger brother can pass the examination and bring glory to the Wei family.

Moreover, if my brother is able to pass the examination and become a scholar, although it may not be as glorious as being a successful candidate, he will still be a student of the academy. At that time, not only will he be able to exempt a considerable amount of rent from the fields, but I, as his elder brother, will also be able to marry a wife

Wei Liangchen responded ambiguously, remaining still, and slightly lowered his head to avoid having Liangqing notice his anxiety

According to reason, Wei Liangqing should be 25 years old by now and ought to have married and started a family. However, due to the extreme poverty of the Wei family, there is no family nearby willing to marry off their daughter to endure such hardship, which is why Wei Liangqing has remained single.

The entire courtyard did not give Wei Liangchen a bad impression; he had originally thought that the Wei family only had a few thatched houses, but it now appeared to be much better than that.

After walking around the courtyard for half a circle and gaining a clear understanding of his own "assets," Wei Liangchen sat down on the doorstep with a bit of a headache. He was not troubled by how he had come to the Ming Dynasty; as the saying goes, since he was already here, he should make himself comfortable. The events had already transpired, and Liangchen knew that the only thing he could do was to adapt to this era rather than resist or oppose it, as that would not benefit him. He certainly could not have just been reborn and then end his own life right away.

Outside, noticing that his younger brother did not respond, Wei Liangqing felt somewhat uneasy. He leaned the hoe against the wall and reached out to push open the door. Although it was called a door, it was merely two wooden planks with a latch; on windy or rainy days, the creaking sound could echo throughout the night.

Sigh

In the corner of the yard, there is a large jar filled to the brim with water, and beside it are two wooden buckets, which are damp. Under the eaves of the corridor hangs a basket containing garlic. Aside from this, there are no other objects in the yard

After much contemplation, Liang Chen concluded that he had only one path to pursue, which was to study and take the imperial examination

Wei Liangqing placed a pancake on the table as he spoke. Preoccupied with the work in the fields, he did not say much to Liangchen, merely nodded and took a hoe to his own land at the village entrance. This was how Liangqing was, naturally taciturn, appearing quite sullen.

For this reason, Wei Jinde was extremely anxious, but no matter how anxious he was, there was nothing he could do. With the seven or eight mu of thin farmland at home, it was already a blessing from heaven that it could support him and his grandfather, let alone hope for a wife.

Father went to the fields before dawn. I just finished fetching water and will go help him soon. Additionally, Father asked me to let you know that elder sister will come to see you in a couple of days

Currently, Li Zirong is named Wei Liangchen, and the person knocking at the door outside is his elder brother Wei Liangqing, who is ten years his senior

One is not capable, not suited for studying, thus one hopes to raise a son to surpass his father

The loyal minister sighed, unable to think of any good solutions for the moment, and contemplated taking a walk outside. Ever since his leg was broken, it had indeed been three months since he last stepped out of the door

What troubles Liang Chen now is how he can survive in the Ming Dynasty; specifically, how he can change his fate. He does not want to end up like his father and brother, becoming a peasant, toiling in the fields from dawn to dusk. If he were to do so, it would be a great disservice to the heavens for granting him a second chance at life.

Injury to muscles and bones takes one hundred days, as the elders say, their words are always correct

Awake, huh

Big ... ... Big Brother ... ...

As the eldest brother, Wei Liangqing is quite pragmatic. He understands the family situation and does not blame his father for not being able to find him a wife. Currently, he is fully focused on working hard, and coupled with his inherently simple nature, he appears to be a very honest and straightforward person

No matter how unaccomplished or unruly his son may be, he is still his own flesh and blood. How could Wei Jinde bear to watch his son languish at home? Thus, he sought help from various relatives and borrowed some money to go to the county to invite a doctor to save his son's life

Without money to buy fertilizer, the whole family could only go out to collect manure during the farming off-season, mostly gathering dung from cattle and horses, with dog feces being the most abundant. Wei Liangchen recalls that before he attended the community school, he was often called by his father, Wei Jinde, to go out and collect dog feces.

Wei Jinde specifically invited a scholar from the community to name his two sons. In his generation, the character "Jin" was used, while in his sons' generation, the character "Liang" is used. Therefore, one was named "Liangqing" and the other "Liangchen," which truly carries profound meaning

Wei Jinde indeed sent two chickens and one and a half jin of pork to the social studies teacher; however, contrary to his wishes, Liangqing was unable to become "Liangqing" and ended up just like his father, becoming a farmer

Not long after Liangqing left, Liangchen propped himself up from the bed. Although he had been beaten quite badly by the people from the Taipu Temple's horse factory, he was still young, with a sturdy physique, and after being cared for for so many days, he was almost fully recovered. The pancakes on the table were still warm, though their color was somewhat lacking. Liangchen knew that this was most likely made by his elder brother Liangqing.

After taking a bite of the pancake, Wei Liangchen searched through the memories of his master and realized that the elder sister was not the biological sister married to the Wang family from the neighboring village, but rather the daughter of his second uncle, who had been sold to the Yang family as a child bride since she was young

In other words, the good officials can no longer go to the social studies department

However, as Liang Chen rose from the threshold, he suddenly felt a jolt, for he realized a more significant issue: this year seemed to be the thirty-seventh year of the Wanli era

Upon seeing Liangqing enter, Wei Liangchen felt quite nervous. He had not yet accepted this era, nor had he adapted to his new identity. It was impossible for him to claim that he was not anxious.

However, most farmers do not have enough farmyard manure stored for their own land, and therefore often need to purchase it from the city, which has given rise to an industry known as the manure trade

It is difficult to find a young woman of good character, but there will always be someone willing to seek out a promising scholar as a younger brother-in-law for a widowed woman who can remarry

Speaking of which, Wei Jinde had high hopes for his two sons. He himself attended a community school for a year during his childhood, but received countless beatings with a ruler, and yet he could not memorize even ten lines from the "Hundred Family Surnames"

This is truly a dire situation. During the Ming Dynasty, for the sons of farmers, the only way to change their fate was through studying for the imperial examinations. However, this path was abruptly cut off due to the previous owner's "reckless behavior." Wei Liangchen was both anxious and angry, yet he could not express his frustration. In his tirade, he ended up cursing himself, for he must realize that he is now Wei Liangchen.

As he grew older, the loyal minister lost the desire to continue reading, harboring no great ambitions in his heart, spending his days engaging in petty thefts and brawls, embodying the very essence of a mischievous youth

As for my younger brother, Wei Liangqing is truly good. Since childhood, he has been tightly bound to Liangchen, just like his father, gritting his teeth to support Liangchen's education at the community school

In a past life, there was no opportunity to indulge; in this life, one must live freely at least once.

Oh

Mother Zhao passed away seven years ago, and now it is his father Wei Jinde who is taking care of the two brothers.

As he approached the latrine, Wei Liangchen caught a whiff of a foul odor, only to discover that the wooden squat toilet had been moved aside, and the excrement pit was more than half empty. It seemed likely that his father, Wei Jinde, had taken the manure to the fields for fertilization.

Wei Liangqing did not notice the unusual expression on his younger brother's face. Seeing him about to get up, he hurriedly stopped him, saying: "Don't move. The doctor said that your injury has not fully healed yet, and you must not move lightly. Otherwise, your leg may not recover properly in the future"

"Lao San, have you woken up?"