Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Souls crossing over are all frauds

A burst of intense pain in her head, noises by her ear echoed that seemingly came from afar but, at the same time, was very near. Chu Yan, from a period of darkness, slowly woke up to a ‘crack’ sound and a long drawn-out voice saying ‘Cai Cai’.

Just a moment ago, she was tired from taking pictures, so she had lied down on the makeup table in the photo studio, wanting to rest her eyes for a moment. Only, it seemed as if she had slept for a long time, otherwise, how could the mother in front of her eyes have a worried expression as if everything was on fire. However, during the period of her headache, Chu Yan still snuck a few glances at her mother’s appearance. Oh, this makeup artist was really good, erasing the wrinkles at her outer eyes and the colored spots to the tip of her nose. Moreover, her mother had on an ancient period costume that made her seem delicate, sweet-tempered, virtuous and a morally good woman. Scoff——it was not in vain, the coupon she had cheated from her best friend for a family artistic photo shoot in traditional clothing. She had no time to attend to the unfamiliar pain from her head, therefore, Chu Yan’s mouth pulled into a grin to smile at the pretty-as-a-flower mother in front of her.

“Finished taking it? Is it my turn yet?”

“Cai Cai, are you awake?”

Two people said it at the same time, Chu Yan’s ears shook and didn’t hear what she said clearly. But, she still nodded, “I’m awake, hey, Mom, why are you crying?”

After the words were spoken, the delicate mother in front of her suddenly had tears in her peach flower-like eyes and started to weep. This simply overturned her mother’s normally strict and thunderous wind-like manner. Without another word, the image of a strong woman had changed, coming too fast. Chu Yan had no time to react.

“Thump, thump——” Came the sounds of a burst of footsteps, Chu Yan was just about to turn her head when a face suddenly crowded in front of her, “Cai Cai, you are awake!”

The enlarged face, with an ear-splitting yell, scared Chu Yan, who was too close, to jump back and withdraw. Her hand pressed down on her heart that was jumping with thumping sounds. With a complaining tone, she looked at the person that suddenly popped up, “Dad, why did you suddenly scare me?”

One could see the obviously sobbing mother, immediately pull the dad who continuously tried to get closer to the daughter, to the side. She softly reprimanded and said, ” Official Yuan (1), Cai Cai just woke up, don’t you scare her!”

Chu Yan was dumbstruck, she didn’t mishear right? Official Yuan? Cai Cai? What does it all mean? What stunned Chu Yan even more was that dad obediently stood to the side, like a child that had done wrong and was listening to an adult’s lecturing. From time to time, he even mumbled, “Cai Cai slept for two days. I missed Cai Cai. Just now wasn’t on purpose. Cai Cai…”

In the end, what is going on?

Could it be that this artistic portrait had turned into filming a video drama? The able and efficient mother plays the helpless, weak and virtuous woman. The tough with a stocky build dad become the foolish yes-man.

However, the straw mat beneath her body, with a patched quilt. A roof that leaked in the wind…it didn’t seem to be fake.

Thinking up to here, a vast stretch of memories appeared in her mind in an earth-shattering manner. It immediately drowned out Chu Yan’s current train of thought.

The light breeze brushed by the house, the sky was bright with clear air.

A young lady that was about ten years old sat on the large rock in front of the room with her cheeks propped up. She had a blank expression.

Whereas on her side, sat a tall and powerful male with a face that was jade-like. One could only see him imitating the little girl on the side with chin resting on both hands, and from time to time, follow her to sigh.

The expression on his face was identical with the exact same movements, imitating everything to perfection. However, this kind of movement, placed on an eleven to twelve year old’s body was extremely comical.

Chu Yan detected the actions of the person at her side and couldn’t help but laugh with a ‘pfft’ sound. This laugh pulled at the injury on her head, all at once, her smile changed into a grimace.

That male immediately dropped the hand holding up his chin, and clasped her face, with a pout, he moved to before her eyes, “Cai Cai, blow, blow, then it won’t hurt.”

Chu Yan looked at this male’s worried expression in front of her that wasn’t faked, immediately, both of her eyes became red. As if she couldn’t feel the pain, she pulled down his hand, then sighed, “I don’t hurt anymore, Dad.”

Until this moment, Chu Yan finally completely accepted the fact that her soul had crossed over into another time.

Chu Qing-Yan, nicknamed Cai Cai, was the name for her current body. This year, she was ten years old, and she looked exactly the same as when she was this age in the other time. Only, this body was very malnourished and sickly in appearance. Clearly, she was undernourished.

The male face that was confused and concerned in front of her belonged to her father. He was called Chu Huai-Yuan, about twenty-five to twenty-six years old. In her memories from before, he was a general. But ten years ago, during a military defeat, with the army completely wiped out, when they found him, he had already lost his wisdom. He became foolish, illogical and naive.

And the woman washing clothing not too far away was her mother. Her name was Miao Dan-Xuan, in her memory, she was the daughter from a n.o.ble family, accomplished in all four arts (2) and proficient in all kinds of subjects. After marrying Father, the two people were perfectly in sync. However, they came across misfortune, with her family’s husband and lord implicated as having neglectful of his military duty. Afterwards, the whole family was abandoned by the family clan. So, the delicate mother brought her foolish husband and the newly born two-month-old child here to seek a living in such difficult conditions. From leading a pampered life of a treasured young miss, to a woman that did the laundry all day long for the people in a wealthy family’s mansion, her mom used this method to support the family.

In an instant, ten years pa.s.sed.

Chu Qing-Yun heavily sighed. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she also wouldn’t believe that her mother from the cream of the elite would become a laundry lady. Moreover, her father, as the nation’s commander of the special forces, would become a foolish imbecile that stared blankly.

Moreover, just a few days before, this body’s owner had a dispute with the kids from the same village. Those kids saw that they couldn’t beat her, so they started to throw stones at the owner of this body. A bowl-sized stone smashed against her head, in a flash, blood flowed out. The owner of the body pa.s.sed out and was originally judged by a doctor that she would certainly die, then, the her who had just squinted her eyes to sleep, like this, crossed over into this body.

She thought that if it was not for her pulling her mom and dad, taking advantage of the New Years leave to take artistic photos, maybe she wouldn’t have woken up to encounter such a horrifying scene.

Forget it, since she was already here, might as well make herself comfortable. Besides, her mother and father were still her parents. Even though a slip-up happened in the middle, after all, they were still the same people.

Maybe the G.o.ds felt that her mom and dad, for so many years, didn’t accompany her, and as a result, the heavens allowed her whole family to cross over, to properly enjoy domestic bliss. Even though this domestic bliss might seem miserable, but she was not worried. Based on her twenty-first century brain of a college student from the new age, she didn’t believe that she couldn’t conquer this legendary farming life.

Chu Qing-Yan looked at her own short hands and feet, even though her physique was a little weak, however, as long as she nourished it properly, she could still break off a piece of the world for her future.

As a result, Chu Qing-Yan suddenly stood up and clenched her pink fist, making a cheering beautiful arc towards the sky. She believed that she would definitely bring her beautiful mom and foolish adorable dad, and rush towards the the blessed, well-off life on the starlight road!

Just at this moment, a mournful voice came from the distance.

“Cai Cai, your dad once again chased after our family’s chickens and ducks and run off——”

Cai Cai? Seems to be calling her.

Chu Qing-Yan’s stiff neck turned right, and saw a plain-clothed virtuous aunty wailing in anguish at her. She looked towards the direction where she was howling to the sky and grabbing the earth.

Her foolishly adorable dad was just in the midst of letting loose to joyfully chase after others’ chickens and ducks while running all over the field.

Bold, full of pa.s.sion, hot blood, immediately choked in her heart.

As if the dream was truly full but reality was very thin.

Only, now was not the time for her to imagine the beautiful future. Her top priority was to chase back her dad that was running around chasing after others’ chickens and ducks. Then, she could discuss matters later.

“Dad, dad—— you, come back——”

Chu Qing-Yan’s legs took strides forward, wanting to cry but lacking the tears, and chased over.

As a result, there was this scene in the field. Daddy Chu chased after the chickens and ducks, and Chu Qing-Yan chased after her own dad with dogs barking and chicken crying. Men with hoes raised aloof working in the field. Women carrying bamboo baskets by the doorways. All of them, seeing this scene, couldn’t help but smile and grin from ear-to-ear. For a moment, it was very lively.

1) Official Yuan (元郎) – So the Chinese 郎 could mean youth, official, minister. In modern day, this character refers to a single manly man

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Picked up a beautiful male and carried him home

The third day after arriving in ancient times, Chu Qing-Yan finally understood the meaning to things received on paper always feel shallow (1). She realized that this matter, she must personally undertake.

It’s good that she had ideas, but putting it into action was very difficult.

What crossbreeding for rice paddy. What fertilizer as king. What construction business to be rich. Keep daydreaming!

Originally, she thought that relying on her hands to be rich would be an easy matter, but looking at her hands that, because of long-term malnutrition, couldn’t even truss a chicken, Chu Qing-Yan felt very much defeated.

Without the conditions, without money, even feeding the stomach was a problem.

Chu Qing-Yan rubbed her stomach, she seemed to be hungry again. There was almost no food left to cook at home. Everyday, able to drink a bowl of gruel with several grains of rice was already considered pretty good. With only four bare walls for a home, their degree of poverty had already exceeded her imagination.

Just when Chu Qing-Yan was heaving deep sighs, a round, dirty steamed bun appeared in front of her. She stared blankly, then couldn’t help but follow that steamed bun to look up. She only saw her father smiling brilliantly like sunshine, looking at her in a manner of trying to win her favor.

“Daddy, where did you get this from?” In the next instant, Chu Qing-Yan’s heart tightened. Could it be that Daddy had once again s.n.a.t.c.hed someone else’s things!

One couldn’t blame Chu Qing-Yan for thinking this way. Within these three days, everyday, she had followed behind her daddy to clean up his messes. If it wasn’t b.u.mping into the clothing rack of the family in the west, then it was chasing after the landlord’s dog. Her pitiful wounds still hadn’t healed, and she had to follow him, wandering about the entire village. At all times, she stood guard at her dad’s side, otherwise, the money Mom made from washing other people’s laundry wasn’t even enough to pay out in compensation.

Daddy Chu smiled mischievously, “Aunty Guo (2) gave it to me.”

He would never have told Cai Cai that this was the result of him clinging to that family’s kitchen, begging for it. Otherwise, Cai Cai would definitely get angry!

Chu Qing-Yan looked at the steamed bun that she didn’t know had rolled how many times on the ground. A warmth rushed up, spreading through her heart. She raised her head to ask, “Then, has Daddy eaten?”

“Ate one already.” Daddy Chu looked at her, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. Afterwards, he turned his head away to hum genuinely.

With just one glance, Chu Qing-Yan knew, Daddy was reluctant to eat it and gave it to her. With tears, she accepted it from him, after which she broke the steamed bun into two halves, “Daddy, for you.”

Daddy Chu, with great joy, accepted it and took a big bite out of it.

Chu Qing-Yan, seeing this, also took a bite, no matter how dirty this steamed bun was, when eating it, she could still detect traces of sweetness in her mouth.

A friend in need is a friend indeed, her dad, no matter if it was in the modern world or the foolish him right now, had never forgotten to be concerned about her and to care for her.

After sharing the steamed bun, her body had a little bit of strength. Consequently, Chu Qing-Yan patted away the dust on her body, then said to her dad, “Mother went to do stuff, the two of us should go up the mountain to pick up some firewood!”

This was something she thought of just now that could relieve Mother of some of her burdens.

Seeing Daddy jumping and skipping along up ahead while gesturing for joy, Chu Qing-Yan smilingly carried the bamboo basket on her back. She thought to herself that maybe, her luck would be good and she could dig up some wild vegetables and mushrooms. Then, there would be something to cook for tonight’s dinner.

Fortunately, at that time, during summer vacation, she had just partic.i.p.ated in a wilderness survival training. At this moment, it just so happened to come in handy.

The spring rain had just pa.s.sed. Just the perfect time for mushrooms to grow.

After Chu Qing-Yan carefully distinguished them, she picked the non-poisonous ones to place into her bamboo basket. Then, she dug out some wild vegetables, and after half a day, the bamboo basket was almost full.

She happily wiped away the perspiration, afterwards, she directly stood up to look towards her daddy’s direction. She only saw him jump up and skip about, intermittently stopping to help her pick up quite a lot of firewood. They were all tossed into an empty s.p.a.ce in a disorderly fashion.

In a little while, she’d let Daddy carry this bamboo basket on his back, and she would carry the firewood. Afterwards, then they could go home.

Chu Qing-Yan took brisk footsteps towards her daddy. But walking halfway there, she heard her daddy suddenly shout out loud, “Cai Cai, I picked up a large black firewood!”

Large black firewood? Chu Qing-Yun, with misgivings, accelerated her footsteps to run over. Very quickly, she could see the large black firewood Daddy mentioned.

The corner of Chu Qing-Yan’s mouth twitched a little, “Daddy, this is not a large black firewood. This is a person.”

“A person!” Daddy Chu immediately walked over to his daughter’s side with a having-been-wronged expression, “Then why is he lying there in a sleeping manner, pretending to be a large black firewood to fool me?”

Chu Qing-Yan looked at that motionless person lying face down on the gra.s.s. Her heart grew somewhat apprehensive. While Daddy and her had this conversation, she didn’t see any movement from him. Chu Qing-Yan was somewhat uneasy, don’t know if this person was dead or alive.

She wanted to step forward to examine him, but saw that this person was wearing an all black, long robe with a round neck made from embroidered silk. At his wrist, the blue-colored sleeves were bunched up. A red belt inlaid with jade was at his waist. Moreover, the gold and purple uniform decorative designs were all hand-embroidered. It looked very exquisite and gorgeous. Just based on what he was wearing, from head to toe, established that he was wealthy and respectable. Only, this kind of person suddenly appearing in this simple and crude village, couldn’t help but make Chu Qing-Yan more alert. She didn’t want to provoke any quarrels and kick the bucket after just having crossed over.

As a result, Chu Qing-Yan tugged at Daddy who was spinning around the large black firewood, and planned on turning around to leave.

One could only see Daddy Chu turn around to glance at his daughter, saying in an asking-for-opinions manner, “Cai Cai, Mother Dan said people need to be covered in a quilt when sleeping. Otherwise, it’s easy to catch a cold. The large black firewood is sleeping here, can I bring some clothing to cover him with first?”

Chu Qing-Yan took a glance at the patched clothing on Daddy’s body, then looked at the other person’s luxurious clothes. She sighed in her heart, perhaps Daddy’s clothes, in that guy’s eyes, weren’t even qualified to wipe his hands!

However, her footsteps still stopped. Resigned to her fate, she turned around. She shouldn’t, because of such and such incident that happened, thus afterwards, when seeing the elderly fall down, she didn’t dare to help. After all, this was a human life. She could not sit around and watch while remaining indifferent. If she really encountered a wolf near the eastern outer city wall, then it could be considered that she had bad luck.

“Daddy, you help me turn him over, I need to check if he is still alive.” Chu Qing-Yan felt that he might still be breathing, but her body was small and very weak. So, she couldn’t move this man that had long legs and arms.

Daddy Chu immediately ran over to lend her a hand, only, he used too much strength. That man was flipped over and tossed to the ground, just like that.

Chu Qing-Yan lightly coughed twice, just now, she forgot to remind Daddy to use less strength. She really felt sorry for this lump of large black firewood. However, when she looked towards the guy on the ground, she discovered that this person’s face seemed to have been smeared with paint. The entire face was a purple jam-like color, it was a completely different color from his white neck. However, she was able to make out the outline of his facial features clearly. It was a cold, handsome face, with thick eyebrows, a high straight bridge of a nose, and extremely beautifully-shaped lips. In its entirety, he made people feel a bit cold and stiff. Chu Qing-Yan thought that if they were in a cartoon or anime, he would really resemble a charming purple elf. However, now was not the time to think about this. Chu Qing-Yan stretched out her hand to test his breathing. His breathing was continuous and long, so he was still alive. Also, there didn’t seem to be other injuries on his body, his body appeared as if he was just sleeping normally.

However, she knew that it wasn’t so, because no normal person wouldn’t have reacted after being tossed about like that from just a moment ago.

At this moment, her daddy had already reached out his hand to poke at that guy, “Cai Cai, why does he look so much like an eggplant?”

“I suppose he ate too many eggplants!” Chu Qing-Yan responded without thinking.

And that person lying on the ground, the corner of his mouth could not help but twitch a bit. However, the curvature of that movement was very small, so small that no one noticed it.

“Then, from now on, I won’t be so noisy to beg Mother Dan to eat eggplant. I don’t want to be like him.” Daddy Chu mumbled to himself.

Chu Qing-Yan laughed quietly, afterwards, she turned her head around to ask, “Daddy, let’s bring him home!”

“Why?” Daddy Chu asked.

Chu Qing-Yan tilted her head, thinking of using what kind of reason that would persuade Daddy. This person was at least 1.8 meters tall. This small body of hers could not tow him to move a bit, she needed Daddy to help out. Would she have to say that they should bring him back to plant him in the garden and next year, a lot of eggplant would sprout out?

And just at this moment, Daddy Chu, who was circling around this ‘eggplant’, suddenly clapped his hands. His face was full of excitement as he said to his daughter, “I know, because he wants to come to our family as an son-in-law that was inserted in backwards scallion (3)!”

Chu Qing-Yan blushed, “Daddy, it’s to marry and live with the bride’s family (4). However, why did Daddy suddenly say this?”

One could see Daddy Chu proudly raise his head, “Because Aunty Guo said that Li family’s grandfather found a son-in-law that was an inserted in backwards scallion for her daughter, and be ordered around as she wished. If he is also an inserted in backwards scallion, then he can help Cai Cai pick vegetables and gather firewood. Also, help Mother Dan wash clothes. He can also help me catch the fishes in the pond. Just thinking about it makes me happy.”

The ‘inserted in backwards scallion’ on the ground couldn’t bear it, and the corner of his mouth once again twitched slightly.

Chu Qing-Yan recalled that Li family’s grandfather was a well-known landlord in Little Town. However, Daddy clearly thought too much, only, she had no good method to break Daddy’s delusion. Otherwise, at that time, him not helping her carry the person would be bad.

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s exactly this reason!” Chu Qing-Yan felt that she had gotten better at lying through her teeth more and more.

Having received his daughter’s affirmative response, Daddy Chu jumped up a meter high, without another word, he took the bamboo basket his daughter was carrying and placed it on his back. Then, he bent down at the waist to carry up the person on the ground. After which, he urged, “Cai Cai, quickly pick up the firewood, we are about to return home.”

Chu Qing-Yan saw how easily her father lifted up that person and couldn’t help but raise her thumb. Having a father that was a general was really awesome! Then, she turned around to pick up the firewood on the ground, and the two people immediately hurried down the mountain.

“Cai Cai, I want to listen to a song.”

“Okay, Daddy, what song do you want to listen to?”

“Big tiger!”

“Okay, two tigers, two tigers, ran very quickly, ran very quickly. One doesn’t have eyes, the other doesn’t have ears, really strange, really strange….” (5)

The childish lyrics and the sweet singing voice, drifted between the mountains.

Saying you are an inserted in backwards scallion, don’t urgently deny it. Maybe there will be a day you really will become an inserted in backwards scallion!

A certain person would never have imagined, there would be a day he would become a large black firewood from a cold, heartless and black-faced Yama, King of h.e.l.l. Then, an eggplant, and once again, change into an inserted in backwards scallion and was even carried in someone’s arms like a young lady. Moreover, this person happened to be his future father-in-law.

1) Things received on paper always feel shallow : On paper it looks great but has no meaning in real life. For example that degree is not worth the paper it was printed on. Something along these lines.

2) Aunt is a polite term people call older married women in China. So, whenever I use it as a t.i.tle, I’ll capitalize it. No family relations.

3) Son-in-law that was inserted in backwards scallion: Traditionally a woman gets married into her husband’s home. But in ancient times when a rich or powerful family only has a daughter, a male would marry into the female family to extend the lineage with the children having the last name of the female side of the family. So this means the male is marrying into the female family and taking the female family’s surname.

4) to marry and live with the bride’s family: This long translation is represented by three Chinese characters 倒插门. Daddy Chu replaced the last character for ‘door’门 with the Chinese character for ‘scallion’ 葱. Thus giving us the phrase Daddy Chu created 倒插葱 which I translated as inserted in backwards scallion.

5) Sing this to the song ‘Three blind mice”, at least that’s the song I was singing to since I don’t know the original one

The third day after arriving in ancient times, Chu Qing-Yan finally understood the meaning to things received on paper always feel shallow (1). She realized that this matter, she must personally undertake.

It’s good that she had ideas, but putting it into action was very difficult.

What crossbreeding for rice paddy. What fertilizer as king. What construction business to be rich. Keep daydreaming!

Originally, she thought that relying on her hands to be rich would be an easy matter, but looking at her hands that, because of long-term malnutrition, couldn’t even truss a chicken, Chu Qing-Yan felt very much defeated.

Without the conditions, without money, even feeding the stomach was a problem.

Chu Qing-Yan rubbed her stomach, she seemed to be hungry again. There was almost no food left to cook at home. Everyday, able to drink a bowl of gruel with several grains of rice was already considered pretty good. With only four bare walls for a home, their degree of poverty had already exceeded her imagination.

Just when Chu Qing-Yan was heaving deep sighs, a round, dirty steamed bun appeared in front of her. She stared blankly, then couldn’t help but follow that steamed bun to look up. She only saw her father smiling brilliantly like sunshine, looking at her in a manner of trying to win her favor.

“Daddy, where did you get this from?” In the next instant, Chu Qing-Yan’s heart tightened. Could it be that Daddy had once again s.n.a.t.c.hed someone else’s things!

One couldn’t blame Chu Qing-Yan for thinking this way. Within these three days, everyday, she had followed behind her daddy to clean up his messes. If it wasn’t b.u.mping into the clothing rack of the family in the west, then it was chasing after the landlord’s dog. Her pitiful wounds still hadn’t healed, and she had to follow him, wandering about the entire village. At all times, she stood guard at her dad’s side, otherwise, the money Mom made from washing other people’s laundry wasn’t even enough to pay out in compensation.

Daddy Chu smiled mischievously, “Aunty Guo (2) gave it to me.”

He would never have told Cai Cai that this was the result of him clinging to that family’s kitchen, begging for it. Otherwise, Cai Cai would definitely get angry!

Chu Qing-Yan looked at the steamed bun that she didn’t know had rolled how many times on the ground. A warmth rushed up, spreading through her heart. She raised her head to ask, “Then, has Daddy eaten?”

“Ate one already.” Daddy Chu looked at her, swallowing a mouthful of saliva. Afterwards, he turned his head away to hum genuinely.

With just one glance, Chu Qing-Yan knew, Daddy was reluctant to eat it and gave it to her. With tears, she accepted it from him, after which she broke the steamed bun into two halves, “Daddy, for you.”

Daddy Chu, with great joy, accepted it and took a big bite out of it.

Chu Qing-Yan, seeing this, also took a bite, no matter how dirty this steamed bun was, when eating it, she could still detect traces of sweetness in her mouth.

A friend in need is a friend indeed, her dad, no matter if it was in the modern world or the foolish him right now, had never forgotten to be concerned about her and to care for her.

After sharing the steamed bun, her body had a little bit of strength. Consequently, Chu Qing-Yan patted away the dust on her body, then said to her dad, “Mother went to do stuff, the two of us should go up the mountain to pick up some firewood!”

This was something she thought of just now that could relieve Mother of some of her burdens.

Seeing Daddy jumping and skipping along up ahead while gesturing for joy, Chu Qing-Yan smilingly carried the bamboo basket on her back. She thought to herself that maybe, her luck would be good and she could dig up some wild vegetables and mushrooms. Then, there would be something to cook for tonight’s dinner.

Fortunately, at that time, during summer vacation, she had just partic.i.p.ated in a wilderness survival training. At this moment, it just so happened to come in handy.

The spring rain had just pa.s.sed. Just the perfect time for mushrooms to grow.

After Chu Qing-Yan carefully distinguished them, she picked the non-poisonous ones to place into her bamboo basket. Then, she dug out some wild vegetables, and after half a day, the bamboo basket was almost full.

She happily wiped away the perspiration, afterwards, she directly stood up to look towards her daddy’s direction. She only saw him jump up and skip about, intermittently stopping to help her pick up quite a lot of firewood. They were all tossed into an empty s.p.a.ce in a disorderly fashion.

In a little while, she’d let Daddy carry this bamboo basket on his back, and she would carry the firewood. Afterwards, then they could go home.

Chu Qing-Yan took brisk footsteps towards her daddy. But walking halfway there, she heard her daddy suddenly shout out loud, “Cai Cai, I picked up a large black firewood!”

Large black firewood? Chu Qing-Yun, with misgivings, accelerated her footsteps to run over. Very quickly, she could see the large black firewood Daddy mentioned.

The corner of Chu Qing-Yan’s mouth twitched a little, “Daddy, this is not a large black firewood. This is a person.”

“A person!” Daddy Chu immediately walked over to his daughter’s side with a having-been-wronged expression, “Then why is he lying there in a sleeping manner, pretending to be a large black firewood to fool me?”

Chu Qing-Yan looked at that motionless person lying face down on the gra.s.s. Her heart grew somewhat apprehensive. While Daddy and her had this conversation, she didn’t see any movement from him. Chu Qing-Yan was somewhat uneasy, don’t know if this person was dead or alive.

She wanted to step forward to examine him, but saw that this person was wearing an all black, long robe with a round neck made from embroidered silk. At his wrist, the blue-colored sleeves were bunched up. A red belt inlaid with jade was at his waist. Moreover, the gold and purple uniform decorative designs were all hand-embroidered. It looked very exquisite and gorgeous. Just based on what he was wearing, from head to toe, established that he was wealthy and respectable. Only, this kind of person suddenly appearing in this simple and crude village, couldn’t help but make Chu Qing-Yan more alert. She didn’t want to provoke any quarrels and kick the bucket after just having crossed over.

As a result, Chu Qing-Yan tugged at Daddy who was spinning around the large black firewood, and planned on turning around to leave.

One could only see Daddy Chu turn around to glance at his daughter, saying in an asking-for-opinions manner, “Cai Cai, Mother Dan said people need to be covered in a quilt when sleeping. Otherwise, it’s easy to catch a cold. The large black firewood is sleeping here, can I bring some clothing to cover him with first?”

Chu Qing-Yan took a glance at the patched clothing on Daddy’s body, then looked at the other person’s luxurious clothes. She sighed in her heart, perhaps Daddy’s clothes, in that guy’s eyes, weren’t even qualified to wipe his hands!

However, her footsteps still stopped. Resigned to her fate, she turned around. She shouldn’t, because of such and such incident that happened, thus afterwards, when seeing the elderly fall down, she didn’t dare to help. After all, this was a human life. She could not sit around and watch while remaining indifferent. If she really encountered a wolf near the eastern outer city wall, then it could be considered that she had bad luck.

“Daddy, you help me turn him over, I need to check if he is still alive.” Chu Qing-Yan felt that he might still be breathing, but her body was small and very weak. So, she couldn’t move this man that had long legs and arms.

Daddy Chu immediately ran over to lend her a hand, only, he used too much strength. That man was flipped over and tossed to the ground, just like that.

Chu Qing-Yan lightly coughed twice, just now, she forgot to remind Daddy to use less strength. She really felt sorry for this lump of large black firewood. However, when she looked towards the guy on the ground, she discovered that this person’s face seemed to have been smeared with paint. The entire face was a purple jam-like color, it was a completely different color from his white neck. However, she was able to make out the outline of his facial features clearly. It was a cold, handsome face, with thick eyebrows, a high straight bridge of a nose, and extremely beautifully-shaped lips. In its entirety, he made people feel a bit cold and stiff. Chu Qing-Yan thought that if they were in a cartoon or anime, he would really resemble a charming purple elf. However, now was not the time to think about this. Chu Qing-Yan stretched out her hand to test his breathing. His breathing was continuous and long, so he was still alive. Also, there didn’t seem to be other injuries on his body, his body appeared as if he was just sleeping normally.

However, she knew that it wasn’t so, because no normal person wouldn’t have reacted after being tossed about like that from just a moment ago.

At this moment, her daddy had already reached out his hand to poke at that guy, “Cai Cai, why does he look so much like an eggplant?”

“I suppose he ate too many eggplants!” Chu Qing-Yan responded without thinking.

And that person lying on the ground, the corner of his mouth could not help but twitch a bit. However, the curvature of that movement was very small, so small that no one noticed it.

“Then, from now on, I won’t be so noisy to beg Mother Dan to eat eggplant. I don’t want to be like him.” Daddy Chu mumbled to himself.

Chu Qing-Yan laughed quietly, afterwards, she turned her head around to ask, “Daddy, let’s bring him home!”

“Why?” Daddy Chu asked.

Chu Qing-Yan tilted her head, thinking of using what kind of reason that would persuade Daddy. This person was at least 1.8 meters tall. This small body of hers could not tow him to move a bit, she needed Daddy to help out. Would she have to say that they should bring him back to plant him in the garden and next year, a lot of eggplant would sprout out?

And just at this moment, Daddy Chu, who was circling around this ‘eggplant’, suddenly clapped his hands. His face was full of excitement as he said to his daughter, “I know, because he wants to come to our family as an son-in-law that was inserted in backwards scallion (3)!”

Chu Qing-Yan blushed, “Daddy, it’s to marry and live with the bride’s family (4). However, why did Daddy suddenly say this?”

One could see Daddy Chu proudly raise his head, “Because Aunty Guo said that Li family’s grandfather found a son-in-law that was an inserted in backwards scallion for her daughter, and be ordered around as she wished. If he is also an inserted in backwards scallion, then he can help Cai Cai pick vegetables and gather firewood. Also, help Mother Dan wash clothes. He can also help me catch the fishes in the pond. Just thinking about it makes me happy.”

The ‘inserted in backwards scallion’ on the ground couldn’t bear it, and the corner of his mouth once again twitched slightly.

Chu Qing-Yan recalled that Li family’s grandfather was a well-known landlord in Little Town. However, Daddy clearly thought too much, only, she had no good method to break Daddy’s delusion. Otherwise, at that time, him not helping her carry the person would be bad.

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s exactly this reason!” Chu Qing-Yan felt that she had gotten better at lying through her teeth more and more.

Having received his daughter’s affirmative response, Daddy Chu jumped up a meter high, without another word, he took the bamboo basket his daughter was carrying and placed it on his back. Then, he bent down at the waist to carry up the person on the ground. After which, he urged, “Cai Cai, quickly pick up the firewood, we are about to return home.”

Chu Qing-Yan saw how easily her father lifted up that person and couldn’t help but raise her thumb. Having a father that was a general was really awesome! Then, she turned around to pick up the firewood on the ground, and the two people immediately hurried down the mountain.

“Cai Cai, I want to listen to a song.”

“Okay, Daddy, what song do you want to listen to?”

“Big tiger!”

“Okay, two tigers, two tigers, ran very quickly, ran very quickly. One doesn’t have eyes, the other doesn’t have ears, really strange, really strange….” (5)

The childish lyrics and the sweet singing voice, drifted between the mountains.

Saying you are an inserted in backwards scallion, don’t urgently deny it. Maybe there will be a day you really will become an inserted in backwards scallion!

A certain person would never have imagined, there would be a day he would become a large black firewood from a cold, heartless and black-faced Yama, King of h.e.l.l. Then, an eggplant, and once again, change into an inserted in backwards scallion and was even carried in someone’s arms like a young lady. Moreover, this person happened to be his future father-in-law.

1) Things received on paper always feel shallow : On paper it looks great but has no meaning in real life. For example that degree is not worth the paper it was printed on. Something along these lines.

2) Aunt is a polite term people call older married women in China. So, whenever I use it as a t.i.tle, I’ll capitalize it. No family relations.

3) Son-in-law that was inserted in backwards scallion: Traditionally a woman gets married into her husband’s home. But in ancient times when a rich or powerful family only has a daughter, a male would marry into the female family to extend the lineage with the children having the last name of the female side of the family. So this means the male is marrying into the female family and taking the female family’s surname.

4) to marry and live with the bride’s family: This long translation is represented by three Chinese characters 倒插门. Daddy Chu replaced the last character for ‘door’门 with the Chinese character for ‘scallion’ 葱. Thus giving us the phrase Daddy Chu created 倒插葱 which I translated as inserted in backwards scallion.

5) Sing this to the song ‘Three blind mice”, at least that’s the song I was singing to since I don’t know the original one

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – People coming from Chu family with unclear intentions

When Daddy Chu placed the ‘inserted in backwards scallion’ on the bed, he immediately ran out. Saying he was going to find a fishing net for the ‘inserted in backwards scallion’, in a while, he would be able to help him catch fish.

Chu Qing-Yan found it funny and let him go. It would be best as long as Daddy didn’t go out to provoke other people.

Soon after, she went to light a fire to prepare some hot water to wash that man’s face. Only, it was just after the spring rain, so the firewood that they picked up was somewhat damp. She tried starting it for quite a while before it caught fire. Chu Qing-Yan did not have time to attend to her face full of black ash. She carried the hot water and entered the room.

She put down the hot water and turned around to look at the male on the straw bed. This person had long arms and legs, although he wasn’t the tall and st.u.r.dy type, he was healthy and lean. He would definitely be considered Mr. Perfect in build among her female friends. However, Chu Qing-Yan had just crossed over to this world, she had many things to worry about. Therefore, she hadn’t had time to discover how attractive this guy’s figure was, to the point of making a person’s nose bleed.

She only felt that such a large person, being stuffed on her family’s little bed, seemed to really wronged him.

Chu Qing-Yan didn’t have time to attend to other matters, she twisted the cloth to get rid of excess water and wiped the man’s dark reddish purple face, as if trying to clean off the color on his face. However, no matter how she wiped at it, there was no indication that the color on his face was fading. Chu Qing-Yan couldn’t help but frown, could it be that he was born this way?

It’s a pity she didn’t have a person to consult with right now, Chu Qing-Yan vexedly slapped her own forehead “Seems like I picked up a troublesome thing.” Then she said to herself, “The person is alive but just can’t move, seems like a person in the vegetative state.”

Although her tone was vexed, she still carefully wiped clean his face and hands. And, just at this moment, a sound came from outside the door. Chu Qing-Yan’s eyes lit up, Mother had returned! As a result, she carried the water basin and went out.

Once Chu Qing-Yan left, that pair of tightly closed eyes slowly opened. In an instant, a faint light flashed through his eyes, exposing a glimmer of light like those at dawn.

He wanted to lift a hand but discovered that his entire body lacked the strength. In his mind, thinking that the effect of the drug still hadn’t worn off, he couldn’t help but frown. Soon after, his eyes moved to seize up his current situation. In front of him was only a yellow mud wall that was falling apart, as well as a roof stacked with sogon gra.s.s that weren’t tightly sealed. Occasionally, the naughty spring wind would drill in to circle around the room before leaving.

This was really a humble room.

Just now, on the mountain, he had heard everything very clearly from this pair of father and daughter’s endless dialog. If his body wasn’t poisoned with Fiery Underworld Incense and he couldn’t move within twenty-four hours, how could he allow people to get near his body.

Fortunately. he was picked up by this pair of father and daughter, and not his enemies. Otherwise, based on his current condition, very likely, it would have been bleak.

And, at this moment, the conversation between mother and daughter also drifted into the room.

“Mom, why is it that you came home so early today?” Chu Qing-Yan accepted the rice Mother had bought, pulled Mother Chu to a chair and helped her sit down. Then, she extended her hands to help ma.s.sage her mom’s shoulder.

Mother Chu softly smiled, “Today a guest came to Li Manor, therefore, the supervisor allowed us to return earlier. That’s right, just now, I heard your dad at the doorway, say he picked up a bunch of scallions (1). What’s this all about?”

A black line immediately appeared on Chu Qing-Yan’s forehead, Daddy’s description was too far from reality. How could this be a bunch of scallions, this was simply a bundle of firewood! This person was tall and strong.

However, she still told the entire matter to her mom. After all, nowadays, her father was like a child, the only one who could make the decisions in this family was Mother. Even though her mental age was not young, but here, she was still a little girl that just turned ten years old.

“Cai Cai, this matter, you are too daring!” Having heard what was said, Mother Chu’s face changed. Even though she still seemed delicate, but she had a faint, strict imposing manner of a mother.

Chu Qing-Yan immediately spit out her tongue but obediently admitted to her mistake, “Mother I was wrong.”

Soon after, she stole a glance at Mother, blinked her eyes and said, “At the time, seeing him lying there seemed so pitiful, moreover, Daddy just so happened to be present, so we brought him back.”

Mother Chu thought that her child did this out of her kind heart, although she didn’t approve, but she also didn’t want to strike a blow to her good intentions. She couldn’t help but extend her hand to tap her daughter’s nose, “Just this once!”

“Yes!” Immediately, Chu Qing-Yan was all smiles.

“Take Mother to see this person.” Mother Chu said, and Chu Qing-Yan immediately led her into the room.

A certain someone at the corner heard that this mother and daughter was about to come in, and he once again closed his eyes.

Seeing the person on the bed, Mother Chu almost jumped in fright, “His face?”

Chu Qing-Yan helplessly said, “Daughter has already tried to help him wash it off, but couldn’t wash it off. Daughter thought that if after tonight, he still hasn’t woken up, tomorrow, I’ll go invite Grandpa Yao over to examine him.”

Grandpa Yao was the only doctor in the village, although his medical expertise wasn’t high, he was still very respected by the people in the village. Only she heard that today, he was making a house call and hadn’t returned. As a result, she give up the idea of looking for him today.

“That’s also good!” Mother Chu slapped her hand and said, Soon after, she sighed, “My family’s Cai Cai is kindhearted. I hope in the future, you can get Buddha’s blessing and protection.”

The daughter in front of her had a quick, elegant and refined oval face. Under slender eyebrows, a pair of jet black eyes shone. Although she was young, there were already gradual signs of a beauty. Only, long-term lack of nutrition had caused her complexion to be yellow and thin. Her heart was endlessly distressed by this, if back then, that matter hadn’t occurred, her daughter would also be a young lady of a government official’s family. She would be more n.o.ble and beautiful than the young lady from Li Manor.

She felt mother’s self-blame expression, and Chu Qing-Yan guessed what she was thinking about. Indeed, she must improve this family’s financial circ.u.mstances as soon as possible! However, she turned around to pull at mother’s hand, leading her towards the kitchen, “Mom, although daughter is kindhearted, with looks as beautiful as a blooming flower, such that the gra.s.s would worship when they see this flower, however, I still can’t stand hunger ah, let us first go to prepare a meal!”

When a daughter cried she’s hungry, Mother Chu’s heart tightened. She walked even more hurriedly than her daughter, “Today, the supervisor rewarded us a bag of rice. I’ll cook a bowl of white rice for you!”

Watching mother’s figure moving fast off to the distance, Chu Qing-Yan’s eyes curved up.

Mother was busy in the kitchen that was build from several slabs of wooden planks and mud, whereas the ‘scallion’ on the bed showed no changes. Consequently, Chu Qing-Yan’s footsteps, with a turn, went out the door to go find her daddy.

She searched for quite a while before finding her daddy sitting at the gate to the village. He had a rope in his hand. She was not sure what he was making and couldn’t help but to move closer.

Daddy Chu, seeing his own unmarried daughter, immediately waved his hand to beckon her, saying in a manner of showing off a treasure, “Cai Cai, come here. You see here, I’m threading a fishnet.”

Chu Qing-Yan looked and thought that this rope used for the handmade fishnet seemed familiar, “Daddy, where did you get this rope?”

“Oh, it’s used to tie up Liu Da-Jia’s cow.” Daddy Chu fiddled with the rope full of interest, completely missing his own daughter’s expression like seeing the chaos in the midst of the wind.

Chu Qing-Yan had her hand on her forehead, forget it, this Liu Da-Jia always made fun of daddy being an idiot. Just consider this a lesson to him, later, when daddy had enough playing with it, then she would secretly return it.

Just at this time, a group of people driving two horse carriages slowly came towards them. That sound of horse’s hooves striking the ground echoed, as if afraid that other people didn’t know that they had arrived.

However, Chu family’s father and daughter played extremely happily, completely didn’t notice them.

The group of people arrived at the village gate. Seeing the two people in coa.r.s.e clothing crouched down in the intersection, a thin tall guy riding on a horse’s back, with his eyes and nose in the air, rode over. With his chin held up high, said in a contemptuous manner to Chu family’s father and daughter, “Hey, you guys, is this Mao Village or not?”

Chu Qing-Yan only lifted her head when she heard the voice and saw a tall person on a large horse. Even though his face was clearly full of disdain, but she still nodded her head.

Seeing that person’s face change to gladness, he immediately asked again, “Little beggar, does your village have a family with the last name of Chu?”

Little beggar?

Chu Qing-Yan lowered her head to glance at her clothes, although it was plain, it could still be considered neat and clean. This man putting on airs had put on too big of an air okay!

However. Chu Qing-Yan did not bicker with him over this, “There are at least three families in Mao village with the last name of Chu. May I ask, who are you, and who did you come to look for?”

Perhaps, he never thought that in such a small village, there were actually so many families with the last name of Chu. That person’s expression became annoyed, however, his tone was still extremely arrogant as he said, “We came from the Chu family in the Capital, the government manor of Ding Yan county. If I say the name, it would scare you to death. However, seeing that you are still young, I won’t frighten you with the name. As long as you tell me whether the family of Chu Huai-Yuan lives in this village or not. I, your grandpa, will give you a huge reward!”

Chu Huai-Yuan?

Chu Qing-Yan subconsciously looked towards her own father who had raised his head in bewilderment after hearing his name.

Daddy, they were looking for you?

1) Scallions – This term is like a Chinese slang for skinny, slender, even delicate when describing female. So in this case describing the body type of a male would be lanky or tall and thin but not too thin.