Chapter 1 Transmigration

Chapter 1: Transmigration

Meng Wan was a fresh college grad, just about to take on the world, only to find that the world outside campus wasn’t as easy to navigate.

It was way too competitive…

Not only were his classmates grinding hard, but above him were graduates from top schools—a tier above his second-rate degree—and even seniors from the previous year, and the year before that, all willing to work for free, just for a shot at a job.

Meng Wan was barely scraping by, finally landed a job at a hotel after a ton of struggle. At least he wasn't washing dishes—it was an accounting gig that matched his major, 2,200 yuan a month, with room and board.

But when he found out the auntie in the kitchen washing dishes was pulling in 3,800 a month, Meng Wan broke down crying. He stayed up all night on his dorm bed, breathing in his roommates' stinky feet and grease fumes, thinking hard.

Where did it all go wrong?

Not getting into a top school?

Or losing his parents young and being a burden at his uncle's place with no one to steer him, making him a people-pleaser, too sensitive compared to his classmates' outgoing vibe?

His head was a mess of tangled thoughts, and he only dozed off right before dawn. Half-asleep, he thought he heard someone yell "Fire!" He tried to open his eyes, but they felt like they weighed a ton. Smoke filled his lungs, and he couldn't even cough. He passed out without a clue.

Then the searing pain of flames licking his skin jolted him awake. He wanted to scream but couldn't make a sound, then fell into another long stretch of unconsciousness.

“Ugly Slave!”

“Wake up! The young lady wants you.”

“Ugly Slave? Ugly Slave?”

Who’s making noise?

Meng Wan mumbled, “Don’t bother me, I’m sleeping.”

“This Ugly Slave is still asleep! He's gotten bold, cozying up to the young master and ignoring our lady.”

“I'll handle this!”

Someone pinched Meng Wan's face hard, with full force. The pain jolted him, and he sat up in bed instantly.

“What's up? Is it time for work? My alarm didn't even go off?” As a first-day worker, he'd already turned into a workhorse, not asking why someone pinched him, but worrying instead about being late for work.

He scrambled up and opened his eyes to see two young guys in light green ruqun and dark green bibs standing by his bed, glaring at him.

Meng Wan thought, confused: Are they guys?

Neither was particularly handsome, and they didn't look feminine either. Dressed in such bright, delicate clothes, they looked kinda weird.

Seeing him awake, they scolded, “Are you sleep-drunk? What crap are you babbling? The young lady is calling for you—go now!”

Meng Wan stared at them for three seconds, then suddenly closed his eyes, flopped back, and hit the pillow hard. He thought he was on a pillow stuffed with old clothes, but a loud "clang" rang out. Meng Wan yelped, grabbing his head as he bounced up from the bed.

Clutching his throbbing head, Meng Wan finally snapped fully awake. The room had solid wood walls and a stone-brick floor, windows with wooden frames and paper he'd never seen before, and no ceiling—just a thick, sturdy beam above.

He had to face reality: this wasn't the employee dorm from last night, and no one would be bored enough to drag him to this strange place while he slept.

That could only mean one thing—the smoke smell he'd caught before dawn was from a real fire, and he'd inhaled too much smoke, causing oxygen deprivation and unconsciousness, so he couldn't escape in time…

“No need to waste words on him—just grab him,” one of the youths said, seeing Meng Wan slow to react, making strange movements, and then spacing out. He decided to act directly.

They pulled Meng Wan off the bed, but they were too weak; after dragging him a bit, they couldn't budge him.

The taller one put his hands on his hips and cursed, “Ugly Slave, have you no shame? You think you're some young master around here? Get up and come see the young lady now!”

Meng Wan pointed at himself, “You talking to me?”

The shorter one rolled his eyes, “Who else?”

Meng Wan got up and glanced at his own outfit—a light green ruqun and dark open-front vest, just like theirs. He didn't get the style, but from their tone, he figured he was a servant.

A servant, then. But what kind of name is 'Ugly Slave'? Meng Wan touched his face—smooth, soft, and round. He looked at his hands, pale and slender, so he must be young. His features couldn't be that ugly, right? What did he look like now?

This wasn't the time to look in a mirror. The two youths pulled and dragged him out of the room, leaving the small courtyard that seemed to house servants, heading straight for a larger, more spacious courtyard next door.

“Why so long?”

A young woman sat in the main seat of the central hall, about sixteen or seventeen, with her hair styled in a married woman’s bun, adorned with several gem-inlaid gold hairpins and pearl earrings. She wore a bright red short jacket embroidered with auspicious birds in gold thread, a jade pendant and sachet at her waist, and a matching red pleated skirt with gold-thread trim. Her shoes were hidden under her long skirt, but there was no sign of bound feet—the white embroidered shoes occasionally peeked out, not small at all, slightly larger than average women’s.

Her expression was impatient, her fingers tapping irritably on the Eight Immortals table in the hall, clearly not someone with a good temper.

Seeing Meng Wan being dragged over by the three, the elderly woman behind the young lady respectfully reported, “Miss, he’s here.”

Meng Wan didn’t want to come. The two youths had treated him terribly, and he’d only managed to glean a few words: the young lady was calling for him, something about the young master, the mansion, and him not being a proper servant, with accusations of seducing the young master.

In short, nothing made sense. Meng Wan was baffled—he was still male, right? Was the young master into men?

Sensing nothing good awaited him from the young lady, Meng Wan tried to stall, hoping to think of a plan.

But as soon as he knelt before her, she barked without hesitation, “Call the guard! Beat this Ugly Slave to death!”

Holy crap!!!!!!!!

“Miss, I… mmph… mmph mmph!” All the plans he’d concocted on the way were silenced as two stout matrons gagged him with cloth and tied his hands behind his back with hemp rope. The whole process was smooth and practiced, showing these matrons were no strangers to the task.

As the two green-clad youths were about to follow the order and summon the guard, the elderly woman behind the young lady bowed and advised, “Miss, killing this Ugly Slave is no big deal, but first, you’ve just married into the mansion—killing your dowry page so soon might harm your reputation. Second, though this lowly servant flirted with the young master a bit, he still asked for your opinion. If you dispose of him like this, what about the young master’s side…”

The young lady frowned deeply, feeling a mix of anger and frustration. “Steward Li, what do you suggest? This lowly servant has only been with me a few days and dares to seduce the young master. If I keep him, won’t he trample all over me?”

Steward Li smiled gently, soothing her, “Miss, you are the rightful wife of the Luo family, formally wed. How could this little lowly servant dare to bully you? Don’t be angry. Since this servant has the nerve to covet our young master, we’ll just find him a good husband. Your dowry servants—who can say anything bad about that?”

The young lady’s brow relaxed slightly, and she mused, “Marry him off? Where to?”

Steward Li straightened up, a mocking smile on her face. “Since this Ugly Slave dreams of climbing high, let’s send him somewhere he can never reach.”

…

Meng Wan’s hands were still bound, but the cloth had been removed from his mouth. Now, crammed into a small carriage, he almost wished it were still gagging him.

In this cramped space, nine people—men and women—were squeezed together. From their chatter, Meng Wan had learned that “xiaoge” was a third gender in this world. His first thought was: no wonder Ugly Slave could seduce the young master—apparently, xiaoge could also marry.

But their fertility wasn’t as high as women’s. True nobles still married women as the proper way; xiaoge were just playthings for the upper class. In poor farming families, there was no distinction between xiaoge and women—any wife was a blessing, so who could afford to be picky?

Meng Wan accepted his xiaoge identity within half a day. In his real world, he was gay, always pretending to be straight to avoid scorn. Now, he could legally be in a same-sex relationship—if not for his dire situation, he’d be quite okay with it. Besides, he had no human rights now, so why worry about gender? Just surviving was good enough.

Ever since he got sold to the slave dealer and boarded this northbound carriage, Meng Wan felt he was no longer treated as human. The horses pulling the cart lived better than him—two sips of water and half a flatbread a day, let alone washing his face, he even had to hold his pee.

The further north they traveled, the hotter the weather grew. They must have set out in spring, but now it was edging into summer.

Over these days, they passed through a new town, and the slave dealer took in seven more people at once. The carriage grew more and more crowded, and sometimes Meng Wan wished the dealer would just sell him off. He couldn't take it anymore—the bumpy roads, the stuffy, sweltering carriage packed with people who hadn't bathed in months—the smell was absolutely killer.

Unfortunately, people came and went from the carriage, either taken in by the dealer or sold off at towns and villages along the way. Meng Wan remained firmly seated inside, though occasionally, fearing the horses might tire, the dealer made him get out and run.

Damn it, that goddamn slave trader wasn't even afraid he'd run away. If I were a track star, I'd show you what real speed looks like!

What he didn't know was the dealer was also amazed by this weird page boy. Usually, when he took on maids or pages exiled from wealthy households, they'd be crying and screaming for their parents. This one, however, was unusual—never crying or making a fuss, cooperating with everything, just a bit too talkative, peppering him with all sorts of random questions.

A chatty one was better than a suicidal one. In ancient times, being a slave dealer wasn't like modern human traffickers. Those who dealt with rich families were registered with the government, so they weren't as evil as they are in TV shows. Since Meng Wan was obedient, the dealer even treated him pretty well on the road—meaning he let him get out more often to walk or jog alongside the horses.

Traveling in ancient times was truly a torment. No wonder people rarely ventured far, just sending letters at most. Meng Wan puked several times in the carriage from the smell, and finally, at the hottest point, the dealer dragged his now skinny and worn-out body off the cart and into this remote northern town for display.

"Page boy from a rich family, anyone want him?" The dealer was exhausted from the journey too. If it weren't for orders to sell him no closer than north of Fengtian, Meng Wan would have been off his hands long ago.

This deal, with the reward from the noble and the profits from trading people along the way, would let him live off his savings for three years. He'd head straight to the top hooker at Spring Fragrance House to have some fun.

Lost in his pleasant thoughts, the dealer grabbed Meng Wan's arm rough as hell. As a crowd gathered, he rolled up Meng Wan's sleeve, revealing an arm caked with grime. He rubbed hard at the dirt on his elbow, showing a red mole, and showed it to the onlookers: "See this? This guy's still a virgin, and a real looker too. Buy now and you're getting a steal. Anyone interested?"

Meng Wan winced from the pain. The dealer's grip was as strong as a bathhouse scrubber. Covered in filth and reeking, he doubted anyone would buy him.

"A guy? How much?" Surprisingly, someone actually asked.

The dealer grinned broadly. "Sir, you've got good taste. This guy can even read and write. Ten taels of silver, no haggling."

"Ten taels!" The crowd gasped.

"Who pays that much for a guy? For that price, you could marry a woman."

The dealer's smile vanished. He clamped Meng Wan's chin with his thick hand and twisted his waist, which was as wide as a palm. "You're wrong there. Look at these teeth, this figure—worth more than ten taels. Can you compare that to some illiterate country girl?"

A woman stepped forward. "Can he really read?"

The dealer, with his square, honest face, swore to the heavens, "No lie. I'm registered at the slave market in Lin'an Prefecture down south. If you don't believe me, go ask about our shop."

The crowd murmured. Lin'an Prefecture—some had heard of it, a prefectural city south of the capital. It was a thousand miles from here. Who would travel that far to verify his claim?

But the woman believed him. She haggled, "I'll buy this guy for eight taels. You won't have to hawk him on the street anymore."

The dealer forced a bitter smile. "I've come all this way, sister, don't drive the price down."

The woman, around forty, blushed at being called "sister." She spat and cursed, "Pah! Who's your sister? Eight taels—take it or leave it. If not, I'm off. You can wait for the town's gentry to buy him. See if they'll bother with an out-of-town dealer."

Seeing her really about to leave, the dealer quickly stopped her. "Fine, fine. You're a straightforward woman, sister. No tricks—here's his deed." He pulled a bundle from the carriage and fished out a paper.

The woman reached for it, but the dealer tucked it back into his robe and rubbed his thumb and fingers together.

She was straightforward too. "I'll go home and get the money. Be back in half an hour."

The dealer, relieved to close the last deal so quickly, said, "Since it's not far, I'll give you a ride in the cart and deliver the guy to your home, saving you the trip."

The woman hesitated. It would save effort, but she was a widow. Riding in a cart with a strange man back to the village might start gossip.