Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Zhao State, the capital city.

Shangpo Village.

It was the third month of spring—warm, fragrant, and the season for planting.

At dusk, villagers finished their work and headed home in twos and threes, hoes slung over their shoulders.

Suddenly—

From afar came a few brays of donkeys, and a simple donkey cart halted at the village entrance.

Then, a scholar descended: clad in a blue robe, wearing a square cap, with bright eyes and clear brows, his demeanor gentle and refined. He produced five copper coins, smiled, handed them to the driver, offered a cupped-hand salute, and turned to enter the village.

Seeing him, the villagers—regardless of their private thoughts—immediately broke into warm smiles and greeted him enthusiastically:

“What brings you back today, Scholar Han?”

“We haven’t seen you in days—Master Han has grown even handsomer!”

“Of course! Scholars are made of ink—how could they be like us?”

Their greetings were effusive.

His former self had never been aloof, so Han Zhang naturally showed no coldness either.

He smiled and replied, “The academy is closed today, so I came home to visit everyone. How have all the uncles and aunts been lately?”

“Fine, fine, fine! This year’s spring snow fell just in time, and plowing went smoothly. Everyone’s in high spirits…”

With favorable weather and successful spring plowing, the villagers were all cheerful.

Of course, there were always those who spoiled the mood.

Shangpo Village was a multi-surname settlement. The Han and Luo families had long been embroiled in bitter rivalry over an old land dispute.

The village had only two scholars—the Han family’s Han Zhang and the Luo family’s son.

Luo’s mother, who could never bear seeing the Hans steal the spotlight, spotted Han Zhang carrying pastries from the Eight Treasures Pastry Shop—and couldn’t resist loudly mocking him:

“Oh, Scholar Han! You’ve brought back pastries from the Eight Treasures Pastry Shop? That package must cost a hundred copper coins or more, right? So young—and already splurging so freely!”

“Your parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters—all toil under the scorching sun, barely scraping together enough money to fund your studies. And yet instead of buying books, you spend it all on food!”

“Not like my Brother Ying, who clings to his books at every spare moment! He studies so diligently—‘tying his hair to a beam and pricking his thigh with an awl’! In the future…”

She rambled on endlessly, praising her own son’s diligence and ambition while tearing Han Zhang down to elevate herself.

Such scenes were nothing new in the memories of his former self.

Han Zhang didn’t grow angry. Instead, he wore his warmest smile and spoke words gentle yet sharp as needles.

“Auntie is absolutely right. I truly am not as diligent as Brother Luo. He burns the midnight oil daily just to finish his teacher’s assignments—and even on days off, he cannot rest, laboring tirelessly over his recitations. Truly admirable.”

“I harbor no grand ambitions. I only hope that, should I ever pass the imperial examinations, I may care well for my family. For now, the most important thing is to serve my grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts with utmost devotion—so that in the future, I won’t be left with regrets like ‘the son wishes to care for his parents, but they are no longer there.’”

“By the way, Auntie Luo—since you have a scholar in your family, you surely know that scholars can earn silver by copying books. A neatly copied book fetches anywhere from several mace to several taels. So surely your family can afford a package of pastries?”

“Why doesn’t Brother Luo copy books to earn some silver—and treat you to a few packages of pastries?”

Scholar Luo was the type who devoted himself solely to the sages’ classics and never deigned to sully his hands with worldly affairs. He never attempted to supplement the family income—only demanding money, exhausting his family like beasts of burden.

“You—!”

Luo’s mother choked, her face flushing crimson with rage.

She immediately rolled up her sleeves and planted her hands on her hips, ready to curse and save face.

But Han Zhang gave her no chance. He cut in:

“Auntie, it’s growing late. Time to go home for dinner. I won’t stay to chat today—we’ll catch up another time.”

With that, he turned and strode away quickly—without a backward glance.

Luo’s mother had no opportunity to regain her composure and could only fume and stomp her feet behind him, shouting furiously:

“Bah! You little brat—sharp-tongued! What’s so great about copying a few books? My son is already betrothed to Miss Sun! Once he becomes Master Sun’s prized son-in-law, forget pastries worth a hundred coppers—even pastries costing several taels apiece, my family can afford to eat them!”

Her voice carried far, loud enough for Han Zhang—already well down the road—to hear clearly.

Yet Han Zhang neither paused nor cared.

He was not the original Han Qinzhang—and held no interest in Miss Sun. He liked men and would marry only a young lad (a male capable of bearing children).

That’s right.

This Han Zhang was no longer the same Han Zhang.

He had transmigrated just last night.

Before his transmigration, his world had been chaos incarnate—natural disasters ravaged the land; mutant beasts and plants ran rampant, locked in brutal struggle for survival against humanity.

His base had been besieged and overrun; everyone perished in that terrifying zombie horde—including himself.

But unexpectedly—

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself reborn in this alternate dynasty: a poor scholar from a humble farming family.

This world resembled ancient China—but featured three genders: men, women, and young lads (men capable of bearing children).

His former self bore a name differing by only one character: Han Qinzhang. He was twenty years old, hailing from Shangpo Village on the outskirts of the capital—and had already passed the imperial examination to become a scholar.

Last night, his former self had risen to use the toilet, slipped, fallen—and died instantly.

Then—the one who awoke was *him*.

Han Zhang was elated by this turn of fate.

After all, he hadn’t been ready to die—not yet.

Even though he’d transmigrated into this backward, ancient era, no matter how difficult life might be—could it possibly be harder than surviving in that apocalyptic wasteland, scarred and ruined beyond recognition?

Following the memories left by the original Han Zhang, Han Zhang found his way to the Han family’s doorstep without much trouble.

Unlike the common mud-and-thatch houses in the village, the Han family’s home was quite impressive—a large courtyard house with blue brick walls and tiled roofs.

But that didn’t mean the Han family was wealthy.

On the contrary, to support the original Han Zhang’s studies, the family had been stretched thin.

Since ancient times, being a scholar has always been expensive. For an ordinary family to support a scholar, it was not just a matter of tightening their belts—even working themselves to the bone might not fill the bottomless pit of expenses.

The reason the Han family could afford a brick house and support his studies was largely due to Grandfather Han’s youthful daring. He had traveled far and wide with merchant caravans, braving life-and-death situations, and managed to scrape together a modest fortune, building this respectable brick courtyard in the village.

“Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, I’m back.”

Standing at the Han family gate, before even stepping inside, Han Zhang called out, as his former self used to do.

He adapted quickly to the environment—by last night, he had already thoroughly integrated the original body's memories.

He had no choice but to be quick—this was, after all, an ancient society with strict etiquette. The slightest misstep could brand him a heretic, and that would be a disaster!

Today happened to be a day off at the academy, and the entire Han family had been eagerly awaiting the return of their eldest grandson.

At the sound of Han Zhang’s voice,

whether they were busy in the main hall, bustling in the kitchen, or tidying the backyard, all family members set down their tasks and rushed out with beaming faces.

“It’s Big Brother! Our Big Brother is back!”

“Oh my, Grandma’s precious grandson! It’s only been a few days, but you look thinner!”

“Big nephew, come inside and rest!”

“Elder brother, eldest cousin…”

The entire Han family, young and old, surrounded Han Zhang with concern, as if protecting a rare treasure—both joyful and cautious.

And indeed, he was the family’s treasure.

A twenty-year-old *xiucai* (a scholar) might not be a prodigy, but it was still impressive. If he could take the next step and pass the provincial exam to become a *juren* (a provincial graduate), it would be a huge achievement that could change the family’s fortune and bring glory to the village.

Faced with the warmth of the Han family, Han Zhang adapted remarkably well.

In his previous life, he had to fight for everything he wanted, so he wasn’t shy by nature. No matter how grand the scene, he could handle it.

“Dad, Mom, I’m back. Has the family eaten yet? If not, steam the pastries I brought. They taste better warm, and we can have them as an extra dish tonight…”

He handed the items in his hands to his mother and turned to his grandparents with a smile:

“Grandpa, Grandma, I’m doing just fine at the academy. How could I be thin? Look at my arms and legs—they’re sturdy!”

With that, he rolled up his sleeve and flexed his arm muscles.

Grandfather Han had been a bodyguard in his youth and knew martial arts; the whole family practiced from childhood to stay fit. Even the original Han Zhang, though a scholar, was quite sturdy.

Grandma Han, seeing her grandson so strong, nodded happily:

“It’s good to be strong. Being sturdy will keep you from falling ill when you enter the examination hall for the provincial exams.”

…

At the mention of the imperial examinations, Han Zhang’s expression froze up for a moment.

Because the original Han Zhang was not only the family’s hope but also the entire Han clan’s hope. He bore the burden of honoring his ancestors and reviving the family’s fortunes.

Speak of the devil.

Before the family could finish their conversation, a crowd of elderly clan members flooded in through the gate.

Each carried eggs, cloth, dried meat, and other gifts, their faces beaming with smiles.

“Sixth Brother! I heard Big Brother is back on break?”

“He looks a bit thin. Take these to give him some proper nourishment!”

“Is everything going well at the academy for Big Brother? Has the teacher praised you lately…”

The Han clan relatives, as usual, gathered around warmly and affectionately, firing questions at him.

The scene was like a tidal wave surging in, almost like a zombie horde.

But Han Zhang remained very calm!

Because this was routine in the original body’s memories, and he didn’t need to personally greet these elders.

Sure enough.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the elders naturally sat down in the courtyard and began reminiscing.

An elder of the clan spoke in a nostalgic and wistful tone:

“Think back to when our old Han family was a distinguished clan. Before we fell on hard times, even the poorest and least successful clan members had servants attending to them and wore silk and satin—what a glorious and impressive sight it was.”

Grandfather Han nodded in agreement, sighing: “You’re right, elder brother. I still remember when I was a mischievous child and broke the priceless glazed horse in Father’s study. It was you who pleaded with Father on my behalf.”

“But a priceless glazed horse was nothing back then. Even without my intercession, Father wouldn’t have blamed you, little brother… It’s just a pity that our Han family’s fortune turned sour. Dynasties changed, chaos reigned, and the family’s past glories are now just smoke and memories.”

The clan head stroked his beard and let out a long sigh.

The elders who remembered the old days also sighed regretfully.

But soon, the clan head perked up, a spark of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. He gave Grandfather Han a firm pat on the shoulder:

“Fortunately, Sixth Brother, you’ve been ambitious and raised a precious Qilin grandson for our Han family!”

“Big Brother became a *xiucai* at a young age and studied at Xiangnan Academy. When the autumn provincial exam comes next year, he will surely pass the provincial exam to become a *juren* and then the metropolitan exam to become a *jinshi*, restoring our Han family’s prestige!”

“Sixth Brother, you must take good care of Big Brother. His stationery, clothes, and food must all be of the best quality. Don’t let mundane affairs distract him. If there are any difficulties, be sure to ask the clan for help. We must not hinder the child’s future!”

After speaking, he looked around at everyone and said earnestly:

“All of you, don’t bear any resentment. Big Brother is the hope of the clan. If he succeeds, the entire clan will benefit. Think about the glory our Han family once had, and look at the state of our descendants now—”

“The family motto: When the clan is united, its strength can cut through metal. We must revive the family’s glory!”

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Elder 1 said solemnly, "Eldest Brother is right. Since Sixth Brother's family has produced a prodigy, how can we just stand by?"

Elder 2 said seriously, "We survived wars and famines. Can't we tighten our belts for a couple more years?"

Elder 3 said excitedly, "If you contribute one tael and I contribute one tael, the family will shine next year!"

Elder 4 slapped the table and said, "If you don't contribute and I don't contribute, when will Eldest Brother bring honor to our family?"

The old folks looked like they were at a brainwashing rally, the atmosphere was super hyped and lively.

Han Zhang, a science major in college: ...

He felt that bringing honor to the family might be a bit beyond him.