Chapter One: The Arrival of the Transmigrant in the Remote Mountain Village—Xu Wenshan Is Forced to Attend a Matchmaking Session

In the cradle of the Zi River, nestled within the mountain valleys, there was a place called Deer and Crane Ravine. The ravine was small, home to barely two hundred families, and the largest among them was the Xu family.

The head of the Xu family, Xu Changshui, was the greatest landowner in the ravine; eight-tenths of all the land belonged to him. He had only one son, Xu Wenshan.

Xu Changshui was the overlord of Deer and Crane Ravine, and Xu Wenshan, his only son, was the local young tyrant. He’d been used to throwing his weight around since he was a child, yet one day, without warning, he stopped.

People began to say he had gone mad.

Xu Wenshan no longer behaved like a landlord’s son. He no longer indulged in feasts, or spent his days playing with crickets and fighting dogs. Instead, he muttered incomprehensible words under his breath, pestering people with questions—what year was it, who was the emperor?

Even the only scholar in the ravine might not know who the current emperor was, and in any case, who cared? Who the emperor was made no difference to the people of Deer and Crane Ravine.

The rumor, “Young Master Xu has gone mad,” spread quickly throughout the valley. In time, even Xu Changshui heard of it, though he neither confirmed nor denied it. After all, this was his only son.

Only Xu Wenshan himself knew he wasn’t mad.

He knew he had transmigrated.

He came from Earth, from the year 2017—a world more wondrous than any paradise sung of in Deer and Crane Ravine’s old tales.

Now, having arrived in this unknown land in an unknown era, he was somewhat lost and bewildered. Others thought he was crazy, but in truth, he simply hadn’t yet adapted to this world.

Once he acclimated, he’d no longer seem mad. But then another wave of frustration washed over him.

There was none of the refined poetry, scholarly elegance, reclusive masters, martial arts, or magic to be found here. Instead, there was only yellow earth and stone, mountains and gorges. There were landlords and tenant farmers; peasants sweating naked in the fields, farmwives squatting at their doorsteps, half-clothed as they nursed their children.

When Xu Wenshan passed by, he glared hard at one such woman, hoping to embarrass her, but all he received in return was a numb, vacant stare.

He felt a deep sense of despair.

What made him even more disheartened was that Xu Changshui had decided it was time to find a wife for his son—something Xu Wenshan hadn’t expected at all.

He’d read so many transmigration novels; the protagonists were always breaking off engagements, never being sent to matchmaking right from the start.

If he married early and was tied to this land, wouldn’t he be doomed to remain a landlord for life?

“I’m not marrying,” Xu Wenshan said to Xu Changshui.

“If you don’t marry, where am I supposed to get a grandson?” Xu Changshui replied. “Whether you want to or not, you have to marry.”

Xu Wenshan thought his original father was rather short-sighted. He wanted to persuade him, to open his eyes to the world beyond, not to be trapped forever in the confines of their little ravine.

“Have you ever considered that your son might become an official, a great minister of the court, his poetry renowned across the land, his name inscribed in history, marrying the princess of a rival kingdom and giving you royal grandchildren? Or perhaps he might seek immortality, become a true immortal, who could with a flick of his sleeve command half the world?”

Xu Wenshan spun his grand dreams.

Xu Changshui gazed at his son with deep concern for a long while, then asked, “Are you truly mad?”

...

In the end, Xu Wenshan failed to broaden his father’s horizons and was forced to go on matchmaking visits. However, he did manage to secure one concession: at the very least, he could see the young women before making any decision.

Early one morning, Xu Changshui took Xu Wenshan by carriage to visit families with marriageable daughters.

Their first stop was the home of Zhang the Butcher.

On the carriage, Xu Changshui explained, “Zhang the Butcher has a sharp hand with the knife—swift, precise, but he’s a good-natured man. He slaughters all the pigs in the village, and even people from other villages come to him. He’s well respected. I’ve wanted to be in-laws with him for some time.”

“I only care if his daughter is pretty,” Xu Wenshan replied.

“Just keep boasting. Let’s see what kind of fool you’ll make of yourself when you meet his daughter,” Xu Changshui retorted.

Xu Changshui’s personal visit to Zhang the Butcher’s home made the butcher feel greatly honored. He smiled obsequiously, wringing his hands, but when the subject of showing his daughter came up, he hesitated and said he needed to consult with her.

The Xu father and son sat awkwardly in Zhang’s house, waiting as the butcher’s daughter kept them waiting, too shy to appear. Only after two hours did Miss Zhang finally emerge.

Xu Changshui’s face lit up with joy, but Xu Wenshan was stunned.

In that instant, he felt as if he’d seen a female version of Lu Zhishen.

What’s more, this female Lu Zhishen had spent two hours dressing up, only making her appearance even more startling.

Xu Wenshan dove into the carriage and refused to come out.

Zhang’s daughter burst into tears and ran to her room, mortified and adamant she would never show her face again.

The matchmaking ended in embarrassment for both families; Xu Changshui made a hasty departure.

Xu Changshui glared at his son for a long time, making Xu Wenshan feel uneasy.

“I didn’t mean to offend, but even if I forced myself to marry her, I wouldn’t be able to father children with her,” Xu Wenshan broke the silence, explaining to his father. “It’s simply too much to accept.”

Looking at his only son, Xu Changshui’s anger melted away. “You’re too picky,” he said.

Xu Wenshan was incredulous. “If you expect me to accept someone like that, wouldn’t I be completely undiscriminating?”

“Her family is well-off, respected in the village, and she’s got childbearing hips—perfect for bearing sons. Why can’t you accept her?”

Xu Wenshan gave up trying to communicate with his original father.

...

But Xu Changshui was not defeated. His next target was Wang the Basket Weaver.

“Though Old Wang is just a basket weaver, don’t look down on him. He has five daughters, and each is more fertile than the last. Especially good at having sons—the first four all had boys as their firstborn, never missed once,” Xu Changshui pitched.

Xu Wenshan thought his father could easily be a salesman.

When they arrived at Wang’s house, after the usual polite greetings, Xu Changshui raised the topic of letting the two children meet.

Wang the Basket Weaver looked troubled and excused himself, saying he needed to discuss it with his family.

Left waiting in the main room, Xu Wenshan soon grew restless and excused himself to use the toilet.

The village toilets were little more than pits surrounded by walls, with gaps between the roof and the walls to let out the smell. Pinching his nose, Xu Wenshan stood before the outhouse and overheard voices from behind it.

“Why are you getting mixed up with the Xu family? Don’t you know they’re bound to fall sooner or later?” It was a woman’s voice—presumably Wang’s wife. “Didn’t you chat with Guo’s steward the other day? Didn’t he say the Xu family’s days are numbered?”

“A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. The Xu family’s circumstances are better than ours no matter what,” Wang replied.

“You fool! If that camel really dies, our daughter will fall with them!” the woman said anxiously.

“If our daughter gives them a grandson, that could help turn things around.”

“Hmph, you’re always hoping for the best. If the Xu family recovers, what’s in it for you? But if they fall, you might get a share of the spoils. Just look at the Guo family—they’re thriving. I’m telling you, they’ll overtake the Xu family in no time...”

Xu Wenshan quietly pulled up his trousers, returned, and dragged his father back to the carriage.

Once inside, he recounted what he’d just overheard. “Is our family really as precarious as they say?” he asked.

Xu Changshui was silent for a long while, then nodded.

“Why?” asked Xu Wenshan.

“It’s because our wealth is abundant, but our family line is thin,” Xu Changshui replied. “For three generations, the Xu family has had only one son each time. Your grandfather had only me, and I have only you. I’m proudest of two things in my life: marrying seven wives, and acquiring hundreds of acres of land. Our family flourishes, but there’s no telling how many wolves and jackals are eyeing us hungrily. If I die one day, and there’s only you left, how will you stand up to all those ruffians?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Xu Wenshan replied quickly.

“In any case, you must find a wife soon. The Xu family cannot end with you.”

Seeing the worry hidden in his father’s eyes, Xu Wenshan realized he needed to quickly find a way to protect their family—or at the very least, ensure his own survival.