The Wei Kingdom.
Xiahe County, Da Liushu Village.
Dawn was breaking.
Willow trees grew wild all around the village.
Fang Yue lay sprawled on a large green rock by the river, a sliver of willow leaf dangling from his lips and a lotus leaf resting on his head.
Not far from him, a water buffalo with a glossy hide grazed with its head lowered.
Farther away, the swift river churned with whitecaps, and from time to time, a fish would leap from the surface.
A boy, a water buffalo, a river full of fish.
It was a picturesque waterside scene.
"I ran a farm in my past life, but this is the first time I've ever had to herd a buffalo..."
Fang Yue remained sprawled out. It had been three months since he'd arrived in this world.
He still wasn't used to it. The hard rock was nowhere near as comfortable as the lounge chair he had just bought before transmigrating.
He sighed and subconsciously reached for a cigarette, only to find that the hand-me-down pants from his sister were too small and had no pockets.
Well, it looked like the smoking addiction he'd failed to kick a dozen times in his past life was finally going to be cured for good.
Green mountains and clear waters, blue skies and white clouds, fresh air, and untouched nature.
It was exactly the idyllic, pastoral life he had yearned for in his previous life.
But this was an ancient world with extremely low productivity.
The imperial court levied heavy taxes, its oppressive policies fiercer than any tiger. Coupled with all sorts of extra fees, life for the common folk was one of extreme hardship.
They toiled in the fields from dawn till dusk, working hard all year long, yet could barely keep themselves fed and warm.
If they encountered a year of disaster, selling their sons and daughters was not out of the question.
Worse, they only ate two meals a day—thin soup and dry flatbreads. It was impossible to ever feel full.
He spent more than half of every day with a growling stomach.
"Sigh, I really want to eat some meat."
In his past life, a meal wasn't a meal without meat. Now, after three months of not eating any, he was starting to forget what it even tasted like.
Perhaps this was what Confucius meant by "going three months without knowing the taste of meat."
Fang Yue's gaze fell upon the water buffalo in front of him—no, not the buffalo, but the Xiahe River beyond it.
He wasn't thinking of eating the buffalo. After all, his family had scrimped and saved for five years just to buy it. It was a vital source of labor.
During the busy farming season, it did the bulk of the heavy work.
Without this buffalo, his family wouldn't be able to cultivate their ten-plus mu of land on their own.
Besides, the imperial court strictly forbade the slaughter of draft animals.
Anyone caught illegally slaughtering a draft animal would be thrown in jail.
Fang Yue stood up, walked a few steps past the old water buffalo, and arrived at the riverbank.
He was at a bend in the river where the current was relatively gentle.
'There should be plenty of fish in this cove,' Fang Yue thought, staring at the water below. Drawing on his rich fishing experience from his past life—where he never came home empty-handed—he couldn't help but feel hopeful.
Although Da Liushu Village was situated right on the Xiahe River, a river that nourished eight villages and nine strongholds along its banks, very few people in this era actually went fishing.
For one thing, the able-bodied men were tied to the land. They had to constantly plant and harvest year-round just to scrape by and pay their taxes, leaving them with virtually no free time.
More importantly, fishing was a time-consuming activity. It was fine to catch a few here and there occasionally.
But if one were to do it every day as a profession, it was impossible to turn the catch into cash.
After all, the nearest town, Xiahe County Town, was over two hundred li away. There was simply no way to transport the fish there before they spoiled.
'When I get back today, I'll figure out how to make a fishing rod and try my luck tomorrow,' Fang Yue thought to himself. As an experienced angler, he naturally knew how to make some basic fishing gear.
However, considering his family's poor conditions, he could only try to make a fishing rod for now.
"Zhi is going to jump in the river! Somebody help!"
"Zhi, don't do anything rash! Don't jump!"
Just then, a commotion erupted in the distance.
Hearing that someone was trying to jump in the river, Fang Yue immediately looked around.
'I didn't see anyone else around just now,' he thought, looking around with a mix of doubt and curiosity, ready to watch a spectacle.
'There's no one here! I don't see anyone on the riverbanks, up or down!'
But in the next moment, Fang Yue snapped to his senses.
Zhi!
Wasn't that his nickname?!
He knew that people in ancient times gave their children lowly nicknames. It was a sign of the elders' affection and concern, a deliberate marking of humility in the hopes that the child would grow up healthy and safe.
But what was wrong with a name like "Stone" or "Hu Zi"?
At the very least, a name like Ergou would have been fine.
But Zhi'Er... what part of him looked like a pig?
Still, Fang Yue had no intention of correcting the other kids. He had no desire to be forced to drink child's urine, after all.
In this day and age, you had to blend in and act like everyone else.
If your behavior was too eccentric or even slightly out of the ordinary, you would attract criticism.
He remembered when he had first transmigrated, he'd thought about plagiarizing poems and passing the imperial examinations in this ancient society.
But right around that time, a fellow villager named Chen Mazi had heard a few scholarly phrases from somewhere and showed them off in the village. The village elders had him pinned down and forced him to drink several large bowls of child's urine.
They claimed it was to exorcise evil spirits, but the ordeal caused Chen Mazi to vomit and suffer from diarrhea until he eventually lost his life.
And if he, an illiterate country boy, showed any sign of being different, he'd probably be treated as if he were possessed by a demon too.
Seeing that, Fang Yue could only bide his time and wait for an opportunity.
One person couldn't fight the entire world.
'Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it.'
"Zhi, don't move."
"You're a grown man! What's there to be so upset about? If you jump, what will your parents do?!"
The shouts were right on top of him. Fang Yue had just turned around, ready to see who was trying to slander his good name.
At that exact moment, he sensed a Black Shadow lunging toward him.
"Shit! Stay back—"
Seeing the person's flying tackle, Fang Yue couldn't help but curse as he scrambled to the side.
Fang Yue had just dodged when the Black Shadow plunged headfirst into the calm river cove.
...
"ACHOO! Zhi, thanks for pulling me out just now."
Ergou sniffled, wiping his runny nose as he looked at Fang Yue with suspicion.
Fang Yue stared at the stocky, bow-carrying youth before him, feeling utterly speechless.
This was his neighbor, a junior from the same clan. His family were hunters, and his father, Fang Dahua, was one of the best hunters within a thirty-li radius of Da Liushu Village.
They often brought back game, so even though the family didn't farm, they lived well and were considered an upper-class household in the village.
That was why, even though this Fang Ergou was three years younger than him, he was a full head taller.
His arms were as thick as Fang Yue's thighs.
"Zhi, were you really not trying to jump in the river?"
Fang Ergou scratched his head. Even though Fang Yue had already explained, he still asked doubtfully.
The rough-looking boy was all brawn and no brain. A simple country lad, he was naturally stubborn.
Seeing Fang Ergou's earnest, one-track-mind expression, Fang Yue couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. He was about to explain again.
Just then, the sun reached its zenith, and a golden light flashed in his eyes.
Fang Yue couldn't help but blink. When he opened his eyes again, he froze.
A line of text had flashed before his eyes.
[Talent: Divine-level Talent]
[Time passes swiftly, but heaven rewards the diligent. For each day that passes, Talent +1]
[Current Talent: 1 (Mediocre)]