Qin Hongchuan lay on the rough straw bed, staring up at the wooden beams of the ceiling. The sounds of the early morning began to filter in from outside—a rooster crowing, the distant shuffle of footsteps, and the faint clattering of pots and pans. His mind, however, was far from the present moment, lost in the jumble of memories from both his past and current life.
It had been a week since he found himself reborn as the second son of the Qin family, living in a poor, rural village in an unrecorded dynasty. At first, he was bewildered by the drastic change from rich to poor, but it didn't take long for him to adapt. After all, his previous life had been one of hardship too, and in many ways, this simple village life was a return to the kind of living he had once known.
Before he was a wealthy man, he was once a poor boy growing up in the countryside.
Now, as he lay on the bed in the early hours of the morning, he felt a strange sense of peace. He wasn't a stranger to waking up before dawn. In his previous life, he'd lived through years of labor, struggle, and survival. So, rising with the sun, working with his hands, and enduring the grit of poverty were familiar.
He finally sat up, running his fingers through his long unkempt hair. In this dynasty, men and women would grow their hair long. Cutting one's hair meant being disrespectful to their ancestors. Although he didn't like having long hair, there was nothing he could do. He would just continue to keep his hair in a bun.
It was still odd to think of himself as "A'Chuan"—a young man again, with a life and family that wasn't his own, yet felt strangely close to his heart. He could hear the quiet movements of his mother, Yu Shi, from the kitchen, and the familiar smell of steaming porridge reached him. She was the backbone of the family, waking up first every day to prepare their humble meals. His father, Qin Laosan, was likely still asleep, as were his siblings.
"A'Chuan, you're awake?" came a soft voice from outside the doorway. Yu Shi peered into the small room, her face lined with years of hard work but always carrying a gentle smile. "Come eat something. We'll be heading to the fields soon."
He nodded and got up, pulling on his worn shoes before heading out to the small main room. His younger siblings were still rubbing the sleep from their eyes, having just been woken up by their mother, and sluggishly eating their bowls of porridge. He took a seat at the low wooden table, his gaze sweeping over the familiar scene—his family, poor and weathered, but full of warmth.
The meal was simple—just plain porridge with a few pickled vegetables on the side—but it was enough to fill their stomachs for the day of work ahead. Hongchuan ate in silence, lost in thought about the day ahead. Farming was backbreaking work, and the Qin family didn't own much land. They were poor, and worse still, they couldn't even afford an ox to help till the fields. Everything was done by hand—plowing, planting, weeding, harvesting—and it was slow, painstaking labor. But despite their poverty, they managed to scrape by, year after year.
Once the breakfast was done, the family prepared to leave for the fields. Qin Laosan, his father, was a quiet man of few words, but his presence was steady and dependable. He shouldered the tools without complaint, and they began the trek toward their small plot of land just outside the village.
The morning sun was still low in the sky when they arrived at the fields. Qin Hongchuan, along with his father and siblings, immediately set to work, breaking the soil with hoes, their sweat mixing with the dirt as they moved through the rows of crops. The work was as exhausting as he remembered it, but there was something calming about the rhythm of it, about the connection to the earth and the simplicity of labor. In this life, it seemed that everything was stripped down to its essentials—food, work, family.
As they worked, Qin Hongchuan couldn't help but reflect on the changes he had undergone in the past week. His new body was young and strong, though his mind felt much older, burdened by the knowledge of his previous life. He felt like a man trapped in a young body, but he did his best to blend in with the life of a poor farmer's son. After all, this was his reality now, and there was no use in fighting it.
By late afternoon, when the sun had climbed high and the family was drenched in sweat, they finally called it a day. The work wasn't done, but they had made good progress, and there was no point in exhausting themselves completely. They gathered their tools and began the slow walk back to the village, where the cool shade of their home awaited them.
As they neared the house, Qin Hongchuan heard familiar voices drifting through the air. His mother's sister-in-law, Second Aunt Qin, known to the family as Liu Shi, was already there, her high-pitched chatter filling the quiet air. Liu Shi was a talkative woman who loved to gossip, and she often stopped by to visit Yu Shi whenever she had a free time.
"Ah, Yu Shi, you're back! I was just waiting for you to return!" Liu Shi called out with a laugh. She was sitting on a low stool just outside the house, fanning herself with a woven palm leaf fan. "Come sit with me. We can chat while the men rest."
Yu Shi smiled warmly and joined her sister-in-law, leaving the men to unload the tools and settle down. Qin Hongchuan lingered nearby, not particularly interested in their conversation but too tired to go inside just yet. Father Qin was not interested to listen to the women's talk, so he went inside the house while Qin Hongchuan found a spot in the shade, leaning against the wall, and listened in as the women spoke.
Liu Shi, as expected, immediately launched into her usual banter. "I was just telling my old man how steady A'Chuan is these days. Such a hard worker, too. Not like those lazy boys down in the village. You must be so proud, Yu Shi!"
Yu Shi beamed at the compliment, casting a fond glance towards her son. "He's always been a good boy, always helping out without complaint. We're fortunate to have him."
Liu Shi's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh, I'm sure all the young ladies in the village have taken notice of him by now. A strong, steady young man like A'Chuan—why, it won't be long before the matchmakers start knocking on your door! Have you thought about who might make a good wife for him?"
Yu Shi laughed, though there was a hint of embarrassment in her smile. "Oh, it's too soon to be thinking about that. He's still young."
"Nonsense!" Liu Shi waved her fan dismissively. "The boy's of marrying age, and he's already proven he can work hard. If you wait too long, all the good girls will be snatched up. Tell me, A'Chuan, is there anyone you've got your eye on? Any girl you fancy?"
Qin Hongchuan, who had been quietly listening, stiffened at the sudden attention. He wasn't used to being the subject of gossip, and the idea of marriage hadn't even crossed his mind in this new life. He glanced at Liu Shi, unsure of how to respond, but she just laughed at his silence.
"Look at him, so quiet! You don't have to be shy, A'Chuan. If you have a type, just let me know. I can help make some inquiries," she teased, her grin wide and playful.
A'Chuan shook his head, managing a faint smile. "No, Second Aunt. There's no one."
Liu Shi clicked her tongue. "Well, if you don't speak up soon, you'll end up with whoever your mother picks for you!"
Yu Shi chuckled softly, giving her son an affectionate look. "Don't worry, A'Chuan. There's plenty of time to think about marriage."
Liu Shi sighed dramatically. "I suppose. But don't wait too long, or I'll be old and gray by the time I get to dance at your wedding!"
The conversation drifted on, Qin Hongchuan's thoughts were elsewhere. Marriage. He was a married man just not too long ago, a marriage that lasted for more than 50 years with a woman he loved the most.
In this new life, he was only 15 years old, but in this dynasty he was old enough to get married.
However, Qin Hongchuan had already decided that if it wasn't his wife, Zhuxin, he would never entertain the idea of marrying someone else.
Anyway, the Qin family did not lack a son to continue the family's bloodline. Little Hongyuan would be responsible for expanding the family if his big brother did not find his fated one.
Of course, he wouldn't say all this to his parents.
At least for the time being.