Chapter 1: Chen Yuan
Feng Kingdom, Jinzhou.
Cloud Mountain City.
Under the dim sky, a faint ray of light fell upon the earth, illuminating the town enclosed by gray-white city walls.
The morning market had just opened, and the sun had yet to rise.
On the western street market, a group of poorly dressed commoners, like industrious ants, had already begun to busy themselves for their livelihood.
"Be quick with your hands and feet; don't dawdle!"
"…"
"When collecting goods, make sure to register everything properly. Don't just grab whatever you like!"
In a corner of the market.
Several carts loaded with fresh pork and lamb from the slaughterhouse were parked, surrounded by a crowd of butchers. Each one strained to push forward, eager to collect their goods.
In the crowd.
Chen Yuan inhaled the foul stench of sweat and feet around him, feeling dizzy from the oppressive jostling.
At 1.6 meters tall, with faint stubble on his lips, a dark and youthful face, and emerging sharp features, he wore coarse brown clothes and a pair of black-and-yellow cloth shoes.
His thin and weak frame made him unnoticeable among the robust men around him.
In no time, his small stature and lack of strength caused him to be shoved out of the line.
'It's over. This time, I'll probably only get the scraps that don't sell well...'
Chen Yuan stumbled and looked at the "wall of people" in front of him. Shaking his head, he felt helpless.
His current body was only sixteen or seventeen years old, still undeveloped and no match for these strong men who specialized in hauling meat.
'In my previous life, I often complained about work being too hard, with little pay and too much to do. I even joked about quitting to sell pork. Who knew it would really come true?'
Surveying the damp and messy dockyard, his gaze lingered on the bustling peers around him, and Chen Yuan couldn't help but reflect on the events of the past few days. His emotions were mixed.
Yes, it had been five days since he came to this world.
From initial confusion to gradually adapting and striving to survive, he could barely say he had integrated into this world.
Five days wasn't long.
But to Chen Yuan, it felt like an eternity.
This was a land called Great Feng, resembling ancient China.
The place he found himself in was a city under the jurisdiction of Jinzhou within Feng Kingdom.
The city was called Cloud Mountain City, home to over 100,000 people.
In this life, Chen Yuan's family background was decent.
His father, Chen Ye, was a clerk in the local government office, a typical "bureaucratic household," better off than ordinary commoners.
However, Chen Yuan's personal situation wasn't ideal.
His mother abandoned the family shortly after his birth, leaving Cloud Mountain City.
His father later married a stepmother and had a younger brother and sister.
Chen Yuan's father, harboring resentment toward his ex-wife, transferred some of that negativity onto him, treating him with cold indifference.
After remarrying and having more children, his father grew even more neglectful, while his stepmother was naturally harsh.
Chen Yuan's life at home was predictably harsh.
He rarely had new clothes, lived in a dim and cramped wood shed, and had to do heavy labor for the family—no different from a servant.
In fact, the reason Chen Yuan ended up in this world was that his predecessor had worked himself to death, succumbing to illness from overexertion.
Of course, as a transmigrator, Chen Yuan didn't feel much attachment to his predecessor's family and never considered relying on them for a better life.
The problem was that the world was chaotic, with people struggling to survive amid rampant banditry and unrest.
Even getting enough to eat was a significant challenge for most.
Due to his family's limitations, Chen Yuan found no opportunities to improve his situation using his modern knowledge.
Left with no other choice, he followed his predecessor's life path, taking over his job of selling pork at the western market.
Thanks to his father's government position, they had a deal with the local slaughterhouse gang, allowing them to buy slaughtered pigs at a low price for resale in the market.
His stepmother was unwilling to spend money hiring someone for the job, so it fell to Chen Yuan.
This work had been part of his predecessor's routine for two years.
While his predecessor was used to it, Chen Yuan, being new, struggled to adjust.
Today's struggles to secure supplies were just one example.
Following his predecessor's memories, he knew that failing to get good goods today would lead to scolding at home.
Chen Yuan's mood was naturally sour.
"Brother Yuan, over here!"
Suddenly.
A voice called out from a distance.
Chen Yuan turned his head and saw a young man in an old scholar's robe sitting at a nearby noodle stand.
The scholar was pale and thin, clearly not in the best health.
"Brother Lin?"
Chen Yuan walked over.
The scholar, Lin Cheng, was an accountant for the local gang and a friend of his predecessor.
"I've already arranged your goods for you," Lin Cheng said, waving him over. "No need to fight with the others. Once the crowd disperses, I'll take you to collect them."
He continued, "I ordered two bowls of plain noodles. You haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? Come and eat with me."
(Continued...)