Jiang Yun

Jiang Yun had a sickness.

A serious one.

The first time it struck was when he was five, at his grandmother's funeral.

He saw his grandmother, who should have been lying in her coffin, sitting in a corner of the funeral, looking at her family with deep reluctance, unwilling to leave.

But his grandmother still disappeared. That was the last time he ever saw her.

He told his parents and the elders in his family what had happened.

Everyone said he was sick.

As time went on, he saw more and more kinds of "people." He also realized that he was seriously ill, and was sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

The doctors at the psychiatric hospital were friendly and kind.

It was just that when they turned the electricity up too high, the pain became unbearable.

Whenever he said he wasn't sick, they gave him a shock.

His parents visited often during the first two years, but after they had another son, they came less and less.

Later, a group of Daoist priests showed up. They claimed they had been born able to see ghosts and gods, and were geniuses at cultivating Daoist Arts. They forcibly snatched him from the psychiatric hospital and injured several doctors in the process.

The doctors cursed them as lunatics, but didn't dare stop them.

It seemed that even they were afraid when they encountered real lunatics.

After the Daoist priests took him away, Jiang Yun learned all kinds of Daoist magic.

The priests were delighted, saying he had extraordinary talent and could become the youngest Celestial Master.

At last, when he was twenty-three, he became a Celestial Master and donned a purple robe.

Just as everyone thought he had a bright future ahead of him, he died.

Not at the hands of Demons and Monsters, but while crossing the road, when a dump truck ran a red light. That dump truck was going really fast...

In Nanzhou Prefecture City at the start of winter, a thin layer of snow had already settled on the roofs.

In an old courtyard in the city.

"Uncle Wu, my brother is a scholar. When our parents were alive, they wouldn't even let him work."

"Please don't come here again."

A girl of about sixteen, dressed in coarse cloth, stood at the courtyard gate, stopping a middle-aged man who wanted to enter.

The girl's face was sallow, clearly showing signs of malnutrition. Winter had already begun, yet she was dressed lightly.

The middle-aged man called Uncle Wu was dressed like a businessman. He scowled and glared at the girl. "A scholar?"

"Can you really support him until he becomes a top scholar by doing mending and laundry out in the world, all by yourself?"

"Jiang Yun is only a Tong Sheng even now. He hasn't even passed the Xiucai exam."

"I'm afraid you two will starve to death before he manages to become a Xiucai."

Jiang Yun lay inside the room, thinking about two things.

First, that dump truck had been really fast.

Second, it looked like he'd transmigrated and taken over someone else's body?

He could hear the conversation outside.

He didn't know much about this world.

He only knew that his original self's parents had died young, and he had lived with his younger sister, Jiang Qiaoqiao, since childhood.

Every day, he stayed home reading and studying characters.

The burden of supporting the family had fallen entirely on his young sister, Jiang Qiaoqiao.

Jiang Qiaoqiao went out early and came home late each day, mending clothes and doing laundry for others, earning just enough copper coins to scrape by.

Yet his original self thought she earned too little, leaving him unable to buy the newest books and commentaries.

He even blamed his failure to pass the Xiucai exam on that.

When talking with other scholars, he would often sigh that if only his family were wealthy, he would have earned a degree long ago.

Later, he even began plotting to marry off his younger sister and get enough money from it to earn himself a degree.

Luckily, that bastard hadn't had the chance to put his plan into action. A few days earlier, he had gone drinking and carousing with several other Tong Sheng, accidentally fallen into a river, caught a chill, and died.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yun looked out the window at the middle-aged man talking with Jiang Qiaoqiao.

He remembered him, too.

In his memories, the man's name was Wu Chenhu. He was an old friend of his father's and had visited several times. On his previous visits, he had tried to find Jiang Yun some work so he could earn money.

But his original self had refused several times, claiming he was a scholar who couldn't tell his limbs from his grains, and that working would surely interfere with his studies and prevent him from earning a degree.

"I knew your parents for many years. Do you think I'm worried about that rascal Jiang Yun? I'm worried about you, young lady. You're so young, yet you're working yourself to the bone. It's not worth it," Wu Chenhu said angrily. "I've heard that Jiang Yun has gone drinking and carousing with people several times lately, and even insisted on paying the bill."

Jiang Qiaoqiao hurriedly explained, "My brother told me that scholars discuss literature when they get together. It's normal to spend some money."

She paused, then bit her lip. "I'll find a way to earn more."

"Earn more?" Wu Chenhu said with some frustration. "He owes more than twenty taels of silver. Do you know that?"

"And he owes it to Peng San and that gang of hooligans. If he can't pay them back, they'll bury Jiang Yun alive."

"Ah." Hearing that amount, Jiang Qiaoqiao froze in fright.

She truly hadn't realized that drinking could cost so much.

She worked as hard as she could, but even after a full day's labor, she only earned a dozen or so copper coins.

Sometimes she earned a little more because wealthy families nearby knew her situation and deliberately left her a few extra pieces of clothing to wash.

A dou of rice cost five wen. Usually, one tael of silver was worth about a thousand copper coins, enough to buy two hundred dou of rice.

For the two siblings, even saving one tael of silver was no easy feat.

Let alone more than twenty taels.

Hearing all this from inside the room, Jiang Yun couldn't help cursing his original self as a complete bastard.

Having inherited some of the man's memories, he knew perfectly well that the fellow simply wasn't cut out for studying.

He'd only used it as an excuse to avoid working.

Jiang Qiaoqiao was the one he felt sorry for. She truly believed Jiang Yun studied hard every day and was determined to earn a degree.

She was willing to suffer any hardship for that.

At that moment, Jiang Qiaoqiao was terrified. Peng San and his gang of hooligans were not people to trifle with.

She asked urgently, "Uncle Wu, do you know any household that needs a maid? Maybe you could send me to work as one?"

"I'm very good at working. I can do laundry, cook, and mend clothes. Everyone nearby knows that."

As she spoke, Jiang Qiaoqiao hurriedly raised her hands.

A sixteen-year-old girl should have had fair, delicate hands, but hers were already covered in calluses. They also bore many little wounds from accidentally pricking herself with a needle while mending clothes.

"You silly girl, what household would pay more than twenty taels of silver to hire a maid?"

"I didn't come here this time to introduce him to a job."

"Master Huang, who lives outside the city, has taken a liking to Jiang Yun and recognizes him as a scholar."

"He wants to take him as his son-in-law."

Hearing this, Jiang Qiaoqiao still wanted to shake her head and refuse. "Uncle Wu, before our parents died, their final wish was for my brother to earn a degree."

"How can he go live with another family as their son-in-law?"

"Huang Manor is offering forty taels of silver," Wu Chenhu said.

"If that debt your brother owes isn't repaid—"

"He'll lose his life. What good will earning a degree do then?"

"Besides, Miss Huang is elegant and beautiful, and her family has money and land..."

"Uncle Wu, I'll go."

Jiang Yun's voice came from inside the room.

The door creaked open, and Jiang Yun walked out, looking a little weak.

After all, the other party liked him because he was a scholar.

Wu Chenhu's face finally brightened when Jiang Yun agreed. He hurriedly took a bag of silver from his robes and handed it to Jiang Yun. "Here's twenty taels of silver as a deposit."

"I'll bring your sister the remaining twenty taels after you've joined the family."

"I'll come to fetch the bride tomorrow evening."

After saying this, Wu Chenhu hurried off, afraid Jiang Yun might change his mind.

"Brother." Jiang Qiaoqiao looked worried and tried to persuade him again. "After I finish washing the clothes, I can go outside the city to chop some firewood and sell it."

"Besides, the Wu family's young lady likes me, too. She's asked me several times to be her maid."

"If I ask her, she might be willing to lend us some silver."

Jiang Yun said, "Qiaoqiao, go to Butcher Hu's and get a piece of meat. I want to eat meat."

Seeing the concern on Jiang Qiaoqiao's face, Jiang Yun felt a little warmth in his heart. He hadn't known what it was like to have family for a long time.

As for this world, he would take things as they came. His most urgent task was to repay the debt and avoid any further trouble.

Becoming someone's son-in-law seemed fine. He just didn't know what Miss Huang looked like.

The following evening, Jiang Yun dressed himself up nicely and put on a clean white scholar's robe.

After all, the other party liked him for being a scholar.

Wu Chenhu arrived soon, bringing a black bridal sedan and four bearers.

"Qiaoqiao, once I'm settled over there, I'll find a way to bring you to live with me."

"If anything happens, come find me."

After giving her instructions, Jiang Yun stepped forward and asked curiously, "Uncle Wu, is this all the people Huang Manor sent to fetch their son-in-law?"

Wu Chenhu chuckled and lowered his voice. "They're doing this to spare your family's dignity."

"After all, becoming a live-in son-in-law isn't something to be proud of. It wouldn't be good for too many people to find out."

"All right, get into the sedan. We don't want to miss the auspicious hour."

Jiang Yun nodded and climbed into the sedan.

Perhaps evening weddings were the custom in this world.

He didn't think much of it. In his previous life, many places—for example, Guizhou—also had the tradition of fetching the bride at dusk.

Riding in a sedan wasn't as comfortable as he'd imagined.

It rocked and swayed. If he sat in it much longer, he felt his bones might rattle loose.

After they left the city and had traveled for about an hour, Wu Chenhu's voice came from outside. "We're almost there."

At last.

Jiang Yun looked outside. They had already left the city and were traveling along a country lane.

In the distance, he could make out a grand manor.

White lanterns hung on either side of the gate, and a plaque above it bore the words "Huang Manor."

Soon, the gate opened, and a thin, tall old man walked out of Huang Manor. He wore a black robe and a hat.

"Boss Wu, you've delivered him right on time."

Wu Chenhu's face was solemn as he cupped his hands. "Steward Huang, I've brought him here. I'll take my leave."

After speaking, Wu Chenhu gave Huang Manor a strange look and hurried away.

The thin, tall old man, who had been called Steward Huang, lifted the sedan's curtain and glanced at Jiang Yun. He gave a slight nod and said coldly, "Take the young master to bathe."

The sedan swayed as it entered the courtyard.

It was a large manor with three courtyards, one behind another.

White lanterns hung everywhere, their candlelight flickering and making the place seem especially eerie.

Jiang Yun was puzzled and asked the steward outside, "Steward Huang, why are there white lanterns on such a festive day?"

Could this be a custom in their world?

Steward Huang gave Jiang Yun a humorless glance and said blandly, "The young master will find out soon enough."

Before long, Jiang Yun saw many square banquet tables set up in the courtyard. Steaming dishes and wine had already been brought out.

Through the sedan curtain, Jiang Yun saw countless guests sitting there, drinking and eating with lively enthusiasm. Yet none of them had a trace of color in their faces.

Jiang Yun bit his right middle finger and smeared the blood on his forehead. When he opened his eyes and looked again—

These weren't guests at all. They were Paper Figures, made of white paper, seated around the tables. The sight was utterly eerie.

Soon, he was brought to the entrance of a room.

Jiang Yun understood that this place was strange. He needed to find a way to escape, so he made an excuse. "Steward Huang, I need to relieve myself. Where's the latrine?"

Steward Huang said, "Bring the young master a chamber pot."

Jiang Yun rolled his eyes, trying to think of another excuse. Steward Huang was getting impatient. He said to the four bearers, "Help the young master take off his clothes."

The four sedan bearers were strong and sturdy. Jiang Yun's original body had only just recovered from a serious illness, and it couldn't resist them at all.

They quickly stripped Jiang Yun until he was wearing nothing but his underpants, then made him climb into the bathing tub.

Then Steward Huang came over carrying several bags.

"Same as always. Add dried ginger, dried tangerine peel, cardamom, star anise, and saffron to the tub."

Jiang Yun frowned slightly. No matter how he looked at the recipe, it didn't sound like something for a bath.

Once they added everything, the tub filled with a rich fragrance.

Steward Huang's face held a trace of something strange as he said with a humorless smile,

"Stay in there a while and let the flavor soak in. Otherwise, Miss won't like you."

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