Starting Off by Recognizing a Godfather

The year was 193 AD, the fourth year of the Chuping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

In the depths of midwinter, Xu Province was a scene of utter desolation.

Having just endured the ravages of war, the paths were devoid of travelers, and the villages and farmsteads were silent, lacking even the crowing of a rooster.

Cao Cao had raised an army to invade Xu Province under the pretext of avenging his father. Tao Qian was soundly defeated at Pengcheng and retreated to Tancheng, while Cao Cao slaughtered tens of thousands of men and women, casting their bodies into the Si River.

Historical records state: The river ceased to flow.

Later, Cao Cao failed to take Tancheng after a prolonged siege, so he withdrew his troops to attack the surrounding commanderies and counties, leaving no living thing in the wake of his blades.

Regardless of how those who later admired the treacherous Cao might try to whitewash his reputation, his atrocities in slaughtering Xu Province were already etched into history.

Outside Wang Family Village, south of Xiaopei City, beside a withered willow tree at the village entrance.

A young man who had originally died of starvation suddenly stood up.

Braving the goose-feather snow, the young man lifted his heavy legs and walked toward the silent village ahead.

Where am I? Is this a dream?

And what is going on with this body?

Just as he reached a mud-walled hut, he collapsed into the snow with a thud.

"Father, come quickly! There is someone outside." A young woman called out urgently.

Hearing his daughter's cry, a dark-faced man hurried out of the house. He glanced at the emaciated youth on the ground and shook his head. "This child must have starved to death. Qian'er, go back inside; I will carry him to the mass grave outside the village."

"Father, look closer. Perhaps he can still be saved."

The dark-faced man hesitated for a moment, then leaned over the youth and reached out to hover his hand beneath the boy's nose.

Indeed, there was still a faint breath.

"Then we shall save him; it will not be in vain for the gods to protect our father and daughter." The dark-faced man hoisted the youth onto his shoulders.

A hint of joy appeared on the maiden's fair face as she skipped along behind her father into the house.

Opening his eyes once more, the view was somewhat dim.

The ceiling consisted of primitive beams and tiles. Lan Tian supported his frail body and sat up.

Looking around, he discovered he was in a mud-brick room, where a charcoal brazier kept the air toasty warm.

Could I have returned to my childhood home? But why does this room look so different?

"Cough, cough."

Hearing movement, the young girl burst inside.

"You're awake? Father, he's awake!" the girl shouted happily.

Lan Tian saw that the girl was beautiful, appearing to be about sixteen or seventeen. Her attire was archaic, just like in period dramas. Although she wore coarse winter clothing, her skin was as white as jade, comparable to the actress Li Xiaoran.

The dark-faced man followed her in. He glanced at Lan Tian and nodded. "You have a tough life, lad. Qian'er, go fetch a bowl of hot soup to warm him up."

"Oh," the girl called Qian'er replied.

That tone... they seem to be father and daughter.

That's a bit absurd. The appearance of this man in front of me is vastly different from this pretty young girl.

The legendary case of a bad bamboo producing a good shoot?

Qian'er brought over a steaming bowl of soup; inside the bowl floated a vegetable leaf he did not recognize.

The shape of the bowl was primitive, and the soup was truly scalding.

"Drink?" Lan Tian managed to squeeze out a single word.

"Drink your fill. You need not be polite. Since you fell into trouble at my doorstep, it is only right for me, Gan Ji, to perform a good deed."

Lan Tian rolled his large eyes, thinking to himself, Where on earth is this place?

Gulp, gulp. He downed a mouthful of hot soup.

Damn it, this tastes awful.

However, he endured it.

Although the flavor was truly poor, Lan Tian instantly felt much warmer. This dream feels a bit too real.

"Who are you? From which village did you flee?" Gan Ji asked, looking at Lan Tian.

Lan Tian stared at the other man, completely bewildered. You ask me? Who the hell am I supposed to ask?

Seeing Lan Tian remain silent, Gan Ji stood up and said, "If you do not wish to speak, then so be it. Whether you are a local from Xu Province or a refugee from Jingluo, Cao Cao's butcher knife cares not who you are. Once you have rested, go home on your own."

"My name is Gan Qian. What is yours?" As soon as Gan Ji left, the young girl asked, cupping her face in her hands.

"Lan Tian."

"Where are you from?"

"Where am I from? East China Agricultural University."

Gan Qian scratched her forehead, wondering to herself, What kind of place is East China Agricultural University?

"Did Cao Cao's bandit troops also slaughter your village?" Gan Qian continued to ask.

"Cao Cao?" Lan Tian looked completely bewildered.

"Yes. My father and I were washing clothes by the river at the time, which is how we escaped the disaster. Over a thousand people in Wang Family Village were killed," Gan Qian said, looking somewhat despondent.

"Wait, may I ask what year it is now?" Lan Tian suddenly felt that something was wrong.

"I heard the master of the house mention it half a year ago; it seems to be the fourth year of Chuping," Gan Qian said, struggling to recall.

Upon hearing this, Lan Tian felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The fourth year of Chuping—this sounded like a reign title from the Eastern Han and the Three Kingdoms period.

Lan Tian had played plenty of Three Kingdoms-themed games. After repeated confirmation, he finally realized he wasn't dreaming; he had truly and undeniably transmigrated.

This world was the chaotic end of the Han Dynasty, the era of the Three Kingdoms where warlords vied for supremacy.

Yet, his transmigration was rather sloppy: he knew no martial arts, understood no military strategy, and didn't even have a system.

The most miserable part was that he didn't even have the status of a noble family; his background was even worse than Liu the Imperial Uncle, who started out selling straw sandals.

"Lan Tian, what's wrong with you?" Seeing his dazed expression, Gan Qian asked immediately, full of suspicion.

"It's nothing. I... I have nowhere to go now. Could you take me in?" Lan Tian said, imitating the tone he had heard in television dramas.

"I cannot make that decision; Father must be the one to decide," Gan Qian said, hesitating.

Gan Qian walked with lotus steps to the outer hall, where her father, Gan Ji, had been waiting. He had heard their conversation clearly.

"Father, can Lan Tian..." Gan Qian stopped mid-sentence, afraid her father would refuse.

"The village was just ransacked by Cao's troops. The little grain we have left is only enough for the two of us to survive the winter. We'll have to borrow seeds for the spring plowing next year," Gan Ji said tactfully.

Inside the room, Lan Tian was thin as a rail. Given their own dire straits, adding another mouth to feed was no small matter; if this father and daughter were to act out of kindness, they would surely go hungry.

"I... I can go out into the wild and forage for wild vegetables," Gan Qian said, unable to bear the thought.

Now, nine out of ten houses in Wang Family Village were empty, and it was hard to find anyone to talk to. Seeing that Lan Tian was her age, Gan Qian had developed a sense of pity.

"It's freezing outside now. Even peeling tree bark and digging for roots won't be easy. Very well," Gan Ji said. Recalling the catastrophe from half a month ago, he thought that since he and his daughter were still alive, it was better to perform good deeds and accumulate merit.

Gan Ji was originally a tenant farmer in Wang Family Village, and his master was the local landlord. Over the past two years, many refugees had come from the Jingluo region, and his master had quickly become wealthy.

When Cao's troops passed through, Gan Ji and his daughter were outside the village washing clothes, which accidentally allowed them to escape the disaster. However, their wealthy master was mercilessly slaughtered by the bandits for trying to protect his grain. Not only were all his possessions looted, but not a single grain of millet remained in the storehouse.

Although Gan Ji's house was also raided, the bandits lost interest once they saw the bare walls inside. Thus, the small amount of grain the Gan family had hidden in their cellar was luckily preserved.

After Cao's troops left, officials from Xiaopei came to the village to pacify the people. Gan Ji helped collect and bury the corpses, and in the process, he picked up quite a few clothes to bring home.

Although they would be hungry this winter, at least they wouldn't freeze.

Lan Tian had lain on the bed for two days, and his cold had healed on its own. This tough-as-nails fellow made Gan Ji click his tongue in wonder.

Gan Qian fed him millet porridge every day to satisfy his hunger. He always felt empty inside and not fully fed, but living under someone else's roof, he felt too embarrassed to ask for more.

"Sister, is there a river nearby? Let's go catch some fish to eat." Once Lan Tian got out of bed, he had a craving for meat.

After he recovered, Gan Qian had helped him groom himself, and he turned out to be a handsome young man with delicate features. Seeing that Lan Tian was about fifteen and got along very well with Gan Qian, Gan Ji adopted him as a foster son, thinking that he would be an extra pair of hands for farm work next year.

Lan Tian knew that in this era, just staying alive was good enough—what more could he ask for? But he was a master's student in agriculture; even if he couldn't dominate the world like other transmigrators, he shouldn't have to worry about food.

He secretly kept in mind how Gan Qian saved her own rations to feed him; to receive kindness and not repay it would be beastly.

"There is a small river at the east end of the village where I usually go to wash clothes. But it's snowing heavily outside now; wouldn't you freeze if you went into the river to catch fish?" Gan Qian asked.

"Hehe, I have a way," Lan Tian said with a mysterious smile.

In the world before Lan Tian's transmigration, short-video platforms were very popular. He particularly loved wilderness survival content, from which he had learned quite a bit.

Although the conditions were poor now, it wasn't quite the Stone Age; at the very least, there were hemp ropes and cutting tools.

Gan Ji's household grain was very tight, so Lan Tian couldn't afford to be like those fishing experts who bait the water. He wove several traps out of vines and branches, fixed them in place at several spots along the river, and then prepared to leave with Gan Qian.

Gan Qian looked completely bewildered. "Is that it? Don't we need to stay and watch?"

"No need to freeze here. Let's come back and check tomorrow," Lan Tian said with a grin.

Just as they were about to head home, Gan Qian suddenly pushed Lan Tian to the ground. He was so weak that he fell at the slightest touch from a woman; the poor state of his body was evident.

"Little brother, be careful. The bandit troops are back."

Not far away on the main road, a troop of men and horses was marching through the wind and snow. Gan Qian had been terrified by the actions of Cao's troops half a month ago, and this move was a subconscious reaction.

Although Lan Tian was a master's student in agriculture, he had dabbled in history. He thought to himself that Cao Cao had retreated from the slaughter of Xu Province because Lu Bu had raided his home base; it was unlikely they would return so soon.

This place was called Xiaopei. Could it be that Liu Big Ears had arrived?