Chapter Summaries

After waking in the body of An Ziran, the sixteen-year-old heir to the An Family, a stranger found himself adjusting to his new identity and resolved to lose weight. The recent deaths of An Changfu and Liu Meixiang had plunged the grieving family into crisis.

• On the third day of the New Year, the An Family estate stood in mourning after hanging white lanterns for the dead.
• A maid brought hot water to An Ziran, who rose slowly and struggled to dress because of his heavy build.
• An Ziran saw his fat face in the water and reaffirmed his goal of losing weight.
• An Ziran recalled that he had awakened in the body three days earlier and learned that An Changfu and Liu Meixiang had died.
• An Ziran reflected on his family: An Changfu had built the estate’s fortune, while Liu Meixiang was his respected first wife and the mother of An Ziran’s siblings.

An Ziran visited the mourning hall for his deceased parents and observed how his father’s concubines behaved around him. He left the funeral arrangements to Fourth Concubine Wang Qinglan, who resolved to keep close to him as the family’s only decision-maker.

• An Ziran arrived at the mourning hall and found Second Concubine Fang Junping and Fourth Concubine Wang Qinglan weeping before his parents’ coffins.
• Wang Qinglan expressed concern for An Ziran, while Fang Junping urged him to offer incense and kowtow to his parents.
• An Ziran offered incense and remained in the mourning hall for nearly half an hour.
• Wang Qinglan told An Ziran to rest and offered to handle his parents’ funeral arrangements; he agreed and returned to his room.
• After An Ziran left, Wang Qinglan decided she had to cling to him because she had no children and he was the An Family’s only decision-maker.

An Ziran reviewed how his father’s marriages and the births of his siblings shaped the An Family, and recalled that his parents had died in a bandit attack after An Ziming’s first-month celebration. He concluded that the incident three days earlier had not been an accident.

• An Ziran recalled how Fang Junping and Zheng Bi lost favor after giving birth to daughters, while Liu Meixiang secured her position by bearing An Ziran, the family’s first son.
• An Ziran remembered that An Yuzhi was cherished because she was Liu Meixiang’s daughter, while An Qiaoe and An Kexin grew up neglected by their father.
• An Ziran recalled that Wang Qinglan had no children before An Changfu died, leaving the An Family’s wealth and authority to An Ziran and An Ziming.
• An Changfu and Liu Meixiang died in a bandit attack while returning from a temple visit after An Ziming’s first-month celebration.
• An Ziran remembered the concubines’ angry reactions to the deaths and concluded that what had happened to him three days earlier was no accident.

After surviving what appeared to be an attempt on his life, An Ziran suspected someone wanted the An Family’s property and resolved to take control of the family while investigating. He headed to the mourning hall after Steward Su told him the First Master had arrived.

• An Ziran recalled that he had been found unconscious in the snow and suspected someone had tried to kill him for the An Family’s property.
• An Ziran decided to lose weight, take control of the family, and uncover the culprit before they could strike again.
• After waking at noon, An Ziran ate only a little and ordered Chunlan and Qiulan to bring him An Changfu’s account books in the study.
• Steward Su told An Ziran that the First Master had arrived and was in the mourning hall.
• An Ziran agreed to go see the First Master.

An Changde tried to win An Ziran’s trust and position himself to take control of the An Family’s estate, but An Ziran saw through his intentions. After An Changde left the mourning hall, An Ziran went to visit his younger sister, An Yuzhi.

• An Ziran arrived at the mourning hall and saw An Changde pretending to grieve over An Changfu’s death.
• An Changde offered to protect An Ziran and manage the An Family, but An Ziran calmly said he would take charge as its sole heir.
• An Changde warned An Ziran that others might seize the estate, while Wang Qinglan challenged his implication that she was an outsider.
• An Changde defended his claim to be part of the An Family, then left after urging An Ziran to rely on him.
• An Ziran left the mourning hall and went to see An Yuzhi.

After his parents were buried, An Ziran recovered and began preparing to manage the An Family by exercising and studying its accounts. His uncle An Changde and his wife arrived to visit, threatening to disrupt the household’s fragile calm.

• An Ziran visited his younger sister An Yuzhi, whose surprise at his concern showed how distant they had been.
• An Changfu and Liu Meixiang were buried in a grand funeral arranged by Steward Su.
• An Ziran recovered, created a weight-loss plan, and astonished the household by rising early to exercise and eat breakfast.
• An Ziran began frequently visiting An Changfu’s study and practicing calligraphy so he could handle the family accounts.
• An Changde and his wife came calling three days after the burial.

An Ziran rejected An Changde and Wu Zhi’s attempts to take control of the An Family’s business and inner courtyard. He left them with their pretenses torn away and An Changde warning him not to be too ruthless.

• Wu Zhi proposed that An Changde help manage the An Family, but An Ziran refused and said Steward Su had taught him to handle the estate.
• Wu Zhi called Steward Su an outsider, and An Ziran defended him as An Changfu’s trusted servant.
• An Changde proposed that Wu Zhi manage the inner courtyard, but An Ziran refused and said he could manage it himself or rely on his concubines.
• Wu Zhi accused An Ziran of looking down on his elders, but he answered politely and dismissed them.
• An Changde warned An Ziran not to be too ruthless, and An Ziran left the hall as An Changde and Wu Zhi departed in anger.

An Ziran learned from Steward Su why An Changde’s scholarly rank and Madam Wu’s connection to the Yong Prefecture Prefect made them dangerous opponents. He ordered surveillance of his uncle’s family, but An Changde moved before they were ready.

• An Ziran continued practicing calligraphy while Steward Su worried about his confrontation with An Changde and Madam Wu.
• Steward Su explained that scholars held higher status than merchants in Da Ya, giving even a xiucai like An Changde influence over the An Family.
• Steward Su warned that Madam Wu’s sister was favored by the Yong Prefecture Prefect and could use that connection against the family.
• An Ziran asked Steward Su to find someone reliable to watch An Changde’s family for suspicious actions.
• Steward Su gave the order the next day, but An Changde acted so quickly that they were caught off guard.

An Ziran met with the An Family’s four stewards after unrest among farmers over the family’s land and debts suddenly intensified. Steward Feng began explaining the dispute, leaving An Ziran to decide how to handle the growing resistance.

• Su Zi told An Ziran that the four stewards had arrived at the residence with an urgent matter.
• An Ziran went to the main hall and saw that the stewards remained doubtful of his ability to manage the family business.
• Steward Feng explained that An Changfu had acquired farmers’ land through underhanded means and bound many of them to generations of debt.
• The farmers’ resistance, which had begun after An Changfu’s death, had worsened sharply over the past few days.

After farmers raided the An Family’s grain shops, An Ziran considered whether his uncle was behind the unrest and questioned how to respond. He warned that Magistrate Zhang might already be protecting the plot, so the family needed to prepare before appealing to the authorities.

• Farmers returned to the An Family’s grain shops in larger numbers, seizing storefront grain and causing similar trouble at shops managed by the other stewards.
• Steward Feng and three other stewards reported the raids to An Ziran and suspected someone was stirring up trouble after An Changfu’s death.
• An Ziran asked why the farmers had acted and considered whether An Changde was behind the attacks.
• Steward Liu proposed reporting the grain thefts to the authorities, but An Ziran cautioned that Magistrate Zhang might shield the farmers.
• An Ziran said the family needed to make preparations before going to the authorities, surprising the four stewards with his judgment.

An Ziran trapped the rioters who robbed Steward Feng’s grain shop and persuaded the farmers to stop resisting by promising to reduce their land rent and forgive their debts. He promised to return their promissory notes in three mornings, while the man inciting the riot remained under suspicion.

• Half a month after the first grain robbery, rioters raided a shop managed by Steward Feng and were surrounded by waiting thugs.
• An Ziran appeared as the rioters panicked, and a short, furtive-looking man urged them to attack the An Family.
• An Ziran warned the farmers that robbery could send them to prison and asked them to consider their families.
• An Ziran promised the An Family would stop charging exorbitant land rent and forgive the farmers’ debts.
• The short man accused An Ziran of lying, but An Ziran promised to return the farmers’ promissory notes in three mornings and left Steward Feng to handle the rest.

An Ziran decided to give up the An Family’s promissory notes and had them brought out and sorted. After the farmers dispersed from the grain shop, Steward Feng’s men traced the unrest to An Changde, who waited to see whether An Ziran would honor his decision.

• An Ziran dismissed Steward Su’s objections and ordered him to bring out the promissory notes and summon Su Zi.
• An Ziran used a key he had found in An Changfu’s study to open the chest of promissory notes.
• An Ziran and the two stewards sorted the notes into grain loans and silver loans while he examined their details.
• Steward Feng reported that the farmers had dispersed after An Ziran left the grain shop, wary of being jailed.
• Steward Feng’s men followed the short man and confirmed that An Changde had orchestrated the unrest.
• An Changde waited to see whether An Ziran would give up the promissory notes as promised.

An Ziran confronted his father’s three concubines after they challenged his plan to return the farmers’ promissory notes. He enforced the An Family’s rules and left the women intimidated and wary of him.

• Wang Qinglan, Fang Junping, and Zheng Bi questioned An Ziran about returning the farmers’ promissory notes.
• An Ziran reminded the three concubines that they had violated the An Family’s rules by entering the study and involving themselves in its business.
• Fang Junping argued that the women were his elders, but An Ziran threatened to send her away and warned that her behavior could ruin An Qiaoe’s marriage prospects.
• Fang Junping backed down, and Zheng Bi and Wang Qinglan abandoned their objections.
• The three concubines left the study in disgrace, and Wang Qinglan realized An Ziran could no longer be handled with her old methods.

An Ziran distributed the townspeople’s promissory notes and punished the tenant farmers who had joined the grain-shop robberies. He also announced a major rent reduction, while An Changde learned that his scheme had failed.

• An Ziran opened the grain shop and began returning the townspeople’s promissory notes as Steward Feng organized the distribution.
• An Changde’s agents tried to stir up the waiting crowd, but they were seized and dragged into an alley after the notes began going out.
• An Ziran withheld the notes of the tenant farmers who had robbed the shop and required them to sign new notes for one-third of their debts.
• An Ziran returned the farmers’ old notes and announced that the An Family’s rent would drop from seventy percent of the harvest to forty percent.
• An Changde heard the news and darkened with anger.

After An Ziran resolved the crisis by giving up the An Family’s debt notes and reducing tenant farmers’ rent, An Changde and Wu Zhi feared they would inherit an empty estate. Wu Zhi vowed to use her maternal family to seize control of the An Family, leaving An Ziran facing a new threat.

• An Changde smashed Wu Zhi’s treasured tea set in anger over An Ziran’s actions.
• An Changde sent Zhang Wanqin away before telling Wu Zhi that An Ziran had given up the debt notes and lowered the tenants’ rent.
• Wu Zhi worried that An Ziran would give away the An Family’s property before they could take control of it.
• Wu Zhi promised to call on her maternal family to act against An Ziran, and An Changde trusted her plan.

An Ziran won over the people of Anyuan County by cutting the An Family’s rice prices for five days, while An Changde and his wife grew more resentful. After two months of weight loss, An Ziran was still short of his goal when Steward Su hurried over with urgent news.

• An Ziran cut the An Family’s rice prices in half for five days, and crowds from Anyuan County and neighboring counties rushed to buy rice.
• The An Family’s shops let people who could not afford rice buy it on interest-free credit, while An Changde and his wife complained that An Ziran was wasting the family’s fortune.
• An Ziran continued his weight-loss regimen, losing twelve jin in the first month and twenty jin in the second, but remaining fourteen jin above his target.
• Chunlan brought An Ziran hot water and privately ran to tell Qiulan and the others how adorable he looked in the mirror.
• An Ziran met Steward Su on his way to breakfast and realized something urgent had happened.

An Ziran learned that An Changde and his wife had persuaded Prefect Jiang and Magistrate Zhang to frame the An Family and seize its property. He ordered Steward Su to keep watch and decided to move part of the family’s assets before the authorities acted.

• Steward Su told An Ziran that An Changde’s side had begun making moves again.
• Wu Yun urged her husband, Prefect Jiang Zhongting, to target the An Family and seize its wealth by accusing them of a crime.
• Jiang Zhongting and Magistrate Zhang agreed to plot against the An Family.
• An Ziran told Steward Su to continue watching An Changde and said they would adapt when the authorities made their move.
• An Ziran planned to transfer part of the An Family’s assets before the officials could act.

An Ziran struggled to find a way to move the An Family’s hidden treasury without alerting An Changde. After visiting his sick infant brother, An Ziming, and growing closer to him, An Ziran was left alone with Steward Su, who prepared to reveal an important matter.

• An Ziran reviewed the An Family’s accounts and worried that moving An Changfu’s hidden treasury might expose it to An Changde and Wu Zhi.
• Yue Ju told An Ziran that An Ziming had developed a fever, so An Ziran hurried to Maple Court.
• An Ziran comforted An Ziming, who smiled at him, and a physician diagnosed the baby with a mild fever.
• An Ziran returned that afternoon and stayed with the recovering An Ziming until Steward Su came to speak with him.
• Steward Su decided to tell An Ziran about an important matter, and An Ziran sent the wet nurse and maids outside.

Steward Su revealed that Old Master An had arranged An Yuzhi’s engagement to a family in Gentlemen City, hoping the connection would protect the An Family from its hostile relatives. An Ziran decided to seek out the family and use the half jade pendant to make them honor the promise.

• Old Master An befriended a traveling merchant who gave him half a jade pendant as a token for his future eldest granddaughter-in-law, and they agreed to an alliance between their families.
• After deciding An Yuzhi was the most suitable granddaughter, Old Master An entrusted Steward Su with the pendant and instructions to reveal the arrangement if the other family came looking.
• As the An Family faced upheaval, Steward Su told An Ziran about the engagement and explained that he hoped the influential family in Gentlemen City would deter An Changfu and his wife.
• An Ziran recognized Steward Su’s reasons and concerns, then resolved to seek out the family even if they had forgotten the promise.

An Changde and Qian Youhao learned that An Ziran had left Anyuan County to seek the merchant connected to An Yuzhi’s marriage agreement. An Ziran explained the agreement and the An Family’s danger to An Yuzhi, and the convoy arrived in Gentlemen City to find the promised family.

• An Changde and Qian Youhao learned from Magistrate Zhang that An Ziran had already left Anyuan County with the main branch of the An Family.
• Magistrate Zhang revealed that An Yuzhi was promised to the child of a merchant who had lived in Gentlemen City, and Qian Youhao decided to investigate the merchant’s background.
• An Ziran stopped the convoy at an inn in Mei Town and told An Yuzhi about the An Family’s danger and her grandfather’s marriage agreement.
• An Yuzhi accepted An Ziran’s plan to find the promised family in the capital and fulfill the agreement.
• An Ziran’s convoy reached Gentlemen City after a peaceful journey, and the family was astonished by the capital’s bustle.