Chapter Two: The Cycle of Cause and Effect

Zhang Chen was the legitimate son of Zhang Yuanyi, the wealthiest grain merchant in Fushan County, and the eldest legitimate son at that. According to the laws and regulations of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Chen ought to have inherited the majority of Zhang Yuanyi’s vast estate. Yet, the matriarch of the Zhang family household, Lady Zhao, arranged for Zhang Chen to become a son-in-law by marriage, a status that deeply humiliated him.

After their wedding, Tian Yachun refused to share the bridal chamber with Zhang Chen, and the Tian family forced him to live in Zhang Village. This was a grievous insult, but Zhang Chen dared not voice his anger; he was suffocated by injustice. Dongmei, Tian Yachun’s personal maid, treated Zhang Chen like a beggar. Zhang Chen dared not curse her and endured everything silently, until finally his patience reached its breaking point—he was crushed beyond measure.

Zhang Chen fainted, seemingly dead from sheer anguish. Feiniu urgently pressed the acupoint between Zhang Chen’s nose and upper lip in an attempt to revive him. In his heart, Feiniu cursed the Tian family: “Dongmei has driven the young master to death. The Tian family is utterly ruthless. With the young master gone, they surely want nothing to do with me or Xiahua, their loyal servants. Where would we go then?”

“Young master! Young master! Wake up!” Feiniu squeezed with such force that blood welled from Zhang Chen’s skin. Zhang Chen was unconscious, likely dead from fury. Dongmei snorted disdainfully as she watched the scene, thinking, “If he dies, it’s even better for Miss.”

Zhang Chen remained unconscious, and Xiahua quietly wept, holding back any sound as tears silently traced her cheeks.

The rear gate of the county magistrate’s office in Fushan County faced a narrow street. It was shortly past noon, a time when fewer pedestrians were out. Zhang Chen lay there motionless, seemingly dead, with no onlookers or anyone calling for help or a doctor.

Old Tian, the gatekeeper of the Tian household, sat smoking his dry tobacco by the main entrance, unmoved.

Suddenly, Zhang Chen stirred. He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings cautiously. Something was terribly wrong, but he forced himself to suppress his shock.

Before losing consciousness, Zhang Chen had seen Tian Yachun tearfully tending to him, but this was no hospital. The clothing he wore was unfamiliar and plain. The street was old-fashioned, he wore cloth shoes instead of the leather shoes Tian Yachun had bought for him for over a thousand yuan. Nearby was a horse-drawn carriage. The air lacked the sterile scent of a hospital. His hands were smaller.

A flood of memories suddenly surged into Zhang Chen’s mind, making his head feel as if it expanded dramatically.

Moments later, the pressure in his head subsided. Accepting the memories of this era, Zhang Chen—formerly a doctor from the twenty-first century—had to come to terms with the fact that his soul had traveled back in time to the second year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty.

“Not gentle at all, you fat oaf, don’t you know how to be more careful?” Zhang Chen shook his head, stood up, and brushed the dirt off his clothes. After kicking Feiniu lightly, he gave Dongmei a sly wink and said, “Dongmei, go back and tell your miss that I definitely won’t look for her anymore, and I hope she won’t seek me out either. Feiniu, pick up the silver notes Miss Tian gave you—one hundred taels of silver, no point leaving it on the ground.”

The young master was unharmed—what a relief!

Feiniu retrieved the silver notes and stood behind Zhang Chen, muttering, “Good people don’t live long, trouble lasts a thousand years. The young master isn’t a good guy; he wouldn’t die so easily.”

Xiahua was overjoyed that Zhang Chen was safe. She came to his side and helped him toward the carriage. “There’s water in the carriage, young master. I’ll pour you some.”

Years ago, in the spring when she was twelve, Xiahua had been mistreated by Zhang Chen. Over the years, Zhang Chen had bullied her many times, but she harbored no hatred. She thought, “I am the young master’s personal maid; it’s only right that he bullies me.”

Zhang Chen felt a bit dizzy and disoriented, overwhelmed by the sudden shift to the Ming Dynasty. He seemed somewhat lost in thought.

“Our miss would never look for you, get out of your dreams,” Dongmei sneered as she headed for the gate.

“That’s not certain. If I pass the prefectural exam next February, and the provincial exam in August...” Zhang Chen’s voice carried as he, supported by Xiahua, climbed into the carriage.

“A few days ago, I underperformed in the preliminary exam. Dongmei, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Next February, I am fully confident of passing the prefectural exam. In August, I have an 80% chance of passing the provincial exam. The year after, there’s a 50% chance I’ll become a metropolitan graduate. When that happens, I hope Miss Tian won’t come looking for me.”

“Blowhard, Zhang Chen, keep dreaming,” Dongmei spat back. “Passing the provincial exam and becoming a metropolitan graduate depends on the provincial exam. Once you take it, there’s a 50% chance of success, so yeah, you have a 50% chance too...”

Miss Tian said that Zhang Chen didn’t perform to his potential in the recent preliminary exam.

Standing at the gate, Dongmei watched the carriage disappear down the street. Miss Tian said that if nothing unexpected happens in next year’s autumn exam, Zhang Chen has a good chance of passing. But since she dislikes Zhang Chen, if he passes and becomes a scholar, Miss Tian will be in a very difficult position. May heaven bless that Zhang Chen fails the county exam. Amitabha, may goodness prevail!

Because of last night’s light rain, the cobblestone streets of the county town were clean and quiet. Few people were about on the narrow lanes. There was none of the bustling traffic of the twenty-first century. Dogs barked and roosters crowed deep within the alleys, and wisps of cooking smoke curled from chimneys. This was an unadorned ancient town.

Coming from the twenty-first century to the Ming Dynasty stirred Zhang Chen’s emotions. Back then, Tian Yachun had slept naked beside him in the second semester of her freshman year. After graduating university, through a twist of fate, he had not married Tian Yachun.

Now heaven had sent him back to the Ming Dynasty to become Tian Yachun’s son-in-law.

Zhang Chen shook his head, resigned to the cycle of karma. Who could escape fate? This was retribution.

Feiniu played the part of driver, responsible for driving the carriage.

Xiahua accompanied Zhang Chen inside the carriage, glancing at him furtively. He had changed so much—the young master now seemed like a stranger. How strange.

Before his death, Zhang Yuanyi, the wealthy merchant of Fushan County, had one principal wife, more than ten concubines, and over twenty beautiful maids. He had three sons and four daughters.

Zhang Chen was the eldest son and the heir of the Zhang family estate.

Since his early teens, Feiniu and Xiahua had served Zhang Chen faithfully for five or six years. They were utterly loyal.

The Zhang family (and the Tian family) owned a large compound and a small private courtyard in Zhang Village.

Facing south, the small courtyard contained three main rooms, with three side rooms on each of the east and west wings. The southwest corner had a small outhouse. Only three people lived there, and Zhang Chen planned to reside in this courtyard.

At the main gate of the courtyard was a small side room where the hefty Feiniu stayed. He served as book attendant, gatekeeper, cleaner, driver, groom, and general handyman.

In the east wing, one room served as the kitchen, another as storage, and a third as a study.

The three rooms in the west wing functioned as stables or coops for chickens or ducks.

Of course, Zhang Chen had no intention of raising chickens.

The three main rooms were quite spacious. The central one was the living room; the western room was the bathing room.

The eastern main room was divided into inner and outer bedrooms.

Zhang Chen slept in the larger inner bedroom, while Xiahua stayed in the smaller outer room.

Living in Zhang Village, Zhang Chen, Feiniu, and Xiahua had to cook for themselves. Xiahua doubled as cook. She lowered her head and said, “The small courtyard has pots, bowls, buckets, and ladles. Young master, we should buy some rice, flour, oil, salt, and other ingredients.”

“I’m heading to the market now.” Outside the carriage, Feiniu cursed the Tian family again. “I rode over to the small courtyard this morning. It’s missing a lot of things. Young master, we’d better rent another carriage.”