June, with the summer harvest approaching. As dawn broke, dew still clung to the leaves, yet the villagers of Xiling Village were already bustling in the fields.

After the sun rose, the villagers, who had been working for nearly half an hour, gathered in small groups under the shade of trees to rest.

A young man wiped sweat from his brow and leaned in, chatting with the blue-clad woman beside him with keen interest. “Auntie, has that Yan family finally settled down today?”

His loud voice drew attention. At the mention of “the Yan family,” people nearby instinctively turned to look. Men still working slowed their pace, their eyes drifting toward the woman in blue, glances that seemed both deliberate and casual.

Xiling Village was a small village with about thirty households, most of them poor. The Yan family, however, was different. With their large holdings of land, accomplished children and grandchildren, and even a Xiucai among them, the Yans carried considerable prestige in the village and attracted much attention.

Yet the old patriarch of the Yan family had two sons. The one living a life of splendor and envy was the eldest son’s family.

The second son’s family was quite different. This family of four lived a miserable existence. Not only were they far below the status of the Yan family’s main branch, but even ordinary households in the village were better off than they were.

The “that Yan family kid” everyone referred to was the young master of the Yan family’s second branch—Yan Xiaoyu.

Yan Xiaoyu’s father, being slow-witted, had never been favored by the patriarch. At fourteen, he took his elder brother’s place in military service and was wounded in the leg, becoming lame. Later, he married a woman with a speech impediment. Both husband and wife possessed personalities as pliable as clay, easily manipulated by others. To make matters worse, the Yan family never divided their household. Under the same roof lived his elder brother and sister-in-law—both shrewd and domineering—whose children grew up bullying others with impunity.

Growing up in such an environment, the hardships endured by Yan Xiaoyu and his elder sister, Yan Xiaoyue, were unimaginable.

Both siblings were quiet and timid. Yan Xiaoyue, though a girl, was strong and treated like a man, often sent to work in the fields. Younger brother Yan Xiaoyu stayed home, washing clothes and cooking. His aunt bossed him around, claiming he was assisting her, but in reality, he did all the work while she merely barked orders.

Timid by nature, he wore dusty old clothes day in and day out. He kept his head bowed and remained silent around outsiders, never daring to retort even when scolded. He was practically invisible in the village.

Yet this very ger, who never raised his voice, had recently lost his temper for the first time in his life. In a fit of despair, he attempted to jump into the river—three times in a row! Fortunately, he survived.

His cousin had bullied him before, so why did this particular incident push him over the edge? The villagers couldn’t fathom it.

Fresh news was scarce in the village. People would gossip for days over a missing vegetable, let alone a near-fatal incident. For several days, villagers gathered and inevitably discussed the matter.

The woman in blue lived close to the Yan household, and she and Yan Er’s wife, He Qiuhua, were from the same hometown. So villagers liked to ask her for details—some out of morbid curiosity, some gloating, and a few genuinely sympathizing with Yan Xiaoyu.

However, Yan Xiaoyu had jumped three times in three consecutive days, failing to die each time. This had turned a tragic affair into a laughingstock. The villagers who had been filled with righteous indignation and condemned the Yan family’s eldest branch had dwindled considerably.

The woman in blue, however, still wore an indignant expression: “His family keeps a close watch on him, so he probably won’t do anything foolish again. But that little brat from the main branch of the Yan family is truly despicable! He pushed someone to this point and still shows no remorse. Yesterday, he was even out there making snide remarks!”

Hearing this, the villagers nearby grimaced, recalling the daily antics of the Yans’ ‘little devil.’ That boy didn’t just bully Yan Xiaoyu—he tormented everyone!

Someone sighed and advised, “There’s nothing to be done. If the second son’s family can’t stand on their own two feet, no amount of concern from others will help!”

“Exactly! Aunt He, you’ve spent years sticking up for them. But what’s the result? Do they remember your kindness? Have they ever repaid you? Old Yan even cursed you as ‘a dog chasing rats, meddling in others’ business’!”

“Exactly. Their eldest grandson is a Xiucai now, with his maternal family backing him. Who knows when they might change their fortunes? You’d be better off not antagonizing them…”

The anger faded slightly from the blue-clad woman’s face. Recalling the futility of her past efforts to defend Yan Xiaoyu’s family, she felt she’d been putting in effort for no reward.

Seeing her silence, another woman steered the conversation: “I heard when Yu-ger first fell in the water, it was Young Master Xuan who pulled him out. Neither of them is married yet, and Xuan’s mother’s mourning period is over. Could this incident lead to a match?”

This remark ignited the crowd’s enthusiasm; each person chattering animatedly with great vigor.

“Yan Shaoxuan wouldn’t even look at Brother Yu-ger’s cousin or the only son of Old Master Zhang! How could he possibly set his sights on Brother Yu-ger?”

“The Yan family’s fallen on hard times now. Xuan’s influence can’t hold a candle to Yan Yonghe’s, but he can still marry a girl from a decent family. There are plenty of ger and women in our village lining up for that chance. How could it ever come down to Yu-ger?”

The crowd exchanged knowing glances, their words and silences all implying that Yan Xiaoyu was beneath Yan Shaoxuan.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Meanwhile, the subject of their gossip lay on his bed, lost in thought.

Outsiders only knew that the young master of the Yan family had nearly lost his life, his temperament drastically altered. They didn’t know that the person inside this body had changed.

Orphaned at birth, Yan Xiaoyu grew up in an orphanage. He dropped out of high school in his sophomore year and plunged into the workforce. Through sheer determination and a touch of natural talent, he worked his way up from a street vendor to a restaurant chef. He had finally opened his own small restaurant. Just as he was brimming with confidence and ambition, having planned every detail—from how much he would earn in the first year to what he would do with the profits—he was struck by misfortune.

The orphanage’s Xiaojiu still needed 100,000 yuan for his heart surgery. Yan Xiaoyu wanted to cover it.

Xiaojiu called him “Brother.” Though they shared no blood ties, Yan Xiaoyu had always kept his illness close to his heart, saving money for years.

But just as his little restaurant opened, he crossed over.

What crushed him most wasn’t the crossing itself, but the mess he’d inherited upon arrival.

Yan Xiaoyu had transmigrated into a ger sharing his exact name and nearly identical appearance. The original host was only sixteen—three years younger than Yan Xiaoyu—and though he had both parents, his life wasn’t much better than that of the orphan Yan Xiaoyu.

His vampire-like uncle and biased grandfather made life unbearable for the family. Being manipulated by his grandfather and uncle’s family was bad enough, but even his uncle’s youngest son—his twelve-year-old cousin—dared to lord it over them!

Yan Xiaoyu’s reincarnation began when the original body fell into the river in panic after being pranked by his cousin. When he arrived, he was already flailing in the water, his consciousness fading. Had someone not passed by and pulled him out, he would likely have perished immediately after his arrival.

The original host vanished from this world, yet the brat Yan Xiaobao faced no consequences whatsoever. Yan Xiaoyu found it utterly unbelievable that the original host’s family could be so spineless.

He himself was an impatient soul, having always believed in repaying kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance. He could never endure being bullied without retaliating. Even though he longed for family, he couldn’t tolerate the environment of his original host’s household.

After absorbing his host’s memories and understanding his situation, the thought of returning to the modern world inevitably took root. So, not long after waking up, he jumped into the river.

It wasn’t that he wanted to ‘die’ to return to the modern world. He simply guessed that to get back, he might have to travel back through the same place he came from. The village river wasn’t very deep, and since Yan Xiaoyu knew how to swim, he dared to attempt it repeatedly. Others, unaware of his true intentions, assumed he was contemplating suicide.

His mother and elder sister were terrified. For the next two days, they neglected their farmwork, staying home to watch over him. This even earned them a scolding from their grandfather.

The near-tragedy sparked village gossip. The day after the incident, the village chief came to inquire. The grandfather and the eldest uncle’s family, feeling unusually guilty, not only made a show of escorting Yan Xiaobao to apologize but also dared not urge the original body’s family to work anymore.

However, this ‘guilt’ lasted only three days. Yesterday, Yan Xiaoyu settled down and stopped sneaking to the riverbank. Today, the eldest uncle’s family reverted to their old ways.

That afternoon, the eldest uncle, Yan Xingsheng, whispered a few words to Old Master Yan. Come dinnertime, Old Master Yan formally addressed the matter: “Second son’s family, now that Xiaoyu is feeling better, you should resume your household duties. Life must go on, after all.”

“Father speaks wisely,” Aunt Tao Cuicin remarked, shooting a glance at her sister-in-law. “It’s the height of the farming season now. If we neglect the crops in the fields, our large family won’t fare well this winter.”

Elder Brother Yan Xingsheng added in a gruff voice, “Xiaoyue eats a lot and has plenty of strength to spare. Now that Xiaoyu doesn’t need constant care, she should focus on farm work! Second Brother’s wife, you should join her in the fields too. Let your sister-in-law handle household chores with Xiaoyu.”

Yan Xiaoyue withdrew her chopsticks, her head drooping further. He Qiuhua watched this with a pang of pity. After a moment’s hesitation, she stammered, “Xiao… Xiaoyu still… needs someone to watch him. And our family has… a lot of fields. In… previous years—”

She had intended to say that even with all four family members working together in previous years, it had been difficult, and now with only two people, how could they possibly manage? But before she could finish, Yan Xingsheng cut her off.

“If you can’t speak clearly, keep your mouth shut.” Yan Xingsheng’s face was thick with impatience. “Xiaoyu, your sister-in-law will watch him. The farmwork has to get done. If you two don’t do it, who will?!”

Yan Xiaoyu, listening from the small room next to the kitchen, felt anger welling up inside him.

Good heavens! Yan Xingsheng, a burly man in his thirties or forties, and Tao Cuiqin, who also spent her days idling about—this couple didn’t lift a finger themselves, yet they had the nerve to make their younger brother’s wife and niece do the farm work! In other families, women handled lighter tasks while the men were the main labor force in the fields. Had the Yan family turned everything upside down?

The Yan family owned fourteen mu of paddy fields and twenty mu of dry land. All the summer harvest work was dumped on He Qiuhua and her daughter. Did they really think they were beasts of burden?

Moreover, nearly all the silver earned from selling grain went to support the eldest son, Yan Yonghe, in his studies. Yet when it came to working the fields, why did the eldest branch of the family retreat to the back? How could they reap the benefits without contributing any effort?

Yan Xiaoyu’s anger flared up, but the commotion in the kitchen showed no sign of stopping.

Yan Xiaobao winked and sneered, “Second Auntie, you two are passing the buck. Don’t tell me you’re trying to get Grandpa to do the farm work?”

“No, no!” He Qiuhua flinched, waving her hands frantically.

Tao Cuiqin spoke with righteous indignation: “Sister-in-law, Father is getting old. Farm work is heavy labor. It’s not right to make him do it.”

This mother-son duo played off each other with such seamless coordination that Yan Xiaoyu nearly laughed in exasperation.

Ever since nearly coming to blows with his cousin Yan Xiaobao on his first day here, Yan Xiaoyu had been eating meals brought to his room by his elder sister. She claimed it was to help him recuperate, but in truth, she feared he might hurt Yan Xiaobao.

Originally focused solely on returning to his own world, Yan Xiaoyu hadn’t bothered with such trivialities. But now, hearing his grandfather and aunt speak, he could no longer contain himself.

This was simply too much! Even if he wasn’t the original body, he couldn’t stand by and watch them bully the family of the person he’d replaced!

Yan Xiaoyu leapt from his chair and stormed into the kitchen, his voice thick with fury: “Everything falls on my mother and sister to do? Uncle, did you grow up without hands or legs? Are you just waiting around to be fed, you big man?!”

After berating Yan Xingsheng, he turned his fire on Tao Cuiqin: “Since you’re so devoted to Grandfather, why don’t you get out in the fields and do the work yourself? Stop talking big when you’re not the one doing the labor! My parents have been doing the farmwork for over a decade. It’s only fair that it’s your turn now, isn’t it?”

Like a drop of water into boiling oil, Yan Xiaoyu’s words ignited an explosion in the kitchen.

“Who do you think you are? A worthless ger daring to speak ill of my parents?!” Yan Xiaobao’s eyes blazed with fury as he lunged forward, only to be pulled back by his mother’s icy grip.

He Qiuhua and Yan Xiaoyue paled in shock. Yan Xingsheng’s face turned ashen. He slammed his fist on the table and pointed at Yan Xiaoyu. “When did it become your place, you little ger, to interrupt elders speaking? Yu-ger, you’ve been getting more and more out of line these days!”

Old Master Yan also wore displeasure: “Your eldest uncle has work in town. Xiaobao is still young, and his mother must tend to the household. Only you three women are idle. If you refuse to work the fields, do you truly expect this old man to plow the land himself?”

Instead of anger, Yan Xiaoyu smiled.

Yan Xingsheng did indeed find work in town, but it only required trips every four or five days—hardly preventing him from farming.

Tao Cuiqin claimed to “look after the household,” but her duties mostly involved talking. The actual work still fell to the original body. How could she possibly be too busy to farm?

As for the excuse that “Xiaobao is still young,” that was even more laughable. Yan Xiaobao was twelve this year. The original body and Yan Xiaoyue had started helping with farm work at eight. Why did the standards suddenly change when it came to Yan Xiaobao?

Yan Xiaoyu stood with his hands on his hips, ready to argue with them, but Tao Cuiqin interrupted.

“Father, husband, I’ve noticed Yu-ger acting quite off these past few days—almost like a different person. Could it be he caught something unclean when he fell into the water that day?”