Chapter One: Like a Spring Dream

  Preface

  It was deep in the night, with heavy rain pouring down like a deluge, accompanied by strong winds and thunderbolts, which fiercely struck people's bodies, causing them to feel sore all over.

  "Carry!"

  A blinding flash of lightning illuminated the night sky, illuminating the entire land. In that dazzling instant, a pale and handsome face in the grass by the side of the road was also exposed.

  At this moment, his face is somewhat ferocious.

  His name is Xiao Fan, an unemployed young man in society.

  Calling him an unemployed youth may be a bit of an understatement for his true identity.

  To be honest, he is a mugger.

  For a young person with no education and no skills who faces huge employment pressure, apart from fighting for money, he really can't find a better way to survive.

  Society is just so realistic, the ratio of giving and receiving will never be equal. Before that, Xiao Fan was a kind boy, he had read books, his diploma was ordinary, he had done odd jobs, his work was very poor.

  His life was as ordinary as his name, as common as a speck of dust in the air.

  After N times of finding a job and hitting a wall, he never gave up. He always believed that heaven rewards diligence, and God will not treat diligent people unfairly.

  One day, he was attracted by a small note on the utility pole "Recruiting male public relations, monthly salary of 30,000" and handed over all his savings as so-called "guarantee deposit". He waited for the admission notice with joy, only to find out that it was a scam.

  At the same time as having nothing, Xiao Fang suddenly enlightened like a Buddha.

  Originally, in order to succeed in this world, it's just a matter of "cheating, deceiving, swindling, and robbing" - five words.

  So he decided to become a robber, a very promising robber.

  Tonight was his first robbery, and he was a bit nervous.

  The thunderstorm mixed with lightning and strong winds, continuously pouring down on him. Unknowingly, Xiao Fan had been crouching in the bushes for over an hour. He felt very cold, so cold that his whole body was numb.

  Xiao Fan felt that his current state was very unfavorable for his career as a bandit.

  Even if a fat sheep passes in front of him, with his current numb body state, he might even be robbed by the fat sheep.

  If that's the case, he would be a shame to his peers in the robbery industry. Perhaps he would even get caught and sent to prison by the police. More importantly, he might become a laughing stock for the police officers, a joke that would last for many years.

  It doesn't matter if one is not good at making money, but if he is also not good at doing evil things, then living is a bit too redundant.

  Xiao Fan felt the pressure. He really didn't think that robbery was also a stressful job, how bitter modern people's lives are.

  To relieve the pressure in his heart and to make his gradually numb body more agile, Xiao Fan decided that before formally starting the robbery, he should first rob a bottle of wine.

  The starting point of drinking robbery actually doesn't exist much malice. As everyone knows, wine can boost courage and also activate blood vessels, which is a must-have item before robbery.

  There will never be a truly cost-free business in this world, and robbery is no exception.

  Think and act.

  Xiao Fan stood up from the grass and walked towards a small grocery store diagonally across the street.

  Fortunately, Xiao Fan had a knife, which was a very sharp cleaver. In fact, the origin of this knife was also not proper. During the day, when Xiao Fan passed by a pork stall in the market, he took advantage of the vendor's carelessness and snatched it.

  "Robbery! Robbing wine but not robbing money!"

  As he walked into the grocery store, Xiao Fan revealed his ferocious face, and the bone-cutting knife hidden in his arms also came out.

  The owner of the grocery store was clearly afraid of death, his whole body shook, and then his pale hands covered his head. Looking at him like that, Xiao Fan felt that even if he wanted to rob him, as long as he didn't kill him, he would definitely cooperate and pose obediently.

  "This... this brother, the money... the money is in the drawer next to me..." The boss's voice trembled, his whole body shaking.

  "What kinds of wine do you have here?" Xiao Fan ignored the boss's enthusiastic invitation, instead tilting his head back and carefully examining the row of diverse wine bottles inside the shop.

  The boss was stunned for a moment, then enthusiastically began introducing: "There's red wine, foreign wine, white wine, beer..."

  Xiao Fan, who never drank before, was at a loss: "What kind of drink can warm up the body and boost courage?"

  The boss thought the bandit was quite kind and gradually wasn't afraid of him anymore, but instead became a little curious: "What do you want to do with your boldness?"

  At this, Xiao Fang's eyes gleamed with determination: "I'm going to rob..."

  Boss: “………”

  This is a kind but obviously mentally ill bandit, and the boss thinks that this kind of person cannot be deeply interacted with.

  "If you want to warm up and get some courage, I suggest you'd better drink some white wine..." The boss immediately took a 500ml bottle of Erguotou from the shelf, thought for a moment, and felt that 500ml might not be enough to meet the robber's requirements for warming up and getting courageous, so he picked up another small bottle.

  Xiao Fan took over two bottles of wine, looking very happy. Such a connoisseur of fine mutton, it's really hard not to have a good impression of him.

  "How much?" Xiao Fang subconsciously prepared to take out his pocket.

  The boss hurriedly stopped Xiao Fan's movement and repeatedly waved his hand in a modest gesture: "No need for money, ... aren't you here to rob us?"

  Xiao Fan's expression changed slightly, with a hint of embarrassment: "Right, thanks for reminding me..."

  The boss's eyelids drooped down, carefully glanced at the cash drawer beside him, and muttered: "You... really don't plan to take the money?"

  Xiao Fan patted his boss's shoulder with a flourish: "I rob wine but not wealth, I keep my word."

  Thieves have their own code of conduct. It's already excessive to steal someone's wine, how can they still have the nerve to rob someone's money? Xiao Fan is a person with very thin skin.

  The boss was moved and waved his hand at Xiao Fan: "I wish you a smooth robbery..."

  "Wishing you prosperity in your business."

  "Have a good trip, come back often!"

  The two of them bid each other farewell with a wave of their hands.

  Xiao Fan lay down again in the grass by the side of the road, he twisted open the cap of the Erguotou bottle and took a big gulp of liquor.

  The pungent and irritating white wine flowed into his internal organs through the throat, and Xiao Fan, who had never drunk before, suddenly felt that his stomach was as uncomfortable as being burned by fire, while also feeling a warm current flowing through his blood vessels to all parts of his body, uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time.

  Xiao Fan's eyes also gradually turned red, and his gaze emitted an excited and scorching light.

  Tonight, no matter what, I must get some money, then go to a restaurant and have a full meal. Buy two buns, eat one and throw one away...

  This wine is really good, very potent!

  When two small bottles of Erguotou were drunk clean, Xiao Fan's good impression of the grocery store owner also rose to its peak.

  If possible, after snatching the money, I'd still go pay for the wine... This was Xiao Fan's last thought before he completely passed out.

  Xiao Fan is indeed a kind-hearted person, and the ferocious bandit has a past that makes one sigh.

  The next day, a small corner of the local city's morning newspaper carried such a news: "A cleaner found an unidentified male corpse in the bushes on a certain road. After reporting to the police and forensic identification, it was believed that the man died from excessive drinking, and the formaldehyde content in the liquor he drank was seriously over the standard. The forensic doctor determined that the man had drunk industrial alcohol. As for whether the person committed suicide or was murdered, the case is currently under investigation..."

  Chapter One

  Xiao Fan woke up with a severe headache, as if someone had hit his head hard with a stick while he was sleeping.

  Aren't you supposed to be out looting? Why are you lying in bed? What's going on?

  Xiao Fan's eyes were still closed, but he heard an old voice slowly say: "This person's breath is like a wandering thread, his pulse is disordered and floating, I'm afraid... his life won't last long, please forgive this old man for being unable to help..."

  Xiao Fan was taken aback and asked, "Who are you talking about? Are you referring to me?"

  Right away, a lively and tender female voice surprisingly exclaimed with joy: "Really? Really? That's great! My family's young lady doesn't have to marry this good-for-nothing anymore! Come on, come on! Take this guy out and bury him!"

  Xiao Fan was startled and quickly opened his eyes, only to see a little girl in ancient costume pointing at him excitedly, turning her head to call someone outside the door, while an old man standing beside her, also in ancient costume, looked at the little girl with a strange expression.

  Xiao Fan was certain, the little girl's buried person was herself.

  What a thrilling scene! If I had woken up half a moment later, the outcome would have been disastrous...

  "Wait, wait!" At this critical moment, Xiao Fan hurriedly spoke out, his throat hoarse and difficult to open: "Wait... Doctor, doctor! You're a doctor! Don't give up, I can still try to save you..."

  A person who seemed to be on their last breath suddenly spoke up, and this scene was really too eerie and strange.

  An old man and a young boy in the house were suddenly stunned.

  The little girl's eyes were wide with fear, staring at Xiao Fang as if she had seen a ghost. She was silent for a long time before finally letting out a loud shriek: "Ghost!"

  Then he stumbled out in a hurry.

  "I'm not a ghost!" Xiao Fan felt his body was very weak and he weakly defended himself in a low voice.

  The little girl ran out, and the old man in ancient costume was left alone in the house. His expression was exactly the same as that of the little girl just now, his eyes were wide open, staring at Xiao Fang without moving.

  Xiao Fan hastily explained to him: "I'm really not a ghost..."

  The old man nodded silently.

  Being recognized is indeed a happy thing, Xiao Fan gratefully smiled at him, with an urge to play "High Mountain and Flowing Water" together.

  "People say, having an elderly person at home is like having a treasure. Indeed, older gentlemen are much more calm and composed than young people..."

  No sooner had Xiao Fan's words fallen than the old man let out a startled cry: "Ghost!"

  Then the old man also stumbled out in a hurry.

  It seems this old man is not calm, but rather a bit slow in reaction...

  Xiao Fang suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the little girl who had just rushed out in surprise... In a flash, she looked exactly like his first love, Wu Tian. He never thought that Wu Tian would look so beautiful in ancient costume.

  The house was quiet, and Xiao Fan finally had time to look around at his current surroundings.

  It's clear that this environment isn't very good. The room is about ten square meters in size, and apart from a worn-out bed, there's nothing else.

  He was covered with a thin quilt, and when he lifted his hand, Xiao Fan found that he was wearing a white undergarment, the same style as the old man and child from earlier, all in ancient attire.

  Xiao Fan was shocked, what joke is this? Are we filming?

  He scratched his head again and felt something was off, reached out to touch the top of his head, damn!

  When did I grow such long hair? And it's even tied up in a bun on top of my head, which makes me feel even more flustered.

  A would-be thief who had passed out from intoxication in a roadside thicket woke up to find himself in an unfamiliar environment, dressed in ancient attire and lying on a bed, almost buried by someone...

  The master who dared to rob with a knife, of course, didn't have a small temper, but now... Xiao Fan suddenly felt that he was still very fragile, and the environment in front of him made him feel afraid from the bottom of his heart.

  He was stunned for a moment, then Xiao Fan frantically lifted the quilt, reached out to touch himself, and let out a long sigh of relief... Fortunately, his little brother was still there, and his masculinity remained intact.

  At the same time as letting out a sigh of relief, a word flashed through his mind like lightning: time-travel.

  That's ridiculous!

  Xiao Fan's face twitched a few times, with an urge to hold his head and cry, wanting to go home...

  "Hey, have you heard? Our household's lazy master is awake again."

  "Isn't that so? The doctor said he's preparing for the worst, didn't he? Our old master has even prepared his coffin, just waiting for him to take his last breath..."

  Sarcastic applause: "Who says it's not?! That kid's life is really tough, fainting every other day, but still not dying. I really want to help him out... by strangling him to death..."

  "Our family's son-in-law is actually quite pitiful, his parents died early, leaving him alone and weak. His parents had arranged a marriage for him when they were alive, but he became a live-in son-in-law and people looked down on him. This marriage has been delayed for three or four years, and our old master hasn't said anything about them getting married, it's likely that this marriage will fall through..."

  "Alas, this young master is a bit silly, but still honest and kind. Originally, his life was already quite pitiful, but now that he's awake, it's even more miserable..."

  "What's the meaning of this?" A strong gossipy voice.

  "I heard that after he woke up this time, he went crazy..."

  "Has he gone mad? What kind of madness is this?"

  "My mind is getting more and more muddled, I've been awake for two or three days, every day I'm staring blankly with my head raised, muttering to myself about 'robbery'...'two pots'...'time travel', I don't even know what it means."

  "What does 'crossing over' mean?"

  "If I knew, wouldn't I have gone mad too?"

  "Poor our young lady..."

  “…………”

  Xiao Fan woke up, and the Chen house was filled with gossip about this topic everywhere.

  When rumors and gossip filled the air, Xiao Fang was standing at the side of the flower garden in the front yard of the Chen residence, lost in thought.

  He can't help but be stunned, he has too many things to think about.

  Three days had passed and Xiao Fan's head was still in a daze. Through his observations of the environment, he finally discovered a fact - he had crossed over.

  What a ridiculous thing happened to him, it's really a tragedy of life.

  Through these few days of intermittent hearing of Chen Fu's subordinates' whispers, Xiao Fan had a slightly clearer understanding of his current situation.

  The situation is not very good.

  He is the son-in-law of this Chen family, and it seems that this identity is not very popular in the Chen family, and the wedding day is far away.

  From ancient times to the present, those who become live-in sons-in-law are either from poor families or have no ability themselves.

  Xiao Fan was very unfortunate, having both.

  Secondly, when he woke up and saw that little girl who was like a startled swan, shouting to bury him, she wasn't the young lady of the Chen family either.

  Actually, the little girl was a personal maid of Miss Chen's, and she had a very common name, Baoqin.

  It's called that because the young lady of the Chen family played the qin exceptionally well. The master was skilled at playing the qin, so naturally the maid would be called Baoqin.

  Just like many thatched cottages are called "Listening to the Rain Pavilion", many seaside villas of second wives are called "Watching Wave Pavilion". Some names may sound elegant when used by one person, but after hundreds or thousands of people use them, they become tacky.

  The name Hu Qin is also the same.

  As for why she had to bury him before Xiao Fan's last breath, the reason is naturally very clear.

  A good saddle can't be paired with a poor horse. The little girl was thinking that her mistress wasn't worth it, so she thought of hastily burying Xiao Fan, this poor horse. Xiao Fan waking up at that extremely critical moment was truly an extraordinary explosion of character value.

  Now, from others' whispers, he got two pieces of news, one good and one bad.

  The good news is that he doesn't have to rob anymore, and he doesn't have to worry about being caught by the police, unless the police station has a time-space shuttle - Xiao Fang is very relieved about this, the police are just the police, after all they are not Doraemon...

  Of course, bad news also makes people feel a little worried.

  The bad news is: his status in this Chen Mansion is very low, so low that it's even lower than being a robber.

  In ancient times, a son-in-law who married into the family was always discriminated against. Nowadays, even the lowest-ranking servants in the Chen household looked down on him, including that little maid Baoqin who had been ordered to bury him.

  This is Xiao Fan's current situation.

  After three days of psychological adaptation, Xiao Fan finally accepted that he had crossed over into this reality. At the same time, he also accepted his new identity as a useless, live-in son-in-law who relied on others for support.

  Alright, let's just get on with it then... no one is applauding to welcome me, so I'll just have to welcome myself...

  Welcome to... um... what dynasty is this?