Chapter 1: The Second Year of Xianzong

  When Hubei and Hunan have enough food, the whole country has enough food.

  This is a proverb that says as long as the rice in Huguang is ripe, then the world's food will be abundant. However, this "ripe" refers to a bumper harvest, if it's a poor harvest, then it's a different story. Lu Haoshan stood under the big banyan tree by the side of the road, looking at the withered rice in the field, and couldn't help but curse silently: Damn heaven, aren't there enough people starving to death yet?

  It's early June, the critical period for rice irrigation. Irrigation is a very important growth process for rice, which takes about half a month to complete. The success or failure of irrigation directly affects the harvest. According to the growth habits of rice, a large amount of water is needed at this time to cultivate it. However, there isn't a drop of water in the fields, and some places even have cracks. It hasn't rained for over three months, so the villagers can only rely on carrying water on their shoulders to irrigate, just to minimize losses as much as possible.

  So many fields, relying solely on manpower, are like a drop in the bucket, and the wrinkles on the peasants' faces are as numerous and deep as the cracks in the fields. Their faces are filled with worry, and their households, old and young, have expenses to pay, taxes and interest on loans from the government and landlords, all of which depend on getting more grain from these fields. However, the fields are dry and lack water, and experienced farmers know that the irrigation is not good, so even if the rice ears form, many will be empty husks, and a poor harvest cannot be avoided. How can they not worry?

  It's not just the villagers in the fields who are worried, Lu Haoshan standing under the banyan tree is also worried.

  When a person suddenly finds himself transported from the familiar modern era to ancient times, especially to an era of great disaster and hardship, it's hard to laugh at all. Lu Haoshan woke up one morning to find himself in the second year of Chongzhen, which was said to be the darkest period of the Great Ming Empire. Natural disasters, man-made disasters, internal worries, and external threats made the political situation on this fertile land turbulent, and people's lives were precarious. It's not about living a good life with fine clothes and food, three wives and four concubines; in troubled times, just being able to survive and fill one's belly is already quite good.

  Unwilling to accept, Lu Haoshan punched the fig tree, thinking of his past life. He was once a top-notch master craftsman, although he specialized in counterfeiting antiques and selling them to wealthy people and nouveau riche at an exorbitant price. At just 22 years old, his skills had reached the level of being indistinguishable from real ones, even by ordinary appraisers. He used to drive luxury cars, live in mansions, play with young models, and frequent high-end clubs, living a life of extreme luxury. But now, Lu Haoshan could only smile bitterly, unsure where things had gone wrong. When he woke up, he found himself lying on a worn-out bed, with an old man with white hair feeding him fish soup.

  After inquiring, I found out that this is a small mountain village called Huatian Village in Qiyang County, Yongzhou Prefecture, Hubei Province. The old man who saved me and I share the same surname, Lu. He's a farmer and a part-time doctor who makes a living by farming and digging medicinal herbs in the mountains. When he found me with a high fever and unconscious, he got someone to carry me back and nurse me back to health. After nearly a month of careful care, he pulled me back from the gates of hell. Lu Haoshan thinks that one reason is the level of medical skills, and another is that nutrition can't keep up. Every day, I drink thin porridge and wild vegetables, which I wasn't used to at first, so I would vomit while eating, making my condition worse.

  No choice, in this chaotic world, not starving to death is already a blessing from the ancestors. It's said that some places still have cannibalism, and Lu Haoshan got goosebumps just hearing about it.

  After learning that the two shared the same surname, Old Man Lu took extra care of Lu Haoshan. As they spent more time together, they developed a bond. After recovering from his illness, Lu Haoshan, who had no home to return to, acknowledged Old Man Lu as his adoptive father. Although it was unconventional to take in a stranger, the tumultuous politics of the late Ming dynasty and the presence of many refugees made it less unusual. Fortunately, Old Man Lu's medical skills and charitable nature earned him good relationships with the villagers, and after obtaining the village head's approval, Lu Haoshan gained permission to settle in Huatian Village.

  A gust of evening wind blew, rolling up the withered grass and fallen leaves on the ground, swirling and dancing, bringing the dust on the dirt road to flutter in the fading sunset. The old stone bridge and dilapidated house gave people a very oppressive feeling. In the sweltering summer, this gust of cool breeze should have been refreshing, but for some reason, Lu Haoshan felt an inexplicable irritability.

  The Great Ming is already critically ill, the great hall is about to collapse, and under the overturned nest, can there be any intact eggs? This small flower village is still a paradise for the time being, but Lu Hao knows that the political situation will only get worse and worse. It won't take long before Li Zicheng enters the capital, forcing Chongzhen to his death on the crooked neck tree in Coal Mountain. Then comes Wu Sangui's invitation of Qing troops into the pass, followed by the mutual struggle between the righteous army, Qing army, local forces, and Southern Ming. That will be the real era of chaos. One can avoid the first day but not the fifteenth. Not wanting to become cannon fodder, one must plan a retreat now.

  It's decided then, we should bring Old Man Lu along, after all he is a lifesaver. It seems like going to the island isn't a bad idea, it can avoid disaster, but as soon as this plan came out, Lu Haoshan hesitated again. At that time, the largest island was Liuqiu, also known as Treasure Island in later generations. It was still quite desolate then, running there to farm would be somewhat self-inflicted suffering. And isn't it said that there are many pirates there? That place is not very peaceful either, what a headache!

  "Mountain boy, how did you run here? You've just recovered from your illness, be careful not to catch a chill." Just then, an old man walked over with some difficulty and asked anxiously.

  Lu Haoshan turned his head and immediately responded: "Uncle Gan, how did you come?"

  The newcomer was the lifesaver and adoptive father of Lu Haoshan, Old Man Lu, whose real name was Daqing, who was nearly 60 years old, with white hair and beard, because he could diagnose illnesses, his temper was gentle, everyone affectionately called him Dr. Lu.

  "You're still recovering, don't be stubborn, dinner's ready, come home and eat."

  Lu Haoshan responded with a sound, following behind Old Man Lu, returning home together. The setting sun was like blood, and behind the two of them followed two slender and desolate figures.

  The so-called home was actually just three thatched cottages surrounded by a small courtyard, where Lao Lü would dry some of the mountain herbs he had dug up. Lao Lü originally had a wife, but she went back to her parents' home to visit and ran into a group of violent thugs, after which she disappeared without a trace. He reported it to the authorities several times, but eventually the police beat him with sticks and chased him away, and in the end he could only give up. The family had three mu of thin land, which was barely enough to make ends meet, given the low yields of ancient farming methods. As for his mediocre medical skills, after decades of practicing medicine, he still hadn't earned a reputation as a skilled doctor. After decades of hard work, all he had to show for it was this small courtyard and three mu of thin land.

  "Come on, Shān ér, eat some more." Lù lǎo tóu pushed the thicker bowl of porridge in front of Lù Hào Shān and said with a face full of doting.

  Lu Haoshan sighed inwardly, this is the late Ming dynasty. The land yields less and less every year, but the taxes from the government are getting heavier and heavier. Even in Huguang, a place known for its abundant rice and fish, the people's lives are so bitter. It can be imagined how hard it is for the people in places with less grain to live. It's not impossible that there are cases of cannibalism. Many people can't even afford to cook a meal. This bowl of thin porridge mixed with wild vegetables is already a rare treat. Lu Haoshan saw that his own bowl had many grains of rice, while Old Man Lu's bowl was so thin that you could see the shadow of a person through it. He felt a pang in his heart and quickly pushed out his own bowl: "Uncle, let's swap bowls."

  A thatched hut, though broken, is still a place to live; thin porridge, though meager, is still a token of concern. In this chaotic world, to encounter such genuine affection, it's the true sincerity of Old Master Lu's service. Lu Haoshan won't end up wandering the streets, and with empathy, he feels deeply grateful to Old Master Lu.

  "You kid, let you eat and you'll be fine, your body is just recovering, you need to eat a bit more. If you don't eat, I'll get angry." Old Man Lu pretended to be furious and snatched the bowl of porridge back in front of him, saying as he quickly scooped up a few mouthfuls. This way, after he had eaten from the bowl, even if Lu Haoshan wanted to exchange it, it would be too late.

  Lu Haoshan had no choice but to sit down and start drinking the porridge. Although the bowl of porridge was much better than Lao Lu's, as soon as he put it in his mouth, he couldn't help but furrow his brow again. The wild vegetables were plentiful, but there was little rice, no oil, and no salt. It had a strong, astringent taste that made him feel like a cow eating grass. Even after almost a month of eating this, Lu Haoshan still hadn't gotten used to it. Every time he ate it, his stomach would cramp up and he'd feel like vomiting, but he forced himself to swallow it down anyway.

  Only by filling one's belly can one survive.

  In his previous life, he was a meat lover and wouldn't be happy without it. Now, however, he's having wild vegetables and thin porridge every meal. Lu Haoshan couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of karmic retribution - had he eaten all the meat in this life in his previous one?

  Seeing Lu Haoshan frowning, Old Man Lu felt a pang of guilt, as if his godson's poor eating was his own fault. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he hurriedly said: "Shan'er, wait a minute, let me check my memory, I almost forgot."

  Before long, Lu Lao Tou suddenly produced a plate of pan-fried tofu as if by magic. The aroma of the tofu made Lu Haoshan's eyes light up, and he hastily asked, "Uncle, where did this come from?"

  Lü Lǎotóu's old face slightly smiled, revealing a silly grin, and said excitedly: "It was given by Tofu Chen from the east of the village. He said you wrote him a couplet and didn't even take any money for it. This is his daughter Dà Méi who made it especially and sent it over. Come on, eat quickly!"

  Yesterday, Lu Haoshan went out for a stroll and suddenly wrote a few words to replace Tofu Chen. In his previous life, he was a master of counterfeiting, and he had studied the characters of various dynasties. He also practiced good handwriting. At that time, it was necessary to counterfeit, but now it's really useful. When writing "Chen's Tofu" for Tofu Chen, he wrote with great flair, winning a round of applause. Good deeds bring good rewards, and Tofu Chen voluntarily sent him a plate of tofu, which made Lu Haoshan somewhat overjoyed.

  "Ah, fragrant, really fragrant." Lu Haoshan only ate one piece and immediately said excitedly: "Grandpa, you eat quickly too."

  One entrance, full of bean fragrance, and a lot of fragrant oil was added, the salt is also enough, Lu Haoshan only feels that this is the most delicious tofu he has ever eaten.

  "Lao Chen is too generous, putting so much oil and salt, delicious." Lao Lao also said with shining eyes.

  In those days, oil and salt were luxury goods, especially salt, which was monopolized by the imperial court and officials. Salt was more expensive than meat, which is why Lao Lü's vegetable porridge had no oil or salt. With this small dish of tofu, the porridge became much sweeter. The two men pushed and yielded to each other, but in the end, Lu Haishan ate most of it, while Old Man Lu only ate two pieces and couldn't bear to eat any more.

  After finishing dinner and cleaning up, Lu Haoshan suddenly said: "Uncle, I'm going to the county tomorrow to take a look around, see if I can find a job to earn some money to help with family expenses."

  He was ill for nearly half a month, eating idle meals for so long, and seeing Old Man Lu over fifty years old going out early and returning late every day. He himself was strong and capable but still dependent on his family, even if Old Man Lu didn't say anything, Lu Haoshan couldn't sit still either. He took the initiative to find a job, saying that he also had a skill that could be used to make a living. Unfortunately, Huatian Village was just a small mountain village and it wasn't useful there. Lu Haoshan decided to go to Qiyang County to try his luck.

  Firstly, it's embarrassing to eat idle food again. Secondly, for Lu Haoshan who doesn't enjoy meals without meat, eating vegetable porridge is really frightening. If there was a whole roasted sheep now, Lu Haoshan dares say he could finish it all by himself.

  "Are you feeling better now?" Mr. Lu asked with some concern.

  "It's been a long time since I've taken care of it, and it's already fine." Lu Haoshan said, stretching his body in front of Old Man Lu, and even jumped up a few times to show that he was physically fine.

  Lu Lao said with a smile: "As long as your body is well taken care of, that's good. Go ahead, look at you, so delicate and tender, you've definitely never done any hard labor. Your handwriting is excellent, even Old Man Zhao from the village can't help but praise it. Finding a job shouldn't be difficult for you. Oh, right, I heard Tofu Chen say that he's going to the county tomorrow to buy soybeans. He has an oxcart, why don't you go with him? It's over 30 miles from here to the county, and on a hot day like today, your body is just recovering, don't get sunburned."

  "Alright, I'll go tell Uncle Chen." Lu Haoshan nodded in agreement, not refusing the old man's kind intentions. With the hot weather now, having a ride with a favorable wind was indeed a wonderful thing.