Chapter 1: The Strange Boy

  On a scorching summer day, the village men were busy irrigating the ripening rice, weeding and hoeing. A 7 or 8-year-old boy was pulling out a clump of water grass, but its roots were too deep, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull it out. His own feet sank deeper into the mud due to his exertion. His skin was fair and his face was flushed bright red, looking nothing like a farmer.

  "Second Master, hurry up and come quickly, don't fall!" A small servant-like fellow on the edge of the field shouted in a shrill voice, dodging the muddy water by the side of the field with an anxious face.

  "Hey, wife! Pour a bowl of water for the second master!" A busy middle-aged man with a big sweat on his forehead shouted to the woman beside Tian Bian with a smile.

  "Second Master, take a rest and have some water!" The man said respectfully to the young man.

  "Second child, come over and help me pull out the grass!" The young man did not respond, but instead spoke to a dark-faced teenager in his early teens beside him.

  "Alright!" The young man, called Erwa, walked over with a splash of water and a smile. The two of them each grabbed some aquatic plants and pulled together to pull them out. However, the young man used too much force and his feet sank into the mud again, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards, prompting several people by the field to exclaim "Ah!" in surprise.

  "It's okay, I've got him!" Erwa moved quickly, releasing the weeds and hugging the young man around the waist. However, there were two black handprints on his snow-white down jacket. The young man used the force to pull out his feet, stumbled a few steps, and finally stood firm.

  "Second Master, please hurry up and come with me! If I go back late again, I'll get scolded! Have a heart, sir!" A small servant-like fellow by the field was tearfully begging.

  "See Xi'er, don't wail anymore, I'm going up now!" The young man shouted impatiently and walked towards the edge of the field with his quick pace, almost reaching the base of his thigh in the muddy water.

  "Second Master, you're all muddy!" Jian Xi quickly walked two steps and helped the young man ashore, scolding him as she pulled out a silk handkerchief from her bosom to wipe the mud off his face.

  "Why bother, I'll just go to the ditch and wash up!" The young man opened Xianji's hand, took off his jacket and jumped into the water ditch to splash water and clean the dirt on his hands and face. He picked up the small jacket that had been thrown aside and wiped the water droplets from his face, then walked barefoot to the edge of the field under the shade of a tree.

  "Second Master, have some cool tea!" The old woman handed over a coarse ceramic bowl with both hands, smiling all over her face. Before he could take it, Jian Xi rushed over, snatched the bowl and poured out the water, then took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the bowl clean.

  "Joy, I've already washed the bowl, it's very clean," said the old woman in a frightened tone. Erwa felt humiliated and glared at Jianxi with clenched fists, but didn't dare to make a move.

  "Lei Aunt, don't mind him!" The young man snatched the water bowl and kicked Jianxi with his foot, shouting: "Who told you to interfere!" Jianxi didn't dare to disobey the young man in any way, bowed her head and retreated to one side, secretly glaring at the old woman.

  "Lei Shu, is there sugar frost in this tea?" The young man picked up the water jug and poured a bowl of water, drinking it all at once. He handed back the bowl with both hands and raised his eyebrows to ask. Er Wa saw that the young man didn't mind drinking the tea and smiled with an open mouth.

  "Hehe, yes, Second Master is still sweet!" The old woman replied with a smile, "It's been hot these two days, Second Child's father specially bought it from the market!" A small servant by the field, dressed in mourning clothes, begged with a sad face, "Sweet, really sweet!" The young man licked his lips and said with an unsatisfied expression.

  The house was filled with sugar and frost, half a room full, but he never said it was sweet. What a delightful sight to see him hiding under a tree, enjoying his master's pleasure while secretly despising him.

  "Eunuch of low rank (a term used in the Song Dynasty to refer to eunuchs with lower positions), is Second Master here?" A young eunuch, dressed in yellow, about twelve or thirteen years old, hurried over, holding up his sleeves and asking in a low voice.

  "Joy, what are you yelling about? You'll scare the young master! Be careful or I'll have your skin peeled off!" Joy's face was red with suppressed anger, his voice low and menacing as he scolded the small yellow gatekeeper who was drenched in sweat.

  "'I don't dare, I don't dare'" With a joyful and busy bowing and apologizing, the originally pale face became even paler.

  "What's going on?" Seeing Xi was so frightened that he couldn't help but ask with a long sigh.

  "Your Excellency, the high-ranking official (a term used to address eunuchs with higher positions) has sent a servant to hurry Second Master back!" Xiang Xi wiped the sweat from his face and replied respectfully.

  "Damn thing, what did you say?" Seeing Xi Yi listen to the official let him come and find someone, he was startled. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and serve the second master on his way back! Quickly go and lead the donkey!" He saw that Xi Yi was still bowing and waiting for scolding, which made him even angrier.

  "Yes, yes!" Xiang Xi immediately ran to lead the donkey, busy and flustered, stepping on the hem of her clothes and almost tripping.

  "Second Master, it's almost time for dinner, let's hurry back!" Xi whispered in the young man's ear.

  "Am I not talking to Aunt Lei? No manners, wait!" The young man said with a wave of his hand as if shooing away flies.

  "Yes, yes." Xi knew the old man's temper, he was a stubborn donkey, the more you persuaded him, the more energetic he became. He was anxious in his heart like a cat scratching, and could only wait quietly on one side, pitifully looking at Aunt Lei.

  "Second Master, we should also head back. You should hurry back too, don't keep your family waiting!" Leitai said with a smile as she met Xian's pleading gaze.

  "Alright, I'll help you with the chores when I have time!" The young man stood up and said, listening to Aunt Lei's advice. Xi hurriedly picked up the cloth and helped the young man put it on, smoothing out the wrinkles, but the mud stains couldn't be cleaned off for the time being.

  "Sister, why are you speaking for that wicked person? He spilled all our sugar water on the ground!" Erwa said discontentedly to her aunt.

  "Alas, he's also a poor soul. We can help him and accumulate virtue!" Lei Shu sighed and led Er Wa back into the paddy field. Xi heard this but felt a shock throughout his body, with a sour feeling in his heart. He quickly helped the young man onto the donkey.

  "Don't forget my shoes!" the young man shouted to Jian Xi, who hastily picked up his muddy straw sandals and followed closely behind.

  A big road leads all the way to my home

  My home is located under the Liangshan Mountain

  The mountain is below, the soil is fertile, and there are five mu of land.

  Five acres of good land, what to plant?

  Who will remember my appearance

  Who will remember the wounds I've suffered

  Whose Battlefield

  Let's all turn away from goodness

  When can I return to my hometown When can she wear her red wedding dress

  I cut off the gaze with a long sword

  Split endlessly I miss home's madness

  A big river outside my house

  Having a wife and children is like building a house with tiles.

  Big chicken fat goose fat oh cow yeah cow sheep strong ah

  "Who will remember my appearance when beans are planted, rice is grown and rape flowers bloom?"

  A young man rode on the back of a donkey, swinging his two legs and opening his throat to sing loudly. The melodious song echoed in the fields, he sang with great enthusiasm, as if the endless rape flower fields of his hometown appeared before his eyes.

  Jian Xi furrowed his brow, and Second Master didn't know where he had learned this rustic folk song from. There was no rapeseed field like the one in the song here. Qiang Xi, who was leading the donkey ahead, also followed along and sang together with him. After listening for a while, Jian Xi couldn't help but hum along as they walked.

  Three people soon walked to the front of a large mansion with lush greenery, which occupied a vast area. The high wall surrounded nearly two hundred mu of land, and in front of the black lacquered gate was a small square paved with bluestone. Some vendors were calling out for business under the shade of trees around, but there were no customers due to the scorching sun. There were no stone lions by the gate as usual, only a pair of plain stone drums stood on either side, and horse-tying pillars and stepping stones were arranged on both sides.

  "Second Master is back!" "Second Master!" The large, dark-red doors were half open, and they went straight in. The gatekeeper bowed and greeted them, while someone else hurried to report inside.

  The young man jumped off the donkey's back, and immediately someone took the reins from Joy and led the donkey away. The young man was barefoot, walking on the long bluestone path in the middle of the courtyard, with more than a dozen rooms for attendants on either side. Some people came and went, bowing to greet him as he approached. Ahead was a row of seven main houses, but the young man did not enter, instead turning right onto a small path, passing through a corner gate and walking along a winding path towards the back. Joy and Meet Joy were following closely behind, running quickly.

  A loud explosion suddenly came, the young man glanced to his left, across the high wall he could only see the eaves of a Taoist temple and the rising black smoke, but the specific situation inside was unclear. "Damn it, every day is alchemy or making bombs, sooner or later this bird Taoist will be driven away, otherwise that bastard Qingyun might blow us all up one day!" The young man cursed with a frown.

  "Second Master, isn't this going too far? After all, he was sent by the imperial court!" Xian Xi said with a smile. "This guy causes such a big commotion every other day, making the whole mansion restless and uneasy!" Yong Xi also said discontentedly. "You scoundrel, do you have the right to speak here?" Xian Xi scolded Yong Xi with a frown. "If you dare to shout at Yong Xi again, I'll kick you out!" The young man kicked Xian Xi in the shin and shouted.

  "Second Master, I dare not again!" Xi saw the fright and immediately knelt down to apologize, but his eyes fluttered, seemingly unfazed by the young man's threat.

  "Hmph, let's go!" The young man snorted and walked forward, passing through two small gates guarded by people, and arrived at the backyard. Before him was a large garden, with pavilions and artificial hills scattered about, as well as a small lake of over ten mu. It was currently the blooming season, with hundreds of flowers in bloom, filling the air with fragrance. "Second Master, shall we head to Winter Garden?" asked Ping Xi, who was leading the way.

  "Hmm!" The young man turned right again and walked into a siheyuan, where an attendant in yellow clothes saw him and hurried to open the door and salute. He loudly announced: "The prince is back!" As soon as he finished speaking, a tall middle-aged attendant came out. "Prince, what have you been up to now? You're all muddy!"

  "Huang Bo, I went to help Aunt Lei's family pull weeds and fell into the paddy field!" The young man said with a smile.

  "See Xi, how did you follow the king?" Huang Bo asked sternly. "Your Excellency, the king insisted on going, and I couldn't stop him!" See Xi's knees went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, clearly very afraid of Huang Bo.

  "Prince, you're still young and don't understand things, don't you? If the empress finds out, she'll skin you alive!" Huang Bo scolded in a low voice. "I deserve to die, I deserve to die." Xi Ji repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy.

  "Huang Bo, don't worry about it. Even the younger kids in our village are playing in the paddy fields, I just want to try it out, no need to be so serious!" The young man said with a smile.

  "Hmph, the prince has pleaded for you, spare your life today. Quickly change your clothes and wait on the prince at dinner!" Huang Bo shouted, seeing Xi like a great amnesty, knocked his head and retreated.

  "Sophora flowers, Osmanthus fragrans, you two attend to the young master's change of clothes!" Huang Bo instructed the two palace-dressed maidens behind him. The youth, barefoot, entered the house door and gently shook his head as he followed inside. This child was truly a strange person, once his body was slightly better, he didn't want to stay in the mansion, every day only loving to mix with the villagers in the countryside, the large courtyard seemingly unable to hold him back.

  The young man lay in a large, intricately carved marble bathtub, warm spring water slowly filling the tub and overflowing from the drain, flowing onto the gleaming marble floor and collecting together before being drained away through the corner of the wall. And on the side, surprisingly, there was something that only modern times would have - a flushing toilet. It seemed this young man was another unfortunate soul who had "accidentally" crossed over.