Chapter 3 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

"Kang'an."

 

Dong Heng greeted him, pulling out a book and holding it up with a smile. "This book was a gift from our teacher; it contains past exam questions from various years. In three months, you'll be taking the prefectural exam*—this book might be helpful."

 

[T/N: The prefectural-level exam is the 2nd of the three entry-level exams in the imperial examination system of Ming and Qing dynasties.

The imperial examination system in the Qing Dynasty was divided into three stages: the 县试 (county exam), the 府试 (provincial/prefectural exam), and the 院试 (academy exam). Only those who passed the county exam were eligible to attend the provincial exam, and those who passed the provincial exam could attend the academy exam.

Candidates who participated in the local county exam were called 童生 (tongsheng), and those who passed the provincial exam were given the title of 秀才 (XiuCai)]

 

If it had been before, Wu Kang'an would have been overjoyed to hear this.

 

But now, with doubts clouding his view of Dong Heng, he didn't take the book. Instead, he fixed his gaze on him, directly asking, "What exactly did you write in that letter you asked me to pass to Bai ger yesterday?"

 

Earlier this morning, Wu Kang'an had tried to ask his brother about it, but Bai ger had dodged the question, refusing to say a word.

 

With no other choice, he sought out Dong Heng directly.

 

When Bai ger fainted suddenly yesterday, the rest of the family assumed it was out of fear at the thought of marriage. But Wu Kang'an felt something more was at play.

 

When Dong fulang had come to discuss the proposal, his brother had looked bashful, not frightened at all.

 

He had then slipped the letter from Dong Heng to his brother in private, and Bai ger had retreated to his room to read it.

 

Since he attended the academy in town and sometimes helped his brother learn how to read, he wasn't worried about Bai ger being unable to understand the letter.

 

Yet, not long after his brother returned to his room, he had fainted from shock, and upon waking, declared that he didn't want to marry into the Dong family. Wu Kang'an couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

 

At first, he hadn't thought much of it. He and Dong Heng were close friends, and he knew of Dong Heng's intentions toward his brother, so he had simply agreed to help with his letter.

 

But after hearing his mother's offhand remark last night, he realized that something didn't add up.

 

As his mother had pointed out, Bai ger wasn't so timid that he'd faint just because of a marriage proposal.

 

Moreover, Bai ger had already known about the Dong family's intentions. If he were going to faint from fear, it would have happened immediately, not after reading the letter.

 

After thinking it through, Wu Kang'an couldn't shake the feeling that his brother's fainting spell had something to do with that letter.

 

So, upon meeting Dong Heng, he went straight to the point.

 

Dong Heng, taken aback, answered truthfully, "It was just some poetry I wrote myself."

 

"What was the content of the poetry?" Wu Kang'an pressed.

 

"A few verses praising Bai ger," Dong Heng replied.

 

"That's it?" Wu Kang'an eyed him suspiciously.

 

Seeing his disbelief, Dong Heng furrowed his brows and asked, "Kang'an, what's going on? Did something happen?"

 

Could it be that the Wu family rejected the proposal because of his poetry?

 

Dong Heng wracked his brain, but besides praising Bai ger and expressing his admiration for him, he couldn't think of anything in the verses that might have caused trouble.

 

But looking at Wu Kang'an's clearly displeased expression, he realized there must be more to the story.

 

Wu Kang'an shot Dong Heng a glare, his tone hard. "After reading your letter, Bai ger was so distressed he fainted."

 

"What?" Dong Heng was shocked.

 

In a flash, his expression turned worried. "How is he now?"

 

"We called Doctor Li, and he's fine now," Wu Kang'an replied, his brows furrowing deeper. "Whatever you wrote, it clearly upset him. I must have misjudged you to help set you up with my brother."

 

With that, Wu Kang'an turned to leave.

 

But Dong Heng couldn't let him go like that—not when he still needed answers.

 

Quickly stepping in front of Wu Kang'an, he pleaded, "Please, Kang'an, there must be some misunderstanding."

 

"Misunderstanding?" Wu Kang'an sneered, giving him a cold look.

 

"Yes! Bai ger's fainting must have nothing to do with me. If you don't believe me, I'll recite the entire letter to you right now," Dong Heng insisted.

 

To keep Wu Kang'an from leaving, Dong Heng immediately began reciting the poem.

 

It was a short love poem and only took a moment to complete.

 

As Wu Kang'an listened to him recite it, his frown deepened with every word.

 

When you have a good opinion of someone, whatever they do seems praiseworthy.

 

But once distrust sets in, even their simple presence can make the air feel stifling.

 

Wu Kang'an felt exactly that way.

 

Before, he had trusted his classmate and gladly passed his letter to Bai ger.

 

But now, with misgivings clouding his mind, Dong Heng's attempt at poetry struck him as bold and presumptuous.

 

"Kang'an, see? My letter didn't—"

 

"Enough! There's no need to discuss this any further." Wu Kang'an cut him off coldly. "Our friendship ends here. I suggest you conduct yourself properly from now on."

 

With that, he brushed past Dong Heng, striding away without a backward glance.

 

Caught off guard, Dong Heng staggered, barely keeping his balance as he steadied himself. The book he was holding fell to the ground with a thud.

 

Yet Dong Heng couldn't bring himself to care about that book. Having just been scolded by Wu Kang'an, he was simmering with indignation.

 

That fool Wu Kang'an dared reprimand him. Who did he think he was? Just a mere tongsheng*. If not for Dong Heng's guidance, he wouldn't have even passed the local exams, let alone had the audacity to lecture him—a certified xiucai.

 

[T/N: 童生 (Tóngshēng) – "Child Scholar" or "Student": This is the lowest rank, essentially the starting point for aspiring scholars.

The title tóngshēng is given to those who pass the local/county school exams but have not yet passed the provincial-level exams for becoming a xiucai.]

 

Grinding his teeth, Dong Heng forced down his anger with great effort.

 

He took a deep breath and bent to retrieve his book.

 

"Scholar Dong, what are you doing standing here?"

 

An older villager happened to pass by, looking at Dong Heng curiously.

 

Upon hearing the question, Dong Heng immediately plastered on a gentle smile and turned to respond, "I just thought it was peaceful here, so I was memorizing some texts. Are you headed to the fields, Uncle?"

 

"Yes!" The man nodded. "These crops always need tending. I won't interrupt your studies, then."

 

With that, the villager moved past Dong Heng.

 

Now that Dong Heng was no longer blocking his path, the man noticed the book on the ground.

 

He thought to himself, Well, this is indeed a xiucai—even his method of memorizing is quite unique, placing his book on the ground like that.

 

The man was already imagining how he might teach his own grandson to study like Dong xiucai. Surely, that would guarantee the boy's future as a scholar.

 

Seeing the odd look on the man's face, Dong Heng quickly picked up his book with an awkward smile.

 

Once the villager had left, Dong Heng glared at the book in his hand, seething inwardly: He had only been kind enough to offer Kang'an this book, but that fool didn't appreciate it and had the nerve to sever ties with him. Just wait—without this book, I'd like to see how he fares in the provincial exams!

 

He let out a derisive chuckle before walking off in the opposite direction.

 

…

 

Back at the Wu household, Wu Kang'an returned to find his brother sweeping the courtyard.

 

He hurried over to take the broom from him. "Bai ger, you're not fully recovered yet. Leave the chores to me and go rest."

 

"It's just a small task; it won't tire me out." Wu Bai, not as strong as his brother, looked at him helplessly when the broom was snatched away.

 

Wu Kang'an swiftly cleaned up the courtyard, then awkwardly approached Wu Bai.

 

Seeing his brother's hesitant expression, Wu Bai spoke first, "Second Brother, if you have something to say, just say it!"

 

Wu Kang'an lowered his head in shame, mumbling, "I'm sorry, Bai ger. I shouldn't have passed Dong Heng's letter to you yesterday."

 

Seeing his brother's guilt-ridden face, practically inviting blame, Wu Bai couldn't hold it against him.

 

In truth, the original host and his family had suffered in their previous lives all because Dong Heng was excessively ruthless.

 

To support Dong Heng's studies, the original Wu Bai had spent his entire dowry and even borrowed heavily from his family. After Dong Heng finally passed the highest-level imperial exam and became an official*, he had heartlessly murdered Wu Bai to curry favor with influential families. Worse, he lured Wu Bai's relatives to the capital and orchestrated an ambush to seize their family assets.

 

[T/N: 进士 (jìnshì, official) is the highest title granted in the traditional Chinese civil service examination system, which allowed successful candidates to become government officials.

This is the full ranking list starting from the lowest: 童生 (tóngshēng), 秀才 (xiùcái), 举人 (jùrén), 进士 (jìnshì), and within the 进士 rank, there were further distinctions such as 状元 (zhuàngyuán), 榜眼 (bǎngyǎn), and 探花 (tànhuā), which referred to the top three candidates in the highest imperial exam.]

 

Such deeds revealed a heart as cold as stone.

 

"Second Brother, it wasn't your fault," Wu Bai reassured him.

 

"How could it not be? It's all because I failed to see him for what he is. I'm the reason you've had to suffer," Wu Kang'an replied, full of remorse.

 

He could still recall how Bai ger had looked yesterday when he fainted, his face twisted in pain, cold sweat dotting his forehead. It had been a frightening sight.

 

After all, Bai ger had been cherished by the family since childhood, scarcely experiencing any hardship. Just the memory of his brother's pained expression filled him with heartache.

 

Wu Kang'an vowed solemnly, "Bai ger, I've already severed ties with Dong Heng. From now on, I won't let anyone harm you again."

 

At his words, Wu Bai looked at Wu Kang'an in surprise.

 

Though he'd known from his previous memories that Wu Kang'an cared deeply for his younger brother, he hadn't expected him to go so far.

 

Then again, this was for the best. Now he wouldn't have to worry about his second brother being taken advantage of by Dong Heng anymore.

 

Although the Wu family were farmers, Father Wu was still the village head, and their family owned several dozen acres of fertile land. It wasn't much by town* standards, but in the village, it was enough to make others envious.

 

[T/N: A village (村, cūn) is a small, rural settlement focused on agriculture, while a town (镇, zhèn) is a larger, more developed area that serves as a commercial and administrative hub for surrounding villages. Towns typically have more infrastructure and governance than villages.]

 

Take Dong Heng, for instance. Privately, he deeply resented Wu Kang'an.

 

He envied how the Wu family, despite Wu Kang'an's modest talents, willingly supported his studies. After all, tuition wasn't cheap, and there were always costs for things like paper, ink, and brushes—all of which required silver.

 

As for Dong Heng?

 

Despite his academic success, he constantly faced the threat of expulsion. If not for passing the examination for becoming a xiucai and earning tax exemption for his family, he would likely have been kicked out from school long ago.

 

Dong Heng was unwilling to remain a poor scholar!

 

He wanted to climb higher, but his family's circumstances couldn't support him.

 

In the end, he could only rely on marriage as a stepping stone.

 

He had heard that Village Head Wu planned to prepare a generous dowry for Wu Bai, so he began subtly hinting at his feelings for Wu Bai in front of Wu Kang'an.

 

While Wu Kang'an saw him as a trusted friend, Dong Heng viewed him as a mere stepping stone.

 

And he saw nothing wrong with his intentions; after all, survival justified all actions.

 

Unfortunately, the engagement his parents had nearly secured with the Wu family had fallen through due to unforeseen circumstances.

 

Unaware of the reason for this change, Dong Heng was already scheming his next steps.

 

Meanwhile, Wu Bai was also preparing for what lay ahead.

 

In his memories, Dong Heng was the kind of man who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. After this failed proposal, he was sure to cause some trouble.

 

But whatever Dong Heng planned, Wu Bai would never marry him.

 

He knew that with the love his parents held for him, as long as he stood firm, they would never force him into such a marriage.

 

Without Wu Bai's dowry or the support of the Wu family… let's see how far Dong Heng could go on his own!

 

With that realization, Wu Bai felt a newfound lightness in his heart.

 

He happily began chatting with Wu Kang'an.

 

Wu fulang came out of the kitchen just then, smiling as he saw them. "Lunch is ready. Go call everyone else."

 

"Okay." The two brothers nodded with smiles.

 

Soon, the whole Wu family gathered around the table.

 

Farmers enjoyed a simple life with few rigid rules, like silence during meals or before sleep*.

 

[T/N: The rules of "食不言，寝不语" (not talking while eating or before sleep) are rooted in traditional Chinese etiquette, particularly influenced by Confucian principles.]

 

As they ate, they chatted freely and leisurely.

 

Village Head Wu casually mentioned that he would be heading to the town the next day to handle some business.

 

Upon hearing this, Wu Bai's eyes lit up. "Father, I've never been to town before. Can you take me with you tomorrow?"

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