Chapter 4 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

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Hearing his son's request, Village Head Wu paused in surprise. His youngest was usually so sensible, hardly ever asking for anything, which only made the family cherish him more.

 

Heart softening, he readily agreed, "Of course!"

 

But the moment he agreed, Wu fulang stepped on his foot, causing him to wince and flush with pain.

 

Pretending not to notice, Wu fulang turned to Wu Bai with a smile, "Bai ger, you're not fully recovered yet. How about I take you to Doctor Li's tomorrow instead? If there's anything you want, your father can bring it back for you. How does that sound?"

 

Knowing that Wu fulang was only concerned about his health, Wu Bai wasn't annoyed. He nodded obediently and said, "Alright, I won't go this time. But next time Father goes, he has to take me along!"

 

Seeing his youngest son's compliance, Wu fulang smiled approvingly, patting Wu Bai's head. "Alright, alright, next time, your Father will definitely take you."

 

Satisfied that he had gotten his way, Wu Bai turned his attention back to his meal, eating quietly.

 

The next morning, when Wu Bai awoke, he found that his father had already left for town.

 

As he opened the door, his mother spotted him and called out, "Perfect timing! Breakfast is almost ready. Go freshen up, and after we eat, I'll take you to see Doctor Li."

 

Wu Bai knew he wasn't truly sick, but to ease his mother's worries and give himself a bit of freedom, he was more than willing to accompany him to Doctor Li's.

 

After breakfast, the two of them headed to the Li household, which wasn't far as the Li family also lived in Xingfeng Village.

 

Finding the door closed, Wu fulang knocked.

 

It was Doctor Li's fulang who opened the door. Seeing them, he quickly invited them in. "Just a moment ago, Bai ger's condition came up in conversation with my husband*. We were just about to come over and check on him, but here you are!"

 

[T/N: He actually says "孩子他爹," which translates to "the child's father" and is a common way in Chinese to refer to one's spouse in family settings.]

 

Grateful for Doctor Li's concern, Wu fulang smiled and replied, "Thank you for caring so much about my son. He managed to wake up the evening before last and has been fine since, but I brought him by today just to have Doctor Li check his pulse and make sure there's nothing else to worry about."

 

In a few brief words, they arrived at Doctor Li's dedicated practice room, where he was organizing herbs.

 

Seeing them enter, Doctor Li understood their purpose right away. He set down the herbs in his hands, took out his pulse pillow, and motioned to Wu Bai, "Sit down."

 

Obediently, Wu Bai approached the stool by the cabinet, placed his hand on the pillow, and said, "Thank you, Uncle Li."

 

Impressed by his politeness, Doctor Li nodded approvingly and began to check his pulse.

 

After a moment, Doctor Li looked up and said, "Your body's still a bit weak, but nothing serious. Just rest for a few more days and avoid strenuous work."

 

Hearing this, Wu fulang felt a wave of relief. Avoiding hard labor was easy enough—they'd never expected their youngest to do heavy work anyway.

 

Thanking Doctor Li, Wu fulang paid the doctor's fee and started for home with Wu Bai.

 

But they hadn't gone far when they were stopped by none other than Dong Heng.

 

Seeing Dong Heng, Wu fulang felt a little uneasy. Dong Heng was undeniably good-looking, and when his family had come to propose a few days ago, Wu fulang had been pleased at the prospect of him becoming his son-in-law. But his youngest son had adamantly refused the marriage, and since it was their family that declined the match, Wu fulang felt a pang of guilt seeing Dong Heng now.

 

Dong Heng, who had been waiting for some time, stepped forward, greeting them with a polite bow. "Auntie*, I'd like to have a word with Bai ger, if that's alright?"

 

[T/N: The original word used here is 叔么, which literally translates to "Uncle," but is a softer and more familiar type of address that can also specifically be used for the younger brother of one's father. It is specifically used for ger in this word. That's why I chose to translate it to "Auntie," as opposed to 伯父 (bó fù), which is reserved for men. The term 伯父 (bó fù) is a Chinese word used to refer to one's paternal uncle, specifically the elder brother of one's father. It is a formal and respectful way to address or refer to an uncle in the paternal side of the family.]

 

Wu Bai, naturally, had no interest in conversing with the man who had been responsible for the tragic death of the original host's family in his past life. However, Wu fulang thought his youngest son's reluctance to marry might stem from a lack of familiarity with men outside the family, given how few young men his little ger had met before. Perhaps, he thought, a brief conversation under his watchful eye might ease his son's misgivings.

 

With this thought, Wu fulang nodded and stepped back a few paces to let the two speak.

 

Once Wu fulang had moved aside, Dong Heng leaned in and said, "Bai ger, I think your second brother might have misunderstood me. Could you please explain to him that the note I asked him to give you was just a poem, nothing more?"

 

Wu Bai knew exactly what he meant—he was referring to the love poem Wu Bai had found when he first arrived in this world. But he couldn't afford to acknowledge it, so he feigned confusion and replied, "Who are you? What note? I've never seen anything like that."

 

In truth, he had thrown that note into the stove and burned it the day after he'd awoken. As an unmarried young ger, he certainly couldn't keep such a thing. While the original Wu Bai might not have realized the harm that note could cause, he was well aware it was better to be rid of it.

 

Seeing Wu Bai deny any knowledge of the note, Dong Heng looked shocked. Impossible—Wu Erlang* had told him himself that he'd handed it to the young ger.

 

[T/N: "伍二郎" (Wǔ Èrláng) is a common way to refer to the second son in a family whose surname is Wu. In traditional Chinese culture, a numerical title after the surname (like "二郎" for "second son" or "大郎" for "first son") signifies a person's birth order among siblings.

Using "郎" in this context can carry a respectful or endearing connotation, especially in older or rural settings, and might indicate that the individual is young, capable, or seen positively by the family. So "伍二郎" essentially means "Wu, the second son," a familiar or somewhat respectful way to address or refer to him.]

 

Dong Heng scrutinized Wu Bai's innocent face, searching for any hint of deception, but found nothing.

 

Just as he was about to press further, Wu fulang, who felt it was improper for his little ger son to linger alone with another man, approached. He had only left them alone out of consideration for Wu Bai's future, but by now, the two had surely exchanged enough words.

 

Seeing Wu fulang coming, Wu Bai quickly walked over to his side, holding onto his arm and staying close. Together, they left without looking back.

 

Left alone, Dong Heng watched Wu Bai's retreating figure, his heart filled with bitterness at being treated like a pariah*. Yet, on the surface, he forced a polite smile as he saw them off.

 

[T/N: The original expression used here is "避自己如蛇蝎一般", it translates literally to "avoiding him as if he were a snake or a scorpion." It's a common Chinese expression used to describe someone actively avoiding or shunning another person as if they were something dangerous or repellent.]

 

Once they were out of earshot, Wu fulang, ensuring Dong Heng couldn't hear them, asked, "Bai ger, what did you think of that young man?"

 

"Who, him? He's nothing special—two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, just like the rest of us." Wu Bai knew perfectly well what his mother was getting at but chose to play dumb.

 

As expected, Wu fulang sighed when he saw his son's innocent expression, thinking, Never mind; he'll understand when he's a bit older.

 

When they got home, Father Wu had already returned from town.

 

Seeing Wu Bai, he eagerly handed over a sugar-coated hawthorn skewer. He hadn't known what to buy but had been told by the vendor that all the young folk loved this treat. Since he'd promised to take Wu Bai to town but ultimately hadn't, he felt guilty and wanted to make it up to him with a small gift.

 

Wu Bai, being the youngest in the family, went around offering a taste to everyone, but no one wanted any, so he happily finished the skewer himself.

 

As he savored the treat, Wu Bai's mind wandered. Though the village head's family was the wealthiest around, his family still lived modestly. He wondered if they could start a business to provide them with a steady income. With more earnings, his family wouldn't need to be so frugal, and everyone could enjoy a treat now and then.

 

As he pondered this, ideas from his past life surfaced—many of which had been taught by his husband, Xiao Zimo. Xiao Zimo, working as an official, couldn't enter business himself*, so he had handed over business matters to Wu Bai while guiding him from behind the scenes. Over time, Wu Bai had learned a great deal and was no longer the naive little ger from the countryside he once was.

 

[T/N: In imperial China, officials were generally prohibited from engaging in business due to Confucian ideals and the structure of the government, which sought to ensure that public servants remained morally upright and loyal to the state.]

 

Starting a profitable venture would be the easy part, he realized; the real challenge would be protecting their wealth.

 

There were, in his experience, two ways that wealthy people safeguarded their assets: by seeking the patronage of those in power or by gaining influence themselves.

 

The first route was straightforward but came with risks—any disagreement, or worse, exploitation, from those in power would leave them helpless against the demands imposed on them.

 

The second option was for someone in their family to gain power.

 

As he considered this, Wu Bai's gaze fell on the window of the room to his left. Through the open window, he saw Wu Kang'an, his second brother, sitting with a book in hand. Although not a full-fledged xiucai like Dong Heng, Wu Kang'an was already a tongsheng, a scholar at the entry level. With his guidance, perhaps Wu Kang'an could reach the level of a juren*, a candidate qualified for the triennial provincial examinations. Once he became a juren, they could find him a position in a local government office, maybe even as a zhubu*, a deputy magistrate—or, if they were lucky, a county magistrate.

 

[T/N: 举人 (juren) "Recommended Person" – Awarded to those who pass the 乡试 (the triennial provincial exam) which is different from the 府试 (prefectural exam) spoken about before to become a xiucai. The juren title was typically required for a person to hold office in the government.

To take the juren exam, one needs to already be a xiucai.

In ancient China, a zhubu (主薄) was a low-ranking but important administrative official in a county government. Often translated as "assistant magistrate" or "assistant official," a zhubu was responsible for managing county affairs, overseeing government documents, and assisting higher-ranking officials like the xianling (县令), the county magistrate.]

 

As they say, a county magistrate is a local emperor in their own domain. With such status, their family would enjoy respect and protection within Qinghuai County, securing both their business and future.

 

With this plan set, Wu Bai finished his skewer in a few bites and made his way to the study to assess his second brother's academic progress. If Wu Kang'an truly lacked the aptitude for scholarly pursuits, he'd have to reconsider.

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