Chapter 18 - Transmigration: The Farm Life of a “Fool”

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.

Reflection

 

 

Since Doctor Liu had said Xu Ran was gradually recovering, he acted the part well enough. Before they left, everyone felt comfortable entrusting the children to his care.

 

Though kids could be quite a handful, Xu Ran was there to keep an eye on them, and Tangtang and Guoguo, who had always followed Liu Tong's words closely, took it upon themselves to look after their father. So, none of the adults were particularly worried. Besides, there were no dangerous animals in the area, and someone would come back at noon to prepare lunch.

 

Once Liu Tong and the others had gone up the mountain to cut bamboo, Xu Ran went to play with the children in the courtyard. The kids already knew each other well, so they didn't need much supervision.

 

Only Tangtang stayed close by. He was less mischievous than Guoguo and felt it was his duty, as the elder brother, to protect their father and let his little brother enjoy himself. Tangtang vividly remembered what happened yesterday—how Grandpa had hit both Daddy and Ah-mo, and how they were thrown out with nowhere to go. Today, Ah-mo and Wu Mei were going up the mountain to cut bamboo so they could build a house for them.

 

Tangtang remained obediently at Xu Ran's side while Xu Ran stared off into the distance, lost in thought.

 

From the courtyard, Xu Ran could see an endless expanse of greenery stretching out before him.

 

In his heart, this felt like a true countryside. He felt fortunate that he had grown up in a rural area, so at least he wasn't clueless when it came to farming and basic life skills.

 

From the original Xu Ran's memories, he knew that this continent was called the Qingfeng Continent, and the country they lived in was under the Qingyuan Dynasty. Xujiacun, where they lived, was roughly located in what would be modern-day Sichuan*.

 

[T/N: Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau between the Jinsha River on the west, the Daba Mountains in the north and the Yungui Plateau to the south.

Sichuan is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and is surrounded by mountains, making it one of China's most geographically diverse regions. The Sichuan Basin, which is surrounded by mountains, contributes to the province's fertile lands and agricultural richness.

It has a subtropical climate, with abundant rainfall and a mild temperature, making it suitable for farming and agriculture.]

 

Being from Sichuan himself, Xu Ran was familiar with the region's crops and agriculture. He believed that once he fully recovered, it wouldn't take long for them to lead a good life.

 

The people of Shu* loved spicy and numbing foods, and fortunately, both chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns were readily available in this era. Xu Ran thought he could definitely make use of food to improve their livelihood since it would yield the fastest results. However, even though he had the ideas, he couldn't act on them right away. After all, he was still supposed to be a "fool," and anything too innovative in this time period could easily provoke jealousy and invite trouble.

 

[T/N: The people of Shu (蜀) refer to those living in the Sichuan region, historically known as the Shu Kingdom during various periods of Chinese history.]

 

He had no background to protect him, and his vulnerabilities were too apparent, so Xu Ran knew he had to tread carefully.

 

He recalled that the original owner of this body had been on his way to take the imperial exams before being poisoned and rendered mentally impaired. If the culprit had acted just a little later, allowing the exam to be completed first, his life after transmigrating here would have been much easier.

 

Moreover, with the heavy taxes of this era, Xu Ran realized he ought to pass the provincial exams and become a scholar first.

 

The more he thought about it, the more tasks he felt he had to accomplish, leaving him with the sudden sense that there simply wasn't enough time in this life to do it all.

 

Xu Ran sighed inwardly at the weight of his thoughts, but he couldn't share them with anyone. He could only mull them over by himself, feeling rather frustrated.

 

Unexpectedly, Xu Ran ended up sitting there in a daze for the entire morning. Meanwhile, Tangtang remained quietly by his side, not moving an inch.

 

When Xu Ran finally came back to his senses, he noticed the other children running around, sweaty from playing, while Tangtang sat quietly by his side. A pang of guilt hit Xu Ran, and he gently pulled Tangtang into his arms. "Tangtang, why didn't you go play with your brother and the others?"

 

Seeing that his father had finally snapped out of it, Tangtang breathed a sigh of relief. His father used to sit in a daze like this for long stretches of time, not responding to anyone calling him. After such episodes, he would often fall ill. So Tangtang had been worried. But today, his father woke up from his trance all on his own, and that surprised him a little.

 

Tangtang obediently replied to Xu Ran's question, "Ah-mo said I'm the big brother, so I have to protect Daddy and my little brother. Since my brother went off to play, I stayed behind to protect Daddy."

 

Hearing a five-year-old child speak with such seriousness, Xu Ran felt a sharp pain in his heart. He kissed Tangtang's forehead gently and said, "Tangtang, from now on, you don't need to protect Daddy. Daddy can take care of himself, and I can protect you, your brother, and your Ah-mo. Daddy can protect the whole family."

 

"Really?" Tangtang's eyes lit up instantly, full of hope and excitement.

 

Xu Ran's heart ached even more. How long had this child been hoping for a father who could protect his family, just like other children had?

 

"Of course it's true. Daddy has never lied to you, has he?" Xu Ran asked with a soft smile.

 

Tangtang thought carefully for a moment and realized it was true. His father had never lied to him. He nodded, reassured. "Daddy, I believe you."

 

Xu Ran's heart filled with joy at being trusted so wholeheartedly.

 

He set Tangtang down again. "Go on now, go play with the others. You don't need to worry about me."

 

Tangtang shook his head. "No, I'll stay and talk with Daddy."

 

"All right then, let's talk. Tangtang, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

 

Tangtang tilted his head and thought hard, but he couldn't come up with an answer. He looked at Xu Ran, his face scrunched up in frustration.

 

His expression made Xu Ran laugh. "Do you like reading books, Tangtang?"

 

"Yes!" Tangtang replied without hesitation.

 

"Do you like learning martial arts?"

 

"No."

 

"Do you like farming?"

 

"No."

 

"Do you like doing business?"

 

"No."

 

...

 

One by one, Xu Ran asked all the questions that came to his mind, and by the end, he concluded that Tangtang's true passion was studying. He ruffled his hair affectionately. "Tangtang, since you love reading, in a couple of years, Daddy will send you to school. You have to study hard, okay? And someday, bring home a top scholar title for Daddy to see."

 

Tangtang nodded seriously, as if he had just been given a sacred mission. "Yes, Daddy, I will."

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