Chapter 1: The Great Kang Dynasty
red faces from years of hard labor.But the last girl in the team caught Jin Feng's eye.Although this young woman's clothes were more worn than the others, her face was fair and delicate, with striking...Having sat on the stump for over half an hour, Jin Feng had to face reality.
He crossed over.
From the modern 21st century, I traveled to a backward feudal society.
"God, are you picking on me"
Jin Feng looked up at the sky, smiling wryly and sighing.
In his past life, Jin Feng came from a poverty-stricken mountain village. He worked tirelessly and was admitted to university. Then he studied hard through his undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees. After graduation, he became a high-level worker... Bah, a high-level mechanical engineer, earning millions of dollars a year.
Such an experience is truly inspiring, and Jin Feng himself believes he is a winner in life.
But unexpectedly, after only a few days of work, due to consecutive overtime and lack of focus, an accident happened. Rong was given an army of transmigrators and arrived in this mighty Kang dynasty, attaching himself to a young blacksmith.
"Aren't all Jin Feng people so unfortunate"
Yes, the one he attached, this blacksmith, Jin Feng, is even worse off than him.
Born, she was forced to flee with her parents, seeking refuge from war. They finally managed to escape to this small mountain village in Xi He Bay, only for her mother to fall ill and pass away shortly after they found stability.
The old blacksmith knew that education was the only way out. He tightened his belt and sent his young son, Xiao Jin Feng, to school, hoping that one day he would pass the imperial examinations and become a successful official.
It's a pity that Jin Feng isn't cut out for studying. After ten years of hard work in his studies, he couldn't even pass the exam to become a scholar.
Last year, the old blacksmith died, and all his remaining assets were eaten up by Jinfeng.
Over the past two weeks, I've only been eating one meal a day, congee. I've been feeling dizzy and even bumped my head against a wall.
This collision brought the 21st century's Jinfeng crashing into the Dakang Dynasty…
"Brother Jin, the wedding procession from the county is almost here. The village head wants you to go to the village entrance quickly."
A boy of twelve or thirteen years old called out at the door, and without regard to whether Jin Feng heard him, he skipped away.
"Bridal party"
A relevant piece of information flashed through Jin Feng's mind.
Years of continuous warfare had depleted the male population in the Kang dynasty. To stimulate population growth, the imperial court mandated that men aged eighteen and above, and women aged seventeen and above, were required to marry. Failure to comply would result in a threefold increase in land tax.
The shortage of able-bodied men, coupled with heavy levies and extortion by bandits, meant many ordinary people could only afford one meal a day. They couldn't possibly bear any extra taxes.
Jinfeng's household registration was that of a craftsman. As such, he was exempt from military service. However, his taxes were heavier than those of farmers and hunters, making it naturally difficult for him to bear.
When it came time to marry, when the county collected taxes at the beginning of the year, they could only report this year's family.
He had already gained a reputation for idleness in Xihewan. It was obvious that he would die soon, so who would marry their daughter to him
But it's alright, Kang Chao doesn't have many other things going for him, just a lot of unmarried daughters.
At the end of spring and autumn, the county government would organize two matchmaking events called "Sending Brides" to send unmarried eligible women to various villages and towns, where men could choose their brides.
No matter if the groom is lame or blind, as long as he is chosen, he must have a biological child.
"Is this the legendary wife of a government official Could it be that even Da Kang, the secretary, has traveled through time for such good benefits"
Just after crossing over, he hadn't even had a single bite to eat yet, and he was already being addressed as "親" (a term of endearment). Jin Feng felt quite out of place and couldn't help but grumble in his heart.
I don't have high expectations for the wedding party that will be coming next.
Following the bridal party were girls who had been left behind by their villages, so to speak. They were the leftovers, the ones no one else wanted. Their quality was self-evident.
But one shouldn't be too picky either.
The man has the right to choose, but not the right not to choose.
That is to say, regardless of whether he is satisfied or not today, he must take a wife back, otherwise, it will be considered tax evasion and he will be sent to the battlefield until death.
Jin Feng could only bear the hunger in his stomach and walked to the village entrance.
On the top of Lubei Terrace, stood three young men, a hunchback, a limping man, and the last one, though he had all four limbs intact, his face was sly and shifty, not looking like a good person at all.
They are all like Jin Feng, belonging to the kind of people in the village who would rather let their daughters participate in a lottery for marriage than allow them to be married.
Look, Jin Feng is here. All four Heavenly Kings are assembled.
When the children saw Jin Feng coming, they jumped and shouted.
Don't say!
The child's mother hurried to cover the child.
The four great bodhisattvas, as the village children called them, were: a camel that couldn't do heavy work, a cripple, a rogue who liked to tease young girls and daughters-in-law, and a pompous but incompetent Jin Feng.
Usually, Jinfeng loathed this title, getting furious every time he heard it. But today, he just smiled at his child and walked onto the stage.
"Brother Jin is here!"
The camel and the cripple greeted each other with smiles.
Pi Pi snorted disdainfully, tiptoeing to look down the village path.
"Liu Jia Gege, Zhang Jia Gege!"
Jin Feng smiled and replied.
Here it comes!
The hooligan pointed at the village entrance and shouted loudly.
A procession with a red sign walked slowly along the village path.
Leading the procession were five county officials and a woman dressed in flamboyant red. Behind them trailed over twenty young women carrying baggage.
The village head led people to greet the government officers, while the wife directed the girls to stand opposite the four from Jinfeng.
Giving gifts to relatives is a long-standing custom, and the girls weren't upset, but curiously looked around.
What they carry on their backs is their dowry. If they are chosen, they will stay here right away.
The village before our eyes, perhaps it will be our home in the future. The people watching us, perhaps they will be our family in the future……
"It would be nice to have another row of lights."
Jin Feng couldn't help but think of a certain well-known matchmaking show.
Just as he expected, the quality of these guest girls is not very high.
Most people have sunburnt, weathered faces from years of hard labor.
But the last girl in the team caught Jin Feng's eye.
Although this young woman's clothes were more worn than the others, her face was fair and delicate, with striking features. Her bright, watery eyes made one feel pity for her.
In the internet age, opening your phone is met with all sorts of influencers, but Jin Feng can confidently say that Su's Blue Girl, in her natural state, absolutely surpasses any heavily made-up influencer.
"Such a fine specimen, it should be quite popular. How could it end up in the dowry procession"
Jin Feng was doubtful.
The camel beside him noticed Jin Feng kept staring at Lan Girl, so it sidled over and whispered, "Brother Jin, what are you looking at Guan Xia for"
Jin Feng did not answer, but asked instead, "Do you know"
"Don't you know"
Li Shitou was taken aback.
He immediately recalled that Jin Feng had always boasted about being a scholar and, in order to appear aloof, never came to join the festivities when his family visited.
He's the one from Guanjiawan who lost money.
Li Shi Tou reminded softly.
[Author's Note]
New book is online, hope all book friends will support it.ed in flamboyant red. Behind them trailed over twenty young women carrying baggage.The village head led people to greet the government officers, while the wife directed the girls to stand opposite the...