There were rows of dilapidated houses and green mountains. If a tourist saw it, they would be amazed by the scenery. A tourism project could be developed here, a destination for a mountain village life.
But these were not so beautiful in Liao Tingyu’s eyes. Looking at the shabby clothes on his body, the colour is grey and plain, there were one or two patches inside. Although the one who repaired the clothes was very skilled, this didn’t bring him much comfort. In modern world, who would wear such a style except homeless person.
For a modern person who often brainwashed by time-traveling novels, the first thought in his mind this was a prank and the second was he won the lottery. Traveling to the ancient times, no matter how you think wasn’t a happy thing. This... Not to mention being a farmer, Liao Tingyu, let alone doing a farm work, he lived in the city since he was born. The only thing he know was growing flower in a pot. What could he know about ploughing and lands.
Thinking about other people transmigrating into prince and noble family, no matter how bad they are, it was the children of rich families. The comfort of having everything and not caring about living. He felt a little unlucky.
Liao Tingyu tried hard to recall why he came here, what mechanism was triggered to make time-travel happen. In his memory, he didn’t encounter thunderstorm or car accident like in those novels. It seemed that nothing happens and he was feeling the same as usual. But when he fell asleep, the world changed as soon as he woke up.
It was a lucky thing that this body a scholar. Although scholar was a prodigal son, but in this era, scholars had high status while common people like farmer had lower status. It was better for people like him to continue study, after all he couldn’t tell which grain is rice or do any farm work. In this body’s memory, he was the most favoured child in the family. Their family considered as a good family in the village. Their clan seniority was quite high. In this place where there wasn’t a single ox in ten miles and eight towns, there’s one ox in the family. The family was quite well, they even sent one child to study in the town. It wasn’t easy task to study in school, not only need money but also need to pass entrance exam. People who weren’t smart will not be accepted.
This original body was admitted in the most famous school in the area. This caused sensation from all directions. For this, his father Liao Ming bought a cow with the money he planned to build a house. So, he could pick him up easily from school.
From then on, this body’s big brother became an ox and horse to support him. At first, the original body had conscience and he teached his brother when he came back. But because the family condition was considered poor in the town, people joked about him and he gradually changed.
He began to look down on his parents who were a farmer and his honest big brother who always bend his back and never speak out. In order not to be underestimated, he always asked money to his parents. The cost of studying was so high, his family in the village rarely eat meat. They usually cooked meat once in a few months but now there was no meat in a year.
Even when his parents tightening their belts to give him more money, he still had a hard time in the town. Then, he began to be unreasonable and unsatisfied. But with the school education and his face as a student, he never show it.
However yesterday, because his family couldn’t afford him to participate in poetry meeting. The original body was mad at himself and probably got sick from all those angers.
As a bystander, Liao Tingyu felt that the original body was really pitiful. If only he was reborn in modern time. Some people might think this body was selfish but the environment also caused his behaviour to be bad. If he was reborn in a wealthy family that would be another case, after all in such poor condition, this body could pass child level examination (Tongsheng) at the age of 13.
When he got up from the bed, the sun was already high in the sky and he was alone it the room. Everyone was out doing their own things. He didn’t have to face strange but familiar people for the first time.
Then, he fetched a basin of water from the well and washed his face. Looking at the reflection in the water, the face of this body was good, rough yet delicate. The colour was a bit shallow from malnutrition but it could be seen he was a handsome man. Liao Tingyu looked left and right; this face really similar as his own.
Liao Tingyu went out to see the condition of his new living place. After all, what he saw in the memory wasn’t as good as the real one. I met a few villagers along the way, although I had the memories but it wasn't mine. It took time to compare the face and the name, fortunately those villagers only greet him and didn’t try to talk with him.
The villagers looked at him and responded but they felt a little strange. When this body went out before, he always raised his head high and ignored people. During Chinese New Year, they asked him to write couplet and they must pay it with money. Although people in the village found him strange, they didn’t think too much about it.
Liao Tingyu observed as he walked, this was the place where he would live, looking around, the villager’s clothes mostly covered with patches and their face were sunburned. Although there was no sad expression but their heads are buried working hard in the fields. Their figure made him sigh deeply and remember the benefit brought by technology and science. But now, he must live without it. Liao Tingyu was a little sad, he really wanted to go back. Even though there was no one waiting for him, but he had lived there for almost 20 years.
He had been thinking about a question, why is he so lucky to win transmigration lottery? Is there any chance he could go back to the future? Will this be just a dream and after waking up, he is back on his soft bed again?
But the scenery in front of me was beautiful and clear. The fragrance of wild flowers and trees tickled his nose with the wind blow softly to his face. Even so, they didn’t bring him much comfort, the reality made him a bit depressed and helpless. There was no way, he couldn’t make any more excuses. Liao Tingyu went back dejectedly.