CH 1

When Qiao Yuan woke up, he had a severe headache. As he opened his eyes, he saw a grayish-blue bed curtain. 

He struggled to sit up, looked around, and saw a small room of about twenty square meters. The walls looked like a mixture of thatch and soil. There was a brand new large cabinet in the room, as well as two old boxes with the word “囍” on them, a table for miscellaneous items, and two chairs. The room was tidy, but the shabbiness was hard to hide. Looking down at himself, he realized that his hands and body were not his own. 

Did he transmigrate? Qiao Yuan was so shocked that he fainted again. 

When Qiao Yuan woke up again, he had a memory that did not belong to him. He didn’t know if it was fate or something else, but the person in this body was also named Qiao Yuan and was from Xianhe Village, Yunshui County.   

Before the age of seven, he was also the cherished treasure of his parents and was greatly loved in the family. However, when he was seven years old, his mother died during a difficult childbirth, and a few months later, his father drowned in the river while working at the dock, perhaps due to the heavy burden of missing his wife and the child who died before birth.   

As an orphan, how could a little ger not be looked down upon in this rural household? Especially his  uncle’s wife Xu Xiuhua, who was jealous of his mother’s better life and therefore disliked him. She constantly pressured him to do household chores. 

The original Qiao Yuan had no one to rely on, and Xu Xiuhua was powerful and an elder, so naturally he did not dare to resist. But he had hope in his heart, because he had been promised to marry Zhang Wensheng from the east of the village since he was young. He hoped to wait a few more years and have his brother Wensheng take him home, and his life would not be worse than it is now. He waited and waited, but instead of Zhang Wensheng coming to marry him, he received news that Zhang Wensheng was engaged to his cousin Qiao Yingying.  

Due to the unexpected disasters faced by the original owner, there were rumors in the village that this distant cousin was not a suitable match. The Zhang family had concerns, but since they had been engaged since childhood, it was not appropriate to break off the engagement hastily. However, ever since Zhang Wensheng passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen and was regarded as a child prodigy1神童 (shén tóng) – This term refers to a child prodigy or genius. It is often used to describe someone who excels in a particular field at a young age by the entire county, the Zhang family felt that this marriage was not to their liking. 

Xu Xiuhua saw that Wen Sheng had passed the child scholar exam at a young age and was talented, which made her scheme. After discussing with the other family, they replaced Qiao Yuan with Qiao Yingying, and publicly stated that it was just a marriage between two families and they hadn’t decided which child specifically. 

Since childhood, Zhang Wensheng knew that he was betrothed to Qiao Yuan, and Qiao Yuan had a good appearance and a gentle personality. Zhang Wensheng had met him a few times and had spoken to him privately, and he liked him in his heart. When it came to changing the betrothal, he did resist a bit, but in the end, he still followed his parents’ wishes. 

Unfortunately, even though it was impossible for the two of them to be together, Wen Sheng still met with the original owner a few times in private out of guilt and compensation. 

Zhang Wensheng is a talented person with a handsome and gentle appearance. Qiao Yuan had never seen the world before and since his parents passed away, no one had been as kind to him as Zhang Wensheng. As a result, Qiao Yuan developed feelings for him. Zhang Wensheng was already interested in him, and now that he was in this situation, he promised to marry him as a concubine after he passed the imperial exam. 

The original owner became hopeful again, until he got engaged to Yu Dameng. He sought help from Zhang Wensheng but to no avail. On the day of his marriage, he attempted suicide in his new home but was saved and reborn as Qiao Yuan, a person from modern times.  

Qiao Yuan’s heart was filled with mixed feelings. He clasped his hands together and bowed towards the ceiling, saying earnestly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take over your body. Rest assured, there will be people who will love and care for you where you’re going. I will make sure to pay my respects to you and your parents every year from now on. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, please entrust them to me in my dreams, and I will make sure to fulfill them for you! “ 

As soon as Qiao Yuan finished speaking, someone pushed the door open and entered. 

A person stood in the shadow, but judging by their figure, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they had a tiger’s back and a bear’s waist2虎背熊腰 (hǔ bèi xióng yāo) – This phrase literally means “tiger back, bear waist” and is used to describe someone who is tall, strong, and well-built. It can be translated as “brawny” or “burly.” , and he was very tall. As he approached, Qiao Yuan could see his face clearly and was surprised to find him quite handsome, with thick eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and a pair of sharp and lively tiger eyes3虎目炯炯有神 (hǔ mù jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén) – This phrase means “bright and piercing tiger eyes” and is used to describe someone with intense, sharp eyes. It can be translated as “piercing gaze.” , giving off a vibrant energy. His physique was enough to make anyone blush just by looking at it, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles exposed by his half-sleeved shirt. Qiao Yuan was momentarily stunned.  

Yu Dameng was stunned by the young man who had just hung himself just after their wedding. He was puzzled and after careful consideration, he only asked, “Are you hungry?” 

Qiao Yuan hesitated and answered, “Um…a little bit.”  

Yu Dameng got excited that he had indeed guessed correctly. He happily went to the kitchen to get his food. 

After the other left, Qiao Yuan finally realized, damn it, he had transmigrated into a ger who could give birth and even get married! 

The dynasty he traveled to is called Da Chu, which did not exist in history. Qiao Yuan guessed that this should be another dimension. Here, there is a third gender called “ger”. Their bodies are no different from ordinary men, but they are slightly thinner and weaker. They have a pregnancy mole behind their necks as a symbol of their identity. They can get pregnant and give birth, but they cannot impregnate women. Therefore, ger can only marry but not take a wife. 

Before Qiao Yuan could sort out these matters, the man who had just left came back, holding a bowl of watery porridge in his hand. “The…the doctor said that your throat might feel uncomfortable when you wake up, so, for now, you can only drink some porridge. When you’re better, I’ll have my mother make you something delicious to eat.” 

Qiao Yuan took the bowl and drank slowly, guessing that this should be Yu Dameng, the husband that the original owner had just married. Hmm… now he should be called his husband… lord4The word “夫君” (fū jūn) is a term used as a respectful way of addressing one’s husband in ancient China. It is a combination of the words “夫” (husband) and “君” (lord). It can be difficult to translate into English as there is no direct equivalent. In this context, I used “husband lord” to convey the meaning of the term.. 

Qiao Yuan couldn’t help but glance at Yu Dameng again. This physique and face are a hundred times stronger than that of Zhang Wensheng! Qiao Yuan sighed again, wondering why the original owner couldn’t see the good in Yu Dameng. Even though he committed suicide as soon as they got married, Yu Dameng was still able to bring porridge over. He must have a good character. Who knows, maybe love will grow between them in the future?   

After eating a bowl of hot porridge, Qiao Yuan’s mind became much clearer. His last memory in modern times was a large truck coming towards him, so he must have already died in modern times. 

Since he has come, he should accept it. He doesn’t have much attachment in his modern life since his father doesn’t love him and his mother doesn’t care. Since heaven has given him a chance to be reborn, he should cherish it and not give up on himself.  

It’s just a pity that after saving up for so many years and finally acquiring a shop, before he could even make a big impact, this happened.  

Thinking of this, Qiao Yuan felt a little discouraged. He looked up at Yu Dameng and his voice softened unconsciously, “I still want to drink more.”    

“Ah!” Yu Dameng happily responded and eagerly took the bowl to the kitchen to add more porridge.  

Qiao Yuan couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at the cheerful, bear-like figure of Yu Dameng. He knew that he couldn’t leave the Yu family for the time being. In this era, he might even be Yu Dameng’s wife for life. Fortunately, Qiao Yuan had a good first impression of Yu Dameng and didn’t dislike him. 

Yu Dameng entered the kitchen, and his mother Lin Cuifen asked him busily, “Has he snapped out of it?” 

Yu Dameng hurriedly added porridge, lifted the lid of the pot, and was unexpectedly scalded on the hand, causing him to scream in pain. Lin Cuifen angrily slapped him and said, “You foolish bear!” 

While talking, she took the bowl from Yu Dameng’s hand and helped him scoop porridge. Yu Dameng rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, “I guess he has already come to terms with it. He is already thinking about eating.”   

After hearing this, Lin Cuifen felt quite disdainful, “Why don’t you ask him what he thinks? We don’t have to force him to marry if he doesn’t want to. If it weren’t for his grandmother secretly approaching me, and seeing that he is usually gentle and hardworking, I wouldn’t have accepted him. His wicked aunt took eight taels of silver from our family!” 

In Xianhe Village, a bride price of five taels of silver is already considered a decent amount. Besides, Qiao Yuan is still a ger, and it would be better to marry a woman. The reason why they agreed to pay eight taels of silver is because Lin Cuifen had a difficult delivery when she gave birth to Yu Dameng, and it was thanks to the help of the original owner’s grandmother that she survived. 

Yu Dameng nodded and carried the porridge back into the house. 

Lin Cuifen sighed heavily, “This silly son.” 

Qiao Yuan was drinking porridge while Yu Dameng watched on. The young man moved slowly and delicately, taking small sips, which was pleasing to the eye. Yu Dameng felt uneasy and touched his nose, wanting to speak but hesitating. 

Qiao Yuan put down his bowl and looked up to ask him, “Do you have something to say?” 

Yu Dameng widened his eyes and asked, “How did you know?” 

Qiao Yuan almost bursted out laughing. He thought to himself, how can this person be so different from his appearance? His thoughts were written all over his face, and others could clearly see through him at a glance, but he was still quite cute. “What’s the matter?” 

Yu Dameng glanced at the face of his husband and cautiously asked, ” My mother wants me to ask you if you are willing to stay with me.” 

After speaking, as if afraid that Qiao Yuan would not agree, he quickly added, “Don’t worry, if you stay with me, I will definitely treat you well!” 

Qiao Yuan was amused by his use of “俺 (an)5俺 (ǎn) – a colloquial way of saying “I” or “me” in some dialects of Chinese, particularly in northern China. It is often associated with rural or working-class speech and is not commonly used in formal settings. It can be difficult to translate because there is no direct equivalent in English that carries the same connotations. In this context, it is used to show the speaker’s familiarity with the person they are talking to and to create a more casual tone.” to refer to himself, and couldn’t help but tease him, “What if I don’t want to?” 

Since Qiao Yuan took his own life on his wedding day, Yu Dameng had already suspected that Qiao Yuan did not want to spend his life with him. However, despite this, when he received such a clear answer, Yu Dameng still felt like a deflated ball, his face drooping and his voice trembling, “Even if you don’t want to be with me, don’t take your own life. We…we can get a divorce.” 

“Divorce?” Qiao Yuan didn’t expect that Yu Dameng would give him this option but based on his understanding of the family of his original body, they would definitely be afraid of damaging the reputation of his cousin Qiao Yingying and would want to marry him off as soon as possible. 

After causing such a scene, it’s unlikely that he will ever marry again, which is great. However, he cannot control his fate after leaving his husband, and it may not be better for him in the Yu family. Thinking of this, Qiao Yuan said, “You have to take responsibility for me.” 

Yu Dameng gaped, “I haven’t even touched you.” 

Qiao Yuan choked. He had to coax Yu Dameng, saying: “Others don’t know whether you have touched me or not. You know about the Qiao family. If you send me back, I will definitely be married off as a concubine. I don’t want to be someone’s concubine.” 

Lin Cuifen often scolded Qiao Yuan because of his uncle’s wife. She had also cursed her in front of Yu Dameng. Yu Dameng agreed with him and nodded, saying, “Your uncle’s family is indeed not a good thing.” 

Then Yu Dameng became worried and said, “What should we do?” Qiao Yuan cannot go back to the Qiao family anymore, but he also doesn’t want to be with him. 

Qiao Yuan has always been attracted to men, but in modern times he is busy working to earn money to support his studies and has no time for love. He has also not met anyone suitable. 

Now, standing in front of him is a dream lover who completely fits his aesthetic preferences, and they are also legally married. There was no reason not to try to get along, so he said, “Let me be your husband first, just in name. Let’s try to get along first. If it doesn’t work out…”  

Qiao Yuan deliberately teased him, “I will let you hook up with two concubines, and when the time is right, we’ll divorce. Do you agree?” By then, he would have made money, and with money in his hands, he wouldn’t be afraid of being controlled by the Qiao family after the divorce. Qiao Yuan had his own ways of dealing with them. 

Yu Dameng was a simpleton and didn’t understand what Qiao Yuan meant by “hook up”, but he understood the concept of concubines and divorce. Although he had never married before, he knew that women and gers in ordinary families who love their husbands will get angry if their husbands look at other women or gers. Qiao Yuan wanted him to take a concubine, which shows that he doesn’t want to live with him. 

Yu Dameng was both angry and anxious, and after a while he only managed to say, “I won’t take a concubine!” 

Qiao Yuan didn’t expect that an ancient person like Yu Dameng would still have such value. He lightly rubbed Yu Dameng’s knee with his foot and joked, “Then I’ll get you another beautiful wife when the time comes. You’ll have to suffer a bit first, but this brother will definitely make it up to you.” 

Yu Dameng felt embarrassed about what he had done and believed that Yuan Ge’er6I will keep Ge’er as a suffix for gers as I find it easier to identify gers and men, instead of using “brother”. was being too frivolous. He quickly grabbed his bowl and was ready to leave. 

Qiao Yuan hasn’t finished explaining yet, so he urgently shouted, “Come back!” 

Yu Dameng immediately stopped and turned around to ask, “What…what else is there?” 

Qiao Yuan felt a bit guilty and touched his nose, realizing that he was shameless. “Can we not… tell your family for now?” 

Yu Dameng lowered his head and responded softly, “Oh.” 

Qiao Yuan inexplicably felt like he had bullied him. 

The big clumsy bear seems very aggrieved. 

Hello, everyone. I’m Raine and I’m a new translator. If you find any errors or inconsistent grammars/terms, please feel free to let me know so I can fix it.

If you like my translation, a cup of coffee is very much appreciated. I will post a bonus chapter for every five kofis received. Thank you!