Chapter 1 Who is not a time traveler?

Xiliu Village can be regarded as one of the more prosperous villages in Yangdi County. The houses are all made of adobe walls and green tiles. There is a clean and tidy vertical street with five horizontal alleys extending on the slope of the hill. Outside the rammed earth wall, there is a small river flowing.

Xiliu Village is shaded by high mountains to the north, which is a branch of Mount Song, called Dalong Mountain. A small river extends from it and flows through the village.

Because there are willow trees on both sides of the river but they are not very big, this village nestled in the mountains and by the water is named Xiliu Village.

It was late autumn and the weather was getting cold. The fog quietly spread into the world while people were sleeping, rippling with moonlight and accompanied by the water vapor from the stream, making the whole village even quieter.

At some point, the sound of dogs barking began to come from far away in the deep alley, one or two barks, and soon they became one and the same. Amid the barking of dogs, the sound of chickens crowing was heard, and the clucking and cuckolding sounds tore through the last silence.

In the houses, women woke up, yawned, and stretched themselves, shaking their husbands and nagging them to hurry them along.

Her husband was talking in his sleep and didn't agree with her at first, but the woman kept shaking him, so their voices gradually became louder and the bed made a creaking sound again, which was the husband getting up under her urging.

When the sounds of cocks crowing and dogs barking begin, it's time to get up because daybreak is approaching.

In the same village, in a rather exquisite room, Jiang Nu woke up from her sleep, rubbed her sleepy eyes, got up from the small couch, walked out in a daze, and touched the copper kettle on the stove.

However, it seemed that she had not woken up yet, and her fair and round fingers missed the handle of the copper pot and fell on the lid instead. She screamed in burns, and her almond-shaped eyes widened. Only then did she finally wake up.

The burning pain on her fingertips made her subconsciously pinch her earlobe. She frowned slightly and looked fiercely at the copper kettle in front of her. After glaring for a while, she grabbed a rag and put it on the handle. As she raised her arm, a stream of steaming water flowed out from the spout of the kettle, turned into a graceful water line, and fell into the wooden basin next to it, splashing water in the basin, blooming in the dissipation of hot steam, and splashing on her still tender face.

When the hot water in the wooden basin was half gone, Jiang Nu picked up the basin and walked into the inner room.

She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with delicate features. The gradually fading baby fat made her look more quiet. Her slightly loose underdress was loosely tied by a cloth belt, outlining her flexible and slender waist. It seemed that the wooden basin in her hand was a little too heavy for her. She stood there at this moment, her eyebrows slightly frowned, her breathing uneven, and she looked as gentle as Xishi holding her heart.

"Master, it's time to get up." After putting the wooden basin away, Jiang Nu walked towards the bed. At this time, there was a small hill covered with fur there. The hill was startled when it heard Jiang Nu's voice, and then a caterpillar appeared in the fur, mumbling for a long time, and finally a head popped out from under the fur.

"So early?" Yang Chong yawned loudly, then sat up reluctantly, but then he leaned against the head of the bed as if his bones were pulled out, with no intention of getting up at all.

"Master, we can't delay. We have to go to Weijiazhuang to propose marriage today." Seeing that her master had no intention of getting up, Jiang Nu could only pick up the face towel beside her and put it into the wooden basin with a helpless look on her face. She gently moved the face towel to let every part of it absorb the hot water. Then she picked it up and twisted it vigorously. Streams of water were wrung out and dripped into the wooden basin, making a crisp sound. Together with the water vapor, it added a nice decoration to this simple room.

"Ms. Jiang, I really don't want to go!" Yang Chong said helplessly.

"Master, this won't do. You have to get married." Hearing Yang Chong's ridiculous words, Jiang Nu didn't look surprised. It was obviously not the first time she heard such words. But she still said, "I heard that the elder sister of the Wei family is very beautiful. She is a great beauty in the whole area. Master will definitely not be disappointed when he sees her."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Yang Chong took the face towel from Jiang Nu and wiped it casually on his face. The moist heat refreshed him, and his previous dejection gradually disappeared, and then he looked more thoughtful.

"Anyway, she is very beautiful and will definitely not disappoint the young master." Jiang Nu said with anticipation on her face. She seemed to be looking forward to the woman she was about to meet even more than Yang Chong.

Of course, she also had her own little thoughts. After the young master got married, she could... Thinking of this, she subconsciously held her lower lip. Oops, she almost laughed, then she would be exposed.

"Is she as pretty as Jiang Nu?" Yang Chong threw away his face towel and looked at the girl in front of him with clearer eyes. She was as pretty as a picture, and she had the temperament of a girl next door. She was almost old enough to eat. As for the great beauties in the country mentioned by Jiang Nu, Yang Chong had no expectations. He had seen everything. The so-called great beauties were just village beauties. In his past and present lives, real or fake, three-dimensional or two-dimensional, he had seen all kinds of beauties. Even the kings of the seven countries might not have seen as many as him. What else could make him feel amazed?
"I don't know!" If she were a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, she would have understood by now that she should be shy, but Jiang Nu had not grown up yet. While she understood many things, there were still many things she didn't understand. When she heard her young master praising her beauty, she only felt happy, and a little reserved after that happiness.

"I think she is definitely not as pretty as you, Ms. Jiang, but that's all I can do, alas." Yang Chong sighed and lay down on the bed with no interest in anything.

If it was just a marriage, things wouldn't be so troublesome, but things are not that simple at all.

Thinking of the scene three days ago, Yang Chong couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Three days ago, he awakened the memory of his previous life. He did not belong to this world, but sixteen years ago, he became the son of Yang Lin, the richest man in Xiliu Village and the head of Xihe Pavilion.

If everything were normal, it would seem like an ordinary time-travel story. Although bizarre, Yang Chong could accept it. But everything was just not normal.

Because he awakened the memories of his past life three days ago, his experiences as an infant in this life also came to mind. It was also because of this that he knew very well that he was not the son of this owner of the house at all. Sixteen years ago, when he was still a baby, he lost his parents in the war and was subsequently adopted by the owner of this house, Yang Lin.

When he was adopted by Yang Lin, he also obtained the identity of Yang Lin's biological son, while Yang Lin's biological son became the son of a villager. Over the years, when Yang Chong lived the life of a young master, Yang Lin's biological son farmed and hunted like an ordinary farmer's son. Compared with Yang Chong, his life was not very comfortable.

Is all this a little too weird?
Now Yang Lin even arranged a marriage for Yang Chong, and the blind date was with the legendary beauty. This was closer than his biological father, but is there love without reason in the world? Maybe there is, but unfortunately Yang Chong does not believe that this kind of love comes from false fatherly love.

Thinking of all the strange things, a trace of worry flashed across Yang Chong's brows. Why did he awaken his memories of his past life three days ago instead of three years ago? Or why did he not awaken his memories at all? Knowing too much without the ability is not a good thing.

"Young master doesn't seem happy?" Jiang Nu looked at Yang Chong, who had a thoughtful look on his face, and asked in a low voice with concern.

The young master has been acting strangely since three days ago. Is getting married really that scary? Jiang Nv thought about it and felt that her young master was really abnormal in the past few days.

She didn't know that these changes in Yang Chong were due to the awakening of his past life memories, so she could only attribute these changes in Yang Chong to the fact that getting married forced the young man to mature.

"Someone will be in charge of us then. Can you be happy, Ms. Jiang?" Yang Chong suppressed his thoughts and asked back.

Getting married, whether in the previous life or this life, was an extremely distant thing for him. Moreover, the 'father' who arranged this marriage was full of weirdness.

"Ah?" Jiang Nu was stunned. She didn't quite understand the meaning of Yang Chong's words.

"Just like the way your mother controls your father, you can't escape it either. I'm afraid we won't be able to go fishing in the river again in the future." Yang Chong explained. How could he be the only one feeling depressed? Jiang Nu should also share some of the burden, so that they would be worthy of sleeping in the same room.

"Will the future young lady really be that powerful?" Sure enough, Jiang Nu's face changed. She could already imagine that scene. Moreover, Yang Chong's words also made her realize a reality. She would have an extra mistress. She only thought about the benefits of her young master's marriage, but never thought about the risks. What if the young lady was a strict person? What if the young lady could not tolerate her? What should she do then?
Thinking of this, Jiang Nu no longer had the same expectations as before. A sad expression similar to Yang Chong's appeared on her pretty face. Her eyes were confused and her lips were whispering, but she didn't make any sound.

"It will only get worse." Yang Chong said maliciously.

Ms. Jiang's hands had already grasped the corner of her clothes and began to rub them unconsciously, feeling a little more uneasy about the future.

When Yang Chong and Jiang Nu, the master and servant, finished packing, it was already dawn. They walked out of the room and headed towards the main courtyard. There, his father was already there, counting the betrothal gifts, with a smile on his rough face, as if he was really just a good father who was preparing betrothal gifts for his son.

(End of this chapter)