Chapter 1
The wind is cold and the winter months in Ganzhou this year are colder than in previous years. It is already freezing cold in November. The cold wind whistled past, blowing up sand and gravel, which hit the doors and windows, making a humming sound like crying and complaining.
A shrill cry broke the entire cold winter.
"Let Axuan go, you can't take Axuan away." Lin Qingyuan was wearing a linen shirt. It was winter and his clothes were thin. With tears in his eyes, he held his sister's hand tightly.
The woman next to her was strong and powerful. She held Lin Xuan's hand with a fierce look on her face, "Since your family can't pay the money this time, we can only use your sister to pay off the debt. If you can't pay it back next time, I'll use you to pay." She winked at the two servants next to her, and the two of them understood. They grabbed Lin Qingyuan and pulled hard, and the boy was thrown to the ground.
Lin Xuan was dragged by the woman and staggered. She choked with sobs and said, "Ayuan, take good care of my brother and go back."
Lin Qingyuan didn't care. This was his sister. If she was taken away, he didn't know where she would be sold to.
He rushed over and hugged the woman's thighs tightly. The two servants immediately punched and kicked him. Seeing his brother suffering, Lin Xuan grabbed the woman's hand and bit it. The woman felt pain and her hand loosened, allowing Lin Xuan to escape.
"It seems that if you don't accept the toast, you will be punished." The woman sneered. The two servants walked towards the brother and sister with a grim smile.
"Stop." Lin Shuge shouted at everyone.
He was originally a graduate student majoring in 21st century ancient literature. He was working on his graduation thesis on one hand and preparing for the civil service exam on the other. Who knew that he would stay up late to finish his homework and end up here as soon as he opened his eyes.
As an internet-addicted teenager surfing the 5G network, Lin Shuge understood that he had traveled through time. He lifted the quilt and was about to get up from the bed to check what was going on, but then he felt dizzy and memories flooded into his mind.
The original body had the same name and surname as himself. He was gifted since childhood, well-versed in scriptures, and his family was relatively wealthy. Unexpectedly, his mother became seriously ill. In order to pay for his wife's medical treatment, his father had to sell all his property and land, but his mother still did not survive. After his mother passed away, Lin's father worked so hard that he became ill from overwork and passed away a year later, leaving only his original father and a pair of twelve-year-old twins.
After his parents passed away, the family had no more income and had to live off their savings. A sudden cold made the situation even worse. Everything that could be sold had been sold, and the family was now destitute.
The scene in front of us is exactly because Lin's father borrowed money from relatives for money for medicine, and finally he could only borrow money from relatives. Money is usury. Because this way of borrowing money can generate high interest, just like a mother giving birth to a child, it is called money. These money-lending merchants were called Ziqianjia.
Now that Lin's father has passed away and the family can't pay back the money, the loan shark Zi Qian's family comes to the door and demands to use Lin Xuan to pay off the debt.
Lin Shuge was weak from the long illness, so he took a break and said, "Stop it. Human trafficking is illegal. Do you know that?"
The woman laughed and said, "It's against the law. I don't know what law this gentleman is talking about. We common people only know that it is only natural to pay back debts."
According to the original owner's memory, although this era did not appear in the 5,000 years of Chinese history, the cultural customs were basically the same, and the level of productivity was not high. It was roughly the Han Dynasty in Lin Shuge's time and space.
Lin Shuge once discussed the issue of human trafficking throughout the dynasties with his fellow students at a group meeting. Although human trafficking existed in every dynasty, the imperial court had clearly prohibited it, and once caught, the punishment was extremely severe.
"Emperor Chengwu of our dynasty was merciful and made laws that anyone who trafficked in human beings would be punished by crucifixion. Anyone who knew about it and bought the human beings would also be punished. Did you know that?"
Crucifixion is the dismemberment of the body after execution.
The woman had always been a bully and tyrannical person. She had seen many people crying and begging for mercy on their knees when they went to collect debts, but she had never encountered such a scene before, and she was shocked for a while.
Lin Shuge winked at the twins, and they immediately pushed aside the servant and ran towards him. Lin Shuge protected his brother and sister-in-law behind him, "As far as I know, the court has never tolerated those of you who lend money privately. The Marquis of Lingxiang was stripped of his title in the previous dynasty."
"You...you are talking nonsense. Your family owes money and refuses to pay it back. Even if you sue the county magistrate, we are still right."
The woman appeared to be strong on the outside but was actually weak on the inside. Even though she was frightened by Lin Shuge, she still wanted to gain the upper hand.
Seeing her expression, Lin Shuge said, "Unfortunately, I am going to see the county magistrate tomorrow. I wonder if the county magistrate will think that our dynasty's laws are strict or that your so-called debt repayment is true after hearing about this matter?"
The woman was originally suspicious, but seeing that he spoke elegantly and was well-versed in the law, she did not dare to act rashly. The two servants also looked at each other in confusion.
"I see that this lady is not someone who would break the law knowingly. Is there a misunderstanding here? If you release my sister, my brother and I will pay your master back within three days."
The woman saw that she could not complete the task today, so she could only say bitterly: "If you don't return within three days, my master will not let you go. Let's go."
After the three of them left, Lin Shuge looked at the twins who had dazed expressions and said, "Let's go back to the house."
Ganzhou County, where Lin Shuge came from, belongs to Dingyuan County. It is located in the northwest border and is the border area between the Yan Dynasty and the surrounding small countries in the Western Regions. As the gateway connecting the Central Plains and the Western Regions, it has always been a place of contention for military strategists. Ever since the founding emperor of the Yan Dynasty recovered the Western Regions, trade with the outside world has been unimpeded and this small town has become increasingly prosperous.
However, this dynasty had not yet developed the imperial examination system. The court relied on the recommendation system to recruit officials, and one could get an official position by recommending filial and honest people. The original body wanted to get an official position by being a filial and honest official, but unfortunately, his parents passed away and he had no connections at home, so he could only waste his time.
In this era, if you want to support yourself and your younger siblings, you have to find a way to go into politics, with scholars being the most important among the four classes of people: farmers, merchants and artisans. Since we are all taking the civil service exam, let's work hard to pass it in ancient times.
Lin Shuge took a look at the furnishings in the room. There was only a peeling paint table and the bed board where his former self had slept. When he woke up, there were several layers of quilts covering him. They must have covered him with all the quilts of the whole family.
I have to recover from my illness first and earn money to support my younger siblings, but the most urgent priority is to fill my stomach.
Lin Shuge turned and went to the kitchen. There was only a little corn left in the rice jar. Seeing the brother and sister wearing only a single layer of clothing in the cold winter, looking skinny, he said, "Don't worry, my eldest brother has a way to make sure we all have enough food."
"Really, big brother?" Lin Qingyuan opened his eyes wide with excitement, "I want to eat a full bowl of millet rice."
"You are useless. What's the point of a bowl of millet rice?"
Lin Xuan next to him looked suspicious. Her eldest brother had been ill and seemed a little different.
When Lin Shuge saw Lin Xuan's expression, he secretly sighed that the little girl was not easy to fool. Although the original owner had great ambitions, she was worldly-wise and only knew how to study, not work. The three siblings rarely got along like this, and judging by Lin Shuge's behavior today, she probably felt that her personality had changed.
"After this incident, my eldest brother has let it go. Fame and wealth are important, but compared to these things that you cannot bring with you when you are born and cannot take with you when you die, family is the most precious." Lin Shuge looked at the brother and sister and said softly.
Lin Qingyuan cried and threw himself into Lin Shuge's arms, with such great strength that Lin Shuge, who had been ill for a long time, almost couldn't breathe.
"Ayuan, eldest brother is still sick, what are you doing?" Lin Xuan looked angry. Lin Qingyuan looked at his eldest brother's expression and lowered his head unconsciously.
"It's okay, brother. You're strong and healthy. This is nothing." Lin Shuge said with a smile, and raised his right arm to show his muscles.
This action made the brother and sister laugh. Lin Shuge looked at the two of them and silently thought about his plan.
After several days of rest and as a young man with a good physical condition, Lin Shuge is now in good health.
The sky was high and the clouds were light that day. Lin Shuge put on the only decent long gown in his family and straightened his hat. He looked even more handsome, elegant, and slender, with the appearance of a handsome young man.
The Ganzhou County Government Office was solemn. Lin Shuge looked at the gate and made up his mind to walk forward. The guards at the gate stopped him and shouted, "Who dares to trespass in this important area of the county government office?"
Lin Shuge clasped his fists and saluted, "I am Lin Shuge from Qingxi Town. I have a plan to offer to the county magistrate. It is related to your political achievements. I would like to see the county magistrate. I hope you can pass on the message."
"Good boy, you are so arrogant. If I don't pass on the message, it will affect your performance." The officer glared at him and looked him up and down. Seeing that the man in front of him was elegant and did not look like a troublemaker, he asked again, "What do you want to report to your Excellency?"
Lin Shuge knew that the seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door, if he didn't reveal a thing or two, he might not be able to enter the county government gate today, "Sir, have you noticed that this winter is much colder than in previous years? According to previous years, many people would freeze to death in the cold winter. If the number of people increases this year, wouldn't it be bad for your performance?"
The officer looked embarrassed.
Lin Shuge took the opportunity to say, "I have a plan that can help the elderly, the weak, and the widowed survive the winter, but I have to present it to the county magistrate in person."
The officer thought for a moment, paused, said "Please wait a moment", and went into the house to report.
The winter sun felt warm on his body. Lin Shuge stretched his legs which were stiff from fighting for a long time and waited patiently.
A quarter of an hour later, the officer came out and said, "My lord, please follow me in."
"Thank you, sir."
Lin Shuge followed the servant through the corridor, entered the ceremonial gate, passed the various offices of the county government, and entered the lobby.
I saw a man sitting in the hall, wearing dark official uniform, with a stern face and a sad look between his brows. It was Li Yi, the magistrate of Ganzhou County. "Who in the hall wants to see me?"
Lin Shu placed his left hand on top of his right hand and saluted to the county magistrate. "I am Lin Shuge, a native of Qingxi Town. I am worried that the people will suffer from the disaster and have a hard time in winter because of the bitter cold this winter. So I would like to present this precious warming device to you." Lin Shuge presented a wooden slip to County Magistrate Li.
Magistrate Li looked up at Lin Shuge for a moment, and seeing that he looked clear-headed and behaved calmly, he prepared to check the wooden slips.
There was a strange bed drawn on the wooden slip, which looked like a bed but was not a bed. It had a horizontal board on top and several chimneys made of bricks on the bottom. Next to the drawing were detailed instructions on how this "kang" should be built, what fuel to use it for, and how the chimney should be used.
That’s right, it was the kang used in the Northeast and Northwest in winter in later generations. When Lin Shuge was a child, he went to his grandmother’s house to play and saw how the kang was made. It was cold in winter, and the whole family huddled on the kang and kept very warm.
Even if there is no coal, you can burn firewood or leaves to heat the kang. As long as you are diligent and collect more firewood, you can always get through the winter.
"Did you come up with this on your own?" the magistrate asked, his voice no longer as stern as before.
"I don't dare to take credit for it. I saw it in an ancient book. My family is poor and the winter is extremely cold. I think there are countless people suffering from hunger and cold, so I want to present it to you. I hope you can share it with the whole county."
Magistrate Li stroked his beard and said, "From the way you talk, you seem to be a scholar?"
Lin Shuge replied: "When my parents were alive, I only read the Five Classics a little bit and understood the general idea."
"After reading the Five Classics, which one should I study? Can I understand the law?"
"Your Excellency, I have specialized in studying Zuo Zhuan and have a basic understanding of law." Lin Shuge couldn't help sweating on his back, as if he was being asked questions in an exam.
"Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, everyone in the world specializes in Gongyang's Spring and Autumn Annals, but you don't follow the ordinary path."
The central court established doctors of the Five Classics and placed them in official schools. The "Spring and Autumn Annals" among the Five Classics had three commentaries: Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, and Guliang Zhuan. At that time, Gongyang Zhuan was very popular, and all the great Confucian scholars in the court were the mainstays of the Gongyang School. Scholars also turned to studying Gongyang Zhuan.
Lin Shuge had already heard that the county magistrate here was different from others. He was a die-hard fan of Zuo Zhuan and even had a vague aversion to the Gongyang School. This was exactly what he wanted.
Sure enough, the magistrate was overjoyed and said, "Very good, very good." He stood up and walked to Lin Shuge and said, "You go back first and wait for me to send someone to try it out. If it succeeds, you will reward me." He also saw that although his clothes were clean, they were so white from washing that he understood his hardship.
"Come here, reward Lin Shuge with 2,000 coins and 5 hu of rice, and ask Wang Ji to come in," ordered County Magistrate Lin.
Five hu of rice weighs about three hundred kilograms, which is enough for three brothers and sisters to live on for most of half a year.
Lin Shuge was delighted and bowed quickly: "Thank you, sir."
After leaving the county government gate, the sun was setting in the west, and large patches of sunset glow covered the sky. Lin Shuge wiped the sweat from his forehead and felt refreshed.
"The young master is truly extraordinary." A voice came from the side.
Lin Shuge turned around and saw that it was the officer from before. "Thank you, officer. Where are you going?"
Wang Ji was pushing a wheelbarrow with sacks of rice on it. He laughed out loud and said, "The county magistrate ordered me to escort the young master back."
Lin Shuge understood that this was to ask for money to help transport the rice back, so he thanked him.
"Young master, you are too polite. Just call me Wang Ji." Young Master Lin has such abilities and a bright future. How could he offend others for no reason by using Qiao Ping?
"Then call me Brother Wang." Lin Shuge changed the address.
The weather has been sunny in recent days, and the streets are bustling with people. A fragrant smell is in the air, and someone is shouting to sell roast chicken. Lin Shuge felt his stomach, which had been filled with millet soup for several days, and thought of his younger brothers and sisters at home, so he paid for half a chicken for fifteen cents.
There was a butcher selling pork in the distance, and Lin Shuge went up to him and asked, "Young man, how much is the meat?"
The butcher put down the boning knife in his hand and glanced at Wang Ji behind Lin Shuge, "Six cents for pork and ten cents for mutton."
"Two pounds each," Lin Shuge thought about the mutton soup and pork dumplings, and then looked at the ribs piled next to him. "How much are these ribs?"
The butcher saw that he was straightforward and said, "I'll give you five cents and you can take it all."
Lin Shuge thanked him with a smile, picked up the meat and ribs, and walked towards home.
Wang Ji was waiting for him in the distance, pushing a wheelbarrow.
"Brother Wang, sorry for keeping you waiting. Let's go." Lin Shuge has been out for a day, and his younger brothers and sisters-in-law at home don't know what he is doing. It's so late, they must be getting anxious waiting for him.
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