Chapter 1

What falls out of a tree? A leaf?

No. 

A refrigerator.

Due to such a nonsensical thing, Meng Shizhui was knocked all the way back to ancient times, where the mountains were still green and the rivers clear like crystals. 

Of course, it was also the times when people lived in dire heat and cold with no AC, and village folks would go to the river to scrub their clothes.

In such a lovely yet also tragic world, Meng Shizhui… proceeded to draw circles in the ground with a stick as he held out a copper pan, begging for spare change. People passing by cast him disdainful glances as they looked at his rags, and even the children running by would kick up some more dust at him.

“Haaah…” Meng Shizhui lowered the bamboo hat on his head to block out the sun, and at last, he got up and proceeded to walk out of town aimlessly. Besides the bamboo hat, copper pan, and rags for clothes he owned, there was an extra stick of hawthorn candy in his hand. 

A child that had ran by earlier suddenly asked his friends, “Where’s my candy?” but the culprit had already walked far away.

Meng Shizhui walked briskly out of the small village and proceeded to follow the dirt path. 

‘I’m sorry, my child, but I am really really hungry.’ Meng Shizhui inwardly apologized as tears streamed down his face. Speaking of his recent experiences, they were indeed quite tragic.

When he first crossed over, he was a body that had passed out in the middle of the road, face down. Perhaps the original owner simply suffocated to death in that way, but there was no Transmigration God, golden finger System, or even basic identification or gold on him. Besides the word ‘Poor’, there was only ‘More Poor’.

Thus, he did what he had to do. Like a locust attacking the farmer’s crops, he nibbled a bite from a few crops at night, bathed in the ready-made showers known as the river, and rolled around in a grass “bed” that he could eat when famished. 

Despite this unsightly way of living, he actually kept his appearance somewhat tidy, making sure to bathe every day and wash his clothes. Now, a month later, he had made his way through three different bigger villages, searching for a smaller village whose crops he hadn’t consumed yet.

On this pleasant day that started off with a filched hawthorn, Meng Shizhui hummed a tune as he nibbled on his first tasteful meal in a long while.

“I came here to drop, some money, dropping all my money. Drop, some money, all this bread so yummy yeah~”

Perhaps it was this strange song that stopped the ox in its tracks, causing it to take a few second glances. In any case, the farmer sitting on the cart behind took notice of this vagrant and asked, “Young man, are you heading to Green Village?”

Meng Shizhui finished the last bite of hawthorn and waved the stick, “Yeah! Can I hitch a ride, Uncle?”

“Hop on!”

Though there was no place to formally sit, Meng Shizhui was more than happy to simply sprawl himself out in the back with the goods. The farmer uncle casually asked, “What’s a young man like you doing out here?”

Meng Shizhui genially crawled up beside him and said, “I’m actually searching for a job! Uncle, do you know if anyone’s looking for help? I don’t need pay, just some food and maybeeee a place to stay.”

“Hmm, I think Old Liu’s eldest son recently broke his foot. He might be willing to put up a temporary worker.”

“That’s great! That’s great! Anything’s fine, I’m a happy-go-lucky kind of person.”

After badgering the farmer uncle a bit more, the ox cart arrived at Green Village. The farmer uncle bade farewell and drove towards his house while Meng Shizhui walked towards Old Liu’s house.

The fields of green made him inevitably salivate. He continuously wiped his mouth as he made his way down the farm fields, asking the farmers he passed by where Old Liu’s house was. Finally, he arrived in front of a small wooden house.

Just as he was about to pick up his hand and knock, a rough-looking middle-aged man called out to him from the side: “What you looking for?”

Meng Shizhui turned to the side, “Are you Old Liu?”

“Ye, that’s me alright.” 

“I heard that you’re looking for a temporary worker.”

“No no, we’re fine. Don’t need no help.” The middle-aged man wiped his hands on his clothes.

Meng Shizhui immediately ran over to his side, “PLEASE, UNCLE. I’m low cost, low maintenance. All I need is some seeds to eat.”

Old Liu was dumbfounded from his begging, kneeling posture and his mind boggled. Meng Shizhui continued to cry, yell, and threaten to hang himself while groveling in the mud, leaving Old Liu speechless.

Finally, he relented and gestured for him to get up. As if a pause button was hit, Meng Shizhui abruptly stopped rolling halfway and jumped up, grabbing his hand: “Thank you, thank you! I will not let your kindness down!”

Old Liu simply shook his head and bent down to pick up a bucket. Meng Shizhui snatched it over before his finger even touched it, “Don’t worry! I will help you carry it. Where to?”

And just like that, Old Liu gained a handyman and Meng Shizhui finally gained a steady supply of food. The neighboring villages also got rid of a pesky locust at last.