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The Legend of the Frog: Book 1
墨書 Inktalez
On a crisp autumn morning in Qing Shi Town, the biting cold wind swept through as the busy farming season came to an end, and everyone nestled comfortably at home to rest. The townsfolk rose slowly, taking their time to get ready, while a few idle men and women gathered at the street corner, chattering away.
Across the street, the door of the Li Family was ajar. Through the crack, two burly men could be seen alongside two half-grown boys, making strange gestures in the yard that resembled martial arts practice but not quite. The onlookers exchanged glances and stifled their laughter.
"Tsk tsk, what is the Li Family up to now?" one remarked.
"Isn't it just like them? The whole family has gone mad, insisting on pursuing an official career without considering their own abilities," another replied.
"That Sheng boy of theirs fell into a shallow pond last month and took forever to get back up. He must have read too many books," someone else chimed in.
"Are the eldest and second sons really going to take that ridiculous imperial examination this year?" another asked.
"Of course! Why wouldn't they? Their mother said she wouldn't give up until they pass!" came the response.
"They've been trying for seven or eight years without success and have squandered all their savings. What a pity."
In Qing Shi Town, the Li Family was always a topic of conversation among the locals. With both sons fixated on the imperial examinations, despite years of failure and dwindling finances, they remained undeterred.
In the Li Family's yard, Mother Li, her hair streaked with gray, held a rattan switch with a serious expression as she watched her two sons and two grandsons practice their strength-building routines. The townspeople, puzzled by their actions, speculated that they were involved in some sort of strange practice.
Suddenly, taking advantage of Mother Li's momentary distraction, her youngest son, Li Ze'an, slyly slowed down his movements in an attempt to slack off. In an instant—
Crack!
The switch landed squarely on Li Ze'an's back.
"Ouch! That hurts!" he yelped, quickly signaling his son beside him for help.
"Sheng boy, hurry and plead with your grandmother!" he urged.
Mother Li was generally softer on her grandchildren. However, when Li Cheng glanced at the fearsome switch, instead of pleading for his father, he merely smiled sweetly at his grandmother.
"Don't hit me along with them!"
In the courtyard, the eldest son of the Li Family, his wife, their eldest daughter, the youngest son, and the second son's wife were all busy with their heads down, not daring to make a sound. They were afraid that one wrong move would upset Mother Li.
After a long while, they finally finished their practice. Mother Li instructed, "Eldest son and second son, go study. Eldest daughter-in-law, prepare the meal. Second daughter-in-law, clean the house. Yun, go feed the pigs. Chen and Sheng, take a break and help your mother with her tasks."
The family hurriedly sprang into action. Mother Li went to the backyard to feed the sheep.
Eldest son Li Zeyuan and second son Li Ze'an returned to the house, and soon the sound of reading filled the air. The eldest daughter-in-law, Wang, went to the kitchen to prepare food. Wang's eldest daughter, twelve-year-old Li Yun, went to feed the pigs. Wang's youngest son, Li Chen, who had just finished practicing and was panting heavily, stood beside Li Cheng. He was two years older than Li Cheng and was ten this year.
The second daughter-in-law, Liu, who was six months pregnant, was slowly cleaning the courtyard. After resting for a while, Li Cheng quickly went to help.
As he swept near the entrance, he heard people outside laughing at his family, and he glared at them angrily. The idle men and women who had been caught didn’t feel embarrassed at all; they just laughed and dispersed.
Li Cheng looked at his family's dilapidated house and felt a sense of helplessness. It was indeed poor enough to be looked down upon.
In truth, Li Cheng had traveled from another world. In his previous life, he was a PhD student in history at a top university in modern times. A sudden car accident took his life. When he opened his eyes again, he had become a ten-year-old boy from the Da Liang Dynasty's Qing Shi Town in the Li Family.
Coincidentally, the original owner of this body was also named Li Cheng. Half a month ago, while playing by the riverbank, the original owner fell and woke up with a new "core." Fortunately, Li Cheng had merged with the original owner's memories and had not been discovered as unusual. After all, in ancient times, being thought of as possessed by a "ghost" would lead to serious trouble!
Now let’s talk about the Li Family. Li Cheng's grandmother, Mother Li, was wholeheartedly hoping that her two sons could succeed in the imperial examinations and bring glory to their family.
Unfortunately, after waiting for so many years, nothing came to fruition, and instead, he became the laughingstock of the entire town. Everyone said, "Mother Li must be going crazy; the Li Family simply doesn't have that kind of fate!"
Listening to his father and uncle reading inside the house, and looking at the shabby courtyard, Li Cheng silently thought to himself, "No fate? Not necessarily!"
When he first crossed over, Li Cheng was somewhat at a loss. This Da Liang Dynasty was unfamiliar to him; the historical figures and major events he knew from his previous life were absent here. However, after quietly observing the books his uncle and father were reading, Li Cheng breathed a sigh of relief—those were still the familiar Four Books and Five Classics.
Combining that with the well-established imperial examination system and other details of Da Liang, he speculated that this dynasty resembled the Song Dynasty from his past life, except that its founding emperor did not bear the surname Zhao but Liang instead.
For Li Cheng, this was not a problem at all. As long as they still examined the Four Books and Five Classics, as long as Confucianism remained in play, there would be a way! As a PhD in history, Li Cheng's mind was filled with a vast amount of knowledge.
He could easily recite ancient poems and idioms that had been passed down through the ages; he was well-versed in various classics and historical texts; and he had no trouble tackling the essays and eight-legged essays required for the imperial examinations. He had studied the Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, read through the Works of the Three Su, memorized the Taiping Guangji, and delved into the Architectural Standards. He even had insightful interpretations of Dream Stream Conversations and Essentials of Military Affairs.
This was Li Cheng's confidence!
In retrospect, crossing over might have been a blessing for Li Cheng. Before crossing over, he was merely a PhD; after crossing over, it felt like he had gained an "extra life." In this era where "all pursuits are inferior; only studying is exalted," Li Cheng had already found a path to success upon his arrival.
Li Cheng had always been ambitious. In his previous life, his parents passed away early, and he fought hard on his own to earn his doctorate. After crossing over, although life was currently poor and frustrating, he refused to give up. At least now, he had family. This little hardship was nothing!
He believed that with his knowledge, he would surely carve out a place for himself in this unfamiliar dynasty!
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