Chapter 2: Luck and Possession

The sun was halfway down the horizon. The Zhu family was gathered in the main hall, and dinner was ready. The Zhu family ate dinner at this hour primarily to take advantage of the remaining daylight, saving on lamp oil; it would be a waste not to take advantage of what the heavens provided for free.

A large table was set in the center of the east room of the main house, where the Zhu family sat gathered around it. The family patriarch, Old Man Zhu, was over fifty but still in robust health. He sat at the head of the table, holding a long-stemmed pipe. Before him sat a plate of boiled peanuts and a cup of cloudy wine—a stark contrast to the cornmeal buns, rotten vegetable leaves, pickled greens, and thin porridge spread across the rest of the table.

Sitting next to Old Man Zhu was the matriarch, Old Mrs. Zhu, née Liu. She was of a similar age to her husband; though her face was lined with wrinkles, she was dressed neatly, and one look was enough to tell she was not a woman to be trifled with. Sitting beside her was the family of the fourth son, Fourth Uncle Zhu Shouxin, and his wife, Fourth Aunt Zhao, who had just been married this year. The fourth uncle had the makings of a "pretty boy" and was arguably the most presentable member of the Zhu family, having perfectly inherited Old Mrs. Zhu’s genes, which earned him her deep favor. Fourth Aunt was dressed in a brand-new ru-skirt, her hair styled in a bun popular in town, adorned with a silver hairpin, and she wore a pair of expensive silver earrings on her earlobes.

Sitting on the other side of Old Man Zhu was the family of Zhu Ping'an’s eldest uncle. Eldest Uncle Zhu Shouren was a middle-aged man dressed in a semi-new scholar’s robe. His hair was tied in a bun atop his head, wrapped in a net cap, giving him the air of one well-versed in the sages' teachings. Beside him was Eldest Aunt Wu, of similar age to her husband, wearing a blue-flowered, front-buttoning jacket that was also semi-new and neatly kept. In her arms was their late-born six-year-old son, Zhu Pingjun, whose brand-new clothes were covered in mud, his nose running, and his hands grimy.

Next were the parents of Zhu Ping'an in this life. His father, Zhu Shouyi, had a bronze complexion and a sturdy build—a typical farmer. However, over the past few days, Zhu Ping'an had learned that this "cheap" father of his was something of a jack-of-all-trades: he could hunt, do carpentry, and was a skilled hand at farming, though his personality was exceptionally honest, bordering on dull. Zhu Ping'an’s older brother, Zhu Pingchuan, was ten years old this year and was almost a carbon copy of his father: sturdy and honest.

The third uncle was very similar to his father, looking at a glance like an honest farmer. Third Aunt was the woman who had been trying to persuade Chen Shi at the door just moments ago. The third uncle and third aunt had been married for many years; it was only three years after their wedding that they had a daughter, the timid little girl, Zhu Pingyu, who was currently in her mother’s arms.

In a rural household, there is never a shortage of drama.

Eldest Uncle Zhu Shouren was a scholar. Although he had failed to pass the xiucai examination for over a decade, he was at least a tongsheng. To become a xiucai, a scholar had to pass the county, prefecture, and academy examinations. Eldest Uncle had focused solely on his studies, neglecting farm work, and it had taken him over ten years to pass the county and prefecture exams six years ago to earn the title of tongsheng. Though he hadn't passed the xiucai exam since, it was at least the first step on a long journey. Old Man and Old Mrs. Zhu valued their eldest son highly, believing him to be the hope for bringing honor to the Zhu family, and they were particularly partial to his family after he earned his title. The fourth uncle was the youngest son, whom Old Mrs. Zhu doted on excessively, extending that favor to his wife. As for the families of his father and the third uncle, they received little concern. With some being valued, some being doted on, and others being ignored, how could there not be friction in such a large family?

The favoritism of the old couple was quite obvious, visible even in their clothing. The disparity between the four branches of the Zhu family was vast: the eldest and fourth uncles’ families were dressed relatively well in semi-new clothes, while his own family and the third uncle’s family wore coarse cloth garments patched with rags.

It seems I must work hard, he thought. Never mind bringing honor to the ancestors for now; at the very least, I must ensure my own family lives well.

As he stepped into the room on his short legs, Zhu Ping'an noticed a strange phenomenon: every member of the Zhu family had a pillar of white mist above their heads. The pillar above Eldest Uncle Zhu Shouren was slightly denser than the others, but they were all white.

The sudden appearance of this phenomenon startled Zhu Ping'an. He quickly shook his head, closed his eyes, and opened them again, but the strange sight had vanished. Everyone had returned to normal, and the white pillars were nowhere to be seen.

Strange. What was that just now? It definitely wasn't a trick of the eyes; there was no way his vision was failing. It looked a bit like the "qi of fortune" described in novels. Could it be that he could see the fortune of others? His transmigration and rebirth were already bizarre enough; seeing others' fortune was perhaps plausible. But why couldn't he see it anymore?!

"Zhi'er, why are you standing there like a fool? Come over and eat." His mother, Chen Shi, noticed Zhu Ping'an standing at the door in a daze and reminded him. *Silly boy, if you don't come now, your biased grandmother will give your portion to the eldest and fourth families!*

"Oh, oh, coming." Zhu Ping'an quickly snapped out of it and replied. *Forget it. Seeing others' fortune is already bizarre; it's normal that I can't figure it out right away.*

Before eating, Zhu Ping'an maintained the habit from his previous life, trotting on his short legs to the washbasin to wash his hands.

This was somewhat rare in the unhygienic rural countryside, especially since the little boys in the village were all like mud monkeys—for instance, Zhu Pingjun from the eldest uncle's family was currently sniffling in his mother's arms. Ever since Zhu Ping'an had arrived in this life and become this little boy, he had insisted on washing his hands and face. Over the past ten days, he had become clearly distinct from the group of snot-nosed brats; a clean, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed little boy was quite eye-catching.

"Zhi'er has become quite fastidious about cleanliness since recovering from his illness. Could he be possessed by an evil spirit?" Fourth Aunt covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her narrow eyes scanning Zhu Ping'an up and down, her small mouth full of alarmist talk.

Possessed?

Zhu Ping'an was clearly startled by Fourth Aunt. In this closed-off, backward rural area, being suspected of demonic possession was a dangerous thing. Just think of Old Wang, who was forced to drink a bowl of ash water just for talking in his sleep! *I’ve been very careful, not showing any trans-temporal ideas or anything; it’s just washing my hands. Fourth Aunt really is a restless woman; she’s a perfect match for my idle Fourth Uncle.*

Zhu Ping'an made up his mind: he would keep the fact that he could see fortune a secret, telling no one.

Before Zhu Ping'an could think of how to respond to Fourth Aunt, his mother, Chen Shi, had already lost her temper!

"Who are you saying is possessed? I think you're the one who's possessed. My son is just being clean, and you call that possessed? Then what about you, washing your hands and face every day and wearing new clothes? Does that mean you're possessed by a fox spirit?" Hearing Fourth Aunt Zhao's words, an unnamed anger rose in Chen Shi's heart. She stood up with a 'thump,' walked two steps forward, and stood right in front of Fourth Aunt, demanding an explanation.

Zhu Ping'an's ten-year-old brother, Zhu Pingchuan, also spoke up, saying his younger brother was not possessed.

"Mother, look at Second Sister-in-law and the others. I just said a word, and she's like this." Fourth Aunt Zhao avoided Chen Shi's gaze, turning to look at Old Mrs. Zhu with a wronged expression, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, looking extremely fragile and pitiful.

"Like what? I only said one thing to you, and you're already crying and wailing. How pretentious. It's a pity I'm not the Fourth Brother; I don't buy that act! Fourth Aunt, you must explain yourself clearly today, or I won't let this go." Chen Shi didn't fall for Fourth Aunt Zhao's act. She spoke coldly, full of spirit, a stark contrast to Fourth Aunt's feigned softness and pity.