Before he turned sixty, Han Ze submitted his resignation to the Emperor, “begging to return his bones” to his ancestral home. His children were all established with their own careers and families. After leaving office, he planned to return to Xiaohan Village with Wang Caiwei to spend their retirement. The original host’s body had been frail since childhood; even though it had been well-nurtured later in life, age eventually caught up with him. His children and grandchildren worried about his health and didn’t want them to make the long journey back to the countryside, but Han Ze remained firm. They had no choice but to agree.
Han Ze lived in this world for over forty years. He saw off Han Youtian and Old Madam Han. Later, he saw off Wang Caiwei, and eventually even Erlang and Sanlang. He was the last one remaining.
When his own time finally came, just like in his previous lives, he faced the tear-streaked faces of his descendants. He still felt the ache of parting, but it was an inevitability he accepted.
[Congratulations, Task Taker, for completing the mission: Change the fate of the Han family. Reward: 800 points.]
Han Ze returned to the mission space. Hearing the system’s mechanical, rusty voice, he lowered his eyes in silent reflection.
[The system knew that every task taker experienced a period of discomfort after finishing a long mission. It asked cautiously: Do you want to rest? Or enter the next world now?]
Han Ze looked up, his face devoid of emotion. He said slowly, “No need for rest. Let’s enter the next world.”
[System: …Understood.]
…
With a flash, Han Ze found himself in another world. He was standing at the entrance of a house, holding a piece of pork in his hand. As far as his eyes could see, the surroundings were somewhat similar to Xiaohan Village from his previous life. Looking at his clothes, it was clearly another ancient world. Just as he was about to contact the system to send him the host’s memories, he heard voices coming from inside the house.
“Mother, our family worked hard all year, paid the taxes, and only got two taels of silver from the grain we sold. Teacher Liu at the school said that if one becomes a Xiucai, the government not only rewards you with silver and grain, but the family land is also exempt from taxes… My own studying isn’t very useful, but Jiwen and Jixue have been sharp since they were little. Teacher Liu often praises them and says they will definitely become Xiucai… I figure if even one of them makes it, our ancestors will have blessed us. If both become Xiucai, who in these ten miles of villages wouldn’t look up to us? Even Han Ze’s father would have to hold us in high regard.”
Han Ze thought to himself: The “Han Ze” this man is talking about must be the original host. Although he was standing at the door, he evidently didn’t live here. As for his relationship with these people, that remained to be seen.
“Pah! With Han Ze around, why would I care if Han Maode looks up to us or not? His only son came out of my belly; what do I have to fear?” The woman paused, then added, “Did Teacher Liu really say Jiwen and Jixue could become Xiucai in the future?”
From the context, Han Ze gathered that the woman was the original host’s mother and Han Maode was the host’s father. Since she claimed Han Maode’s “only son” was hers, who was the man calling her “Mother”? Was he a half-brother? Since the host’s father was still alive, how did the mother have children with another man in an era where women were expected to follow their husbands? Was she remarried, or was there another reason?
He scratched his head; this family dynamic was incredibly complicated. He continued to listen intently.
“Could it be a lie? Mother, don’t you always say Jiwen and Jixue take after you? With their broad foreheads, high noses, and thick ears, they have the look of good fortune. They’re bound to be successful!”
“Of course they take after my good fortune.”
“And Mother, most importantly, they inherited your wit. They’re very good at studying. If you had been a man, you surely would have been a Xiucai yourself.”
“I was always more clever than your eldest aunt and two uncles since I was a girl.”
“Mother, wouldn’t it be a waste not to let such smart kids take the exams? Teacher Liu said he’s taught them all he can. If they want to become Xiucai, they have to go to the town academy. The teachers there are Xiucai themselves. It’ll be much easier for them to pass if they’re taught by one. I want to send them to the town to study.”
Han Ze couldn’t help but chuckle. This “brother” was certainly putting a lot of effort into flattering the old lady. However, he was right about one thing: if the local teacher wasn’t a Xiucai himself, it was hard to produce one. But passing the exams required more than just being “smart”—otherwise, the host from the previous world wouldn’t have fainted in the exam hall so many times.
He was about to ask the system for the memories when the mother spoke again.
“Send them! We must send them. The silver at home is meant for Meizi’s dowry, but Jiwen and Jixue are Han Ze’s nephews. Since they’re going to study, he, as their Eldest Uncle, has to contribute. Go find Han Ze in a bit. Once we get the silver, we’ll take them to the town academy tomorrow.”
Han Ze smiled again. Her tone was so entitled. How was she so sure the host would pay for his nephews’ education—especially since they weren’t even from the same father? Was the host another “foolishly filial” son?
“Will Han Ze’s father agree?” the man asked.
“As long as Han Ze opens his mouth, Han Maode won’t dare say a thing. Even Wang Lanhua will have to hand over the silver obediently. She can only blame herself for not giving Han Maode a son. She’s stuck with Han Maode raising two ‘bargain’ sons for her. That’s just my good luck. If Han Maode had another son, Han Ze wouldn’t be his only priority.”
“Mother, we must never let Han Ze know that I am not Han Maode’s son. Otherwise, forget about him giving us silver—with his temper, he’d make us spit back everything he’s ever spent on us.”
“Don’t worry.”
Han Ze’s eyes widened. This was a lot of information. Did the original host really not know?
“Eldest Brother, you’re here! Why didn’t you come in?”
A crisp female voice came from behind him. He turned slowly. Without the host’s memories, he didn’t know what expression to make, so he remained blank. Before he could speak, the conversation inside the house stopped abruptly.
Han Ze continued to look expressionless. Two people came scurrying out of the house.
One was a woman in her fifties—likely the host’s mother, Liu Juhua—and the other was a man, likely the half-brother, Han Chengming.
Seeing Han Ze’s stoic face, both Liu Juhua and Han Chengming felt their hearts skip a beat. Liu Juhua asked tentatively, “Han Ze, when did you get here?”
Han Ze didn’t speak.
Feeling a bad premonition, she asked again, “What we were just saying…”
Han Ze looked down at the pork in his hand and raised it slightly. “I came to bring you some pork.”
Liu Juhua and Han Chengming both breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he hadn’t heard. Liu Juhua smiled and reached for the meat, but Han Ze stepped aside, dodging her. She froze, looking at him in confusion.
Han Ze looked her in the eye and said slowly, “I heard everything you just said.”
The two of them panicked. Han Ze turned to Han Chengming and pointed at him. “He is not my father’s son.” He said it as a statement of fact.
Liu Juhua shrieked, “What? How is he not your father’s son? He is! Didn’t I tell you? Your father just misunderstood back then!”
Without the memories, Han Ze didn’t want to argue. He simply said, “Whether it’s true or false, I will go back and ask my father.” With that, he turned and walked away.
Liu Juhua and Han Chengming watched his departing back in a frenzy. Han Chengming turned to his mother. “Mother, what do we do now? Who’s going to pay for Jixue and Jiwen’s schooling?”
Liu Juhua snapped out of it and huffed. “Who? Han Ze, of course!”
Han Chengming frowned. “But Han Ze just heard us. Now that he knows I’m not Han Maode’s son and not his real brother, will he still help me without regret?”
Liu Juhua glared at him. “So what if you aren’t Han Maode’s son? You are my, Liu Juhua’s, son! That’s enough!”
Han Chengming looked at her blankly.
“Where is your usual cleverness?” she scolded. “You came out of my belly, and Han Ze came out of my belly. You have the same mother! If you aren’t real brothers, who is? It has nothing to do with Han Maode. As long as I gave birth to him, he has to be filial to me. He has to listen to me, or he’s being unfilial!”
After her initial panic, she realized there was nothing to worry about. A son must obey his mother; that was the rule everywhere.
Han Chengming thought about it and nodded. “Then… should we make him bring the silver for the kids quickly?”
Liu Juhua frowned. “Wait a few days. He’s angry right now. When he cools down, I’ll coax him. I’ll tell him that regardless of the father, you are brothers from the same mother. The kids are his nephews. Once they succeed, they won’t forget his daughters or his ‘silly’ son. They’re closer than Wang Lanhua’s children. Once he understands that Jixue and Jiwen are his best chance for future support, he’ll give the silver willingly.”
Han Chengming grinned. “Mother, you’re the wise one of the family. Listening to you is never wrong.”
Nearby, Han Meizi listened to her mother and brother with a slight frown. She wanted to say something, but knowing her mother’s temper, she swallowed her words. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things wouldn’t be as simple as they claimed.
…
Han Ze walked away and looked around. He gave a dry laugh. Without the host’s memories, he didn’t even know where his house was. He found a flat rock and sat down, then contacted the system.
“Send me the host’s memories.”
[System: Understood, Task Taker.]
After receiving the memories, Han Ze’s brow furrowed. According to the records, the original host wasn’t actually a “foolishly filial” person. In fact, he wasn’t particularly honest or “good” either. Since he wasn’t a fool, why on earth was he letting his remarried mother and half-brother bleed him dry?
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152