Anzhi had reached the end of her life at just 22 years old in the year 21 of Hua Country.
She never imagined she would open her eyes again in a different world—starting her 22nd year all over again.
Clink! A copper coin dropped into the broken bowl in front of her. She shivered in the sudden autumn chill, dressed in nothing but a filthy hospital gown.
Quickly, she grabbed the coin—probably her only food money for the day. One coin meant one bun.
She wasn't proud to beg, but there were times you just had no choice.
When she opened her eyes earlier, she saw a blue sky and empty wilderness. Her only possessions were the hospital gown and a broken bowl lying on her face.
She had no qualifications to act proud like the characters in fantasy novels.
After struggling for two days, she made her way to a small town. Weak and helpless, the only way to survive was to temporarily join the "beggar gang" and throw her pride away.
"Look at this young woman—perfectly healthy! Why beg when you could do some hard work and earn a living? Aren't you ashamed?" A few old men passing by pointed and criticized her, just like the aunties from her past world.
Anzhi quietly moved to another wall corner. The moment she left, another beggar took her spot and started shouting and pretending to be pitiful.
Even begging was competitive these days.
She had been in this world for two days now. Thankfully, the language wasn't a problem, and she had a rough understanding of where she was.
She didn't know why a girl with full-body failure suddenly died and ended up in a new world. It was a body transfer, not a soul rebirth. Her terminal illness was gone, and she was healthy again. No higher power gave her an explanation.
This world was still in a historical period but had decent development. There was peace and no war. The young emperor was capable, and the country seemed well-governed.
But it was a matriarchal society—Yan Country.
Women held the power. Women married men. Men stayed home and raised children.
Strange.
Anzhi wasn't a feminist or anti-feminist, but the gender rules of this world gave her a strange sense of safety.
She was born into a family of doctors in Hua Country. Most of her relatives were in the medical field. Naturally, she followed the same path. She majored in traditional Chinese medicine but also knew some Western practices.
She had outstanding talent and was called a rising star in the medical world. But at age 20, she was diagnosed with an incurable disease—complete system failure with no known cause. She survived day by day on expensive medicine and nutrition.
She went from unwilling, to hopeless, to numb, to being able to laugh and talk peacefully before she finally passed away. It was a short but intense life.
Now she was in a new world. All she could think about was how strange it would be when her body disappeared from her original world. That mystery alone might cause a national scare.
Since she was here, she had to adapt.
Dusting off the dirt on her clothes, Anzhi stood up and picked up her broken bowl.
She needed to find work. To survive in this world, she had to build a foundation.
...
"Go away, beggar! This isn't a place for your nonsense!" The worker at the medical hall pushed her out the door, then handed her three copper coins. "Go beg somewhere else. Don't try to scam us."
Anzhi stumbled and sat on the ground, rubbing her aching head. She looked like a mess—hair unwashed for days.
This was the last medical hall in town. None of them wanted to take her in, not even as an apprentice.
All because she was too young to be believed.
In this world, doctors were expected to be old and wise. Even with talent, you needed age to back it up. But that didn't apply to Anzhi.
She wasn't sure how her skills compared here, but at the very least, she was above average. Her knowledge came from generations of brilliant doctors, directly passed down and refined through study. What were considered ancient secrets here were everyday knowledge to her. Even after her diagnosis, she never stopped learning.
Her young age meant she had more time to learn—not less. But in this world, youth was a disadvantage.
Would she have to pretend to be old to be taken seriously?
The medical hall didn't accept her, but after a few visits she had collected a few coins—eleven in total, enough to buy food for several days.
Still, she might have to work at the docks for a few days just to survive.
"You, you there—come here."
As she turned to leave, a voice called from a side alley.
Anzhi stopped and looked over, staying alert.
An older man stood in the shadows, his face hidden. He didn't seem to mind her caution.
"Old beggar, do you want a husband?" he asked with a smile.
"Husband?" Anzhi wasn't offended by the "old beggar" title. She was more confused by the question.
She had been here long enough to know what a husband meant.
But was it something you could just give away?
"Yes," the man smiled.
Anzhi didn't reply, just watched quietly.
The man grew impatient. "I've got a young servant from a rich house. He made a mistake, and they kicked him out. Want to take him?" He stepped aside and revealed a faint figure lying on the ground.
"He's unconscious?" Anzhi already had a rough idea of what this was. Likely some rich family's plot to ruin someone's life. Maybe even a setup.
She didn't have the ability to take on trouble right now.
But...
She couldn't help staring at the boy on the ground. He looked so young.
Ugh.
Anzhi, now's not the time to be soft-hearted. You can't even feed yourself. People aren't stray animals—you can't just take them in.
She frowned, torn.
"If he was awake, you think you'd have a chance?" the man snapped, growing annoyed. This plan was supposed to ruin the boy's reputation without dirtying the family name. If a beggar took him, it'd be perfect—dragging him from nobility into the mud.
If this beggar woman didn't want him, someone else in the town would.
He spat on the ground and turned away to look for someone else.
Anzhi saw it all. He'd definitely look for another beggar like her.
Without thinking, she raised her hand to stop him.
"I'll take him."