"Cough, cough, cough—"
Xu Huaixian leaned against a wooden bed frame, his emaciated hand—blue veins protruding, devoid of any flesh or color—clutching a handkerchief as he bent over, coughing so violently it seemed he might vomit up his heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys.
In his heart, he cursed the heavens over and over.
He had merely been on his way to assist with poverty alleviation in the countryside when he happened to rescue two drowning children. Yet, the moment he was pulled out of the water, he found himself transmigrated!
Transmigration wasn't unheard of—these days, it was a common trope in TV dramas and novels. He wouldn't have minded if he'd been reborn as a noble, a wealthy merchant, or even just an ordinary, healthy person. He could've treated it as keeping up with the times.
But no—the heavens had to dump him into the body of a sickly man on the verge of death!
Truly, no good deed goes unpunished.
If only this were a novel written by some heartless author who'd modeled a character after him, forcing him into this world. Once he died, he'd definitely haunt that author every night as a vengeful ghost.
While Xu Huaixian was busy complaining, the old woman who'd been hovering by his side since he woke up hadn't stopped chattering either:
"Look at you—why on earth would you think of throwing yourself into the river? Being a live-in son-in-law is still better than barely clinging to life like this!"
"Besides, Chen Liejiu might have a fierce reputation, but he's beautiful! There isn't a single ger in the ten surrounding villages who can compare to his looks. And his family's well-off too! See—after you jumped into the river, he not only saved you but also called a doctor. He even brought you candied fruit, worried you'd find your mouth tasteless."
"Goodness me! In all my years as a matchmaker, I've never seen a husband as considerate as him. What's so bad about being a live-in son-in-law to someone so beautiful and thoughtful?"
"Now look at yourself—your parents are gone, your grandparents and uncle's family want nothing to do with you, you're sickly, and you've got no money to your name. I'm not trying to be harsh, but with no family, no wealth, and a body like yours, forget marrying a wife—you'd be lucky to even marry a ger. Now that there's such a good opportunity right in front of you, why not take it?"
"Think of it this way—with Chen Liejiu, you'll have a husband, a family, and someone to rely on. Isn't that wonderful?"
Seeing that Xu Huaixian had finally stopped coughing, the matchmaker, Granny Hong, quickly picked up the plate of candied fruit and handed it to him.
"Listen to me—have some candied fruit to sweeten your mouth. From now on, hardship won't be your concern. You'll live a life of comfort in the Chen household. Don't pay any mind to those gossipers outside who say a live-in son-in-law has no backbone."
"They're just—" Granny Hong flicked her handkerchief dismissively, "—jealous of your good fortune!"
If his throat hadn't been so sore, Xu Huaixian would've retorted: If this is such a blessing, why don't you take it?!
Truly, matchmakers could talk a dead man back to life. In their mouths, even the worst situations sounded like strokes of luck.
The body Xu Huaixian had transmigrated into belonged to a peasant's son in an alternate dynasty. Due to being born prematurely, he'd suffered from chronic illness since infancy—frail, weak, and perpetually sickly.
Unable to work the fields, his parents had sent him to school early, hoping he could at least make something of himself through education.
To his credit, the original host had passed the imperial examinations at fourteen, earning the title of Tongsheng. With a bit more effort, he could've become a Xiucai, elevating his family's status.
But before he could achieve that, his parents had gone up the mountain to gather firewood—only to be mauled to death by wolves.
The shock and grief had caused the original host to cough up blood, worsening his already frail health. Unable to arrange his parents' funeral, he'd entrusted the task to his uncle's family, assuming they wouldn't cut corners for their own kin.
Yet, the moment his parents were buried, his uncle's family had claimed the funeral had put them ten taels of silver in debt—and promptly sold him off as a live-in son-in-law to the village's notorious ger bully, Chen Liejiu.
This world differed from Xu Huaixian's own in one key aspect: besides men and women, there existed a third gender—ger.
Outwardly, they resembled men, but like women, they could conceive and bear children—though their fertility was low. Most could only bear one child in their lifetime, if any at all, placing them below women in social standing.
As such, most men avoided marrying ger unless they had a personal preference or were too poor to afford a wife.
Chen Liejiu was infamous in the village. At ten, he'd left home to travel with a security escort. At seventeen, he'd returned, built a new house, and settled down—only to take up debt collection.
No debt he pursued went unpaid, and his aggressive, domineering demeanor surpassed even that of most men, earning him the label of "bully."
Though born a peasant, the original host had studied for years. In his mind, he'd never consider marrying a ger, let alone becoming a live-in son-in-law to a bully.
In his outrage, he'd thrown himself into the river, ending his misery.
But while he'd escaped, he'd left Xu Huaixian to clean up the mess.
Personally, Xu Huaixian had no issue with ger. Thanks to modern BL dramas and novels, he saw them as natural ukes—a perspective that, given his own non-straight inclinations, didn't faze him.
What he did take issue with was arranged marriage—especially one enforced through coercion.
As a modern civil servant raised under the red flag, Xu Huaixian couldn't accept a life partner who was not only ancient and ideologically backward but also a debt-collecting bully.
The mere thought of a ruthless loan shark—the kind who splashed paint on doors, sent funeral wreaths, and chopped off debtors' fingers—being his future wife made his skin crawl.
Add to that the fact that most people in this era lived in poverty—malnourished, lice-ridden, dressed in tattered rags—and Xu Huaixian, who valued cleanliness, felt utterly repulsed.
No matter how eloquently Granny Hong praised Chen Liejiu, Xu Huaixian remained unmoved.
As a modern man, he had no inherent objection to being a live-in son-in-law. But becoming one to a morally bankrupt, bearded, muscle-bound brute? Absolutely not!
Moreover, this entire arrangement was a farce. Since when did an uncle's debt require a nephew to repay with his body?
Before his parents' deaths, the original host's family hadn't been wealthy, but they certainly hadn't been so destitute as to need ten taels for a funeral—an exorbitant sum most peasants could never amass in a lifetime.
Since the debt wasn't his, Xu Huaixian refused to acknowledge it.
But with the debt collectors holding him hostage, he had little choice.
Having sorted through the original host's fragmented memories, Xu Huaixian ignored Granny Hong's candied fruit, wiping the blood from his lips with a handkerchief instead. He began planning how to negotiate his release with Chen Liejiu.
Granny Hong, having talked herself hoarse to no avail, pursed her lips in displeasure. Snatching a couple of candied fruits, she left the room.
Stubborn fool. No wonder he was bullied into jumping into the river!
Outside, Chen Liejiu stood tall and striking—pale-skinned, slender-waisted, long-legged, with a high ponytail and dressed in vibrant red—his imposing aura making the white-bearded doctor beside him seem even more hunched and timid.
Granny Hong's eyelid twitched. How could a perfectly good ger end up with such a temperament?
No wonder he'd remained unmarried at twenty. The moment a family offered a man as collateral for a live-in marriage, he'd eagerly taken him in, pampering him with food, drink, and even candied fruit—all while ensuring he didn't attempt suicide again.
After twenty, ger experienced annual heat cycles. Many died from the fever if they couldn't find relief. No wonder Chen Liejiu had snatched up the first available man—better that than perish in humiliation.
The thought made Granny Hong regard Chen Liejiu with a mix of pity and schadenfreude. This is what happens when a ger strays too far from the norm. No matter how beautiful or wealthy, they still end up desperate.
Unaware of her thoughts, Chen Liejiu was intently listening to Doctor Sun.
The old physician stroked his beard, speaking slowly:
"His pulse is as faint as a wisp of cloud—a sign of congenital weakness. It sinks like water, chilled by cold intrusion. Grief has overtaken him, his vitality wanes, and his organs ail..."
His verbose, roundabout explanation made Chen Liejiu frown. "Speak plainly."
Interrupted mid-diagnosis, Doctor Sun glared—only to meet Chen Liejiu's sharp, unyielding gaze.
Clearing his throat, he rephrased:
"He's been sickly since birth. The river plunge and grief worsened his condition. To survive, he'll need expensive tonics—ginseng, bird's nest, the works. No more shocks or hardships."
In other words, prepare for his funeral. He's beyond saving.
Granny Hong's heart sank. Ginseng and bird's nest? Only the wealthiest could afford such luxuries!
Chen Liejiu had earned a comfortable sum from his escort and debt-collecting days, true—but with a younger brother, sister, and now a sister-in-law to support, adding a money-pit like Xu Huaixian would drain him dry.
Even if he was willing, his siblings surely wouldn't be.
Sure enough, the moment Doctor Sun finished, Chen Xiaomei—who'd been eavesdropping behind her brother—scowled, her round face etched with disapproval.
"Should've just said that from the start," Chen Liejiu grumbled, paying the doctor and sending him on his way.
As Doctor Sun left in a huff, Chen Liejiu turned to Granny Hong. "How's the persuasion going?"
Swallowing her unease, Granny Hong replied, "He's stopped trying to kill himself, but..."
"But what?"
"...he still doesn't seem willing to marry you."
Though Xu Huaixian hadn't spoken a word to her, her decades of matchmaking instincts told her as much.
Before his parents' deaths, despite his poor health, he'd been a scholar. Most decent families wouldn't wed their sons to ger, let alone a scholar to a bully.
Behind Chen Liejiu, Xiaomei balled her fists, itching to say, If he doesn't want to, forget it! There are plenty of men out there. If need be, we can save up for a male courtesan instead.
Chen Liejiu, however, merely nodded and dismissed Granny Hong. "You can go."
Whether he'd release Xu Huaixian remained unclear—and Granny Hong knew better than to ask.
Her job was to keep the man from suicide. The rest wasn't her concern.
Once Granny Hong left, Xiaomei tugged at her brother's sleeve. "Big Brother, you're not actually planning to keep that sickly man, are you?"
We can't afford him!
Chen Liejiu's expression softened slightly as he glanced at the tightly shut door. "We'll see," he said vaguely.
Xiaomei tilted her head. "What does 'we'll see' mean?"
Chen Liejiu didn't answer. With a swish of his robes, he strode out of the courtyard.
By the time Xiaomei snapped out of her confusion, he was already halfway down the road.
"Brother! Where are you going?" she called after him.
"Out on business. Keep an eye on things here."