**Chapter 1: The Blood Genealogy**
In the cave village, along the main road, Xu Chuan wore a straw hat and a thick hemp vest, his trousers rolled up and his feet bare. He carried a hoe over his shoulder and held two large green fish tied with straw in his hand as he headed into the village.
The afterglow of the sunset pulled his shadow long, and his bronze-colored skin shone brightly.
"San'er, heading home?"
Under the big eucalyptus tree up ahead, an old man with a futon in his hand fanned himself gently. When he saw Xu Chuan, he greeted him affectionately. Spotting the big fish in Xu Chuan's hand, the old man smiled. "Good harvest today."
"Uncle Chen, you're catching a chill again."
"It's nothing serious. Scorching hot day like this, and your bones can still take it—standing out in that poisonous sun for so long."
Xu Chuan grinned.
He stood one meter eighty-eight tall, with a well-proportioned build. Among the men of Dongxi Village, he wasn't considered particularly tall—some might even say he looked a little slight. But Xu Chuan had never been sick a single day since he was a child.
The villagers said Xu Chuan was blessed, loved by the gods.
That wasn't really true.
Xu Chuan was a time traveler.
And there was a bit of talent involved.
He was born into an ordinary peasant family. His father, Xu Ping, had been a longtime laborer for the Xu family of Dongxi Village.
When Xu Chuan was three, his mother passed away.
At fifteen, Xu Ping died too—worn out from overwork.
Because he had a past life, Xu Chuan learned things quickly and was especially good at farming. The Xu family valued him highly. After his father died, they offered him double wages to keep him on. But Xu Chuan still firmly resigned.
He used nearly all his savings to buy ten acres of rice fields.
The villagers said Xu Chuan was shortsighted. The Xu family was famous for miles around—becoming their long-term laborer wasn't easy. Xu Ping had worked for the Xu family his whole life, and the only reason Xu Chuan had been able to work there was because his father had. Now he was giving up that spot for nothing.
But Xu Chuan didn't see it that way.
How could working for someone else ever be better than working for yourself?
Of course, after fifteen years of keeping a low profile, it was time to stand on his own.
As a traveler, Xu Chuan had brought with him a Blood Genealogy. But so far, the genealogy only had one page, and that page only had Xu Chuan's name on it.
To unlock the genealogy, you had to drip blood on it to reveal the names.
Xu Chuan had first done this by accident when he was six years old. Back then, he was what you'd call a "three-nothing youth."
**[Name: Xu Chuan]**
**[Spiritual Root: Five Elements Incomplete — No cultivation qualifications]**
**[Talent: None]**
**[Bloodline: None]**
After it awakened, the Blood Genealogy gave him three talents: "Dragon Spirit," "Daily Vitality," and "Heavenly Wage."
Every bit of it worked on him.
It filled him with energy and vitality every day.
Naturally, he never got sick.
He could also ask the Blood Path of Slaughter one question per day.
Most of the answers were ordinary and unremarkable.
He kept a low profile and never looked for trouble.
As long as you stuck with something, it would pay off.
Even if his blessings were ordinary, enduring heat and cold still left him far better off than ordinary people.
Take farming: he was now the local expert. Many peasant families in Dongxi Village came to him for advice.
The fields were a farmer's lifeline, so others treated him well.
Besides that, Xu Chuan was also good with wood—growing fruit trees and herbs. He knew a bit about bows and arrows too.
Through his own efforts, Xu Chuan got married at twenty. His wife was the eldest daughter of an ordinary peasant family. Her name was Bai Jing. She was three years younger than him, with a clear, pretty face—hardworking and kind.
A good match.
Not long after the wedding, Xu Chuan bought another ten acres of mountain forest and planted rare Green Jade Pears.
The villagers said Green Jade Pears were delicate—not like ordinary varieties—and wouldn't survive. They told Xu Chuan not to waste his effort.
Xu Chuan just laughed it off.
Six years later, Bai Jing had given him two sons. Now she was pregnant with their third child, due in two months.
"Uncle Chen, I'd better get home and see my wife."
"Go on. When the baby's born and you hold the full-moon feast, remember to call me for some wine."
"Make sure to bring a gift."
"I won't miss it, haha."
He walked to his own home and soon arrived.
Gray walls, blue-black tiles, a four-sided courtyard. In the northeast corner of the yard stood a tall pear tree, its branches bent low under the weight of large pears.
Just as he reached the door, he saw two children lying on their bellies in the corner of the yard, their little backsides in the air. Two pairs of glittering eyes were fixed on something—no idea what.
Hearing footsteps, both of them turned their heads.
When they saw Xu Chuan, their faces lit up with bright smiles. They ran toward him, shouting, "Dad, you're back!"
"Dad, big fish! We're eating big fish!"
"No problem. But the first bowl of fish soup goes to your mother, understood?"
The older boy nodded knowingly. "Mom has a little brother in her belly. She works very hard. Of course Mom should eat first."
"That's right, Shitou."
"What about me, Dad?" the younger one asked, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"You're good too."
The older boy's full name was Xu Mingwei. He was five years old, nicknamed Shitou. The younger one, three years old, was Xu Mingyuan, nicknamed Aiyuan.
"What were you two looking at on the ground?"
Xu Mingwei pointed to the corner. "Lots of little ants on the ground. They're crawling in neat rows."
"Ants moving house. Looks like it might rain tonight."
"Dad, why do ants move? Will it really rain tonight? How do you know?" He tugged at Xu Chuan's clothes, asking nonstop.
Xu Chuan smiled. "Do you want fish soup tonight?"
"Yes, Dad. But you better not eat it all yourself!"
Hearing this, the two boys panicked and hurriedly pushed Xu Chuan toward the kitchen. "Dad, hurry up, hurry!"
Just then, Bai Jing came out holding her big belly, one hand braced against the doorframe. Her face still had the red marks of someone who'd just woken up. "Husband, you're back. I overslept. I was just about to start cooking."
"No need, my lady. You rest. Let your husband make dinner."
He smiled and went into the kitchen.
First, he washed the rice and put it on to cook. Then he scraped the fish scales with a kitchen knife and cleaned out the guts. When he was done, he made seven or eight slashes on each side of the fish—so the flavors would soak in better during cooking.
Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan stood quietly watching, their mouths watering, little drops of spit dripping onto the floor.
"Shitou, go check the chicken coop and see if there are any eggs."
"Okay, Dad."
Xu Mingwei ran over on his chubby legs, reached his little hand into the nest, and pulled out two eggs. He rushed back to Xu Chuan's side. "Dad, here."
Xu Chuan took them and set them aside. He planned to scramble them with some scallions later.
"Also, go with Aiyuan and chase all the chickens in the yard back into the coop."
Xu Mingwei took Xu Mingyuan's little hand, and off they went to catch the chickens.
A moment later—
A wail rang out.
Xu Chuan stopped what he was doing and hurried over. Bai Jing was already holding Xu Mingyuan, gently patting his back and comforting him.
"What happened?" Xu Chuan asked.
Xu Mingwei said, "A rooster flapped its wings and knocked Aiyuan down. He fell on the ground and started crying."
"Aiyuan, a man doesn't cry. Give it a few days—Dad will get revenge for you."
Xu Mingyuan sniffled twice and really did stop crying. "Dad, you promise?"
"Dad promises. Cross my heart."
"Okay. Let's pinky swear."
"Mm."
He went back to cooking.
After more than half an hour, the whole family sat around the table enjoying their meal. The two little ones remembered what Xu Chuan had said—they gave the first bowl of fish soup to their mother. Bai Jing was deeply moved.
That night, heavy rain fell.
Inside the room, Bai Jing suddenly said, "Husband, soon the third child will be born. Could you add another layer to the bunk bed?"
"No hurry." Xu Chuan smiled. "The baby can sleep in the crib first. As for later, I plan to expand the house in a few years—at least three more rooms. The yard's a little small. When the children grow up, they'll need room to move."
"Whatever you say, husband." Bai Jing nodded, then thought of something. "Should we rent a few more acres of land? There's another mouth to feed, and Shitou and Aiyuan are eating more and more every day."
"My wife is very thoughtful." Xu Chuan looked at Bai Jing and smiled again. "But even if we rented—last year, the ten acres of Green Jade Pears in the mountain forest finally started bearing fruit after all these years of effort. This year's harvest will be even bigger."
Bai Jing didn't say anything more.
A wife follows her husband. Everything in the household was naturally Xu Chuan's decision.
Besides, she knew Xu Chuan was very capable. Ever since they married, the Xu family's fortunes had visibly improved every single year.
And more importantly, Xu Chuan truly loved her.
She hadn't married the wrong man.
"Husband, let me warm your wine tonight."
"There's a good lady."
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