TTLJDFL Chapter 10

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To be honest, Li Jin was not satisfied with his current physique. Wearing clothes made it less obvious, but once he took them off, he looked too thin.

In Li Jin’s opinion, chest muscles and abs were essential for any man under thirty-five.

So after putting the baby down, he turned around and began fastening his robe properly.

Qin Muwen was briefly stunned.

Back then, whenever Li Jin came into the room, he would immediately relax—sometimes even lying down without bothering to wash up, leaving his clothes wide open.

Even if he had to get up in the middle of the night to relieve himself, he acted completely nonchalant, as if the other person didn’t exist.

In ancient rural villages, toilets were usually just simple latrines. To avoid stepping into a pit in the dark at night, every household would have a chamber pot.

For something as simple as urinating, there was no need to fumble in the dark to find the latrine.

But now, with Li Jin’s clothes loosely draped over him, Qin Muwen found himself unwilling to look too much.

Wait, that sounded… ambiguous.

Qin Muwen was dazed for a moment. He really had no intention of staring at Li Jin’s chest!

Li Jin had no idea about Qin Muwen’s tangled thoughts, nor did he know that this young man had already seen his current weak and frail body from head to toe long ago.

After getting dressed, Li Jin went out to wash his hands and face. He also used a willow twig, a special product of ancient times, dipped it in some salt, and brushed his teeth.

After finishing everything, he boiled some hot water and brought it inside for the young man to wash up.

The young man was completely taken aback by this unexpected kindness. After softly thanking him, he lowered his head and carefully brushed his teeth.

Li Jin said calmly, “No need to thank me. Since you married me, you are my husband. We are a family. These small things don’t require gratitude.”

Last night, he had thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep. After all, he and the young man had no emotional foundation, yet due to this sudden transmigration, they were now lying on the same bed as husbands.

But for some reason—whether it was exhaustion or the sight of the young man’s gentle, trusting face—he fell asleep rather quickly.

He had woken up in the middle of the night to make some rice porridge with goat milk for the child. By the time he coaxed the baby back to sleep, the sky was already starting to brighten.

At that moment, instead of going back to sleep, Li Jin began to contemplate his future.

Returning to his original world was impossible. He clearly remembered the moment he was hit head-on by that truck.

Even if he had survived, he would have been completely disabled for the rest of his life.

But realistically speaking, how many people could escape death after being hit by a truck like that?

Almost none.

Li Jin figured that being able to inhabit this body and live several extra decades was already a miracle.

His immediate priority was to adapt to this feudal society and accept the fact that he now had a husband and a child—to focus on living a good life.

As for regaining his single status?

That thought barely emerged in his mind before he dismissed it.

Divorce in ancient times was devastating for women and "ger" (a term for men who could bear children). Public opinion was ruthless, and people would treat a divorce as if the wife had been cast out.

If word spread, it would damage the young man’s reputation immensely.

Besides, they now had a child together.

They were a complete family of three. Li Jin couldn’t bring himself to abandon them.

Although he had always been single in his past life, that didn’t mean he was afraid of marriage.

He simply hadn’t met anyone who moved him.

Now, his husband was young and delicate-looking, with soft, arched eyebrows and particularly beautiful eyes.

The young man's double eyelids weren’t too wide, and the slight downward tilt at the corners of his eyes, paired with long eyelashes, gave him an innocent, small-animal-like gaze.

His nose wasn’t especially high, but it suited his face perfectly, making his features harmonious and pleasing.

Even after seeing countless celebrities in his past life, Li Jin had to admit—the young man’s appearance was exceptional.

In modern times, he would probably have a massive following of "mom fans" (older female fans who adore young male idols).

Li Jin thought, since I’m here, I might as well settle in.

The young man’s looks and personality suited his taste. Whether he was supporting himself or supporting a family, it made no difference—he was capable of both.

So his top priority now was to earn a living.

Where would the money come from? Li Jin considered several options.

There were mountains and rivers near their village. He could gather firewood like Li Zhuzi and sell it in town to wealthy families.

But he had no ox cart. Was he supposed to carry bundles of firewood all the way to town on foot? Given his current weak body, that wasn’t an option.

Yesterday, it took Li Zhuzi about an hour and a half to bring him back from town by ox cart.

If he walked, it would take at least two and a half hours.

With his current physical condition, chopping and selling firewood was out of the question.

However, once he got back in shape, it might be a good way to train his body while also making money—killing two birds with one stone.

But for now, farming was too strenuous, and chopping wood was too much.

Did this body have any skills like carpentry or another craft?

It seemed like his only viable option at the moment was to follow Li Zhuzi’s suggestion and try his luck at the medical clinic.

Li Jin placed the child’s rice porridge in a clay pot, wrapped it in blankets to keep it warm.

For the young man, he prepared a mildly seasoned braised chicken leg and a soft-boiled egg.

Li Jin said, “I’m heading to town with Zhuzi to earn some money for the family.

The rice porridge is in the clay pot. Feed the baby when he wakes up. Here’s your breakfast. I’ll be back around noon.”

The young man obediently nodded, but his eyes revealed a hint of unease and dependence—along with a touch of fear.

Town… The famous courtesan from Piaoxiang Courtyard is in town.

Li Jin noticed his expression and recalled the village gossip about him from the previous day. A flash of understanding crossed his mind.

But there was no way to explain it.

He asked, “Are you afraid of staying home alone?”

The young man shook his head. “No. I’ll take good care of the baby, don’t worry.”

Just as Li Jin was stepping out, the young man suddenly called out, “Ah Jin, be… be careful on the road.”

Qin Muwen ultimately didn’t dare to say, come back soon.

Li Jin replied, “I’ll bring you something delicious when I return.”

He rarely made promises he couldn’t keep.

=

Looking at the sky, Li Jin estimated it was around six in the morning.

In June, the sun rose early.

Li Jin headed to Li Zhuzi’s house first. Li Zhuzi had just finished breakfast, and his ox cart was already loaded with half a cart of bundled firewood.

When he saw Li Jin, his eyes widened in surprise.

"It's not easy, you waking up so early,"

After a moment, he laughed and said, "Did your little one wake up early for milk and disturb you?"

Li Zhuzi's wife came out after tidying up the dishes. She had heard from her husband that Li Jin had treated his sprained foot. At first, she was skeptical, but after chatting with a few other wives at the riverside before sunset yesterday, she finally believed it.

She rarely smiled at Li Jin, but now she did. "Did your family welcome a big, chubby baby boy?"

This was actually meant as a congratulatory remark. Li Zhuzi had told her last night that Li Jin's family had a newborn "with a handle"—meaning a boy. However, she phrased it as a question so that Li Jin could proudly respond, "Yes, indeed!"

But reality often hits fast.

Li Jin replied, "It's a ger, but I like him very much."

Li Zhuzi: "..."

Li Zhuzi's wife: "...?"

They looked at Li Jin's expression—he didn't seem to be joking.

But in this society, gers were the least valued.

As a woman herself, Li Zhuzi's wife understood the hardships. She awkwardly offered, "Well, congratulations anyway. It's your first child. After the first one, the second birth won't be as dangerous."

Li Zhuzi was still in shock.

He had heard that Li Jin even made chicken soup for his husband. A ger was born, and he still made chicken soup for his husband???

Li Zhuzi felt bad for the chicken.

Li Jin didn't want to continue the topic. No matter what others thought, this was his child and his husband—he would cherish them.

"Zhuzi-ge, are you going up the mountain to gather more firewood today?"

Li Zhuzi, still not very enthusiastic after hearing the child was a ger, replied, "Yeah. It's still early, so I’ll gather some more firewood to fill up the cart and sell it in town."

The half-cart of wood already loaded consisted of neatly split logs, which fetched a higher price—about one shi (roughly 125 pounds), selling for 20 pennies.

The remaining half would be filled with gathered dry branches, which were cheaper—only about 12 pennies.

Li Jin said, "I'll go up the mountain with you. I saw a herbal medicine book at the bookstore a few days ago and want to try my luck gathering herbs to sell to the medical clinic."

Li Zhuzi knew that Li Jin's family was struggling financially, so he agreed readily. "Sure."

He didn’t believe Li Jin could actually find valuable herbs, but at least it was better than sitting around doing nothing.

With Li Zhuzi leading the way, the trip up the mountain was relatively safe.

Li Zhuzi explained, "There are wolves in this mountain, but they don’t form packs, so they won’t enter the village. Still, be careful not to go to the back of the mountain. If you get bitten, no one will be able to save you."

Li Jin nodded. "Thanks for the warning, Zhuzi-ge."

As they walked, Li Jin spotted several Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis). The roots of this herb were effective in treating upper respiratory infections. Since it was the flowering and fruiting season, this was the best time for harvesting.

To an outsider, it just looked like regular weeds, but Li Jin, with his medical knowledge, knew better.

The medicinal value lay in the roots. He used a small trowel to loosen the soil carefully, then pulled the plant out skillfully.

Li Zhuzi, gathering firewood nearby, noticed this and was surprised.

His brother really seemed to know his stuff. Not only could he recognize herbs, but he also knew how to extract them properly.

Li Zhuzi knew that every year, medical clinics sent professionals to the village to collect herbs. But those experts used specialized techniques—just like what Li Jin was doing now.

For an ordinary villager, just recognizing the herbs was already impressive. If they damaged the roots, the clinics wouldn’t accept them.

Plus, if there were too few herbs mixed with a lot of weeds, the doctors wouldn’t bother sorting them, making them worthless.

Li Jin was amazed at the abundance of medicinal herbs in this area. Though weeds were mixed in, he could easily distinguish the valuable plants.

He carefully extracted not just Huangqin, but also Shengma (Cimicifuga) and Liao Wuweizi (Schisandra chinensis), picking only the best ones.

In less than twenty minutes, Li Jin had already gathered a decent bundle. Meanwhile, Li Zhuzi had finished collecting his firewood, and the two quickly descended the mountain.

Earlier, Li Zhuzi’s wife had been skeptical of Li Jin’s plan to gather herbs.

But when she saw the neatly sorted bundles of unfamiliar plants in Li Jin’s hands, she suddenly felt she had underestimated him.

Li Zhuzi said, "Wife, get my brother a basket and some cotton strings."

Li Jin used the cotton strings to neatly bundle the herbs into categories before placing them into the basket.

After bidding farewell to Li Zhuzi’s wife, he hopped onto the ox cart with Li Zhuzi and headed toward town.

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