TTLJDFL Chapter 2

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Li Jin simply looked at the first man who had spoken. Since he had no memories of the original owner of this body, he didn’t even know the man’s name.

He asked, "You said earlier that whoever helps you solve this chess move will be rewarded with a hen and ten eggs. Does that still stand?"

The man’s name was Li Daniu. He was one of the best farmer in the village, known for his hard work and reliability. He had no bad habits, and his favorite pastime after plowing the fields was playing chess with the villagers.

Li Daniu was so strong that he didn’t even need to rent the village chief’s ox-cart for plowing—he could do it all by himself. This saved him a lot of money every year.

Moreover, whenever he lost a chess game, he honored his wagers and would plow the winner’s fields for free.

Even though he never asked for payment, the grateful families would still give him chickens or ducks in return.

Because of his good habits—never gambling or spending money on brothels—his household was well-off. So, it was no surprise that he casually offered a hen as a prize.

Although Li Daniu usually looked down on Li Jin, thinking he was all talk and no skill, he also knew that Li Jin had studied for years.

Sure, the guy had failed the imperial exams many times, wasted his family fortune on frivolous pursuits, and drank his way into poverty. But maybe—just maybe—he could actually solve this chess problem.

Li Daniu patted his chest, the sound echoing loudly.

"I, Li Daniu, always keep my word. I swear I won’t go back on it!"

Seeing that none of the onlookers objected, Li Jin figured that this man was trustworthy.

Without hesitation, he lifted his robe slightly, squatted down, and took Li Daniu’s "Advisor" piece to capture the opponent’s "Pawn."

The game had actually reached a stalemate—Li Daniu’s "General" was on the verge of being surrounded by the opponent’s pawns.

Li Jin explained, "At this point, your opponent has only one move: capturing your Cannon."

As he spoke, he moved the opponent’s piece accordingly.

Suddenly, Li Daniu’s eyes lit up, while Zhang Laosan’s face darkened like the bottom of a burned pot.

Li Daniu burst into laughter. "Now it's a face-off between the two Generals—I declare checkmate!"

Li Jin reminded him, "The hen and eggs."

Still grinning, Li Daniu shoved aside the crowd and led Li Jin away.

Zhang Laosan grumbled, "We bet fifteen copper coins earlier. You brought in outside help, so technically, you still lost to me."

Li Daniu shrugged. "Fine, fine. Here’s your money."

He fished out fifteen copper coins from his waistband and tossed them to Zhang Laosan.

But his good mood remained unchanged. Laughing heartily, he said, "I never expected this! Li Jin may not have read enough books to pass the imperial exams, but he sure knows how to play chess!"

Li Jin didn’t respond. He just wanted to hurry back and slaughter the hen to make soup for his wife.

"Bah! He just got lucky with that move," someone scoffed.

"Exactly! And to think Li Daniu is giving him a whole hen!"

"Bet he’s planning to take it to that courtesan in town!"

Even as Li Daniu led him away, the villagers continued to chatter. Their voices weren’t quiet—Li Jin heard every word.

But he didn’t bother to argue. Right now, dealing with the situation at hand was far more important.

Let the villagers think what they wanted. After all, Li Jin was no longer the same person he used to be.

The Infamous Li Jin

The original Li Jin had truly been a scoundrel. His bad reputation had long since spread throughout the village.

It all started when he was born. A passing monk knocked on his family’s door, claiming that the child was destined to become a literary star.

"If you name him Li Jin," the monk had said, "he will achieve great things."

At the time, the entire village envied the Li family. If Li Jin truly had the fate of a "Wenqu Star" (the star of literature and scholarship), he would one day become a high-ranking official.

People flocked to their house, offering congratulations.

In a village full of common names like "Li Daniu" and "Zhang Laosan," the name "Li Jin" stood out.

And so, the Li family sent him to study. But instead of focusing on his books, Li Jin was more interested in drinking and keeping up with his wealthy classmates.

Eventually, he started frequenting the Piaoxiang Courtyard, listening to courtesans sing and throwing money around like a rich scholar.

His father had been no better—a man who had wasted his youth on wine and women. He never worked the fields, and his health had deteriorated early.

Most villagers believed that Li Jin’s mother had worked herself to death, burdened with both a lazy husband and an irresponsible son.

Yet, before she passed, she had made a final decision—to buy a ger (a man who could bear children) as a spouse for Li Jin, hoping it would set him on the right path.

But even after getting married, Li Jin had remained the same.

Instead of settling down, he had fallen in love with the most famous courtesan in Piaoxiang Courtyard…

Even if she was the most sought-after courtesan in town, she was still beyond Li Jin’s reach.

Since he couldn’t win her favor, Li Jin could only drown his sorrows in alcohol, leading to his complete neglect of his studies.

And now, on the very day his husband was giving birth, Li Jin had gone out drinking again.

That was simply inexcusable.

Everyone in the village knew about this because it was a small place where news traveled fast. After a day's work in the fields, people liked to sit outside with their bowls and chat, so word from one end of the village quickly reached the other.

So, naturally, Li Daniu had also heard about Li Jin’s disgraceful behavior.

When he casually grabbed a small chicken, he turned to ask, “Li Jin, what do you need a chicken for?”

Li Jin stood behind him, looking thin and frail, yet his posture was straight and upright.

Dressed in simple coarse linen, he still carried the demeanor of a scholar—like a steadfast bamboo tree.

Li Daniu even thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Then, Li Jin’s clear voice rang out, “My wife is giving birth today. I’m making him chicken soup.”

Li Daniu was so shocked he thought the sun must have risen from the west.

After a moment’s pause, he put down the small chicken he was holding and fished out a plump hen from his coop. “Here, take this.”

Li Daniu was a strong man, and grabbing a free-range hen was effortless for him.

After all, these village chickens fed on bugs in the fields and could flap their wings high enough to reach a person’s chest—completely different from the hormone-pumped poultry in modern society.

This was purely a test for Li Jin. Li Daniu had never thought highly of his character, so why should he show him any kindness?

But to his surprise, Li Jin calmly grasped the chicken’s neck with one hand while securing its wings with the other, subduing it in an instant.

That move made Li Daniu reassess his opinion of Li Jin.

He had assumed the man was a drunkard who had wasted away like his freeloading father. But it seemed Li Jin still had some skills.

Then, Li Daniu went back inside and fetched ten eggs, each nearly the size of half a fist, with a natural brownish hue that signaled their freshness.

Li Jin didn’t mind the dirt, tucking the eggs into his clothes while holding the chicken. After thanking Li Daniu, he headed home.

That evening, when Li Daniu’s wife returned from her work in town and noticed a missing chicken, she immediately confronted him.

“You spend all day playing chess—why don’t you go ahead and gamble away our house while you’re at it?”

Li Daniu could only coax her, “I’ll plow an extra two acres for the village chief tomorrow. Our chicken will come back.”

His wife knew he was right. He was a capable man.

But she still couldn’t quite swallow her anger…

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the commotion, Li Jin arrived home. He tied up the chicken’s legs and secured it in the kitchen before fetching a bucket of water. Then, he grabbed the chicken and swiftly bled it with practiced ease.

Li Jin thought to himself, Good thing I was a medical student before crossing over.

Back in anatomy and physiology labs, he had practiced on chickens, snakes, bullfrogs, rabbits, dogs—you name it.

Killing a chicken was nothing to him.

On top of that, as a clinical medicine student in an eight-year program, he had spent several years studying in Germany.

Any student who had studied abroad knew how to cook, simply because Chinese food overseas was outrageously expensive—and usually not as good as homemade.

Li Jin skillfully processed the chicken, plucking the feathers and scalding it with hot water.

He set aside the legs and wings, kept the liver and heart separate, and marinated the rest—including the head, neck, and breast—with ginger, scallions, and salt to prepare for soup.

The liver and heart would be delicious stir-fried.

As for the legs and wings, he planned to braise them lightly so his "wife" could eat them the next day.

After all, this hen was quite large, and the eggs were substantial.

The stove was an old-fashioned one with a large pot. Li Jin placed the prepared chicken parts inside, added water, and covered it with a lid. Then, he wrapped a clean cloth around the edges to simulate a pressure cooker…

Next, he cracked two eggs, beat them with water, and stirred until smooth.

He let the mixture steam for over ten minutes before drizzling in some soy sauce and sesame oil. The rich aroma immediately made his stomach rumble.

Even though he was already starving, he didn’t eat. Instead, he straightened his clothes and walked to the bedroom door.

Raising his hand, he knocked.

It took a while before a voice responded, “Who is it? The young master is giving birth—no visitors.”

Li Jin frowned. The voice was gentle, but it was clearly a man's.

Why was there a man in the birthing room?

This was not the time for questions, so he simply said, “I made steamed egg custard. The mother should eat something to keep up his strength.”

The chicken soup still needed time to develop its flavor.

Inside, the room fell silent.

After a few minutes, the door opened, revealing a man—barely 1.7 meters tall—with reddened eyes.

He took the bowl from Li Jin’s hands and froze when he noticed the burn blisters on Li Jin’s fingers.

His entire expression shifted, as if he was seeing Li Jin for the first time.

Li Jin was even more shocked but kept his face calm.

The man used his sleeve to hold the hot bowl, said nothing, and shut the door again.

Li Jin stood there, utterly dumbfounded.

Because just now, he had clearly seen inside the room…

It was full of men. Not a single woman in sight.

Even the pale-faced person lying on the bed—he was undeniably a man!

Tl Notes:

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