When Su Qian woke up, he found himself lying in a coffin, his body dressed in a funeral shroud, staring at a face that he didn’t recognize. He sat there in a daze for a long time before he snapped out of it.

That’s right, as much as Su Qian hated to admit it, the truth was, he had transmigrated!

Unlike other protagonists who transmigrate with system bugs, golden fingers, and occasional beauties throwing themselves at them, Su Qian had crossed over into a non-existent feudal dynasty in history, the Great Liang, and the person who owned this shroud shared the same name as him.

After processing the lingering memories, it seemed that this Su Qian had been a scholar, and a prodigy as well. He passed the childhood scholar examination at eight and became a top scholar at twelve. He had once thought himself to be extraordinarily talented, but who could have guessed that in the next ten years, he failed the provincial examination seven or eight times, becoming the biggest joke in Lingbei County.

To make matters worse, he was repeatedly mocked by the local troublemaker, Wang Er, and one day, filled with indignation, he threw himself into a river to end it all. In a way, he truly was a tragic figure.

“Ah, another young person poisoned by feudal thinking.”

Su Qian sympathized with the fate of this body’s original owner. After all, he had lived in a modern, civilized society in his past life. Though he was a sports student, he had managed to get into university. He had even planned to confess his love to his goddess before graduation to release the pent-up frustration of 22 years of being single.

But, as expected, he was ruthlessly rejected. However, Su Qian was not as fragile as the original owner. After being turned down, he simply went for a walk by the river, where he happened to see a little girl fall into the water. With his strong traditional upbringing, he jumped in without hesitation to save her.

He successfully saved the girl, but unfortunately, he cramped up and almost drowned himself. Just when he thought his life would end, fate took a strange turn, and he transmigrated into this world.

Looking at the delicate face in the mirror, Su Qian sighed. “Since I’ve come to this place, it must be heaven giving me a chance to live again. Don’t worry, I, Su Qian, will make sure you never endure such humiliation again. I will restore the glory of our ancestors.”

This wasn’t an idle promise. It was said that the original owner’s ancestors were imperial relatives, even royal blood. If one traced the lineage, the current emperor was actually Su Qian’s uncle.

But this “uncle” was so distantly related that it was almost inconsequential. The Great Liang Dynasty had been established for nearly 300 years, and after several generations, the bloodline had thinned to the point where it was practically non-existent. On a daily basis, Su Qian could at most fool the rural folk. If this relationship really meant something, he would not have been humiliated so freely by the village’s ruffian, Wang Er.

However, as Su Qian thought this, he realized that the resentment lingering in his mind seemed to dissipate. Perhaps, at this very moment, the original owner truly accepted Su Qian.

“Ah! A ghost!”

At that moment, the door, which had been tightly shut, suddenly creaked open. A young woman, around 18 years old, wearing a rough cloth long skirt, with a scarf around her head and a beautiful face, looked at Su Qian and screamed in terror.

Su Qian turned around and saw the familiar face from his memories. He stammered, “Wife... don’t be afraid. I’m not a ghost. I’m not dead. Ghosts don’t have shadows. See for yourself.”

The woman was none other than Su Qian’s betrothed childhood wife, Qin Ziyin. She was 18 years old this year, and when Su Qian passed the scholar examination at twelve, Qin Ziyin’s father, Qin Yan, had arranged her marriage to Su Qian.

Shocked, Qin Ziyin stared at the shadow on the floor. After a moment of confusion, she quickly stepped forward, her trembling hand reaching out to touch Su Qian’s face.

After confirming that Su Qian was truly alive, Qin Ziyin suddenly hugged him tightly and began crying loudly.

Feeling the softness of her chest against him, Su Qian was momentarily at a loss. After all, he was a man, and he quickly realized what was happening. He placed his hand on Qin Ziyin’s back and gently comforted her.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, wife. Don’t cry. I’m still alive.”

After being comforted, Qin Ziyin realized her loss of composure. She quickly let go of Su Qian and softly said, “Husband, please don’t do anything foolish again. If you didn’t pass this time, there’s always next time. I believe you can do it. Ah, quickly take off your funeral shroud. This is unlucky.”

“Husband, you must be hungry. Let me cook for you.”

With that, Qin Ziyin hurried to the kitchen to start preparing food.

Su Qian watched her retreating figure, a sense of melancholy settling in. He knew full well the real reason Qin Yan had arranged this marriage. It was all because of his potential. This was no shameful thing to admit—after all, Su Qian had passed the scholar examination at twelve, and the Su family’s doors had almost been broken down by visitors.

The marriage between Su Qian and Qin Ziyin was, in large part, due to the longstanding friendship between their families. When Qin Ziyin was born, their families had already arranged a marriage for them. At first, Su Qian had seemed like a promising figure, but after failing the provincial examination multiple times over the next decade, his parents unexpectedly passed away, and his family’s fortunes declined drastically.

The Qin family, involved in the textile business in Lingbei County, wasn’t a wealthy family, but they were far better off compared to the local villagers. Given these circumstances, four or five years ago, the Qin family had tried to break off the engagement, but Qin Ziyin was adamant about staying with Su Qian. She said that once she was married into the Su family, she was a Su family member.

This statement infuriated Qin Yan, who severed all ties with her. Without the Qin family’s support, Su Qian’s life had become incredibly harsh in recent years. He lived in a straw hut and was often hungry.

Qin Ziyin, though the daughter of a merchant, had spent these years with Su Qian and had become like the village women, doing everything by hand.

Even though Su Qian had never been in a relationship, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy when he felt Qin Ziyin’s rough hands.

She had said she was going to cook, but it seemed there wasn’t much food left at home. Since he had been reborn, and heaven had given him such a beautiful wife, if he didn’t start appreciating her, Su Qian wouldn’t be a man at all.

Su Qian left the room and walked to the small open-air kitchen beside the straw hut. The kitchen was propped up by a wooden pillar, and Qin Ziyin was busy starting the fire to cook.

Su Qian sighed and walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently spoke.

“Wife, you’ve worked hard. Let me cook today.”

Qin Ziyin was startled by the sudden embrace and instinctively pushed him away. She softly said, “When did you learn to cook? Focus on your studies. The imperial examination is just a month away, you need to prepare.”

She continued working, while Su Qian, who had stepped aside to chop wood, shook his head and said, “The imperial exam isn’t the only way. If I can’t even take care of my own wife, what’s the point of passing the exam?”

Qin Ziyin froze, her hands halting as she looked at him in disbelief.

Su Qian’s words warmed Qin Ziyin’s heart. This was the first time in the years since they had married that Su Qian had said something comforting to her.

Qin Ziyin felt as if her husband had truly changed.

The Su Qian of the past had always been focused solely on his studies. He never had time to care for her. Even though they shared the same bed, they were like strangers to each other.

She had once thought that after Su Qian’s death, she would follow him, believing that living a life without hope was no different from following him in death.

Su Qian also noticed Qin Ziyin’s unusual expression and quickly explained, “Wife, don’t look at me like that. After jumping into the river, I’ve figured things out. You can think of me as having come back to life. I’ve taken the imperial exam so many times, and I’m tired. It’s better to take care of the family properly.”

Hearing Su Qian’s explanation, Qin Ziyin’s gaze shifted. She seemed to understand. After all, she was literate and had studied for a few years. She knew that some people, after experiencing major life changes, could indeed have their mindset shift. Su Qian’s change of heart wasn’t surprising, and she was, in fact, very happy about it.

Su Qian looked at Qin Ziyin’s soft smile and his heart warmed. He had not expected that after all these years, she still cared about him so much. He realized just how foolish he had been, constantly focused on his failures and ambitions, while overlooking the person who had stood by him through everything.

“Wife, I’ve been a fool,” Su Qian muttered, his voice low with regret. “I’m sorry for making you endure so much.”

Qin Ziyin, still holding the wooden ladle, looked at him in surprise. “Don’t say that, Husband. I’ve never resented you. I only ever hoped that you’d be happy, that you’d find your way again.”

Su Qian smiled, a genuine smile that was free of the bitterness and frustration that had once filled him. He had realized something profound. The world didn’t owe him success, but if he worked for it, and valued the people who cared for him, things might just turn around.

He reached out and gently took Qin Ziyin’s hand. “Then, let’s work together. I’ll support you, and you support me. We’ll make sure our future is better than before.”

Qin Ziyin smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth. “We’ll do it together, Husband. We’ll make it work.”

The days that followed saw a slow but steady change in Su Qian’s life. He spent more time with Qin Ziyin, helping her with the household chores, and in return, she continued to support him as he focused on his studies. They were no longer the distant, formal couple they had once been. Instead, they began to grow closer, relying on each other in a way they hadn’t before.

As the time for the imperial examination drew near, Su Qian found himself more focused than ever. He studied with a renewed sense of purpose, no longer just for the sake of passing the exam, but for the future he hoped to build with Qin Ziyin. This time, he wasn’t going to let his past failures define him.

And though the road ahead was still uncertain, Su Qian knew one thing for sure—he was no longer alone. With Qin Ziyin by his side, he believed he could face whatever challenges the world threw at him.

As Su Qian was preparing himself to focus more on his future, he also started to notice things about his current situation. There were still people in his life who were trying to make things difficult for him, and he knew he needed to be cautious. One of them had just shown up.

Suddenly, the cold voice of someone he recognized broke through the moment.

"Su family’s wife is really in high spirits, still has time to cook. But when are you going to repay me the silver you owe, Madam?" The voice came from a figure that appeared in the doorway.

Su Qian instantly tensed, recognizing the man who had spoken. It was Wang Er, the local troublemaker who had tormented him in his past life. This person had no respect for anyone, and he had made Su Qian’s life a living hell more than once.

Qin Ziyin, startled by the sudden intrusion, stood frozen for a moment. Su Qian quickly moved to stand in front of her protectively.

"Why are you here, Wang Er?" Su Qian’s tone was firm, his usual gentle demeanor replaced by an assertiveness he had never shown before. He had suffered too much in silence in his past life, but now he was no longer willing to back down.

Wang Er, seeing Su Qian’s change in attitude, let out a loud laugh. "Hah, look at you, acting all tough now. You’re still the same Su Qian, just pretending to be something you’re not. You owe me money, and it’s about time you paid up."

Su Qian’s eyes narrowed. The past might have left him defeated, but in this new life, he wouldn’t allow others to walk all over him. His determination burned in his chest. "You’ll get your silver, Wang Er. But don’t think you can come here and bully my wife. Leave now, before things get unpleasant."

The tension in the air was palpable as Wang Er's face contorted with anger. He had always taken advantage of Su Qian’s weakness, but now, with Su Qian standing his ground, he wasn’t sure how to react.

"Fine," Wang Er grumbled, his voice dripping with contempt. "I’ll be back. Don’t think this is over."

As Wang Er stormed out of the house, Su Qian turned back to Qin Ziyin, his expression softening. "I’m sorry you had to see that, Wife. But I won’t let anyone hurt you, not anymore."

Qin Ziyin, still in shock from the confrontation, looked at Su Qian with a mix of admiration and relief. She had always known her husband was capable, but seeing him stand up for her like that made her heart swell with emotion.

"You don’t have to apologize, Husband," she said softly, her eyes full of affection. "I’m just glad you’re finally taking control of your own life."

[--------------------------------------------]

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