In Bai Qi's past life, he dealt in shady businesses, mingling with people from all walks of life.
Reflecting on his previous life, he had simply entered a rundown temple with scarcely any incense offerings, seeking a "Molu" for change of fortune.
How did he end up crossing over?
He remembered distinctly, before leaving, looking at the benevolent-faced elder Daoist, who specifically instructed him.
He was told to bathe, burn incense, and sincerely make offerings, promising that good things would come.
"Change of fortune? Good things? Does that mean I barely achieved financial freedom, then with a blink of an eye, I come to this strange world to suffer again?
What are you really thinking, oh heavens!?
Moreover, as far as I remember, according to Taoist teachings.
'Lu' is a document recording the names and duties of the ten directions' Immortals, on which spells and magic are performed.
But when did I ever receive this 'Lu'?
Only a Daoist who has completed the transmission can conduct the receiving Lu ceremony, which is very complex."
Bai Qi couldn't help but mutter to himself; fortunately, this Molu came in handy.
Any "skills" he mastered, as long as he continued to hone them, he could keep improving.
It was a case of diligence paying off; effort would yield results.
With the help of this unknown Molu, he was able to quickly grasp the essentials of fishing.
Otherwise, without a skill, it would have been difficult to make a living in Black River County.
"If I had these skills in my previous life, why would I have bothered with shady business deals?"
Bai Qi sighed, steering the oars, slowly heading towards the shore.
As the evening drew near, it was time to go home.
The Molu that resided within his heart had accompanied him to this otherworldly realm.
It could illuminate all laws, showing progress in a most straightforward way.
Through focused exploration, he discovered various skills.
Roughly categorized into "novice," "proficient," "master," "grandmaster," "flawless."
Whether there existed a higher level remained unclear for now.
For instance, in fishing, every time Bai Qi cast his net.
He could gain some progress, granting him deeper insights.
Those trickling experiences were like countless practices, silently nourishing his heart.
Until he comprehended and integrated every minute detail of the technique.
Of course, the fastest way to gain progress.
Was to catch big fish!
Every time the net was full.
His progress would soar!
"Unfortunately, with the entry-level 'fishing' skills, I might only catch a big fish every three to five days, barely enough to live on.
If I could break through to proficient, the harvest should improve, and who knows, maybe I'll fill the net every day."
Bai Qi held the long rod, steering the small boat away from the reed marsh.
Soon, he saw the earthen house covered with thatched grass by the shore.
The wooden gate, enclosed by a circle of fencing, stood open, and from afar, he saw a small figure crouched there, seemingly waiting for someone to return home.
Bai Qi calmly secured the boat, washed his mud-covered feet with water in front of the earthen house, casually muttering a few words:
"How many times have I told you to stay indoors, the weather is getting cooler, what if you catch a cold from the wind."
The slender figure crouched behind the door had delicate features, embodying a gentle and fragile aura.
About twelve or thirteen years old, the child's head lifted with a soft voice filled with joy:
"Brother, I saw the sky getting dark, and I was worried about you.
The fishery has issued a proclamation not to fish at 5 p.m., there might be trouble!"
This was Ah Di, Bai Ming; before Bai Qi's soul occupied this body, the two fishing brothers relied on each other for survival.
If not for this brother's care, the cold might have taken him away the first night he arrived in this world.
It was Bai Ming who went door to door, kowtowing, begging for half a liter of rice, and boiled some hot ginger soup.
Which brought Bai Qi back from the Ghost Gate Barrier.
"Apparently, a demon fish is causing mischief, it recently took away Chen the Lame from the Fish Market East District, very hostile.
The Black River is deep, with strong winds and waves, it could breed anything.
These matters are for the fishery to handle, they have nothing to do with us."
Bai Qi reached out to tousle Ah Di's hair, smiling:
"Clean up the fish, I'll make fish dinner for you later."
He tossed the full fish basket to the small figure and went inside, grabbing a ladle, guzzling two big gulps.
During this time of the year, night fell swiftly, and the countryside was enshrouded in darkness.
The earthen house where the brothers lived contained only a square table and several short stools.
An assortment of items like a rice vat, clay jars, and pottery basins filled the corners.
To call it a house with bare walls wouldn't be an exaggeration.
The walls of compacted yellow clay filled with straw and stalks had gone without repair due to age.
The cold wind howled, "woo woo," seeping in and making the flax wick of the copper lamp flicker, casting a dim glow.
As if savoring the cool water, Bai Qi took a long breath.
Hugging a bundle of firewood, he moved to the clay stove on the right side of the main room.
He started a fire, preparing to cook.
This was the "home" of his current life.
...
...
"Brother, I've cleaned all the fish and shrimp."
Bai Ming busied himself and washed his hands, waiting obediently for dinner.
"Did you go to the school today?"
Bai Qi stood up, scooping a few handfuls from the nearly empty rice vat.
A moment later, the clay stove in the earthen house gave off a smoky aroma from burning firewood.
The scent of steamed rice wafted from the clay pot, arousing the hunger of the two brothers.
Poor families can't afford it; they eat only two meals a day and naturally look forward to it eagerly.
Especially when Fisherman Bai Qi is out fishing from dawn till dusk, he just fills his stomach with a few wheat cakes at noon.
By this time, he's already starving, with his chest sticking to his back.
"I squatted outside and listened for a while. I understand everything the instructor teaches.
But I don't know why he keeps repeating it several times."
Thin and frail, Bai Ming carefully poured the rice-washing water into a clay basin and set it aside.
Big Brother said this could be used to wash the face and hair.
"You have a good mind; the others in the school might not be as smart as you."
Bai Qi added the firewood he picked up, checking when the rice would be ready.
This little brother of his has a quick mind. If it weren't for the weak family foundation and the high cost of school fees,
he would have been a good candidate for a small county scholar.
"Big Brother is much smarter than me. The characters that the school instructor writes are not as beautiful as yours.
He says you can remember everything after seeing it once, connecting the words without a hitch.
Before the loss of Tao, you were called a 'scholarly seed,' very impressive."
Bai Ming raised his head, looking at his brother, whose face was half-illuminated by the firelight from the earthen stove, full of admiration.
In the 800-mile Black Water River, there are so many fishermen.
Only his big brother, Bai Qilang, has the talent for writing, reading, and reciting.
"Do you still remember what Big Brother instructed?"
Bai Qi took out the rice from the clay pot, mashed the steamed fish and shrimp meat, and mixed it with chopsticks.
Then he spread a layer of bean sauce from the jar, and the flavor emerged.
Although the rice was old, and the sauce was made by frying bean curd dregs and wheat bran,
the mixture with the fresh fish and shrimp meat wasn't bad.
For a fisherman like Bai Qi, any good catch would be taken to the fishery to exchange for money.
Only the small fish and shrimp, which weren't worth much, were he willing to cook for himself.
The saying goes, salt sellers drink bland soup, and basket weavers sleep on bare beds.
That's the way it is.
Bai Ming nodded vigorously, like a little chick pecking at rice:
"Big Brother learned to read and write before Dad passed away; it's definitely not because his mind opened after catching a cold."
The Bai family used to be a middle-class "farmer" family, with seven or eight acres of good farmland.
Supporting five or six people wasn't a problem.
Unfortunately, their mother died from postpartum hemorrhage, and their poor father was struck by a major illness.
After exhausting all the family assets and selling off the land for a low price,
they could only follow merchant caravans and do some odd jobs on the side.
The weak thread in the hemp rope always breaks first.
By sheer bad luck, a few years ago, they were caught in the "Calamity of Heaven's Collapse" that swept through Yihai Prefecture, and there was no news ever since.
Thus, with both parents gone and no family support, Bai Qi had no choice but to join the fishery to make a living, becoming a low-class "slave household."
"There's nothing left at home that can be pawned or sold.
Only a stack of miscellaneous books remains."
Bai Qi felt fortunate; without these "family assets," he might very well have ended up illiterate.
In any era, being literate is an important skill.
It's also a ladder to advancement.
"And, Big Brother, today Steward Lin from the Chai Market came over and asked if I was willing to join the 'Slave Households.'
The Young Master of the Charcoal Workshop is in need of a reading companion.
He said someone like me, who can read and write, would be worth at least Five Thousand Coins!"
Bai Ming suddenly raised his head and said.
"The Chai Market? The one surnamed Lin? The one with the large black mole on his chin that looks like a dead fly?"
Bai Qi furrowed his brows; this man was the steward for the Charcoal Workshop on the west side.
It's said that he's specifically responsible for purchasing slaves.
The so-called "Slave Households" are those who've signed a contract of servitude, becoming low-class individuals with no control over their lives.
Big families in Black River County send out stewards to select and buy individuals every year.
For cooks and maidservants, there aren't many requirements.
As long as they can do the work, they sell for relatively cheap.
Jobs like Scholar's Attendant or Groom,
since they require a specialized skill, are priced relatively higher.
Being offered Five Thousand Big Coins is considered not low.
"How did you refuse?"
Bai Qi asked directly.
"Just as Big Brother instructed, I said I suffer from epilepsy and don't know when it might strike, so I can't take on the job of being a reading companion."
Bai Ming lowered his head to eat, speaking softly:
"But after hearing that, the guy surnamed Lin didn't turn away like others.
He said if I couldn't be the Young Master's Scholar's Attendant, I could be a servant for his family, and he doesn't mind.
But he'd only offer Two Thousand Five Hundred Coins."
Bai Qi squinted his eyes; whenever he caught a big haul and went to the fish market, he'd hear some rumors in the county.
One of them was about Lin the Sixth from the Charcoal Workshop,
who loved to use the excuse of shopping to seek out clean-looking young boys to take home.
"Ignore him. Before Dad died, he said, 'Better to be a beggar than a slave!'"
Bai Qi squinted his eyes; if he had enough strength,
he would have said, "Courting death!" at this moment.
But unfortunately...
For now,
he is just a lowly fisherman.