Chapter 1: Blood Lineage Genealogy

Dongxi Village.

On the small path at the village entrance, Xu Chuan wore a straw hat and a coarse linen vest. With his pant legs rolled up, he carried a hoe on his shoulder and held two large grass carp tied with straw stalks in his hand as he walked toward the village.

The lingering glow of the evening sunset stretched his shadow long, and his bronze-colored skin gleamed brilliantly.

"San Shu, heading home?"

Ahead, under the large locust tree, an old man with slightly graying temples sat gently fanning himself with a cattail leaf fan.

Upon seeing Xu Chuan, he greeted him warmly.

Noticing the large grass carp in his hand, the old man smiled faintly, "Good haul today, eh?"

"Uncle Chen, enjoying the cool air again?"

"Can't help it with this cursed weather. On such a hot day, only someone with a physique like yours could endure the scorching sun for so long." Xu Chuan grinned.

The villagers all said Xu Chuan was blessed and favored by the heavens but that wasn't entirely true.

Xu Chuan was a transmigrator.

He did possess certain talents.

He was born into an ordinary commoner family. His father, Xu Ping, was a long-term worker for the Xu family, a wealthy household in Dongxi Village.

When he was three years old and still naive, his mother passed away.

At fifteen, Xu Ping also died from overwork.

With the wisdom from his previous life, Xu Chuan learned things quickly and was exceptionally skilled in farming.

The Xu family greatly valued him, and after his father's death, they doubled his wages to keep him. However, Xu Chuan still resolutely quit his job with the Xu family.

He used almost all his savings to buy ten mu of rice paddies.

The villagers all said Xu Chuan was short-sighted. The Xu family was a well-known wealthy household within a radius of dozens of li, and becoming one of their long-term workers wasn't easy.

Xu Ping had worked for the Xu family his entire life, and initially, Xu Chuan was only able to work there because of his father yet now he had quit for nothing, giving his position to someone else.

But Xu Chuan didn't see it that way.

How could working for others possibly compare to the drive of working for oneself?

Of course, he also felt that after keeping a low profile for fifteen years, it was time to establish his own household.

As a transmigrator, Xu Chuan was born with a "Blood Lineage Genealogy," though currently the genealogy only had one page, and on that first page was only Xu Chuan's name.

To be entered into the genealogy, one had to drip blood onto it for the name to appear.

Xu Chuan had stumbled upon this by accident at the age of six.

[Xu Chuan: First Generation of the Xu Family]

[Spiritual Root: Incomplete Five Elements, no qualification for immortal cultivation]

[Talent: None]

[Bloodline: None]

Afterward, the "Blood Lineage Genealogy" generated three talents: "Dragon Vigor and Tiger Strength," "Daily Divination," and "Heaven Rewards Diligence."

All were applied to himself.

"Dragon Vigor and Tiger Strength" kept him energetic daily with vigorous blood and qi.

Naturally, he was free from illness and disaster.

"Daily Divination" allowed him to divine fortune and misfortune once per day.

Most results were neutral readings, neither fortunate nor unfortunate.

This was related to Xu Chuan keeping a low profile and never causing trouble.

"Heaven Rewards Diligence" meant that as long as he persevered in anything, he would see results.

Even though the enhancement was moderate, after years of accumulation through cold and heat, he far surpassed ordinary people.

In farming, for instance, he had become an expert in this field, and many commoners in Dongxi Village had sought his advice.

Farmland was the lifeline of commoners, so he had good relationships with people.

Besides this, Xu Chuan was also skilled in woodwork, cultivating fruit trees and medicinal herbs, and knew some archery.

Through his own efforts, Xu Chuan married at the age of twenty. His bride was also from an ordinary commoner family, the eldest daughter named Bai Jing.

She was three years younger than him, had a delicate appearance, and was diligent and kind.

It was truly a well-matched marriage.

Six years had passed, and Bai Jing had given him two sons. Currently, she was pregnant with their third child, who would be due in another two months.

"Uncle Chen, I won't chat anymore. I need to get home to check on my wife."

"Go, go. When the baby is born and has the full month celebration, remember to invite me for drinks."

"Then remember to bring a gift."

"Not willing to lose out even a bit, haha."

Xu Chuan then headed toward his home, arriving shortly after.

Gray-white walls, blue-black tiles, a square courtyard. In the northeast corner of the courtyard stood a tall pear tree with large green pears hanging from it, weighing down the branches.

Just as he reached the entrance, he saw two children with their bottoms sticking up, lying prone at the corner of the courtyard wall, their two pairs of bright eyes seemingly observing something.

Hearing footsteps, the two turned their heads.

Upon seeing Xu Chuan, they immediately showed brilliant smiles, running and shouting, "Father, you're back!"

"Father, it's grass carp! I want to eat grass carp!"

"No problem, but the first sip of fish soup goes to your mother, understand?"

The slightly older child nodded sensibly, "Mother is carrying little brother. It's very hard, so naturally Mother should eat first."

"Shitou is such a good boy."

"What about me, Father?"

The younger child asked, looking up with his eyes blinking expectantly.

"You're also good."

The older one was called Xu Mingwei, five years old this year, with the nickname Shitou.

The younger one was Xu Mingyuan, three years old, nicknamed Ahyuan.

"By the way, what were you two looking at on the ground just now?"

Xu Mingwei pointed to the corner of the wall, "There are many little ants on the ground, crawling in neat lines."

"Ants moving house? Looks like it will rain tonight."

"Father, what does 'ants moving house' mean? Will it really rain tonight? How do you know?" Xu Mingwei tugged at Xu Chuan's clothes, asking non-stop.

Xu Chuan smiled, "Do you still want to eat fish soup tonight?"

"If you keep blocking Father, there won't be any left to eat."

Hearing this, the two looked as if the sky was falling and quickly moved aside. Then they pushed Xu Chuan toward the kitchen, urging, "Father, hurry, hurry!"

At this moment, Bai Jing walked out with her pregnant belly, supporting herself against the door frame. Her face still bore the red marks from just waking up, "Husband has returned. I overslept. I'll go make dinner right away."

"No need. Rest, wife. Your husband will make dinner tonight."

Xu Chuan smiled gently and entered the kitchen.

First, he washed rice, started the fire, and began cooking. Then he used a cleaver to scrape the fish scales and clean the entrails.

After finishing, he made seven or eight cuts on each side to allow the fish meat to absorb more flavor while cooking.

Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan both stood to the side quietly watching, with drool from the corners of their mouths dripping onto the ground.

"Shitou, go check the chicken coop to see if there are any eggs."

"Okay, Father."

Xu Mingwei trotted over, felt around in the chicken coop with his little hands, pulled out two eggs, then ran excitedly to Xu Chuan's side.

"Father, here."

Xu Chuan took them and set them aside, planning to stir-fry some scallion and eggs later.

"Also, take Ahyuan and herd all the chickens in the courtyard back into the coop."

Xu Mingwei took Xu Mingyuan's little hand and went to herd the chickens.

A moment later, Xu Mingyuan's crying could be heard.

Xu Chuan stopped what he was doing and ran over to look. Bai Jing was holding Xu Mingyuan, gently patting his back to comfort him.

"What happened?" Xu Chuan asked.

Xu Mingwei said, "Father, Ahyuan was knocked down by the rooster's wing, fell to the ground, and then cried."

"Ahyuan, as a man, how can you cry? In a few days, Father will avenge you."

Xu Mingyuan sniffled twice and indeed stopped crying, "Father, you have to keep your word."

"When has Father ever failed to do what he promised?"

"Come, let's pinky promise."

"Mm."

Xu Chuan returned to continue cooking.

More than half an hour later, the family gathered happily around the eight immortals table to eat.

The two little ones firmly remembered Xu Chuan's words and gave the first sip of fish soup to their mother. Bai Jing was deeply moved.

Night.

Heavy rain poured down.

Inside the room, Bai Jing suddenly said, "Husband, in a little while, our third child will also be born. Why don't you add another level to that bunk bed?"

"No rush." Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "The third child can sleep in the baby crib first."

"As for later, I plan to expand the house in a few years, adding at least three more rooms. The courtyard is also a bit small. When the family grows, the children won't have room to move around."

"I'll follow husband's decision." Bai Jing nodded, then thought of something, "Should we rent a few more mu of land? After all, there will be another mouth to feed, and Shitou and Ahyuan's appetites are getting bigger."

"Wife is very thoughtful." Xu Chuan looked at Bai Jing and smiled again, "But forget about renting. Starting from last year, the fruit trees on the ten mu of land have all begun bearing fruit, and this year's yield will only be greater."

Bai Jing said no more.

A married woman follows her husband. Naturally, Xu Chuan was the master of the Xu household.

Moreover, she knew Xu Chuan was extremely capable. Since she married into the family, the Xu family's circumstances had visibly improved year after year.

Of course, more importantly, Xu Chuan treated her with great care.

She hadn't married the wrong person.

There was only one point she found regrettable, which was that Xu Chuan had such dragon vigor and tiger strength that she couldn't fully satisfy him.

Bai Jing's gaze continuously moved downward, somewhat shyly saying, "Husband, let this concubine help you tonight."

"Much obliged, wife."

Before long, soft panting and sounds of appreciation could be heard from the room.

The sound of flute and zither.

The lingering notes resonated.