Chapter 1: The Soul of Another World in the Harsh Winter

 

On a freezing winter’s night, howling winds and heavy snowfall made the already dark night almost impossible to see through. The wind carried thick goose-feather snow, covering Fengtong Village in a blanket of ice and misery. Villagers nailed their windows and doors shut, fearing the storm might tear them off.

Faint yellow light flickered from a few houses, their roofs piled high with snow, so heavy it seemed as if they might collapse.

On the west side of the village stood a larger two-courtyard home. Its solid construction made it stand out among the mud-brick houses surrounding it.

Inside the main house, muffled voices could be heard, barely audible over the roar of the storm.

“It’s been six months. Our eldest used to send letters every month. Not hearing from him for six months straight… it’s making me restless,” said a woman in a gray cotton jacket, her hair tied neatly in a bun. Her round face carried an air of prosperity, but worry was etched deeply into her expression.

A man lying on the heated brick bed hummed in agreement, his brow furrowed tightly as he listened.

“Old Qi, why don’t we try asking around? Our eldest has been in the army for three years, but this year, my heart just doesn’t feel settled,” the woman said, putting down her sewing and leaning forward, her concern plain.

The man opened his eyes, his expression as troubled as hers. “Ask who? We don’t have any connections. You make it sound so easy.”

Madam Wei sat upright. “I heard there’s a Daoist temple twenty miles east of here. Why don’t we go and ask a Daoist priest? Maybe they can help.”

This struck a chord with Qi Ansheng. As simple villagers with no connections, the only help they could hope for was from the gods.

Driven by their love for their son, the couple decided to leave for the temple at first light.

The snowstorm stopped by dawn, but the roads were buried in snow up to their calves. The Qi family wasted no time, hitched their ox to the cart, and began the journey.

As they passed the Xu family’s house, loud shouting could be heard from within:

“You useless brat! It’s already late, and you still haven’t made breakfast? Are you trying to starve us all? I must’ve sinned in my past life to end up with a worthless freeloader like you! Why don’t you go beg your dead parents instead of leeching off me!”

The sharp voice of the Xu’s daughter-in-law was followed by the clear sound of slaps and the muffled cries of a young girl.

Qi Ansheng snorted in disgust. “That Xu woman spends all day screaming at her niece. That poor girl must’ve done something terrible in a past life to end up there.”

Madam Wei sighed. “You’re right. I saw that girl the other day, she is so thin that she almost looks like a skeleton. In this freezing weather, they had her washing clothes outside. Her hands were frostbitten, the skin was peeling off. It’s pitiful.”

Though they sympathized, the couple continued on their way. Everyone had their own hardships, and they were just simple villagers. They couldn’t save everyone.

The snow-covered roads were difficult to traverse, and even the ox struggled. By the time they reached the Daoist temple, it was already noon.

The storm had cleared, and the sunlight brought a rare warmth as the couple secured their ox cart.

As they approached the temple, a Daoist priest in a blue robe stepped out. Before they could speak, the priest addressed them directly.

“You must be the Qi couple from Fengtong Village.”

Madam Wei’s eyes widened in shock. The priest had guessed their identities with ease, and she immediately regarded him as a living deity. Bowing respectfully, she said, “Immortal master, that’s right. We’ve come to seek your guidance.”

The priest, calm and composed, pulled out a tortoise shell and three copper coins. Without unnecessary ceremony, he began to divine for them.

“You’ve come to ask about your son’s life and death,” he stated firmly.

The Qi couple nodded eagerly, their hope and respect evident.

The priest arranged the coins, his expression serious. After a long pause, he said, “Your son is alive… but barely. He hovers between life and death.”

Madam Wei gasped and nearly collapsed, but Qi Ansheng caught her in time. Though shaken, he managed to stay calm, waiting for the priest to continue.

After a moment, the priest said, “There is a way to save him, though it depends on fate. As the saying goes, Luck comes first, destiny comes second, and similarly one’s surroundings play a important role. Your son’s fate isn’t fixed, but his luck is in turmoil. If you want to stabilize it, there is one thing you can try.”

The couple immediately asked, “What is it, immortal master? We’ll do anything!”

The priest explained, “Your son is facing a year of great misfortune. If you find a girl with a bitter fate and hold a ‘lucky wedding,’ it might help him survive.”

“A lucky wedding?”

The Qi couple understood the concept—marrying someone to ward off bad luck—but they were confused. How could they hold a wedding when their son’s whereabouts were unknown?

The priest chuckled. “A lucky wedding isn’t limited to living participants. Even if your son isn’t here, you can use a rooster to stand in for him. Write his name and birthdate on paper, and have the girl marry the rooster in a simple ceremony.”

Madam Wei nodded, committing the instructions to memory. Then she asked, “But where can we find a girl with such a bitter fate?”

The priest’s gaze turned thoughtful. “A girl who lost her parents early, suffered hardship, and now lives at the mercy of others. Who could have a fate more bitter than that?”

When the Daoist priest spoke those words, the Qi couple exchanged a glance, both thinking of the same person—the young girl from the Xu family they had passed that morning.

Years ago, the Xu family had two brothers. The elder was lazy and gluttonous, while the younger was hardworking and married to a diligent and virtuous woman. Thanks to the younger brother, the family had been doing quite well.

But tragedy struck when the younger brother and his wife died in an accident, leaving behind a three-year-old daughter. The elder brother and his wife were forced to take in the orphaned girl.

Soon after, rumors spread in the village that the young girl’s misfortune had “cursed” her parents to their deaths. Though the rumor’s origin was unclear, it seemed unlikely—if the child had truly been a curse, why would her parents have lived for three years after her birth?

The truth was simpler. The elder brother’s wife begrudged the responsibility of raising an extra mouth to feed. Spreading rumors about the girl being “cursed” made it easier to justify treating her poorly.

The Daoist priest, having said what he needed to, leisurely strolled away.

The Qi couple hurried back to the village, fearing that if they delayed too long, the mistreated girl might already have been worked to death.

—-

At the Xu family’s house, Xu Shuyue knelt in the snow, her entire body numb from the cold. Her arms and legs were so frozen she couldn’t feel the blood circulating anymore, her body locked in place as if she were a statue.

From inside the house came the shrill voice of Madam Chen, her uncle’s wife.

“You lazy brat! Just looking at you makes me sick—you’re nothing but bad luck!”

Xu Shuyue’s uncle, the elder Xu brother, sighed heavily. “Let her come inside. She’s still my brother’s child, after all.”

“And so what if she is?” Madam Chen snapped. “We’ve raised her for thirteen years! She’s sixteen now, isn’t she? We’ve done more than enough for her. I can say whatever I want!”

Her voice grew louder and sharper. “She’s old enough to marry off! Didn’t that matchmaker from the neighboring village come by the other day? That blind widower is looking for a wife, and he’s offering a pig as a bride price. Let’s marry her off and get the pig. At least she’d be good for something.”

Xu Shuyue knelt in the snow, her surroundings fading into a blur. The voices around her grew faint, and her vision darkened. Her body gave out, and she collapsed into the snow.

—

The Qi couple arrived back in the village at dusk, heading straight for the Xu family’s home.

Madam Chen, curious about why the well-off Qi couple had come, greeted them with a fake smile. “Ah, Brother Qi, Sister Qi! What brings you here on such a cold day? Please, come inside for some tea to warm up!”

The Qi couple entered, sensing it would be inappropriate to discuss their purpose at the doorstep. Once they were seated, Madam Wei got straight to the point.

“Sister Chen, forgive us for being abrupt, but we’ve come to propose a marriage.”

Madam Chen was stunned. “A marriage? For whom? I only have one son.”

Madam Wei explained directly, “Our eldest son is facing a streak of bad luck, and we were told by a Daoist priest that your niece is the right match to help him overcome it. We’d like to ask for her hand in marriage to ward off the misfortune.”

Madam Chen, being blunt and unsophisticated, immediately blurted out, “But your son isn’t even here in the village! If my niece marries him, wouldn’t she just end up a widow?”

The word “widow” hadn’t even fully left her lips before she noticed the Qi couple’s expressions darken. Panicking, she backtracked, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that! I’m not cursing your son, but… isn’t it true? What kind of girl marries without a husband present?”

Madam Wei felt disgusted. Normally, this woman treated her niece like a slave, constantly beating and berating her. Now she was suddenly pretending to care about the girl’s well-being?

Deciding to cut straight to the heart of the matter, Mr. Qi spoke firmly, “If you agree to let your niece marry into our family, we’ll offer three taels of silver and an old house as the bride price. What do you say?”

Hearing this, Madam Chen’s eyes lit up. She nearly jumped out of her seat in excitement. Three taels of silver and a house? That was far better than what the blind widower had offered!

“Alright, alright! I’ll discuss it with my husband and give you an answer shortly.”

Madam Wei, however, noticed they hadn’t yet seen the girl. “Where is the child? We’d like to see her.”

Distracted by her excitement, Madam Chen waved dismissively. “Oh, she fainted earlier and is in the woodshed. I’m not sure if she’s awake yet.”

“She fainted? Did you call for a doctor?”

Madam Chen let out a forced laugh. “Oh, I was just about to, but then you arrived, and I didn’t get the chance.”

In the woodshed, Xu Shuyue slowly regained consciousness. Her body felt weak, and her mind was foggy. As she opened her eyes, the unfamiliar surroundings filled her with confusion.

“Where… where am I?”

Hello dear readers, welcome here!!! I hope you have an amazing experience. Also updates might be little slow for few days after that I have a fixed schedule i.e 2 chapters each alternate day ( Mon, Wed, Fri) a week.