Chapter 1: Pea Cake

June brought scorching heat.

There wasn’t the slightest breeze, and the cornfield was stifling and oppressive. After weeding for half a day, sweat streamed down Qin Jin’s body like a brook.

By si shi (around 9 a.m.), he picked some corn leaves and hurried home.

Entering the kitchen, he first gulped down a cup of cool boiled water from the stove, then scooped some water from the water jar into a wooden basin with a ladle.

He carried the basin to his room and gave himself a quick wipe-down.

Afterward, he washed his sweaty clothes, wrung them out, and hung them to dry in the yard before returning to the kitchen.

On the cutting board sat a ceramic basin. He lifted the hemp cloth covering it to reveal golden pea cakes, radiant as gold itself.

The cakes had a layer of honeyed date slices in the middle, looking quite tempting.

Tipping the pea cake into a slightly larger ceramic bowl, he picked up a wooden knife, sliced off a small piece, and popped it into his mouth.

Sweet, tender, and melting immediately, the taste was exactly like the one he remembered from his previous life.

He was thrilled.

The first step to fortune rested on this pea cake.

He cut a quarter-sized piece, placed it in a rustic pottery bowl, and carried it to Qin Bing’s house next door.

The Lao Qin family had four sons; Qin Bing was the eldest, and he was the youngest—or more precisely, the original owner of the body had been the youngest.

The Qin family had divided property last year. Old Qin and his wife now lived with the eldest son, Qin Bing, in the old family courtyard.

As the youngest, he moved next door to the old courtyard, which is now his residence.

The yard was small and somewhat dilapidated, but sufficient for him to live alone. It had three main brick-mud rooms, a kitchen, and a storage shed.

In the neighboring yard, Qin Bing’s family and Old Qin had all gone to work in the fields. Only his mother, Wang Xiuqin, was sitting under the big locust tree stitching shoe soles.

“Mom, I made some pea cakes. You, Dad, and Big Brother should all try it.” He handed the pottery bowl to Wang Xiuqin.

She glanced at the golden pea cake and looked pleasantly surprised. “You really made it?”

“Yes, try it!”

“I’ll wait for your dad and the others to come back before tasting it. Put it in the kitchen for now,” Wang Xiuqin said.

“Alright.” Qin Jin obediently took the bowl to the kitchen.

“When you go to the county gate to sell it later, mind your words and speak sweetly,” Wang Xiuqin reminded him.

Qin Jin nodded.

“Oh, and bring some for Miao-ge to try,” Wang Xiuqin added.

“…Okay.” Qin Jin scratched his head, feeling slightly awkward.

Ye Miao was a young man who had accidentally fallen into the water a few days ago. Qin Jin had pulled him ashore in front of everyone.

Summer clothes were thin, and while rescuing him, Qin Jin touched areas that shouldn’t have been touched, making the situation tricky.

The era he had transmigrated into, known as the Great Jin Dynasty, treated young men (ger) like women, bound by the same strict rules of propriety. Direct physical contact with Ye Miao meant that the young man was obligated to marry him.

Ye Miao was undeniably beautiful, but he was, in truth, a boy.

A boy!

Of course, Qin Jin firmly refused to take responsibility; no one could force him otherwise.

However, Miao-ge’s circumstances were dire. His uncle from the same village wanted to marry him off as a concubine to a landlord in his sixties from a neighboring village. The man had come multiple times to harass them, even attempting to abduct him forcibly on one occasion.

If Qin Jin didn’t take responsibility, Ye Miao’s future would undoubtedly be bleak.

Four days ago, Qin Jin had called Ye Miao to the foot of a mountain, intending to discuss whether there was a way to resolve the issue satisfactorily.

Ye Miao had no solutions. Looking at him with a face full of anxiety and hope at first, he gradually restrained these emotions when Qin Jin stayed silent, leaving only numb despair.

A slender, beautiful 17-year-old boy stood lifelessly before him, resembling a withered piece of wood.

If Qin Jin didn’t marry him, even if Ye Miao didn’t end up with the old landlord but with another man, their accidental contact in the water would forever be used as leverage against Ye Miao by a less forgiving husband.

How unfair.

Qin Jin repeatedly rolled words of refusal on the tip of his tongue but swallowed them each time.

He Agreed to Marry

Wang Xiuqin was delighted. She immediately contacted a matchmaker to arrange the marriage proposal and exchange of birth date papers, then selected an auspicious wedding date.

The nearest suitable date was three days away; otherwise, they’d have to wait until winter.

Considering he was already nineteen—firmly classified as an “older bachelor”—Wang Xiuqin made a decisive call: the wedding would happen in three days.

But the more Qin Jin thought about it, the more unsettled he felt. Subconsciously, he pushed the matter aside to focus entirely on earning money.

The Qin family was dirt poor!

A few years back, Wang Xiuqin had injured her leg while gathering firewood on the mountain. The medical expenses drained a significant amount of their savings.

During last year’s property division, the original owner of Qin Jin’s body received only two strings of copper coins. However, being greedy and lazy, he spent it all quickly.

When Qin Jin arrived in this world, he was left utterly penniless.

Feelings don’t pay bills, he figured, so he borrowed money from Qin Bing, planning to make snacks to sell.

Qin Bing, pleased to see his newfound diligence, generously handed him fifty wen and even mentioned it didn’t need to be repaid.

With the money, he purchased the necessary ingredients and spent two days making the pea cakes.

Now, his head was filled with the joy of potentially earning copper coins. He completely forgot about the marriage arrangements—until Wang Xiuqin reminded him to bring some pea cakes to Ye Miao.

“Miao-ge is hardworking, good-looking, and doesn’t require a dowry. What’s your hesitation?” Wang Xiuqin said when she noticed his reluctance. She tapped him lightly with the shoe sole in her hand and urged, “Go, quickly.”

Recalling that numb and despairing face from his memory, Qin Jin murmured his agreement and hurried back home.

Their village, Wuligou, was located in the southwest corner. To his right was Qin Bing’s house, and to his left was what had once been an abandoned courtyard. Ye Miao and his father, having no place to go, had cleaned up the courtyard and moved in.

The yard’s fence barely stood at a man’s height, so its interior was visible from outside.

Ye Miao was sitting at the doorway, sewing a wedding garment, while his dad, Zhao Feng, was nowhere in sight—likely out fetching water.

Qin Jin stood at the entrance, watching for a few seconds before calling out, “Miao-ge.”

Startled by the familiar voice, Ye Miao nearly pricked his finger with the needle. Looking up and seeing Qin Jin, a hint of joy surfaced on his delicate, oval-shaped face.

Placing the garment into the sewing basket, Ye Miao walked briskly to the entrance.

“Brother Jin,” he greeted softly, his voice tinged with apprehension.

Noticing the pottery bowl in Qin Jin’s hands, Ye Miao guessed his purpose and felt a wave of relief.

Four days ago, Qin Jin had promised to marry him. Yet, for the past three days, he had been absent—despite their homes being so close.

Such an attitude made Ye Miao fear he’d changed his mind.

But he dared not approach Qin Jin to confirm, leaving him distracted and nervous, even pricking himself earlier while embroidering.

Now, with Qin Jin bringing food, it was a clear sign he wasn’t backing out.

All his unease and anxiety gradually faded.

“This is something new I made—pea cakes. You and Uncle Feng can try them.” Qin Jin extended the pottery bowl toward him.

“Pea cakes?” Ye Miao’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Having grown up in the county town, it was his first time hearing about such a snack.

“It was a random experiment, and I didn’t expect it to work. I made a lot, so I’ll head to the county gate later to sell them and see if I can make some money,” Qin Jin explained when he noticed Ye Miao’s curious look.

Ye Miao hadn’t expected him to share these thoughts, and after a moment of surprise, he felt inexplicably happy.

He knew Qin Jin didn’t like him. Unlike the other young men in the village who either openly stared or shyly stole glances, Qin Jin treated him no differently from anyone else—his gaze clear and indifferent.

Moreover, Qin Jin had only agreed to marry him out of necessity.

Ye Miao had mentally prepared himself for indifference or even disdain.

But to his surprise, Qin Jin was explaining so much to him.

Taking the bowl, Ye Miao raised his small face to Qin Jin. “That’s amazing—it looks delicious.”

“…I just made it on a whim.”

Caught off guard by the pair of bright, eager eyes staring up at him, Qin Jin suddenly felt uncomfortable and shifted his gaze.

He couldn’t deny it—this Miao-ge was truly good-looking. His face was tiny, almost as small as a palm, and so fair…

His thoughts began to wander. Was it weird for him to think this way?

Meanwhile, Ye Miao’s slender, pale fingers gently stroked the edge of the bowl. He wanted to linger with this person a little longer…

“Is there anything I can help with? I can do all sorts of chores,” he offered.

“There’s nothing,” Qin Jin reflexively blurted out, his eyes focused on the weeds on the ground. “You just rest; I don’t need your help.”

Ye Miao: “…”

The rejection was like a cold bucket of water, instantly dousing his earlier spark of joy.

Still, having endured years of harsh treatment from his stepmother, Ye Miao was used to such dismissals. He quickly masked his disappointment with a smile. “I didn’t think it through. Of course, you’d be in charge of this big project—I was just speaking casually. Don’t mind me.”

He realized his suggestion was indeed inappropriate. New recipes, after all, were often closely guarded secrets.

In some families, skills were only passed to sons, not to daughters or ger.

Nevertheless, his heart still felt a slight pang of bitterness.

He had dreamed of what his future husband might be like, and now that dream had taken on the form of a tall, handsome man—how could he not secretly hope?

Although Qin Jin could be lazy, he lacked any serious flaws. More importantly, he had fearlessly thrown out Zhao Dafu when the man tried to abduct him and had saved him from drowning. Ye Miao could still remember the strength of those hands around his waist.

Even though Qin Jin didn’t like him, he had still softened enough to promise marriage.

His feelings were justified, but so was his disappointment.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Ye Miao beamed even brighter. Nobody liked a gloomy face. “Wait here. I’ll empty the bowl and return it to you right away.”

He turned back into the courtyard, walking quickly toward the small shed that served as the kitchen.

However, the moment he turned, his small face fell, full of regret. He shouldn’t have said that.

See? He’d annoyed Qin Jin.

He bit his lip tightly.

Qin Jin, meanwhile, stared at the weeds on the ground and replayed Ye Miao’s words in his mind. Suddenly, something felt off.

“Didn’t think it through?”

Did Ye Miao misunderstand something?

Feeling a bit bewildered, Qin Jin raised his head to look toward the courtyard.

When he saw Ye Miao walking out of the kitchen with the empty bowl, his steps light and a faint smile on his fair face, Qin Jin blinked. As Ye Miao handed him the bowl, Qin Jin couldn’t help but explain: “The pea cakes are already made. I can just carry them to the county gate to sell, so there’s no work left that needs doing.”

“Besides, you should focus on making your wedding garment.”

“If you really want to help, then after we’re married, you can make these at home. Once they’re done, I’ll take them to the county to sell. After all, the wedding is only three days away.”

Ye Miao froze at his words, feeling a bit incredulous.

Was… was he explaining himself?

“I’m just a straightforward person, so don’t take it to heart. I didn’t mean anything else. You keep working on the garment, okay? I’m heading off now.”

Quickly spitting out these words, Qin Jin grabbed the bowl and immediately turned away.

Even though gers were biologically male, their status was similar to women’s, so they tended to be more sensitive emotionally.

Thinking back, his reaction just now had been a bit inappropriate…

Ye Miao stood there, staring blankly at Qin Jin’s retreating figure. Even after he disappeared into the other courtyard, Ye Miao remained still for a moment before finally looking away.

As he turned Qin Jin’s words over and over in his mind, he couldn’t help but smile softly.

It wasn’t because Qin Jin disliked him—there was simply no work left to do.

And it wasn’t that Qin Jin was afraid of him learning the recipe. In fact, he was willing to teach him.

And he’d even talked about the wedding!

They were getting married in just three days.

With that thought, Ye Miao immediately returned to the courtyard.

He needed to finish the wedding garment—he couldn’t afford to delay.

^[1]T/N: Coins and wens are the same thing. Currency goes like copper wens, broken silver, silver teals, gold teals.