Snowflakes fluttered through the air, and the bone-chilling wind made the tree branches creak sharply. The fields of wheat were already tucked under a thick, snowy blanket.

On the small path, a thin, dark figure stumbled unsteadily forward, almost falling into the ditch beside the road several times.

As he came closer, it was evident that his face was flushed red. His drunken eyes were hazy, and he swayed as he hummed an off-key tune.

“Ah, fine wine!” The man hiccupped and blew a puff of hot breath into his palms, sniffing the warmth with satisfaction. Squinting his eyes in delight, he exclaimed smugly, “Even my breath smells fragrant. What a great wine!”

This was Lu Shiqiu, a 25-year-old man who had just joined the right boss. In just three days, he was drinking fine wine and eating dishes he’d never tasted in his entire life.

This, he thought, was the life of a god—exactly the kind of life he deserved.

When he finally made it home, he hadn’t even pushed open the door when he heard his sister-in-law’s piercing voice echoing from the main room.

“Who knows where he’s run off to this time? At his age, he still needs someone to call him to eat. If he were my son, he’d have been slapped long ago.”

His elder brother, Lu Shichun, tried to calm her down in a hushed voice. “Keep it down, or you’ll anger our father again.”

“So what if he hears me?” she retorted. “There’s no one like your third brother in the whole village. Even our fourth brother, a scholar, knows to go to the coast and earn a living. But your third brother, a perfectly healthy man with no missing limbs, doesn’t earn a single coin. And yet, your parents dote on him so much. What kind of nonsense is this?”

Hong, the sister-in-law, couldn’t make sense of it.

Back at her family home, she had always been pampered as the only daughter.

Her parents had worried she’d be mistreated after marriage, so they had her marry her elder cousin, whose mother was her aunt, thinking this arrangement would guarantee her a comfortable life.

After all, the Lu family had four upright sons, and life in their household wouldn’t be tough.

But things didn’t turn out as she’d expected.

Not long after her marriage, she realized there was a major issue: the third brother.

The entire family worked diligently, except for him.

He was like a troublemaker, doing no chores, never going out to sea, and disappearing all day long.

What was even worse was how much her in-laws coddled him, not uttering a single harsh word.

She had been suppressing her frustration for ages, and now, during the New Year—when the family finally sat down to enjoy a proper meal—her father-in-law insisted they fetch the youngest brother.

The icy roads were slippery, and her shoes were barely adequate for the weather.

Running out to find him in such conditions would surely leave her feet frostbitten.

Seeing Hong grow more and more unreasonable, the matriarch of the family Lu Pozi glanced at her husband’s expression, worried he might erupt.

Before he could, she cut in, “Hong, don’t forget your role. You’re the eldest sister-in-law. Do you think it’s your place to meddle in your brother-in-law’s affairs?”

Hong felt aggrieved—truly aggrieved.

It was natural for parents to have favorites, but this level of favoritism was rare.

The rest of the family sat silently on their benches, unmoving.

Their faces didn’t betray much, but it was clear that resentment toward the third brother had been building for a long time.

Old Lu tapped his tobacco pipe and sighed heavily. “I know you’re all unhappy about this, but this year is different from others. Remember what we saw when we went to town a few days ago?”

Everyone’s expressions changed.

In September, Yanjian County had welcomed a new magistrate.

At first, no one thought much of it.

As the saying goes, “All crows under heaven are equally black.”

There was little faith that this official would be any different.

But to everyone’s surprise, the new magistrate was ruthless.

In just three months, he eradicated the largest bandit stronghold in the county.

The three bandit leaders were all executed, and their bodies were hung at the city gates.

When the fishermen, including the Lu family, went to town to sell their seafood, they looked up and saw the grisly sight.

It nearly scared them to death.

Old Lu’s wife rubbed her arms, goosebumps rising on her skin. “Old man, can you not bring up such creepy stories during the New Year?”

She added, trying to reassure him, “Don’t worry about our third son. Even us hardworking folk know to treat ourselves on a day like this. He’s so sharp—do you think he’d let himself go hungry? If you ask me, he’s probably feasting and drinking at some friend’s house right now.”

Old Lu puffed on his pipe again and sighed. “The third son is still your son.”

He looked at his three sons, then swept his gaze across his two daughters-in-law and his daughter.

With a heartfelt tone, he urged, “If something really happened to him, could you live with yourselves?”

The eldest son immediately stood up from his bench. “Father, I’ll go look for him!”

The second son and his wife quickly followed, getting up as well.

Though Hong, the eldest daughter-in-law, was reluctant, she couldn’t shoulder the guilt if something went wrong.

Begrudgingly, she stood, grumbling all the while. “He knew it was New Year’s and didn’t even help with the cooking or firewood. Fine, he wants to wander, but couldn’t he stay in the village? Why run off somewhere else?”

Her husband gave her hand a tug and whispered, “Just say less.”

As they stepped out of the house, the north wind, laden with snow, blew straight into their collars.

Hong tightened her clothes and frowned. “The third brother has so many friends outside the village. Where are we supposed to find him in this freezing weather?”

Just as they reached the gate, Lu Shiqiu, pretending to have just returned, walked in with his head down.

He bumped right into his elder brother.

Lu Shiqiu quickly steadied himself. “Elder brother, sister-in-law, where are you headed?”

Lu Shichun rubbed his arm and sighed in relief. “Third brother, you’re back! Come inside and eat. The food’s still warm.”

Lu Shiqiu nodded and stepped inside.

Once inside, instead of sitting in his seat, he leaned over the table, eyeing the dishes—a few familiar ones with slightly more oil than usual. He curled his lip in disdain. “I’m full. You all eat.”

With that, he turned to leave for his room.

Old Lu grew anxious. “Where did you eat?”

Lu Shiqiu pulled a money pouch from his coat and shook it, the clinking of coins ringing out.

Smiling smugly at Hong, he said, “I made good money today and ate at the tavern. You all go ahead and enjoy.”

With everyone staring at him in shock, he strutted into his room with his head held high.

Lu Shiqiu felt triumphant.

He had never felt so proud.

Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), he let out a contented burp.

Inwardly, he gloated.

Before, his petty schemes rarely earned him much money.

But now that he had found the right boss, it didn’t take long to feast on meat and drink fine wine…

With wine in his belly and a warm bed beneath him, Lu Shiqiu felt like he was living the life of an immortal.

Truly, a life of indulgence and ease.

Just as he let out a contented burp and began to drift off into a tipsy slumber, a soft and sweet childlike voice suddenly spoke by his ear:

“Detected impending imprisonment for the host. Would you like to bind with the system?”

Lu Shiqiu cracked open one eye and scanned the room lazily.

What child was speaking?

The voice corrected him, “This system is not a child. It comes from the 21st century and can assist the host in raising children.”

Raising children?

What nonsense!

Lu Shiqiu didn’t understand anything about systems or the 21st century, but the mention of raising kids caught his attention.

Raising kids, his foot!

He didn’t even have a wife, so where would kids come from?

This cheeky “child” didn’t know anything and dared to claim it could help him?

Yawning, Lu Shiqiu muttered dismissively, “And how exactly would you help me raise kids?”

The voice responded matter-of-factly, “Based on your physical condition, this system will help you select a suitable wife. With a wife, you will naturally have your own children.”

His own children?

Lu Shiqiu scoffed sarcastically. “Getting married and having kids is easy. I don’t need some ridiculous system to make that happen.”

The voice paused for a moment before dropping a bombshell: “Based on my scans, you are incapable of having children.”

Lu Shiqiu’s eyes shot open wide in disbelief.

What did it just say?

The childlike voice grew gentler but carried a subtle note of enticement: “If you bind with the system, you will be able to have your very own biological child.”

What?!