The rooster crowed for the first time, the sky still dark, with a faint glimmer of dawn.

Though it was a cold winter day, there wasn’t much work to be done in the fields, but the villagers of Shuiyun Village had already risen early, cleaned up, and set out to find chores.

In the dilapidated house at the east end of the village, the oil lamp had already been lit.

The master of this place, Mu Yunchuan, had already dressed neatly. Just like in the past decade, he sat at the desk and began his studies.

Before long, there were voices outside, and the slender woman on the wooden bed also got up.

Madam Zhou looked at Mu Yunchuan in front of the desk and apologized, “Husband, why didn’t you let your concubine know when you got up? I would have prepared breakfast for you.”

Mu Yunchuan’s eyes did not leave the book, and he casually said, “Usually, when studying early at home, I would only have half a steamed bun, eat it with hot water, and fill my stomach. It was enough. There’s no need to specially prepare anything for me.”

These words made Madam Zhou feel a pang of heartache.

Mu Yunchuan, now only fifteen, though she didn’t know why he hadn’t taken the county examination yet, the teachers from the city academy praised him endlessly. They all said he had a bright future ahead. Not to mention the distant future, even achieving the status of a scholar was as easy as picking something from a pouch.

For such a naturally talented seed, even if he were placed in a wealthy family in the city, he would be the family’s precious darling.

But in the Mu family, Mu Yunchuan’s ambition for learning seemed to have become his original sin.

Farmers were not as meticulous as city people; they only ate two proper meals a day. However, even in these two meals, Mu Yunchuan ate very poorly. He had to chop wood and feed pigs in addition to his studies, and even the materials needed for reading and writing, like ink and paper, required him to copy books to exchange for silver coins…

Madam Zhou had chosen Mu Yunchuan precisely because of his character. She had planned to take good care of him after marriage, ensuring he could study without worries.

Little did she know, shortly after their marriage, they were forced to move into the old Mu family residence.

All the furniture in the house was old and dilapidated, not to mention the fact that the walls and doors let in the chilly wind. Surprisingly, it wasn’t any warmer inside than outside.

Madam Zhou, feeling sorry, turned away to wipe her eyes and hurried to the courtyard. She fetched hot water from the simple kitchen, planning to mix it with crushed tea leaves to make a pot of invigorating tea for Mu Yunchuan.

However, as she reached the courtyard, peering through the fence, Madam Zhou noticed a figure dressed in a blue cotton jacket and skirt. The woman standing outside the fence appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a simple green autumn dress. She had a simple hair bun, and while her attire seemed ordinary, her delicate features and graceful appearance couldn’t be hidden. In a few more years, she might even look younger than Madam Zhou.

Despite Madam Zhou’s good nature, seeing the other woman made her unconsciously furrow her brow.

The reason was simple—both Madam Zhou and Mu Yunchuan found themselves in this situation because of this woman in front of them.

The newcomer was none other than Mu Yunchuan’s stepmother, who had mistreated him for over ten years, Mrs. Shen.

Shen Cui stood in front of the old Mu family house, her face displaying an unnatural blush, evidently feeling embarrassed.

The events leading up to this began the night before when a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in her mind. Startled, Shen Cui had her package snatched away by Mu Erpang, who searched through it only to find nothing to eat.

Feeling quite disappointed at finding nothing to eat, Mu Erpang noticed his mother suddenly stop moving. Thinking she might be upset, he awkwardly gathered the scattered clothes back into the package.

“Did you hear any sound?” Shen Cui asked him, trying to maintain a calm tone.

Mu Erpang wondered what sound she was talking about.

Shen Cui was about to mention the civil service examination tutoring system when she suddenly felt a splitting headache. She quickly stopped herself from speaking, and the strange pain disappeared instantly.

However, what surprised Shen Cui even more was that a semi-transparent screen appeared before her eyes.

On the screen, shining brightly, were the words: “Newbie Task: Accompany your son in studying for half an hour, with a task deadline of six hours.” The words were unmovable and couldn’t be wiped away, and others couldn’t see it at all!

It was already the time when farmers were asleep, and she had been enduring until this morning. Seeing time running out, Shen Cui dared not delay any longer and reluctantly made her way to the old house.

At this moment, she locked eyes with Madam Zhou. Shen Cui dryly smiled and asked, “Has the master awakened?”

Although reluctant, Madam Zhou, being her mother-in-law, answered respectfully, “Husband is diligently studying inside, just like any other day.”

As she spoke, Madam Zhou opened the courtyard gate, and Shen Cui entered the old house.

To call it an old house might be a bit exaggerated. This old Mu family residence was where Mu Cheng and Mu Yunchuan first settled when they arrived in Shuiyun Village.

Seeing that her son genuinely liked it here, coupled with the coincidence of “Yun” in both Mu Yunchuan and Shuiyun Village, Mu Cheng decided to stay in this place.

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Mu Cheng’s household registration was in the county, not in the village. Back then, he had come to this place for his son’s education, and the money he had wasn’t enough. So, when he bought this house, it wasn’t considered excellent – just two old spacious rooms, furnished with the belongings left by the previous owner. Nowadays, those furnishings probably looked much older than Mu Yunchuan.

With the house being vacant for these years, the walls were so stained that they were unsightly, and the roof tiles were covered with moss, leaking on rainy days.

However, it was evident that both Mu Yunchuan and Madam Zhou were diligent workers. Despite the worn-down state, the house was quite clean.

Even if they cleaned it thoroughly, the house was still dilapidated. After all, no matter how efficient someone is, they can’t conjure up money to renovate the place – especially since when the original owner kicked them out, they didn’t even receive a single copper coin!

Upon entering the house, Shen Cui saw Mu Yunchuan.

Indeed, he was the male lead of the story. Although only fifteen, still a teenager, he wore a scholar’s robe that had lost its original color from washing. His black hair was secured with a single wooden hairpin. His features were handsome, exuding an air of scholarly refinement throughout his body.

Anyone who saw him would undoubtedly admire this handsome scholar.

One significant reason the original owner didn’t like him was precisely because Mu Yunchuan was too outstanding, like a moon in the sky overshadowing the mud-born Mu Erpang.

“Greetings, Mother.” Mu Yunchuan’s melodious voice rang out. Though his expression seemed distant, he still stood up and paid his respects.

“Please, have a seat.” As she spoke, Shen Cui moved a stool and sat down next to Mu Yunchuan.

However, as she took a few steps closer, Mu Yunchuan instinctively shifted his body away.

Look at how she scared him!

Shen Cui felt awkward, her scalp tingling. She had to explain again, “Yesterday, I suddenly remembered that I had you move out, but I didn’t provide anything for you. Today, I came over with no other intention than to bring you some money.”

The Mu family in Shuiyun Village was considered prosperous. Although they had been shouldering Mu Yunchuan’s educational expenses for these years and had built a new house a few years ago, as well as hosted a wedding, they still had more than ten taels of silver.

In the village, this was not a small sum. Shen Cui brought two taels of silver and several dozen copper coins, a considerable amount.