I was reborn in the body of a starving farmer's son in the Qing Dynasty.
Looking at the watery porridge in my bowl, clear enough to see my reflection, I decided I had to pass the imperial examinations.
I used modern knowledge to graft plants, only to be denounced for practicing sorcery.
I secretly crouched by the wall of a private school to learn characters, but the teacher caught me red-handed.
“What's the punishment for secretly studying the sages' books?” the teacher demanded sternly.
With my head bowed, I recited the entire Mencius. Not a single student in the hall made a sound.
The teacher grabbed my hand, trembling. “Come study here tomorrow. Your tuition is waived!”
Later, I placed first in all three stages of the imperial examinations. As I met the emperor in the Golden Throne Hall, he suddenly asked me:
“I hear you were a child prodigy. Why did you stop mentioning it as you grew older?”
